By Andrew Stone
Photography by Richard Israel

THEY ARE: The founders of Run & Shoot Filmworks Martha’s Vineyard African-American Film Festival (MVAAFF). An accomplished commercial director, cinematographer, and filmmaker, Floyd established Charlotte-based Run & Shoot Filmworks in 2000. Stephanie is a PR and marketing whiz who has represented such high-profile clients as Biz Markie, HBO, and Showtime through her company, Crescendo.

HOW IT STARTED: They’re now married with kids, but when they were dating, Stephanie threw a promotion for Martell Cognac at a theater in Oak Bluffs on the Vineyard, where filmmakers were simultaneously screening their new projects.“The line stretched around the corner,” Floyd recalls,“and the light in Stephanie’s head went on.”

A FILMMAKER’S FILM FESTIVAL: The MVAAFF showcases buzzworthy movies—from big budget to grassroots indie—created by African-American artists. It has grown exponentially, and in recent years, titles such as “Talk to Me,” “Idlewild,” “Four Brothers,” and “The Princess and the Frog” have been screened.

ISLAND LIFE: Martha’s Vineyard is the oft-publicized summer vacation spot to generations of prominent African-Americans, including President Obama and Spike Lee, and it has provided the festival’s backdrop since its 2003 inception.The Edgartown Cinemas, Mansion House, and Katharine Cornell Theatre are its mainstay venues, and Floyd considers the four-day event to be one big celebration.“I’ve always seen it as a retreat of sorts for those who attend and participate,” he says.“Like most things in life, it’s what you make it.”

Film submissions open September 7, 2010 for the 9th annual festival. For more information, visit mvaaff.com.