Larry Wilmore talks with Tracee Ellis Ross and Kenya Barris about their ABC show Blackish
ABFF Brought Star Power to Midtown Manhattan
(released
6/23/2015)
By Kimberly Burke
The American Black Film Festival was held at the New York Hilton Midtown from June 11-14, 2015. Among the notable panel moderators were Gayle King and Larry Wilmore.
Taraji P. Henson, who also served as festival ambassador, was in conversation with Gayle King on Friday afternoon. Larry Wilmore spoke to Tracee Ellis Ross and ABC hit sitcom Blackish writer Kenya Barris on Sunday afternoon. Both conversations took place in the Hilton East Ballroom that, although grand in scope, provided an intimate setting for the several hundred attending.
The AMC Empire 25, a few blocks away, served as screening rooms throughout the festival. A Q&A with John Singleton was a popular seat as he reflected on the making of Boyz N the Hood and gave the audience a flash of what he is currently creating. Snowfall, a 1981 crack cocaine drama set in Los Angeles, is all you really needed to hear.
A theme echoed by more than one of the panelists to filmmakers trying to break in to the business... think more about how to run a studio, write the screenplay, build a network television station, not just how to work for one.
The festival concluded with an evening award show also celebrating the lifetime work of Jenifer Lewis. Award winners for this year’s American Black Film Festival are:
2015 AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL WINNERS LIST
"BEST OF THE ABFF" AUDIENCE AWARD (TIE) (Presented by VH1)
Knucklehead
Directed by: Ben Bowman
Written by: Bryan Abrams, Ben Bowman
Produced by: Gbenga Akinnagbe, Ben Bowman
Executive Producers: Jonathan Gray, Debra Azemar
Cast: Gbenga Akinnagbe, Alfre Woodard, Amari Cheatom, Justin Myrick, Nikiya Mathis, Carla Duren
Last Night
Directed by: Harold Jackson III
Written by: Harold Jackson III
Produced by: Harold Jackson III, Hope Taylor, Prince Levy Jr., Latecia Durham
Cast: Judi Blair, Danny Gavigan, Benton Greene, Nedra McClyde, Nikkole Salter
GRAND JURY PRIZE FOR BEST SCREENPLAY (Presented by Time Warner Foundation)
Last Night
Directed by: Harold Jackson III
Written by: Harold Jackson III
Produced by: Harold Jackson III, Hope Taylor, Prince Levy Jr., Latecia Durham
Cast: Judi Blair, Danny Gavigan, Benton Greene, Nedra McClyde, Nikkole Salter
GRAND JURY AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR (Presented by Cadillac)
The Night Before
Directed by: Kenny Young
Written by: Kenny Young
Produced by: Phil James, Lisa D. Washington, Kim Hardin
Executive Producers: Angela White, Felicia James
Cast: Colin Egglesfield, David Faustino, Fred Willard, Anna Hutchinson, Brian White, Gary Owen
GRAND JURY AWARD FOR BEST NARRATIVE (Presented by Prudential)
The Night Before
Directed by: Kenny Young
Written by: Kenny Young
Produced by: Phil James, Lisa D. Washington, Kim Hardin
Executive Producers: Angela White, Felicia James
Cast: Colin Egglesfield, David Faustino, Fred Willard, Anna Hutchinson, Brian White, Gary Owen
GRAND JURY AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR (Presented by ASPiRE)
Lisa Arrindell Anderson in The Sin Seer
Directed by: Paul D. Hannah
Written by: Paul D. Hannah
Produced by: Paul D. Hannah, Angela White, Isaiah Washington
HBO® SHORT FILM COMPETITION
Stanhope
Directed by: Solvan Naim
Written by: Solvan Naim
Produced by: Solvan Naim, Akshay Bhansali
Cast: Malik Lockett, Johnnie Mae, Rob Morgan, Nedra McClyde, Simeon Buresch
BEST WEB ORIGINAL (Presented by Comcast NBCUniversal)
American Koko
Directed by: Diarra Kilpatrick & Miles Orion Feld
Written by: Diarra Kilpatrick
Produced by: Anna Micayla Feld
Cast: Diarra Kilpatrick, Terrence Colby Clemons, Miles Orion Feld, Elaine Kao, Cedric Sanders
BEST DOCUMENTARY (Presented by BET Networks)
Althea
Directed by: Rex Miller
Produced by: Nancy Buirski, Elisabeth Haviland James, Rex Miller
Executive Producers: John Amos, Billie Jean King, William Ackman
Principal Subject(s): Billie Jean King, Nick Bollettieri, David Dinkins, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe
ABFF TALENT COMPETITIONS
COMEDY WINGS COMPETITION WINNER (Presented by HBO)
Chastity Washington
MCDONALD'S LOVIN' VIDEO COMPETITION WINNER
Puppy Love
Written and Directed by Richard T. Fields
STAR PROJECT (Presented by NBCUniversal)
Female – Asha Kamali
Male – Rahmell Peebles
TV One SCREENPLAY COMPETITION
Deadbeat Dad Rehab
Written by Keronoda "Kiki" McKnight
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Jenifer Lewis
View photos from the American Black Film Festival 2015 in our Photo Seen:
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