Pan African fest stretches its wings

The Pan African Film & Arts Festival has focused on the diversity of people of African descent in film since 1992. But recently, the festival itself has been branching out with non-cinema-related activities. “When we see a void, we try to fill it,” says spokeswoman Jasmyne A. Cannick.

So the festival has paired with the Comedy Union club to present its second annual night of stand-up. Saturday’s event features a tribute to the late Richard Pryor, including Chris Spencer, Rodney Perry and others.

On Friday and Feb. 17, the Spoken WordFest assembles a dozen established and up-and-coming poets to jam about love, politics and more. The newcomers were selected in open auditions held by Shihan, one of the hosts of the weekly Da’ Poetry Lounge at the Greenway Court Theatre. “It’s a little bit older crowd than we get at the Lounge,” says Shihan, who is in his third year of leading the event, “but they’re just as vocal, and we always have fun.”

Though most of the festival takes place at the Magic Johnson Theatres, the adjacent Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza will hold about 80 exhibitors selling fine art on the first floor, and clothing, jewelry and crafts upstairs. The wares will be on display throughout the festival, which runs until Feb. 20.

Rounding out the events are a children’s festival on Saturday morning; an awards ceremony that night for actors Louis Gossett Jr., Kimberly Elise, Hill Harper, actor and former football great Jim Brown and Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally; and workshops about filmmaking, sports and more.

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-- Scott Sandell

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Pan African Film & Arts Festival, Magic Johnson Theatres and Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, 3650 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., L.A. Art festival, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays, through Feb. 20, free. Spoken WordFest, 9 p.m. Friday and Feb. 17, $10. Children’s festival, 10 a.m. to noon Saturday and Feb. 18, free. Night of Tribute, 7 p.m. Saturday, $60. Stand-up comedy night, 8 p.m. Saturday, the Comedy Union, 5040 W. Pico Blvd., L.A., $10 to $15. www.paff.org