This page is dedicated to the memories of Emma Pullen and
Melvonna Ballenger whose contributions helped make PAFF what it is today.

AYUKO BABU, Executive Director/Co Founder

Mr. Babu is an international legal, cultural and political consultant specializing in African affairs. In addition to the Pan African Film Festival, Mr. Babu currently serves as a Director on the Board of the Palais de la Culture in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Notably, he has worked as a consultant to Bishop H.H. Brookins, of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and Mr. Dick Griffey, President of the African Development Public Investment Corporation and SOLAR Records. In 1977, Babu was a consultant to Stevie Wonder during Mr. Wonder's participation at FESTAC (the 2nd Festival of Pan African Arts and Culture) held in Lagos, Nigeria. At FESTAC among other activities, Babu coordinated the satellite transmission of Mr. Wonder's GRAMMY appearance from Lagos.

Always interested in politics and culture, Mr. Babu was a delegate to the 6th Pan African Congress in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania in 1974. In 1984, he brought Les Ballets Africains de la Republique de Guinee to the Olympic Arts Festival in Los Angeles. He was Co-Chair of the Program Committee for The Nelson Mandela Reception Committee at the Los Angeles Coliseum, in 1990.

An expert in African cinema, Mr. Babu has been invited to sit on the jury of several film festivals. In 1991 he was a jury member for the Best Short Subject at the 5th International Market for African Film and Television during FESPACO, (the world's largest Pan African Film Festival held bi-annually in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, West Africa) In 1994, he was a member of the jury at the Cinema Africano Festival in Milan, Italy. Mr. Babu has sat on numerous panels and forums discussing the production, distribution and marketing of African American and African films. He has sat on the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Peer Grant Review Panel and the Los Angeles Arts Commission Grant Review Panel. He is currently a member of the Los Angeles Arts Loan Fund review panel. He was recently a presenter at the UNESCO Conference on Images of the South in Paris France.

Mr. Babu is currently working with several business entities focusing on structuring and developing business and investment links between African Americans and Continental-born Africans. He is particularly aware of the need for institutional relationships and has set-up formal ties between the Pan African Film Festival in the United States, FESPACO and the Southern African Film Festival in Zimbabwe.

Mr. Babu holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Los Angeles and attended the UCLA School of Law.

ASANTEWA OLATUNJI, General Manager

Holding a B.A. from USC and a J.D. from Southwestern University, School of Law, Ms. Olatunji has practiced law in Los Angeles for over 25 years in the areas of entertainment, labor, immigration and civil litigation. She is currently General Manger and Program Coordinator for the Pan African Film Festival.

MOZA COOPER, Community Affairs Manager

Continental-born and a graduate of South East London College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration, Ms. Mjasiri Cooper's first job in United States was with the United Nations Anti-Apartheid Department, New York. She worked with the Representative of the African National Congress (ANC) as Assistant Administrator. Her work interfaced with SWAPO's activities as well as other well-known organizations.

In 1984, during the Olympics, Ms. Mjasiri Cooper relocated to Los Angeles with the President of the Sales and Marketing division of Canadian Broadcasting Standard Corporation to open a West-coast Sales Division for CBSC's advertising needs.

Ms. Mjasiri Cooper worked with the City of Los Angeles WMBE with an engineering firm at the Glendale DWP, worked on Water Reclamation Project.

Co-founder & Secretary for the Foundation for the Preservation of Endangered Musical Art (PEMA), the organization's main purpose was to preserve and perpetuate pre-slavery African music and memorabilia. PEMA also succeeded in getting the Institute of Musical Art (IMA) building, (formerly known as CBA Recording Studio, where many Jazz, R&B musicians and artists recorded their first demo, be music or political messages) be declared ?Historic Cultural Monument #344? by the City of Los Angeles. As an Administrator and a Curator of IMA, music and musical instrument classes as well as music recording engineering, videography and African dance classes were all taught to the community.

Ms. Mjasiri Cooper is a Eureka Fellow, Eureka Communities, Los Angeles .

Moza has been with the PAFF family from the beginning and her favorite event is the Night of Tribute.

