Check Out Photos from 'Queen Sugar' Screening at Essence Festival

*Friday night (07-01-16) at the Essence Festival in New Orleans, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network along with Warner Horizon TV and award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay, hosted an intimate screening of the much-anticipated original drama series “Queen Sugar” for a select crowd of VIPs during the 2016 Essence Festival.

Cast members Rutina Wesley, Dawn-Lyen Gardner, Kofi Siriboe, Omar Dorsey, Tina Lifford, Dondre Whitfield and Nicholas Ashe were on hand to greet friends and family and participate in post-screening Q&A.

Attendees included Common (recording artist), Janelle Monae (actress, recording artist), Omari Hardwick (“Power”), Lynn Whitfield (“Greenleaf”), Michelle Williams (recording artist), Lisa Price (founder, Carol’s Daughter), Ariel Foxman (editor-in-chief, In Style), Linda Spradley Dunn (Odyssey Media), Michaela Angela Davis (BET), Tai Beauchamp (style expert, tv personality), Demetria Lucas (author/editor), Amber Payne (NBC BLK) and more.

“Queen Sugar” will debut as a two-night event on Tuesday, September 6 and Wednesday, September 7 at 10PM ET/PT on OWN. The series will regularly air Wednesday nights at 10PM ET/PT for the remainder of its 13-episode first season.