Idris Elba Named Ambassador for 2010 American Black Film Festival*

This summer, one of black Hollywood's hottest actor, Idris Elba, will host the 14th Annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF).

The British thespian, who made a name for himself as Russell "Stringer" Bell on HBO's critically acclaimed drama 'The Wire,' signed up for his ambassador role in part to continue to inspire and encourage African Americans in the film industry.
"One of the reasons why I took on the ambassadorship is [because] I want to do directing and storytelling, and in the future I feel like with the energy I'm bringing in, I'm going to bring in more people and explore that world."

"As an ambassador, I'm really encouraging young filmmakers to come to this film festival to check out the vibe, even if film is something you've had a romance with and don't know how to get into," he continued.

ABFF weekend will take place in Miami this year from June 23 through June 26. The festival, which was established in 1997 by Film Life, Inc.'s Jeff Friday with the help of financial backing from HBO, seeks to strengthen the black filmmaking community through panel discussions, film showcases and contests to highlight emerging talent.

This year, women in film and television are the focus of the festival. There will be an all-woman grand jury to judge the HBO Short Film Award, as well as prizes for best film, best documentary and best performance by an actor, Winners will take home between $5,000 and $20,000 in prizes.

At the festival, Elba plans to hold a screening for his film 'Legacy,' which he executive produced and stars in.

"My film 'Legacy' is not designed for black audiences, but I want to show it at ABFF so people can say, 'Wow, we can make movies that are not for particularly for black audiences,'" Elba shared. "There are other stories about us as people that we can tell without focusing on the negative aspects of our community. We are very dynamic people."

For more information on the ABFF, head to www.ABFF.com.


*Black Voices.com