San Antonio Black International Film Festival

The mission of the San Antonio Black International Film Festival is to showcase quality films, advocate for, and support filmmakers of African descent.  We expose audiences to the myriad of subject matters, stories, voices and diverse images of Black people throughout the global Diaspora who have been historically under-represented. 

The San Antonio Black International Film Festival (SABIFF), founded by SA native, and indie documentary filmmaker, Ada M. Babineaux, came into existence because; San Antonio lacked a  film festival that specifically, and unapologetically identified with diverse Black experience worldwide. In October 2018, SABIFF was created by mutual community member interests, with the afore-mentioned mission, and the need expose, and elevate consciousness of a thriving Black film world.  In February of 2019, we featured local Black indie filmmakers at a successful soft launch at the Carver Library in the heart of our Eastside, District 2 community.  

ANNUAL EVENT                                                                                                                                          SABIFF conducts an annual film festival the early part of October.  Through a volunteer staff, community partnerships, and donations, as well as grants and sponsorships, we are able to present a quality 4-day festival which consist of an Opening Night, a red carpet reception, and the presentation of our Ankh Achievement Award to a film/video professional in a particular genre, who affirms Black love through their works, and who also has contributed to the advancement of Black Cinema. We have 2-days (or Video on Demand for virtual & hybrid events) of Films In-Competition screenings, obtained from submissions from across the globe that are judged and selected to be showcased in the festival. There are impactful workshops, interviews, panels, a closing night showcase with 'cinema under the stars', and our finale Sunday Glory Films in-Competition awards ceremony. 

ONLINE PRESENCE:                                                                                                                                   SABIFF started a monthly-virtual film showcase in January 2021 on our sabiff.tv platform. We exhibit a film a month which features a ‘reel talk’ post-filmmaker, or panel discussion. These free/donation offered events, include impactful curations, and community partnerships based on the film topics or subject matter presented. Cinema presentations have included films on:  social justice, Black love, child abduction, Black Feminism, Black rodeo, Pan Africanism, land reparations, revolution in Sudan, gentrification, mentorship, LGBTQ Pride, and mental health. Ongoing showcase screenings will be either virtual or at local pop-up venues that lead up to the annual Fall festival.  Looking ahead, we will have 2 online showcases and 1-hybrid exhibition each quarter. 

LONG TERM VISION:

Teen & Adult Summer Film Camps in our beautiful hometown that outreach internationally. Guess instructors/presenters bring their A-Game to SA, exchanging professional skills and talent in different genres, crew and production roles. 

A Cinema Art House Cafe that specializes in showcasing Black Indie films from around the world. A liberated space that allows for open industry dialogue, intellectual exchange, impactful programming, and respected cultural nuance. This oasis doubles as a technologically sound membership workspace in the day, and cinema in the evening. Serving up light healthy food for Foodies, coffee and teas in the AM and happy hour libations in the PM, this spot is a haven for Black Cinema, culture and the arts rolled into one.