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Honoring Black Cinema at Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival For decades, Martha’s Vineyard has occupied a significant space in Black history as a safe haven for Black families to vacation, a reunion site for members of Black fraternities and sororities, and, in this century, the home of the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival. For the 25th iteration of the festival, The Cut returned to the Vineyard to capture portraits of the festival’s fabulous attendees. In the studio, presented by Delta Air Lines, Lonnie Ali was joined by Jaalen Best, who stars as Cassius Clay in The Greatest, the forthcoming Prime Video series about the life of boxer Muhammad Ali; Children of Blood and Bone star Thuso Mbedu appeared with the film’s director, Gina Prince-Bythewood; Danielle Brooks arrived to celebrate her film If I Go Will They Miss Me; and Black screen icons Ruth E. Carter, Wendell Pierce, and Courtney B. Vance joined festival founders Floyd and Stephanie Rance. Scroll on to see The Cut’s festival portraits by the Tyler Twins. The Cut’s 2026 Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival portrait studio is presented by Delta Air Lines.