West Palm Beach, FL (February 2, 2026) Founded in 2006 by the late James Drayton, a former West Palm Beach city commissioner and strong advocate for equal rights and equality, the 20th Annual African American Film Festival (AAFF) returns to the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts on February 19 – 22. Curated by author and film scholar Dr. Terri Francis and moderated by a dynamic group of nationally renowned filmmakers and local community leaders, the event takes place in the Kravis Center’s Marshall E. Rinker Sr. Playhouse.
Dr. Francis and her special guests take attendees on a cinematic journey with unforgettable sports and dance films by extraordinary filmmakers. This year’s African American Film Festival mixes immersive documentaries, recent romantic dramas and classic black-and-white movies. Saluting dancers’ athleticism and praising the finesse athletes bring to the game, DANCE LIKE A BUTTERFLY, STING LIKE A BEE showcases heroic stories that might have been overlooked and spotlights films starring some of the greatest dancers and athletes of all time.
The festival lineup includes:
MUHAMMAD ALI, THE GREATEST (1977), Feature
Rinker Playhouse
Thursday, February 19 at 6:30 p.m.
Curated by author and cinema scholar Terri Francis with special guest Jimmy Jacques
Klein highlights key moments in Muhammad Ali’s career, showcasing the people, events and media frenzy surrounding his rise. The first half, in black and white, depicts Cassius Clay winning the World Heavyweight Championship against Sonny Liston in 1964 and becoming Muhammad Ali after joining the Nation of Islam. The second half, in color, occurs ten years later in Kinshasa as Ali attempts to regain his title against George Foreman after being stripped for refusing military service. Ali’s evolution into a politicized cultural icon is narrated through interactions with fans, Malcolm X, and observations of changing cultural landscapes in the USA and Mobutu’s Zaire.
GRIDIRON DIASPORA: THE HENRY MCDONALD STORY, Jimmy Jacques, 2026, 2 min. (short)
Tickets $25*
*Includes opening night reception with beverages and lite bites beginning at 5:30 p.m.
PRINCESS TAM TAM (1935), Feature
Rinker Playhouse
Friday, February 20 at 6:30 p.m.
Curated by author and cinema scholar Terri Francis with special guest Nadege Green
“Princesse Tam Tam,” directed by Edmond Gréville and starring Josephine Baker, is a musical comedy with an exotic twist on the Pygmalion story. It follows Max de Mirecourt, a frustrated French novelist who travels to Tunisia for inspiration, leaving his socialite wife Lucie in Paris. There, he meets Alwina (Baker), a free-spirited shepherdess. Captivated by her, Max decides to make her the subject of his novel, transforming her into a sophisticated lady and introducing her as “Princess Tam Tam” from India to spark jealousy in Lucie. His plan backfires when Alwina becomes a sensation in Parisian society. The film showcases Baker’s comedic and musical talents through captivating dance scenes and two songs: “Dream Ship” and “‘Neath the Tropical Blue Skies.”
JOSEPHINE BAKER WATCHES HERSELF, Terri Francis, 2019, 7 min. (short)
Tickets $15*
LOVE & BASKETBALL (2000), Feature
Rinker Playhouse
Saturday, February 21 at 1 p.m.
Curated by author and cinema scholar Terri Francis with special guest Cathleen Dean
Monica (Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy (Omar Epps) are two childhood friends who both aspire to be professional basketball players. Quincy, whose father, Zeke (Dennis Haysbert), plays for the Los Angeles Clippers, is a natural talent and a born leader. Monica is ferociously competitive but sometimes becomes overly emotional on the court. Over the years, the two begin to fall for each other, but their separate paths to basketball stardom threaten to pull them apart.
WADE IN THE WATER, Cathleen Dean, 2021, 15 min. (short)
Tickets $15*
HE GOT GAME (1998), Feature
Rinker Playhouse
Saturday, February 21, at 6:30 p.m.
