The American Black Film Festival has launched ABFF97, a new theatrical distribution initiative designed to bring select independent films to audiences in major U.S. markets. AMC Theatres will serve as the initiative’s inaugural theatrical provider, with releases planned across Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Detroit, Dallas, Houston, Charlotte, and Philadelphia.
Named for ABFF’s founding year, the initiative extends the festival’s 30-year history of discovering emerging filmmakers beyond the festival circuit and into theatrical release. ABFF97 will curate films, build release strategies, and lead marketing and publicity, with priority given to films that have already screened at the festival, though the platform will eventually consider independent films from outside ABFF as well. The launch follows the 2026 ABFF Pop-Up Tour, which has completed stops in Washington, D.C. and New York, with Atlanta and Houston still ahead, audience turnout that founder Jeff Friday said helped confirm demand for theatrical experiences built around these films.
Independent film has long faced a structural gap between festival acclaim and actual theatrical access, where a film can build buzz on the circuit without a clear, reliable path into theaters. ABFF97 positions a festival with three decades of relationships and audience data as the connective tissue for that gap, rather than leaving distribution entirely to traditional studio or streaming pickup. That shift from discovery alone to discovery plus distribution reflects a broader pattern of film festivals and advocacy organizations taking on more direct roles in getting independent work in front of audiences, rather than depending on the industry’s existing pipelines to do that work for them.
Friday, ABFF’s founder and co-founder and CEO of NICE CROWD, said the initiative builds on the audience relationships and cultural reach the festival has developed over three decades, with AMC providing a strong foundation to bring these films to market. No inaugural film slate or release schedule has been announced yet.
With the festival setting up this new distribution arm ahead of its 2027 edition in Los Angeles, the real test will be which films ABFF97 selects first, and whether theatrical release actually translates into the kind of visibility that leads to further licensing and distribution deals down the line.