It’s time to celebrate once again with the justly renowned Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF), now in its 24th year of presenting important works of independent and established Black filmmakers. And quite a celebration it will be, with screenings daily from 11 am into the evening, from August 7 through 15 at the Martha’s Vineyard Performing Arts Center. The blockbuster lineup includes “Soul Patrol,” a documentary about the first Black special ops team in the Vietnam War.
This will be immediately followed by a discussion moderated by Henry Louis (“Skip”) Gates Jr. and former Secretary of State John Kerry. The former secretary, a longtime seasonal Vineyard resident, is a decorated VIetnam veteran who led veteran protests against the war. “It’s a great piece of Black history that I didn’t know, so it’s a very important documentary on our contributions to that war,” Tavares-Rance notes.