Stephanie Rance had never been to a film festival before she and her husband Floyd Rance founded the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF) in 2002. Having recently given birth to her daughter, Ms. Rance knew that as a woman in the entertainment industry, she would have to do something innovative to stay relevant in her field.

Little did they know that the idea would evolve into a summer institution on the Island.

“It’s grown into this celebration of Black joy,” Ms. Rance said. “It’s a celebration of who we are as a people, it’s a celebration of our creativity, our perseverance and just our love for all of who we are — the whole diaspora of African-American people — and we do that through film.”

The annual MVAAFF runs from Friday, August 4 to Saturday, August 12. Over the course of 21 years, the festival has grown from its humble beginnings in a Mansion House hotel conference space to nine days of screenings at the Martha’s Vineyard Performing Arts Center and discussions with filmmakers and scholars.

Gaining Ground: The Fight for Black Land was directed by Eternal Polk.

“We don’t want to just show one angle of Black life — all of us come from different backgrounds,” Ms. Rance said. “And I love the fact that the festival has morphed into this thing where everyone comes together and enjoys it.”

This year, 65 independent films were selected from more than 800 submissions. Sponsors round out the festival, bringing in content from large studios such as Netflix, MAX, Lionsgate and Warner Bros.

“The focus of the festival is, and always will be, a film festival for independent filmmakers,” Ms. Rance said. “The sponsored content is lovely, we love our partners . . . but those are the sprinkles on top.”

Included in the sponsored content is a celebration of hip hop’s 50th anniversary, featuring a Netflix screening of the docuseries Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip Hop. The film was directed by Island seasonal resident dream hampton and will be introduced by a pioneer of women’s rap, MC Lyte.

“It’ll be a party,” Ms. Rance said. “We told people to wear their tracksuits — wear your Adidas tracksuit, your Nike tracksuit, to represent hip hop from the 80s.”

Barack and Michelle Obama attended last year's screenings. — Mark Alan Lovewell

Other sponsored content includes a premiere of Rustin, produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company Higher Ground, and American Fictions, a MGM project directed by Cord Jefferson and starring Colman Domingo and Jeffrey Wright.

There will also be a conversation tent outside to discuss topics ranging from the legacy of Black farmers to the importance of the New York City music venue Sounds of Brazil (SOB’s) plus an exclusive preview of a 2024 documentary about the historic live venue.

There will also be panel discussions hosted by sponsors such as the Library of Congress, Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, and Cartier.

“[Cartier] felt that Martha’s Vineyard, and our film festival, was the perfect place, to show their commitment to people of color,” Ms. Rance said.

Despite the ongoing strikes by the unions Screen Actors’ Guild/American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and Writers Guild of America (WGA) that have halted film and television production and award shows, Ms. Rance said the show must go on. Unlike previous years that have seen actors such as Viola Davis in attendance, this year’s festival focuses on directors.

“We stand 100 per cent in solidarity of SAG and WGA, but first and foremost we are a film festival and we showcase film,” she said. “

For tickets and a full schedule, visit mvaaff.com.