Founded in 2019, produced by the Lower Bottom Playaz, Inc. in collaboration with BAMBD CDC., BAMBDFEST 2025 INTERNATIONAL will be a hybrid international multi-media , multi-day, multi-venue festival consisting of virtual and public performances with a concentration in Theater, Film, and Literature through out the month of August celebrating the Black Arts Movement Business District, Black Arts & Culture, and economics in Oakland, CA.
Events will include local and guest performances, readings, a book fair, film festival, Monday night readings of new works, panel discussions, intellectual exchanges, lectures, installations, local history teach-ins, family and youth activities that animate public spaces.
The 2025 festival to Nikki Giovanni and Oscar Micheaux, honoring their enduring contributions to Black literature and cinema.
Opening Night on August 1, sets the tone with a drum circle and Ancestor Upliftment ceremony through song and dance, followed by a red carpet screening of the highly anticipated documentary, John Burris: Godfather of Police Litigation, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Doug Harris. The night continues with a vibrant after party, inviting attendees to gather, connect, and celebrate.