Where Black Stories Gathered: Inside ABFF’s Los Angeles Pop Up

 

Photos: American Black Film Festival

Los Angeles, California, Saturday, December 13 marked the arrival of the American Black Film Festival Pop Up, underscoring  its evolving role as a cultural institution, one that understands Black storytelling not only as entertainment, but as historical record, political strategy, and communal memory.

Curated by NICE CROWD Co-Founder and President Nicole Friday alongside Co-Founder and CEO Jeff Friday, the Los Angeles Pop Up translated the ethos of ABFF’s Miami flagship into a West Coast context shaped by industry proximity and cultural influence. The programming emphasized longevity over visibility, and intention over spectacle.

Among the weekend’s most resonant moments was the screening of HOOPS, HOPES & DREAMS, presented by Andscape. The documentary reframed basketball courts as critical sites of political engagement, tracing how Martin Luther King Jr. and a network of civil rights organizers used the game to connect with young Black voters. In doing so, the film revealed a strategic lineage that extends into modern electoral movements, including Barack Obama’s historic presidential campaign.

Directed by Glenn Kaino and produced by Michael Latt, Alexys Feaster, Glenn Kaino, Afshin Shahidi, and Jesse Williams, the film featured voices such as Jemele Hill, Reginald Love, Michael Strautmanis, Jerry West, and Andrew Young. Together, they positioned sports as a cultural language that has long shaped Black political participation, community trust, and civic mobilization.

The inclusion of HOOPS, HOPES & DREAMS felt particularly urgent within the current political and cultural landscape. At a moment when voter engagement, political access, and cultural misinformation remain pressing concerns, the film offered historical context that felt both sobering and instructive. Its presence within the Pop Up signaled ABFF’s commitment to situating Black storytelling within broader conversations about power, democracy, and agency.

That thematic depth carried throughout the remainder of the weekend. Conversations around creative ownership and personal alignment, including panels led by Tika Sumpter, emphasized sustainability over visibility. Discussions with filmmakers and showrunners reinforced the importance of narrative control across both independent and studio spaces.

Creative leadership also emerged as a defining throughline. Voices like Salli Richardson-Whitfield highlighted the necessity of representation behind the camera, reinforcing a central truth echoed by the documentary feature. Influence is not only about being seen. It is about shaping the conditions under which stories are told.

By weaving political history, creative discourse, and cultural celebration into a single weekend, the Los Angeles Pop Up reaffirmed ABFF’s broader mission. It is not simply a festival that highlights Black stories. It is a platform that contextualizes them.

The power of the ABFF Pop Up in Los Angeles ultimately rested in its intention. The event created space for Black creativity to be explored without translation, defended without justification, and celebrated without compromise.

ABFF offered a reminder that Black storytelling has always been inseparable from Black political life. And in this moment, that connection felt not only relevant, but necessary.