28. CULTURE A.D.
The Independent Black Film Festival (IBFF) is held annually in Atlanta to showcase the growing numbers of African-American filmmakers. Culture A.D. was asked to create graphics for the 2005 Festival, in order to develop brand enhancement and give IBFF a stand-out look. The Offcial Pick logo was created to denote festival winners and selected films. It may be an official icon, but the cheeky irreverence of the afro-pick as a symbol alerts audiences that this is an alternative festival that isn’t stodgy or pretentious like many of the longstanding competitions.

“We had a slick version, a colorful version, and one that looks like Queen Elizabeth would use if she had an afro, but we felt this rough-hewn version was more like something crafted or pieced together, as most of the film submissions are,” says Craig Brimm, Culture A.D. creative director. The festival personnel were very enthusiastic, but that often created a challenge for the designers because there were many unexpected client visits to the studio as work progressed. “We perfected the now-infamous ‘exuberant uturn’ which involved lots of high-fives, handshakes, and forced hilarity combined with a quick-paced two-step back out the door,” remembers Brimm.

Culture A.D.’s work for the second year of the festival continued the irreverent humor with the tagline “The Second IBFF, separate but sequeled.”
Terry Lee Stone