The Micheaux Film Festival is a multicultural film festival that focuses on BIPOC creators and celebrates diverse representation in the entertainment landscape. With a cutting-edge and fresh take on the traditional festival experience, they brought independent creatives together while curating an environment for artists to build community with future collaborators in the television, film and digital space.
Jam-packed with Hollywood’s most elite actors, entertainers, filmmakers, directors and executive producers, event attendees included Actor Amin Joseph (FX’s “Snowfall”), Comedian Slink Johnson (Adult Swim’s “Black Jesus”), Actress Brely Evans (OWN’s “Ambitions”) Actress Reagan Gomez-Preston (OWN’s “Queen Sugar”) and father-daughter duo, Robert Townsend (Five Heartbeats) and Skye Townsend (HBO’s “Black Lady Sketchshow”).
After an exciting week of film screenings, The Micheaux Film Festival in partnership with The Oprah Winfrey Network and Sony Pictures Entertainment ended with a bang. The show wrapped on Sunday with a prime-time awards ceremony. Legendary filmmaker and acclaimed actor/director, Robert Townsend received the Oscar Micheaux Trailblazer of Excellence Award.
As one of the first in-person events since the COVID pandemic took over everyone’s life, this experience was one for the books. The two-hour telecast capped the week of film screenings and activation ceremonies as they bestowed awards in more than 40 categories honoring the accomplishments of people of color this past year across the fields of film, shorts, digital series, music, and social influence. As an added bonus, event sponsor Panavision, contributed $75K in grant funds to award the winners.
Partial list of 2021 winners include :
Outstanding Music Video – Black Leather
Outstanding Action/Suspense – Rules to Rule
Outstanding Horror/Thriller – 10 Years in 40 Seconds
Outstanding Sci-Fi – Navel Gazers
Outstanding Short Documentary – Free to Be
Outstanding Feature Documentary – Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance
Outstanding Cinematography – Distance
Outstanding Podcast, Digital Talk, or Vlog
All Things Undone (Podcast) , Savage Chat Series (Digital Talk) , Externo (Vlog)
Outstanding Dramatic Short – Circuit
Outstanding Comedic Short – $tack$
Outstanding Animated Short – Kapaemahu
Outstanding Dramatic Actress (short form) – Frencheska Farr as “Maya” – Harana
Outstanding Comedic Actress (short form) – Bria Henderson as “Mia” – Prepared
Outstanding Dramatic Actor (short form) – Telvin Griffin as “David Carter” – A Blue Shroud
Outstanding Comedic Actor (short form) – Sandro Iocolano as “Guido Gaguzzi” – How to Do Sh!t with Guido Gagootz
Outstanding Actor (Feature) – Kim Estes as “Detective Travis” – Loyalty
Outstanding Actress (Feature) – Denise Yolèn as “Monika” – Sundays in July
Outstanding Dramatic Writing – The Ice Cream Stop
Outstanding Comedic Writing – December 21st
Outstanding Writing (Feature) – Asking For It
Outstanding Directing Comedic Short Form – How to Do Sh!t with Guido Gagootz
Outstanding Directing Dramatic Short Form – The Fixer
Outstanding Directing (Feature) – Red Pill
Outstanding Dramatic Digital Series – Incompleteness
Outstanding Comedic Digital Series – The Gaze
Outstanding Unscripted Digital Series – Content is King
Outstanding International Short – Ashmina
Outstanding Panavision Short – Piece
Outstanding Panavision Feature Film – Sunday’s in July
Oscar Micheaux Trailblazer of Excellence Award – Robert Townsend
Cesar Chavez Civic Impact Award – Kevin Welbeck
Michael Ajakwe Pioneer of Influence Award – Gregori J. Martin
