Kerry Washington will help welcome the American Black Film Festival back to Los Angeles.
The Emmy-winning producer and actress has been named ambassador for the festival’s 31st edition, taking place in May 2027.
Organizers announced Washington’s participation in the festival on Tuesday, Sept. 29, just over a month after revealing ABFF would be leaving Miami for L.A.
“ABFF has spent three decades championing Black storytellers and helping their voices be heard,” Washington said in a statement. “I’m honored to serve as Ambassador as the festival makes its move to Los Angeles, where it will open even more doors for the next generation of talent.”
In her new role, Washington will support the festival’s efforts to create opportunities for emerging filmmakers.
ABFF founder Jeff Friday said she is an example of the sense of community the festival has worked to build.
“Our Ambassadors have always represented that spirit, and Kerry brings a generosity, authenticity, and sense of purpose that resonates deeply with who we are,” Friday stated. “We’re incredibly proud to welcome her as our 2027 Ambassador.”
Washington is a longtime ABFF supporter, organizers said.
“Kerry has a genuine connection to ABFF and has long supported what the festival stands for,” said Nicole Friday, president of Nice Crowd. “Having her serve as Ambassador for our 31st festival feels both meaningful and fitting.”
Washington is best known to television audiences for playing Olivia Pope on ABC’s Scandal. Her film credits include roles in Save the Last Dance (2001), Ray (2004), Last King of Scotland (2006), The Dead Girl (2006), I Think I Love My Wife (2007), Django Unchained (2012), The Six Triple Eight (2024), and Wake Up Dead Man (2025).
ABFF was founded in 1997, with the first festival taking place in Acapulco, Mexico. It soon moved to Miami and has remained there, except for a brief stay in Los Angeles from 2007 to 2010.
In an August interview with the Miami Herald, Jeff Friday said ABFF was moving because of rising costs in South Florida after a key theater closed and the festival had to build makeshift theaters inside the Miami Beach Convention Center.
“Building a movie theater is very, very expensive: the chairs, the projection equipment. People don’t realize how much it takes,” he told the outlet.
Also worth noting, Friday’s production company Nice Crowd is located in Los Angeles and many of the actors and filmmakers who attend ABFF live in California. Still, he said it’s possible the event could eventually return to Florida.
“It’s just the economy,” he said. “The economics just didn’t work, and we would consider coming back in the future if something were to change.”
In 2027, ABFF will hold screenings at AMC The Grove 14 in L.A.’s Fairfax District, with panels and professional development sessions taking place nearby at the SLS Beverly Hills hotel.
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