Malcolm D. Lee‘s psychological thriller “Strung,” starring Chloe Bailey, will open the 30th annual American Black Film Festival in Miami Beach.
Per the film’s logline, Bailey stars as a talented violinist “whose prestigious new role as a music tutor for an enigmatic, elite family spirals into a psychological battle for her safety and sanity.” Lynn Whitfield, Lucien Laviscount, Anna Diop and Coco Jones round out the buzzy ensemble cast for the Peacock and Blumhouse movie.
Following its world premiere at ABFF, “Strung” will begin streaming on June 26 on Peacock. Written by Alan McElroy, “Strung” is produced by Peachtree & Vine and Blumhouse, in association with Blackmaled Productions, with Tyler Perry, Jason Blum, Tim Palen, Lee and Dominique Telson as producers. Philip Waley, Shaun S. Sutton, Alan McElroy and Giselle Johnson-Morris serve as executive producers.
A scene from “Strung.”
Ilze Kitshoff/Peacock
“As we celebrate 30 years of the American Black Film Festival, having Malcolm D. Lee return with his latest project, ‘Strung,’ feels especially right for this moment,” said Nicole Friday, president of Nice Crowd and producer of ABFF. “Malcolm has been part of the ABFF journey, and his return under our ‘Homecoming’ theme feels truly full circle. It’s a special way to open the festival in Miami Beach as we mark this milestone.”
Variety previously announced that Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy winner Regina King will serve as the ambassador for this year’s festival, which runs May 27-31. As noted, the 30th anniversary edition is themed “Homecoming,” with an emphasis on honoring three decades of celebrating and recognizing Black talent. Among the festival’s alumni is newly minted Oscar winner Ryan Coogler, whose career got an early kick-start after winning the annual HBO short film competition.
But ABFF is not only focused on the past; the festival is also looking toward the future of the film business with the launch of the “ABFF 9:16 Microdrama Project,” an innovative new initiative designed to identify and amplify outstanding vertical content from creators of color.
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