West Coast Premiere of Chocolate Milk at the 2024 Pan African Film Festival
The Californer/10268127

LOS ANGELES - Californer -- Organizers announced feature documentary CHOCOLATE MILK as an official selection for the 31st Pan African Film Festival on Monday. The film's director Elizabeth Gray Bayne expressed excitement, "We have just started our festival run and couldn't be happier to have the West Coast premiere at PAFF."

PAFF is the largest Black film and arts festival and Black History Month activation in the United States, featuring filmmakers, artists, and craftspeople from over 40 countries and six continents coming to Los Angeles annually. An Inglewood resident, Bayne is thrilled to present the finished film in South Los Angeles, "around the corner" from where the majority of principal photography took place.

Initially launched as a documentary web series in 2014, the feature-length version of the project represents a six-year labor of love for Bayne. "When I read about the inequities in birth and breastfeeding outcomes for Black mothers in 2013, I immediately wanted to get involved. Breastfeeding protects against obesity, diabetes, asthma, chronic disease — the very same conditions that disproportionately affect the Black community." In the U.S., breastfeeding rates are 64.9% for African American mothers, compared to 85.9% for White and 84.6% for Hispanic mothers.

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According to Bayne, it became clear that mothers were not her only audience while researching the subject. "It was as much about teaching mothers to breastfeed as creating communities of support among families, friends, health providers, employers and the public."

Chocolate Milk is having its West Coast premiere at the Pan African Film Festival on February 8, 2024, with a second screening on February 14, 2024. This feature documentary about Black maternal health, highlights the stories of three courageous mothers living and working in South LA. Spanning five years, the film follows the journeys of new mother Tami, WIC lactation worker Lydia, and homebirth midwife Racha as they fight to beat the odds in a healthcare system that was not designed for them.

Filmgoers will be treated to the red carpet experience, complete with a photographer and publicist. "We really want to make the premiere special for the organizations and community members in attendance since the film would not have been possible without their many years of support," shared Bayne.

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Chocolate Milk: The Documentary was made possible with funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Center for Cultural Innovation and tax-deductible donations through The Gotham. http://chocolatemilkdoc.com

graybayne film/media is a full-service production company, specializing in media production and communication strategy for nonprofit and health organizations. With over ten years of public health, community outreach, and visual communications experience, we use storytelling to entertain, educate and inspire. http://graybayne.com