MIKI GORAL, Research Director

Miki Goral is the Librarian for African American Studies, Communication, Information Studies and World Arts and Cultures at the UCLA Charles E. Young Research Library. She is also a Vice-President of the California Federation of Teachers and Secretary-Treasurer of the University Council-AFT, which represents academic employees at the University of California . Her connection with Pan Africanism began in the 1960s while she was an undergraduate student at UCLA, where she met some of the first students from newly independent African countries studying in the United States. She majored in political science with a minor in African Studies. She has worked with PAFF since its inception in 1992, as a founding member of the Board of Directors.  She provides support in many areas, maintains the database of films screened at PAFF and acts as liaison to the filmmakers.

The most gratifying part of the festival for her is meeting the filmmakers and sharing in their excitement at being part of PAFF.  Her favorite actor is Sidney Poitier.

JASMYNE CANNICK, Public Relations/Webmistress

A political and social commentator and journalist, Jasmyne has stepped out as one of Black America's young emerging leaders. An award-winning journalist who addresses the intersection of race, class, politics, religion, and sex in the African American community, she was selected as one of ESSENCE Magazine 25 Women Shaping the World in 2005. Her thought provoking commentaries have been featured on countless radio stations and in newspapers and magazines around the country including the Chicago Sun-Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Los Angeles Daily News. A strong advocate for the Black press, her writings have appeared in Black newspapers coast to coast including the New York Amsterdam, Washington Afro, Chicago Defender , Sacramento Observer, Michigan Citizen, Oakland Post, and Atlanta Daily World. In her hometown of Los Angeles , Jasmyne's writings are featured in the Los Angeles Sentinel, L.A. Wave, L.A. Watts Times, Long Beach Times, and Our Weekly newspapers. Online, she's a regular contributor to the Electronic Urban Report, Blackcommentator.com, BlackAmericaWeb.com, and the BlackAgendaReport.com. You can usually catch her on American Urban Radio Network's award-winning talk show ?The Bev Smith Show,? National Public Radio's ?News & Notes,? Radio One's The Power 169, and locally on KJLH 102.3 FM's ?The Front Page.? A trusted source by reporters, she's appeared on Fox News, BET News, Access Hollywood and more. Her accomplishments include being one of the driving forces behind the MTV Logo series ?Noah's Arc,? America 's first Black gay television series. In addition, she co-produced the award winning documentary ?Jumping the Broom? (SHOWTIME), which profiled Black gay and lesbian couples in the fight for marriage. She's a founding and current board member of the National Black Justice Coalition, the nation's Black gay civil rights group and she is the co-chair of the National Stonewall Democrats Black Caucus. In addition, she's an active member of the National Association of Black Journalists where she is on their LGBT Taskforce. Jasmyne continues to make time for her pet projects including the Pan African Film and Arts Festival where she has spearheaded the festival's publicity for the past six years. In addition, she is the vice-president of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable where she organizes bi-partisan town hall meetings designed to provide a forum for discussing the critical issues facing urban communities today. With a background in political science, Black studies, and communications, she currently works in politics.

Jasmyne joined the PAFF family six years ago because of PAFF's dedication to promoting positive images of Blacks all around the world. When she joined the PAFF family she wore her hair in a relaxed, after six years, she's "happy to be nappy." Her favorite PAFF event is the Artist Market. Her favorite actor is Djimon Hounsou.

LINDA BRONSON-ABBOTT, Director of Special Events

Linda Bronson oversees PAFF's special events.With a background in marketing and special event planning, Linda has personally built an extensive network of clients, both professionals and celebrity alike. Linda spent ten years in the entertainment industry, planning some of the biggest events, parties, and private affairs. She has done it all from movie premieres, red carpet, and Black tie galas. When not working for PAFF, Linda works in Real Estate. She has already closed several escrows and has placed a well-known celebrity in his dream business. Linda knows the right people and has the right outlook to make a real difference in the real estate community as a whole. Linda belongs to several charitable organizations and volunteers extensively with many inner-city organizations. She loves giving back and being of service, her motto is “what a difference a person can make” “I realize how precious life is and is committed to being of service giving back to others”

Linda got involved with the Pan African Film Festival about 10 years ago. Her favorite film is "Kirikou & the Sorceress," an animated children's film from France. Her favorite event is the Opening Night Gala because it is so colorful and there's always a great band and the films are spectacular! Every year she learns something new about the many different cultures that embrace PAFF!