Chloe Bailey Takes Center Stage in Malcolm D. Lee's Strung — And It's Opening the 30th American Black Film Festival
This is a full-circle moment for Black cinema. Malcolm D. Lee's psychological thriller Strung will open the 30th annual American Black Film Festival in Miami Beach, with Chloe Bailey starring as a talented violinist whose prestigious new role as a music tutor for an enigmatic, elite family spirals into a psychological battle for her safety and sanity. Lynn Whitfield, Lucien Laviscount, Anna Diop, and Coco Jones round out the buzzworthy ensemble cast for the Peacock and Blumhouse film, written by Alan McElroy and produced by Tyler Perry, Jason Blum, Tim Palen, Lee, and Dominique Telson.
The casting alone is a statement. Chloe Bailey as a Black woman in a thriller fighting for her life and sanity, supported by the legendary Lynn Whitfield, with Anna Diop and Coco Jones alongside her — this is exactly the kind of Black-led genre film that deserves a spotlight this big.
This year's milestone ABFF edition, themed "Homecoming," returns to Miami Beach from May 27–31, 2026, honoring three decades of discovery and creative excellence. ABFF President Nicole Friday called Strung's selection "especially right for this moment," noting that Malcolm D. Lee's return to ABFF under the Homecoming theme feels "truly full circle."
Oscar, Golden Globe, and Emmy Award winner Regina King will serve as this year's Festival Ambassador, with ABFF also launching the new ABFF 9:16 Microdrama Project as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations.
Following its world premiere at ABFF, Strung begins streaming on Peacock on June 26, 2026.
Thirty years of ABFF. And they're opening with this. Well done.
