Los Angeles, CA — Blackout for Human Rights, a collective of actors, artists and activists dedicated to justice for all, will present the first annual Blackout Music & Film Festival, a curated showcase of thought-provoking work celebrating community, creativity, culture and conversation. The inaugural gathering, featuring film screenings, panels, art installations and live musical performances, will take place on August 29, 2015 at The GRAMMY Museum in Downtown Los Angeles.

The Festival kicks off with a special screening of Marc Silver's Sundance Film Festival Award Winning Documentary "3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets," presented by PICO Network and Live Free. The Signature Artist Showcase includes work from Adrian Franks, Hank Willis Thomas, Synthia Saint James, Bayeté Ross Smith, Damon Davis, Shikeith, Mariella Angela, Nikkolos Mohammad, a spoken word performance by Actor Leo Breckenridge and more. In addition, the "#SayHerName Voices for the Cause Music Showcase," features live musical performances by Lalah Hathaway, PJ, V Bozeman and more. The featured panels throughout the day will cover a wide range of topics including diversity in Hollywood, effective solutions for racial justice, the intersection of music and social justice and more.

"With Blackout Music & Film Festival, our goal is to create a space for the exhibition and exploration of art that provides a springboard for critical analysis, community building and creative collaboration," stated filmmaker Ryan Coogler, Founding Member of Blackout for Human Rights.

The Social Justice Panel features Black Lives Matter Co-Founder Patrisse Cullors, ACLU Lawyer Peter Bibring, Activist Ashley Yates, Urban Cusp Founder Rahiel Tesfamariam, Executive Director of White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans David Johns and The Root Associate Editor Danielle C. Belton. Presented by ACLU CA and Black Lives Matter, the panel will be moderated by UCLA Professor Dr. Marcus Hunter. The Signature Storytelling Panel featuring Actress Tracee Ellis Ross, The Blacklist Founder Franklin Leonard, Actor Mo McRae, Entertainment Tonight Co-Host Kevin Frazier and more. The panel will be moderated by Indiewire Editor-In-Chief Dana Harris.

Michael Latt, Director of Blackout Music & Film Festival, said, "We're excited to bring the LA community together to celebrate the power of storytelling in film, music and art in illuminating our shared humanity and the complex social issues of our time. Centered on the intersection of social justice and storytelling, the Blackout Festival reflects our commitment to the idea that all of our stories deserve to be told and all of our lives deserve to be valued and protected in policies and laws."

In addition to programming announced today, Blackout will unveil the second film screening title, additional Festival Partners and new panelists next week.

Blackout Music & Film Festival is supported by Venue Partner The GRAMMY Museum, Presenting Partners PICO Network, Campaign for Black Male Achievement and ACLU of California, Principal Partners Live Free, Black Lives Matter, The Blacklist, Cue the Creatives, LA Voice, AFFRM, The Ella Baker Center, Million Hoodies, Dream Defenders, In The NINE and ColorOfChange and Media Partners Variety Magazine, VIBE Magazine, Indiewire, AllHipHop.com, ForHarriet.com, Urban Cusp, Bright Ideas Magazine, The Root and Music Industry Quarterly/Urban Network Digital.

As part of their presence at Blackout Music & Film Festival, ACLU of California and Black Lives Matter will host the Social Justice Panel, Campaign for Black Male Achievement will host the Storytelling Panel and VIBE Magazine will host the Music Panel. All ticket proceeds will be donated to support PICO Network and MobileJusticeCA, a Joint Project Between The ACLU of California and The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. Tickets for Blackout Music & Film Festival ($10-$18) are available at here.

Blackout for Human Rights

Blackout for Human Rights is a collective of filmmakers, artists, activists, musicians, lawyers, tastemakers, religious leaders and concerned citizens who commit their energy and resources to immediately address the staggering level of human rights violations and injustices against fellow Americans throughout the United States. Blackout is comprised of both high visibility and everyday citizens. Members include Ryan Coogler, Michael B. Jordan, Charles King, Nate Parker, Donald “Childish Gambino" Glover, Ava DuVernay, Jesse Williams, John Burris, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rosa Clemente, Michael McBride, Shaka King, Scott Budnick, David Oyelowo, Pastor Michael McBride, Bradford Young, Michael Latt and more. For more information, please visit blackoutforhumanrights.com and join Blackout for Human Rights on FacebookTwitterInstagramTumblrVine, and YouTube.

The GRAMMY Museum

Paying tribute to music's rich cultural history, this one-of-a-kind, 21st-century museum explores and celebrates the enduring legacies of all forms of music, the creative process, the art and technology of the recording process, and the history of the premier recognition of excellence in recorded music — the GRAMMY® Award. The GRAMMY Museum features 30,000 square feet of interactive and multimedia exhibits located within L.A. LIVE, the downtown Los Angeles sports, entertainment and residential district. Through thought-provoking and dynamic public and educational programs and exhibits, guests will experience music from a never-before-seen insider perspective that only the GRAMMY Museum can deliver. For more information, please call 213-765-6800 or visit www.grammymuseum.org. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYMuseum on Twitter and Instagram, and like "The GRAMMY Museum" on Facebook.

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Editor's note: For images and graphics, visit blackoutforhumanrights.com. Press interested in attending and covering Blackout Music & Film Festival should email Leanne Agmon at leanneagmon@gmail.com.