Two Queer Led Films, ‘Girl Dad’ and ‘Law’s World: Lipstick Bandit’ Will Be Featured at The 30th American Black Film Festival

The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) released its lineup of feature films that will premiere at the 30th Annual ABFF in Miami Beach. This year’s lineup includes two queer film features, Girl Dad and Law’s World: Lipstick Bandit, both centering queer characters and storylines.

The first film, Girl Dad stars Marsai Martin and Courtney B. Vance. Martin plays a “tough, queer teenager” who leaves her hometown of Brooklyn for the first time to travel to Los Angeles and visit her estranged father (Courtney B. Vance), a struggling composer. As father and daughter reconnect, their relationship is further complicated by an unlikely source…a used refrigerator.

Directors: Solvan Slick Naim

Writers: Solvan Slick Naim 

Producers: Datari Turner, Solvan Slick Naim, Marsai Martin, Jamie Foxx 

Cast: Marsai Martin, Courtney B. Vance, Meagan Good, Michael Rainey Jr., & Madison Bailey, 

Girl Dad is eligible for the Grand Jury Prize in the Best U.S. Narrative Feature category, along with honors for Directing, Screenwriting, and Performance. 

The second film, Law’s World: Lipstick Bandit, is a 14 minute short film created by director, writer, producer, and eponymous lead Law Artis. The film follows “a sassy pansexual sex blogger” preparing for a high profile house tour, but his plans are disrupted by his narcissist best friend, who is determined to take back something she considers as irreplaceable. 

Director: Law Artis 

Writer: Law Artis 

Producers: Bob Giraldi, Danae Grandison, & Law Artis

Cast: Law Artis, Saleemah Sharpe, Adra Mayer, Alondra Belén, Stephanie Ford, & Lisa Vacca

Law’s World: Lipstick Bandit is eligible for the Grand Jury Prize for Best Episodic Series in the Series Competition category. Check out the trailer here. 

The ABFF is the leading independent film festival celebrating Black films and the Black film industry. The festival first began as the Acapulco Black Film Festival in Acapulco, Mexico, and eventually found a new home in Miami, where it has grown into the influential creative force it is today. 

ABFF will celebrate its 30th edition with the theme Homecoming, “a tribute to the festival’s rich legacy and the global community it has cultivated over three decades. This milestone event will honor the past while looking toward the future, reaffirming ABFF’s role as the premier destination for discovering and elevating diverse talent in Hollywood and beyond.” This year’s selections represent more than 10 countries, including the U.S., Cameroon, Nigeria, Brazil, France, Italy, Canada, and the U.K. 

The screening schedule will be released on April 27. The 30th Annual ABFF will be held in Miami Beach from May 27-31, with winners announced on May 30.