Since the beginning, the focus of Afro-Punk has been to give a voice to thousands of multi-cultural kids fiercely identifying with a lifestyle path-less-traveled. It all started with 2003's Afro-Punk, the seminal cult classic film spotlighting Black Punks in America. Afro-Punk became a touchstone of a cultural movement strongly reminiscent of the early days of Hip-Hop. Alternative urban kids across the nation (and across the globe) who felt like outsiders discovered they were actually the core of a boldly innovative, fast-growing community. The online members have been the driving force behind the exploding Afro-Punk (AP) culture, creating an authentic virtual home in www.afropunk.com. As the AP movement continued to gain momentum and influence, it went front-and-center at CMJ and SXSW, press coverage ranged from Pitchfork, URB, Vibe, and Nylon to The New York Times, Variety, Entertainment Weekly, MTV and The Los Angeles Times. In 2005, the very first annual Afro-Punk Festival debuted to wildly enthusiastic crowds at the iconic Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). The festival celebrated and unified the cultural cornerstones of Afro-Punk: music, film, skate, and most importantly, the fiercely independent and influential individuals that are the lifeblood of the AP community. Now in its 5th year, the Afro-Punk Festival is bigger than ever: 40 bands, skate/BMX parks, visual artists, movies and thousands of audience members.