The Austin Film Society is partnering with the Los Angeles-based Pan African Film and Arts Festival (PAFF) for its second annual Austin extravaganza from August 15-18. The festival will feature screenings of four renowned short films and six feature-length films, most of which are making their Texas or Austin debuts.

PAFF was founded in 1992 by veteran actors Danny Glover, Ja’Net DuBois, and Ayuko Babu, and is the largest Black film and arts festival in the United States, according to a release. The five-day Austin festival will be held at AFS Cinema, located at 6259 Middle Fiskville Rd.

The festival will kick off on Thursday, August 15, with an Austin premiere screening of director Dawn Porter's Luther: Never Too Much. The documentary follows the life and successes of famed soul and R&B singer Luther Vandross. After the screening, an opening night reception will be held in the AFS Cinema lobby.

PAFF will also host post-screening director Q&A's and filmmaker panels throughout the weekend. The festival will come to a close on Sunday, August 18 with "Don’t Rest on Your Laurels — How to Successfully Navigate Film Festivals." The informative panel, hosted by PAFF programmers and alumni filmmakers, will explain the best practices and advice for filmmakers after their film has been presented. This panel is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Festival passes for all PAFF screenings are $60 per person, with additional discounts on tickets for AFS members. More information about PAFF can be found on austinfilm.org.

The full programming lineup, lightly edited for brevity, is as follows:

Thursday, August 16

Luther: Never Too Much, dir. Dawn Porter – Austin premiere
Screening begins at 7 pm
Using a wealth of rarely seen archives, Luther Vandross tells his own story with assistance from his closest friends and musical collaborators including Mariah Carey, Dionne Warwick, Valerie Simpson, and Roberta Flack. The film relives the many stunning moments of Luther’s musical career while exploring his unrequited love life, health struggles, and a lifelong battle to earn the respect his music deserved.

Friday, August 16

Following Harry, dir. Susanne Rostock – Texas premiere
Screening begins at 6 pm
Following Harry begins with Harry Belafonte at the age of 84 embarking on a deeply personal journey, disrupting injustice over the next 10 years by passionately encouraging a diverse group of entertainers and activists to overcome soaring national unrest and anger, by believing that love has the power to redirect oppression into oblivion.

A Wu-Tang Experience: Live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, dir. RZA and Gerald K. Barclay – Texas premiere
Screening begins at 8:45 pm
In August 2021, the Wu-Tang Clan, backed by the 60-piece Colorado Symphony Orchestra, performed at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Roughly 10,000 fans witnessed one of the most extraordinary concerts in Hip-Hop music history.

Saturday, August 17

African Glory, dir. Thierry Siegfried Bugaud – Austin premiere
Screening begins at 12:30 pm
Anthropologist and historian Jean-Yves Loude shares the results of his in-depth investigation into Mandinka Emperor Abu Bakr II, who set off from the Senegalese coast at the head of a fleet of two thousand boats in 1311, according to a written account recorded in an official 14th-century encyclopedia. In parallel, musician Cheick Tidiane Seck lends his voice as a guide on a journey to the heart of the Mali Empire, where the great Battle of Kirina took place, leading to the advent of an empire that would keep growing until Emperor Abu Bakr II set off on his exploration.

African Glory will be preceded by three narrative short films:

• Inner Demons, dir. Jasmine J. Johnson
• Definitely Not A Monster, dir. Brea Cola Angelo – Texas premiere
• The Origin, dir. Jorge Sanchez – Texas premiere

One Person, One Vote?, dir. Maximina Juson – Texas premiere
Screening begins at 4 pm, with a post-screening Q&A with Juson
An eye-opening exposé of the origins and contentious history of the Electoral College gives context to current events recalling the often forgotten role of slavery in its creation and how, throughout American history, it has dramatically impacted American politics and society, particularly with respect to voter suppression and the devaluation of the minority vote.

One Person, One Vote? will be preceded by the following narrative short film:

• Neighborhood Alert, dir. Ngozi Onwurah – Texas premiere

Exhibiting Forgiveness, dir. Titus Kaphar – Texas premiere
Screening begins at 7:30 pm
Tarrell Rodin is an admired American painter who lives with his wife, singer-songwriter Aisha, and young son, Jermaine. His artwork excavates beauty from the anguish of his past, keeping the deep wounds at bay. His path to success is derailed by an unexpected visit from his estranged father, La’Ron, a recovering addict desperate to reconcile the past. La’Ron visits at the invitation of Tarrell’s mother, Joyce, a pious woman with a profound and joyful spirituality. She hopes that Tarrell can open his heart to forgiveness, giving them all another chance, however imperfect, at being a family.

Sunday, August 18

Panel: Don’t Rest on Your Laurels — How to Successfully Navigate Film Festivals
Panel begins at 4pm, RSVP required
Receiving an acceptance notice is the highlight of a creative’s journey, but don’t rest on your laurels as the real work has only just begun. This segment will cover successful strategies to implement before, during, and after a festival exhibition. The panel will share ways to maximize a film's impact and achieve the desired results of an Official Selectee making the rounds on the festival circuit.