[b]Leading thinkers and tastemakers set to talk about slavery and emancipation in films and the state of Black entertainment.

LOS ANGELES - Outside of an academic setting, is there ever a right time to talk about slavery since it's America's black eye? Well, this year marks the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, and Hollywood has certainly found the perfect timing and the perfect stories to resonate with critics and the movie goers, alike. The film "Lincoln" leads the pack in Oscar nominations with 12, and "Django Unchained" is up for five, respectively. Two different movies. Two different approaches. And yet, slavery serves as the backdrop in both of the narrative features.

The PAFF Film Institute of the Pan African Film Festival will dissect the topic of slavery in films with a panel discussion, titled "Django Unchained: A Discussion on Slavery and the 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation," with some of the nation's leading academic thinkers and entertainment tastemakers on race, pop culture and entertainment. Also, the Oscar-nominated producer, Reginald Huldlin of "Django Unchained" will certainly weigh in on the topic in delivering his closing keynote address on "The State of Black Entertainment.[color=#006600][/color][/b]