The Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival held its closing ceremony Saturday night, marking the end to a 10-day celebration of Black filmmakers, actors and entertainment professionals.

Each day of the festival was packed with feature-length films, television shows, documentaries and shorts.

Creators and artists, many with Vineyard ties, took part in discussions and mingled with fans at social events across the Island.

Closing night festivities included a pilot premiere of Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist, which will be streamed on Peacock, beginning Sept. 5. Executive producer Will Packer told Saturday’s audience that they were the first to get a peak at the limited series, based on iHeart’s true-crime podcast about an armed robbery on the night of boxer Muhammad Ali’s 1970 comeback fight in Atlanta against Jerry Quarry.

Before the screening, Mr. Packer, who has produced projects such as Ride Along, Girls Trip and Straight Outta Compton, spoke about his career bringing Black representation to the big screen. He was joined by Danielle Cadet, executive editor and vice president of content for Essence magazine.

“The fact that I have had films that happen to center people that look like you, that look like me and... have been financially successful is what Hollywood has to pay attention to,” Mr. Packer told the crowd.

Fight Night’s star-studded cast includes Kevin Hart, Samuel L. Jackson, Taraji P. Henson, Don Cheadle and Chloe Bailey. Ms. Henson, Mr. Cheadle and Ms. Bailey joined Mr. Packer and executive producer Shaye Ogbonna onstage for a Q&A moderated by MSNBC’s Tiffany Cross.

Despite the 1970 heist being a crucial moment in Atlanta’s history, the cast remarked on how little people are aware of it. The cast and crew, many of whom are from Atlanta, didn’t know about the heist until they were introduced to the project.

“If this was a story about people that didn’t look like us, you might have already heard it,” Ms. Henson said. “This was one of the biggest heists that happened in American history, the biggest in the state of Georgia. I had never heard of it.”

Mr. Cheadle plays J.D. Hudson, one of the first Black detectives in Georgia’s newly desegregated police force. He spoke about the challenges of portraying a Black police officer and the nuanced relationship between Black communities and law enforcement.

“...It’s kind of a myth that [Black people] don’t also want safety and security for our families,” Mr. Cheadle said. “We want to be protected and safe in our streets too.”

Ms. Henson and Ms. Cross spoke about how society’s marginalization of Black women is also a big factor in Hollywood. While Ms. Henson has played several powerful Black women throughout her career, she said it didn’t come without challenges. She said it is important that Black women advocate for their needs and demand respect.

“As Black women in the industry, for so long we would get labeled difficult for trying to speak up for ourselves. But it’s not difficult. I just need what I need to do the job that you pay me to do,” she said.

At the end of the Q&A, Mr. Packer reminded the audience that Black people have the power to shape the industry by continuing to show interest in projects that excite and represent them.

“Hollywood responds to you. They will continue to make the things that you continue to show up and show out for,” Mr. Packer he said. “...You know how we are when we get revved up about something.”