CONTACT: Press@ibffnashville.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 13, 2008

INTERNATIONAL BLACK FILM FESTIVAL OF NASHVILLE MAKES THE SOUTH A CINEMA FOR THE WORLD.

Festival announces dates and welcomes new partners -

The International Black Film Festival (IBFF) of Nashville proudly announced today that this year's festival, themed "Southern Style, Feels Like Home," will be held on October 15 - 18 in the heart of downtown Nashville at the Avon Williams campus of Tennessee State University. Screenings will be held at the Historic Belcourt Theatre in midtown.

IBFF especially welcomes the Cultural Services of the French Embassy as the newest addition to its growing slate of partners.

IBFF Nashville's inaugral festival was a great success with over 1000 people in attendance. Impressively, IBFF was designated one of Nashville's "50 Things We Loved in 2007." IBFF is rapidly making a name for itself on the festival circuit, hosting premieres, dynamic networking opportunities, informative and unique workshops, engaging panels and attracting noted filmmakers, VIP's and celebrities from around the globe.

"Cinema is a learning experience, one which plays an ever growing role in our society. Cinema reaches across cultural barriers," said Hazel Joyner-Smith, executive director of IBFF. "The film festival brings a host of educational opportunities to our community and helps expand the awareness of diversity in our contemporary American culture."

IBFF is currently accepting feature, short, documentary and animation film sudmissions until July 31. All official IBFF film selections receive tremendous exposure, reaching the festivals broad audience that attracts representatives from distribution companies and leading industry film executives. After screening at IBFF, a number of films have received international recognition and distribution offers.

Southern Style, Feels Like Home. What comes to mind when you think of the comforts of home? In the South for many it is hanging out on the front porch in a rocking chair with a glass of sweet tea waving at your friends as they go by. It is walking through your neighborhood sharing colorful stories and organizing impromptu barbeques on the weekend. It is meeting new acquaintances that eventually become lifelong friends after only a few days.

The International Black Film Festival of Nashville has that same warm, sharing, welcoming feeling. With Nashville dubbed, “Music City USA”, it proudly boasts rolling hills, mild climate, diverse population, robust economy, and an exploding international business community...setting the stage for a global celebration! But we promise... to always make it feel like home.

Cultural Services of the French Embassy. Together with its U.S. partners, the Cultural Service promotes French-American exchanges in the arts, film, education. It supports and advises individuals—artists, authors, teachers, researchers and other professionals—as well as such institutions as art centers, film institutes, professional networks, schools and universities, and NGOs, serving as a partner on many projects and programs.

The Historic Belcourt Theatre. The mission of the Belcourt Theatre, Inc., The Belcourt Theatre, Inc., is to preserve the Belcourt Theatre, a singular entity that sets Nashville apart from every other city by reclaiming historic space to revitalize a cultural anchor for the diverse Nashville community, by providing a variety of select films and performing arts to stimulate dialogue and delight in a vibrant, inviting atmosphere, and by executing a sound business plan and a comprehensive fundraising strategy to ensure the long-term success of the theatre.