For 30 years, the American Black Film Festival and HBO® have created an ecosystem and launch pad for talent development, exhibition, and recognition, helping propel the careers of trailblazing filmmakers from short films to Oscar winners, Critics Choice and NAACP Image Award recipients, creating box office and television history. Their global cultural impact has been felt across films such as The Black Panther, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, King Richard, The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel, and more.

This program celebrates the nearly 30-year partnership between the American Black Film Festival and HBO’s Short Film Competition, one of the most influential platforms for the discovery and advancement of Black filmmakers, and a rare example of a sustained collaboration between a major media corporation and a Black-owned cultural institution.

Turn down the lights and get ready for a night of Quiet Storm with singer and songwriter Alex Tyree.  With lush vocals and unhurried melodies, Alex creates a night of music written in the sacred language of life and love.

Celebrate Women’s History Month with The Apollo and Harlem-based film collective Melanin Madness. After a sold-out 2025 Halloween-themed screening, we’re running it back, this time for the ladies. As always and in true Apollo fashion, the audience is a part of the experience so grab your crew and get ready to talk back, cheer and join the party in this evening of community, culture, and fun.  

From Lotus Avenue to the A-train, ELHAE makes a quick stop in Harlem for an acoustic performance that blends alternative R&B with Hip Hop. His catalog includes thematic and seductive gems such as “Fun Fact”, “I Choose You (w. Ambre)”, “Doesn’t Matter (w.  Kehlani)” and the deliciously pulsating dance hit “Touch (w. GoldLink)“.

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