With an estimated 5,000 people in attendance, the Acapulco Black Film
Festival closed out on a good note Saturday, June 9 with the Film Life Black
Movie Awards. Hosted by Robert Townsend, the Awards served two
purposes--awarding the winners of the film competition as well as honoring
established or fast-rising Hollywood brass. Sallie Richardson, LisaRaye, and
Kevon Edmonds were some of the celebrities participating in the ceremony.
Elise Neal, who starred in ROSEWOOD for John Singleton, presented him with
the Career Achievement Award. Singleton, an active participant in the
festival returned to LA earlier that evening to promote his latest film
BABY BOY (which he screened for festival participants), accepted his awarded
with a taped video message. Also accepting via taped video was Sanaa Lathan
who received a Rising Star award. The other Rising Star recipient Anthony
Anderson, whose award was presented by Loretta Devine, flew in from Australia
for the occasion. Festival founder Byron Lewis personally presented Suzanne
de Passe with the Trailblazer Award for her outstanding achievement as a
businesswoman in the entertainment industry. Among de Passe's many
achievements are the mini-series THE JACKSONS, THE TEMPATIONS, LONESOME DOVE and SMALL SACRIFICES.
In the film competition, Craig Ross, Jr. won the Audience Award for the Best
US film with BLUE HILL AVENUE, an urban gangster film about childhood
friends who rise in the drug trade. Both Allen Payne and Clarence Williams
III star. 1999's Audience Award winner Timothy Fulsome won the Best
Work-in-Progress award for JACKED, a film about a young man who tries to fill
the void of the fatherless family he created by killing their father.
Ronreaco Lee, Bizzy Bone, Alexis Fields and Tweedy from Next star in the
film. Toronto-based filmmaker Clement Virgo walked away with the Audience
Award for Best International Film for LOVE COME DOWN, about two half
brothers, one Black, the other White whose dysfunctional interracial family
life troubles them in adulthood. The film stars Larenz Tate and Deborah Cox.
Juried awards went to Malcolm Rector for the first Coca Cola Film Score
competition judged by Isaac Hayes, James Mtume and Chuck D (who has scored
commercials as well as DARK ANGEL). LUMUMBA, about the great African leader
Patrice Lumumba and his untimely death, directed by Raoul Peck received the
Lincoln Filmmaker's Trophy. In addition Warrington Hudlin, the festival's
curator, and Byron Lewis presented a special award to their colleague Jeff
Friday for his foray into film distribution with Film Life.
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