Baltimore is celebrating AFRAM’s 50th anniversary by putting the festival’s story on screen, with a city-backed documentary titled “AFRAM 50: This Is a Celebration of Us.” The film traces the event from its earliest days to the present and will get a private screening on Wednesday, June 17, just ahead of the three-day Juneteenth weekend festival. City officials are asking residents to help fill in the picture by sharing photos, video and memories for possible inclusion. Submissions are due Monday, June 8 and can be emailed to [email protected].
Who made the film
According to CBS Baltimore, the documentary is produced by Create & Serve Media Group and directed and produced by Alexandria Queen-Sneed, with Maya Gilmore of the Mayor’s Office of Cable & Communications (CharmTV) serving as executive producer. The team says they brought Queen-Sneed on board in January and then spent roughly six months gathering interviews, archival materials and music from local artists to build out the story.
AFRAM returns to Druid Hill Park
The festival itself is slated to run over Juneteenth weekend at Druid Hill Park, with a multi-day lineup of national headliners and Baltimore favorites that organizers say will pull in huge crowds. Visit Baltimore describes AFRAM as a free, family-oriented event at Druid Hill Park, while Baltimore Fishbowl reported headliners including Charlie Wilson, Mario and The Lox.
Filmmakers want Baltimore to tell its story
“The beauty of a subject matter like AFRAM is that people are eager to tell it,” Alexandria Queen-Sneed told CBS Baltimore. Gilmore told the outlet the project is designed to let Baltimoreans “authentically tell their own story” and to lock in the festival’s history for future generations before memories start to fade.
Why it matters
City officials and arts leaders say AFRAM is both a cultural anchor and an economic boost for neighborhoods and small businesses. Baltimore Fishbowl reported that organizers are estimating turnout in the hundreds of thousands for the 50th anniversary, which helps explain why the city is so intent on preserving the event’s story on film.
How to share memories and where to see the film
Organizers say the public can post memories to the project’s Instagram account @afram50doc or email submissions to [email protected] by Monday, June 8 for a chance to be part of the documentary. The finished film will screen privately ahead of AFRAM, and the filmmakers say they hope the project will amplify Baltimore artists and the city’s wider music community.
Whether you have been coming to AFRAM for decades or are planning to show up for the first time, the documentary is set to stitch neighborhood memories into a citywide portrait of five decades of music and community. AFRAM will run over Juneteenth weekend, and admission remains free.
.jpg){kind=link}