Twenty-four years ago, Stephanie Tavares-Rance and Floyd Rance had an idea to do a film festival focusing on Black stories and creatives in Barbados. They were in the middle of solidifying programming when the September 11th attacks happened, and Barbados backed out as host. But instead of letting the idea die, the Rances decided to shift the festival’s location to their personal happy place, Martha’s Vineyard. From there, the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF) was born. Since then, the festival has had countless sponsors, including HBO Max and Netflix, and has championed projects from creatives such as Issa Rae, Barack and Michelle Obama and numerous others.
“It’s been amazing to see the growth of this film festival,” Tavares-Rance tells Variety following the conclusion of the 23rd festival. “Never in a million years did Floyd and I think that we would be here 23 years later. It’s a labor of love. We’re just so proud of the work that we do. Floyd and I are inside a bubble along with our team, so we’re not really seeing the impact that we have, but when people come up to us and stores and hotels say, ‘Oh my God, I want to partner with you,’ then we realize the impact that we’re having on this island. We raised tourism by 40% the week of the festival.”
With so much going on nationally to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion, the Rances have decided to continue centering the MVAAFF around Black joy. “I think for us as a people, the world could be burning, but we’re celebrating joy,” Tavares-Rance says. “Because for us, throw it on the pile. We aren’t going to let distractions break our stride. We’re not going to have it break our souls. So we come to our happy place, and we always celebrate. I feel like the attendees, the filmmakers and the sponsors appreciate that.”
With community and partnership at the top of mind, MVAAFF has garnered major sponsorships over the years. “What’s going on nationally has never even permeated our universe,” Rance says. “There’s no need to worry about things you can’t control. Fortunately, that has worked in our favor. Even going as far back as the single-digit years, sponsorship was never really something that we stressed. We’ve had a few ups and downs, but it has never really been a nailbiter. We’ve always had this kind of organic approach to sponsorship. We’ve just let it unfold, and we’ve been very blessed; that’s been a very successful strategy. ESPN Films 30 for 30 has been a presenting sponsor for the past four years, and we hope to continue the partnership. I’m sure others are looking our way, and we will definitely entertain those conversations.”
The quaint Massachusetts island is also a significant draw for festival-goers, especially for newcomers who’ve recently learned about the Vineyard on series like Bravo’s “Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard” and Netflix’s “Forever.” “I think that sparked a lot of curiosity in people who’ve never been,” Tavares-Rance says. “I think people have a certain perception of Martha’s Vineyard, and then when they get here, they’re just like, ‘Oh my God!’ It is a happy place. It is a place where the ancestors dwell. It is a place where you are likely to run into someone you haven’t seen since high school or college. I just think it’s just been this word-of-mouth growth as well. It’s outstanding.”
MVAAFF has played an enduring role in making the island a global destination. “We do a lot of advertising, but that’s not solely it because people are coming from all parts of the Southern states and Western states and the world,” Rance says. “Queen Latifah said, ‘Word of mouth is always everlasting.’ Social media is also huge. This year was unprecedented in terms of attendance. I mean, really robust.”
The festival programming has also scaled upwards. This year included a live-taping of former First Lady Michelle Obama’s hit podcast, “IMO With Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson,” a screening of Dave Chappelle’s unreleased documentary, ‘Dave Chappelle In Real Life,’ and a celebration of Debbie Allen, among others. For the Rances, programming is almost a year-round endeavor.
“I would say it’s like a Rubik’s Cube,” Rance, who heads programming, says. “I have a great team of folks who help me program the festival. We start in September and continue until about April. However, we’re still getting programming as late as July, believe it or not. So it’s just constantly evolving, constantly moving. It’s a bit of a beast.”
Looking ahead, the Rances are already thinking about next year, and about 2027, which will mark the 25th annual MVAAFF. “I am looking forward to when we do the 25th year for a few reasons. I’ll be 60 years old, and our daughter will graduate that May,” Rance says. “For now, I’m just focusing on tomorrow, honestly and starting to program and gear up for the 2026 film Festival. Tavares-Rance adds, “In 10 years, hopefully at least one of our kids will want to take the reins and do this.”
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