On Martha’s Vineyard, Black filmmakers are in the spotlight

['Eric Deggans', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img', 'Height Auto Max-Width', 'Vertical-Align Bottom .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Vertical-Align Middle .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar Is .Alignleft .Alignright'] TPR: The Public's Radio 2025-08-07 19:35:22

Floyd and Stephanie Rance, founders of the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, onstage at the opening party. This is the vibe at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, or MVAAFF, now in its 23rd year, providing space for Black artists to roll out ambitious projects in the most welcoming space possible. On Martha’s Vineyard, tribal elders work to restore land to its pre-colonial state On the island of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, members of the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe are trying to restore land to the way it looked, smelled and sounded pre-colonialism. The fifth episode of the Netflix series Forever, created by Mara Brock Akil, is set in Martha’s Vineyard. So I think we have to pivot to building a new community … that’s what I’m looking for.”Based on what I saw, the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival is one powerful place to build and grow that spirit.