“I Will Follow,” the first film released through the African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement (AFFRM), will expand to 22 screens in 15 cities following a strong opening weekend. The critically acclaimed drama, written and directed by Ava DuVernay and starring Salli Richardson-Whitfield and Omari Hardwick, depicts a day in the life of a woman grieving over the loss of a loved one and the 12 visitors who try to help her move on.
The film initially opened in five cities: Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Seattle through AFFRM in conjunction with AMC Independent. With a box office average of $11,428 per screen, “I Will Follow” reported the third highest gross of the March 11th weekend for independent films. It also out-performed the only studio picture with a predominantly African American cast released this year, “Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son.”
Beginning March 18th, “I Will Follow” will see an expansion of its release from five screens in five cities to 22 screens in 15 cities. The additional cities include Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Houston, Dallas, Detroit, Oakland, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Charlotte, and Jersey City. The film will also continue screening in its initial five markets.
“The success of AFFRM’s first theatrical release is a victory for those who believe in the necessity of diverse cinematic images,” said Duvernay, who also founded AFFRM. “'I Will Follow’ marks the first-ever simultaneous national theatrical release by grassroots organizations, and I’m proud to stand with our partners at BronzeLens in Atlanta, Imagenation and Urbanworld in New York, ReelBlack in Philadelphia and Langston Hughes African-American Film Festival in Seattle as we celebrate this milestone in black film.”
“I Will Follow” was an official selection of AFI Fest and the Chicago International Film Festival and winner of Urbanworld, Pan-African and BronzeLens Film Festivals. Noted film critic Roger Ebert called it “one of the best films I’ve seen about the loss of a loved one,” and the film has also gotten positive reviews from critics at the Village Voice, LA Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter, Philadelphia Inquirer, Seattle Times, BET, and the New York Daily News.
