Craving comfort in every bite? Today is National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day! Embrace the nostalgia with your go-to snack and unwind with today's newsletter, offering stories as heartwarming as the classic PB&J.

April Issues Out Now!

The eagerly awaited annual Home Guide issues of our magazines have arrived on the newsstands, filled with inspiration from local designers. Along with home and garden resources and ideas  filling the pages of each issue, pick up your copy of Providence Monthly to also read up on the city’s poetry scene for National Poetry Month, So Rhode Island for the ins and outs of South County’s tattoo scene, The Bay to learn about the history of Rose Island, and Hey Rhody’s deep dive on the art of upholstery and the annual Homebuyer’s Guide. Find copies around town, or read the full issues online!

Celebrate National PB&J Day at PVD Small Businesses

This National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day, Rhode Island local businesses invite you to experience a twist on the classic PB&J that's sure to delight all ages of snackers – and even one for four-legged friends! From gourmet interpretations fit for foodies to indulgent desserts, these spots have reinvented the childhood staple into something everyone can savor. Read more on our blog at HeyRhody.com

_{• Written by Jenna Kaplan, photo courtesy of Canva}

Presented by Rhode Island Black Film Festival

Black Cinema Takes the Screen at 7th Annual Rhode Island Black Film Festival

With four days of screenings, up-and-coming films from emerging artists, engaging panels, and multiple venues, the Rhode Island Black Film Festival (RIBFF) is “where social justice and cinema take a seat.” Says RIBFF’s managing director and founder, Ann Clanton, “It’s the only film festival in RI screening films about the historical and cultural contributions of Black people and people of African descent.” Not only serving as a platform for underrepresented filmmakers to present their work but also for the collective community to experience diverse narratives, the seventh annual festival makes space for important conversations to unfold.

Among the features, shorts, and documentaries to be showcased April 4-7, a highlight of this year’s RIBFF is the debut of Trinity Academy for Performing Arts High School senior Angel Sweeney’s film, The Bannister Project. Portraying local art legacy Edward Bannister’s life and influence, the film features interviews with RI Black Storytellers director Valerie Tutson and storyteller Len Cabral. “Young Angel Sweeney embodies why our film festival exists,” says Clanton, “to find the next Ava Duvernay or Spike Lee.”

The lineup includes work covering a range of topics, from Black baseball in The Price of Admission to an African-American bowler from Cranston in Last Place Champ, as well as stories of activism and culture, historic and contemporary life. Forces of Blue places the audience in Minneapolis in 2020, following the death of George Floyd, as a high school football team strives to win the championship. A screening of HAZING: The Deadly Ritual at Fraternities and Sororities is followed by a discussion with the director.

A leading force in Black cinema, RIBFF events are free and open to the public. “We screen films that entertain and inform the community,” says Clanton. “We are a platform for up-and-coming filmmakers from around the world.” Find the full schedule and register for screenings at RIBFF.org and at Eventbrite.com.

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^{• By Abbie Lahmers, photo courtesy of Rhode Island Black Film Festival}

Make Connections at New England Coastal Creative Conference in Newport

If you are a budding entrepreneur striving to make connections with other like-minded women, or a lifestyle journalist seeking stories about women-owned businesses transitioning from the dining room table to the national spotlight, then you won't want to miss the New England Coastal Creative Conference, BLOOM, happening April 3-5 at the Newport Marriott. Say hi to our EIC, Elyse Major, who will be on the panel, “Crafting Journeys, Telling Stories: Enhancing Travel Through Creative Collaboration,” Thursday at 10:30am. Read more online in our latest blog at HeyRhody.com

^{• Written by Elyse Major, photo by Jackie Ignall}

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Your friendly reminder to make sure you watch more sunsets than Netflix 😊
Photo by @markdavid_photography

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