Pulling Focus African American Film Festival -- June 6 through 9
Thursday, June 6, through Sunday, June 9
Various Area Locales
Launched last year by the Azubuike African American Council for the Arts and taking place in various area locales June 6 through 9, the second-annual Pulling Focus African American Film Festival has been designed as a celebration of local film and culture that focuses on enriching the lives of Quad Cities residents, presenting unique film-watching experiences framed through the lens of African American and Black Diasporic voices.
Founded by Gaye Shannon Burnett and her independent-filmmaker son Jonathan Burnett, Pulling Focus is committed to empowering Black filmmakers and showcasing stories made by and about people of African descent. Through cinema, we bridge gaps between communities, fostering an appreciation for Black culture and creating awareness of the Black experience. The festival has attracted filmmakers from around the globe, including submissions from the United States, China, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Rwanda, Kenya, Japan, Jamaica, Italy, Iran, India, the country of Georgia, Ethiopia, Canada, Brazil, Belgium, Australia, and Angola. Those at Pulling Focus are proud to also highlight the work of filmmakers from Davenport and Rock Island, and honored to host nine filmmakers traveling from cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, St. Louis, and even London.
This year, Pulling Focus received an impressive 112 submissions and accepted 70 films, showcasing a diverse range of genres, including cutting-edge sci-fi narratives, documentaries, and horror films. The organization is also introducing a new category, The Reel Impact, alongside the traditional Out of Competition Showcase, emphasizing films with a strong social message. With the festival's opening reception taking place at Davenport venue The Last Picture House (325 East Second Street) on June 6 at 6 p.m., six individual blocks of screenings will be held between Thursday and Saturday, with Sunday's Reel Impact Discussion (venue TBA) beginning at 12:30 p.m. and the Closing Awards Ceremony returning to the Last Picture House at 3 p.m.
The schedule for the 2024 Pulling Focus African American Film Festival is as follows:
Thursday, June 6: Screening Block #1 at Davenport's TMBC Lincoln Center (318 East Seventh Street) from 1 to 3 p.m.; Opening Reception at the Last Picture House from 6 to 7 p.m.; Screening Block #2 at the venue from 7:30 to 10 p.m.
Friday, June 7: Screening Block #3 at TMBC Lincoln Center from 1 to 3:30 p.m.; Screening Block #4 at Davenport's Putnam Museum & Science Center (1717 West 12th Street) from 6 to 9 p.m.
Saturday, June 8: Screening Block #5, the Out of Competition Showcase, at Davenport's Figge Art Museum (225 West Second Street) from 11:10 a.m. to 1:20 p.m.; a panel discussion at the venue from 1:30 to 3:10 p.m.; Screening Block #6 at the museum from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.; a VIP/Filmmakers Mixer/Reception (with heavy hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar) from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m.; an artist talk and interview with featured speaker Felicia D. Henderson from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Sunday, June 9: the Reel Impact Discussion (venue TBA) from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.; the Closing Awards Ceremony at the Last Picture House from 3 to 5 p.m.
For more information and the full lineup of screenings, visit PullingFocusFilmFestival.com.
