The American Black Film Festival has announced this year’s Best of ABFF Awards winners, with “Our Father, the Devil” and “I Feel a Ghost” among the top honorees.
After two years of virtual programming, ABFF is back in Miami Beach for its 26th edition, with live events taking place June 15-19. The 2022 winners were announced by Emmy nominee Dondry Whitfield, who hosted the ceremony on the final day of the in-person ABFF programme, with a virtual presentation of the event now available to view on its specially designed online platform, ABFF PLAYThe festival will continue until June 30.
The Best of ABFF Awards include winners in the Official Film Choice categories – Fiction and Documentary Features, Web Series and the 25th HBO Short Film Showcase Award, which were determined by a jury led by Michael Quigley, Executive Vice President of Warner Bros. Discovery’s holdings of content for TNT, TBS, truTV, HBO and HBO Max – as well as a talent streak program consisting of national writing and writing competitions.
Our Father, the Devil won Best Feature Film at the festival, and director Elie Fomby won the John Singleton Award for Best Debut Film. The film depicts the life of a quiet African immigrant in a small French town as it is upended by the arrival of a charismatic Catholic priest, who she considers a warlord who massacred her family. The storytelling award comes with a $2,500 prize, provided by Sony Pictures Entertainment, while Netflix presented the John Singleton award, along with a $5,000 purse.
Director Callie Baker Johnson took home the Best Director and Best Screenplay award for her film “Feel Like Ghosts” (presented by TV One and Cadillac, respectively), which made its world premiere on the festival list. The film focuses on two other processes that have an undeniable relationship as they encounter what would have been, if their cultural differences had not spurred them to a new life on opposite shores.
“A Woman on the Outside” took home Best Documentary (presented by Prime Video), while “Mine” won Best Web Series (presented by Comcast NBCUniversal).
The film “Another Country” by Sherif El-Obeidi won the Grand Prix of the HBO Short Film Award, which entered its 25th year at the festival. Alabede won a $10,000 cash prize, presented by Warner Bros. Discovery, with the other four contestants each receiving $5,000 each.
There’s still one award to grab, though, and the fan-favorite award has yet to be decided by ABFF’s personal and virtual audience. The prize winner, presented by American Airlines, will be announced on the ABFF social platforms on July 1.
The jury award winners are:
Best Feature Film – “Our Father, the Devil”
Produced by Elie Fombe and Joseph Mastantono; Directed by Elie Fombe
Prize: $2,500, provided by Sony Pictures Entertainment
Best Director, Feature Film – Cali Baker-Johnson, “Feel Like Ghosts”
Prize: $5,000, provided by Cadillac
Best Screenplay, Feature Film – “Feel Like Ghosts”
Written by Cali Baker Johnson
Prize: $2,500, provided by TV One
John Singleton Award – Best Debut Film for “Our Father, Satan”
Directed by Elie Fombe
Prize: $5,000, provided by Netflix
Best Documentary Film – “A Woman Abroad”
Produced by Chiara C. Jones, Zara Katz, Lisa Riordan, Seville; Directed by Zara Katz, Lisa Riordan Sevilla
Prize: $2,500, provided by Prime Video
Best Web Series – “Mine”
Directed by Randall Doten, Luisa Dantas
Prize: $2,500, provided by Comcast NBCUniversal
HBO Short Film Award – “Another Country”
Directed by Sherif Al-Obaidi
Prize: $10,000 for the winner and $5,000 for each of the four other finalists, provided by
Discover Warner Bros.
The talent show winners are:
ALLBLK Casting Invitation “Shoot You” – Javon Terrell
Award: Role in ALLBLK’s Upcoming Original Series “Judge Me Not”
Warner Bros. Discovery Book Initiative, 1-hour drama
Deion Higginbotham – “Saints”
Prize: $5000
Warner Bros. Discovery Book Initiative, half-hour drama
Diara Newman – “Townhall”
Prize: $5000
Eric Ellis
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