By Cynthia Gibson
Contributing Writer
CULVER CITY — The 33rd Pan African Film Festival opens Feb. 4 in a new location and with a new executive director.
The festival has shifted from the Cinemark Baldwin Hills XD at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, to the Culver Theater and Westfield Culver City mall.
Oduduwa Olatuji is the festival’s new executive director. Olatuji is the son of Ayuko Babu, PAFF’s previous executive director and co-founder of the film festival along with actor Danny Glover and the late actress Ja’Net Dubois.
PAFF organizers said the Culver Theater’s modern screens, lighting and sound system will allow for a more immersive viewing experience. Formerly the Pacific Culver Stadium 12, Amazon renovated and reopened the theater under a new name in December 2022 with six screens.
Although the Culver Theater will host the majority of the festival film screenings and PAFF Institute panel discussion and workshops, PAFF will still retain its partnership with the Cinemark Baldwin Hills Crenshaw. Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza will still host PAFF’s Children’s Fest, Student Fest and Senior Connection.
The film festival, which runs through Feb. 17, will screen more than 150 films from 34 countries in 19 languages. PAFF is the largest Black film festival in the country, showcasing the work of Black filmmakers, artists and storytellers from around the globe.
The festival opens with the award-winning drama “Magazine Dreams,” which stars Jonathan Majors as Killian Maddox, an amateur body builder struggling to make a name for himself while caring for his ailing grandfather. Elijah Bynum wrote and directed the film, which received critical acclaim and won the Sundance Film Festival’s Dramatic Special Jury Award in 2023.
The opening night premiere of “Magazine Dreams” is seen by PAFF organizers as a return for Majors, whose career was on an upward trajectory, starring in “Creed III,” “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” “Lovecraft Country,” “The Harder They Fall” and “Loki.”
The wide release of the film was delayed, and Majors’ career took a downturn after Majors was convicted of domestic assault and harassment by his then-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. Many of Majors supporters saw the conviction as unjust and an attempt by Jabbari to get revenge, following the release of camera footage showing Majors and Jabbari arguing and Jabbari chasing Majors for several blocks.
The postponement of the PAFF ArtFest is one of most significant changes in the 2025 festival. Organizers credit the recent wildfires and other unforeseen challenges with impacting the planning and logistic of ArtFest and ultimately leading to its cancellation.
“We felt it was necessary to take the time to ensure the ArtFest meets the exceptional standards our audience expects,” Olatunji said.
PAFF Director of Special Operations J’Tasha St. Cyr said despite postponement of ArtFest, PAFF 2025 has something for everyone. St. Cyr joined PAFF in 2018 as a millennial ambassador. She now oversees festival activities and initiatives and hosts PAFF Now, a show on PAFF.org that previews upcoming films. She also co-produced PAFF Spotlight feature film, “Soul of a Sister.”
“Our new executive director, Oduduwa Olatuji, brings a new vision in a new light and new direction” St. Cyr said. “He’s big on integrating AI, integrating social media, integrating the younger generation on being part of the festival and helping it grow.”
In addition to the Children’s Fest, Student Fest and Senior Connection, the Spokenword Fest and LOL Comedy Show will also return.
A panel on men’s fitness and health and a leading ladies panel featuring prominent female actresses discussing their Hollywood experiences and challenges will return as part of PAFF Institute panel discussion. Other Institute highlights include panel discussion on building and maintaining diverse teams behind the camera and a fireside chat with Jonathan Majors.
“My favorite part of festival is seeing all the networking with all the creative filmmakers and seeing stories that was written by us, for us, and by us.” St. Cyr said. “I love to see the creativity of all these filmmakers from all over the world. We have film from Africa, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, Canada.
“Just to see the breadth of the Pan African diaspora is just crazy to me. I love that PAFF has something for every generation whether you’re a movie lover or a movie maker.”
A complete listing of PAFF 2025 is available at PAFF.org.
Cynthia Gibson is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers. She can be reached at ckgcommunications@gmail.com.