The American Black Film Festival recently held its in-person events in Miami and recognized some of the competition’s top films.
According to Deadline, the festival’s top prize for Best Narrative Feature and the John Singleton Award for Best First Feature went to Ellie Foumbi’s Our Father, the Devil.
While accepting the award for Best Narrative Feature, associate producer/film editor Roy Clovis Jr. remarked how he and Foumbi actually met at the festival four years ago and have made four films together since then. “It is a partnership that really seems to work. We are just thrilled. I’m sure she’s going crazy watching. I know she would be very grateful to thank all of you. I hope everyone gets to see the film,” Clovis said.
“She wrote a beautiful, insightful film that you all must see, about a child soldier, and did it in such a way that you won’t believe the journey that you’re on when you see the film,” Clovis said while accepting the award for Best First Feature.
The film follows “An African refugee’s (played byBabetida Sadjo) quiet existence in a sleepy mountain town in the south of France is upended by the arrival of a charismatic Catholic priest (played by Souleymane Sy Savane) whom she recognizes as the warlord who slaughtered her family.”
Actor/writer/producer Issa Rae is an ambassador for the event, which features panels for TV series, independent movies and short films. The American Black Film Festival continues virtually through Thursday, June 30 on the festival’s ABFF Play platform. The Fan Favorite award will be announced on ABFF’s social media Friday, July 1.
Jury Award Winners:
Best Narrative Feature
- Our Father, the Devil
- Directed by Ellie Foumbi, produced by Ellie Foumbi, Joseph Mastantuono;
- Prize: $2,500, presented by Sony Pictures Entertainment
Best Director, Narrative Feature
- Feel Like Ghosts
- Directed by Kali Baker-Johnson
- Prize: $5,000, presented by Cadillac
Best Screenplay, Narrative Feature
- Feel Like Ghosts
- Written by Kali Baker-Johnson
- Prize: 2,500, presented by TV One
John Singleton Award – Best First Feature
- Our Father, The Devil
- Directed by Ellie Foumbi
- Prize: $5,000, presented by Netflix
Best Documentary Feature
A Woman on the Outside
- Directed by Zara Katz, Lisa Riordan Seville
- Produced by Kiara C. Jones, Zara Katz, Lisa Riordan Seville
- Prize: $2,500, presented by Prime Video
Best Web Series
- Mine
- Directed by Randall Dottin, Luisa Dantas
- Prize: $2,500, presented by Comcast NBCUniversal
HBO Short Film Award
- Another Country
- Directed by Sherif Alabede
- Prize: $10,000 for winner, $5,000 each for four finalists presented by
- Warner Bros. Discovery
The Talent Pipeline Program winners are:
- ALLBLK’s Shoot Your Shot Casting Call
- Javon Terrell
- Prize: Role in upcoming ALLBLK Original series Judge Me Not
Warner Bros. Discovery Writers Initiative, One-Hour Drama
- The Saints
- Written by Deion Higginbotham
- Prize: $5,000
Warner Bros. Discovery Writers Initiative, Half-Hour Drama
- Townhall
- Written by Diara Newman
- Prize: $5,000