Curated by author and cinema scholar Terri Francis with special guest Dr. Danyelle Greene
Jake Shuttleworth (Denzel Washington) has spent the last six years in prison after accidentally killing his wife during a violent domestic dispute, leaving his son, star basketball prospect Jesus Shuttleworth (Ray Allen), to fend for himself. One day, the prison warden (Ned Beatty) approaches Jake with an unusual offer: He’ll be given a week of parole to convince Jesus to attend the governor’s alma mater, with the promise of a shortened sentence if he succeeds.
Tickets $15*
STORMY WEATHER (1943), Feature
Rinker Playhouse
Sunday, February 22 at 1 p.m.
Curated by author and cinema scholar Terri Francis with special guest Gentry George
Bill Williamson (Bill Robinson), a struggling performer, meets a beautiful vocalist named Selina Rogers (Lena Horne). Bill promises her that they will be together after he becomes a success. However, he and Selina both skyrocket to fame and lose contact. Fortunately, Bill just might get one more chance to woo Selina at a huge musical stage show. Popular entertainers of the 1940s, including Fats Waller and Cab Calloway, perform as themselves in the film.
TYGERS, Kevin Jerome Everson, 2014, 2 min. (short)
KONPA, Al Plancher, 2023, 9 min. (short)
Tickets $15*
Guests attending PEAK performances in the Rinker Playhouse will receive one complimentary beverage with every ticket purchased (underage guests will be offered a non-alcoholic selection).
PEAK performances are made possible by a grant from the MLDauray Arts Initiative in honor of Leonard and Sophie Davis with additional support from WLRN.
How to Purchase Tickets to These Presentations:
*Tickets for MUHAMMAD ALI: THE GREATEST are $25 and include opening reception. Tickets for the remaining films are $15 per film. Purchase $60 for the entire series and save $25. All tickets can be purchased online through the Kravis Center’s website www.kravis.org or by phone at 561.832.7469. Student/Educator rush discount available for all screenings.
About Dr. Terri Francis (Curator)
Dr. Terri Francis is an internationally recognized author, curator and professor. Since moving to Miami in 2021, Dr. Francis has presented film screenings and moderated conversations on independent cinema, literature and the arts at Coral Gables Art Cinema, Books and Books, the Miami Film Festival, the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami, Third Horizon Film Festival and the Pérez Art Museum Miami. She is a 2022 Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grantee, and her publications can be found in Another Gaze, SEEN, Lithub, Film History, Black Camera and Film Quarterly. She recently co-edited a collection of essays for Feminist Media Histories called “Camille Billops and James V. Hatch: A Certain Defiance.” Dr. Francis is an associate professor in the School of Communication at the University of Miami and the author of Josephine Baker’s Cinematic Prism (Indiana University Press, 2021). Dr. Francis co-curated Icon in Motion: Josephine Baker for the New National Gallery in Berlin, Germany and programmed for Courtisane, a platform for film and visual arts and Cinematek, the Royal Film Archive of Belgium. She has been part of the African American Film Festival at the Kravis Center since 2023.
For Photos: To download accompanying images or video, go to the Kravis Center’s online pressroom at https://www.kravis.org/pressroom/.
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About the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts:
The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts is a nonprofit organization and one of South Florida’s premier cultural destinations, located in downtown West Palm Beach. Since 1992, the Kravis Center has presented the finest in live entertainment, showcasing internationally acclaimed artists in music, comedy, dance, Broadway, and more. As part of its nonprofit mission, the Kravis Center has welcomed millions of students to its comprehensive arts education programs. Students of all ages can participate in workshops, classes, and special events, as well as access free and reduced-price tickets for those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience live performances.
*All programs, artists, cast, ticket prices, availability, dates and times are subject to change without notice. Visit kravis.org for up-to-date information.
Media Contacts:
Director of Public Relations Public Relations and Social Media Coordinator
Charlotte Vermaak Adriana Bøckman-Pedersen
561.651.4242 561.651.4345
[email protected] [email protected]
Education Media Contact:
Elizabeth Dashiell
561.543.8276
[email protected]
