The American Black Film Festival Honors celebrated legacy, emphasized resilience and looked to the future with optimism in the face of a changing industry at its ceremony on Monday night in Los Angeles.
Hosted by comedian and actor KevOnStage, the black tie event marked its 10-year anniversary with a star-studded list of honorees from the worlds of film and television. The first honorees of the night were the “Sinners” producing team: director Ryan Coogler, wife Zinzi Coogler and longtime collaborator Sev Ohanian. Through a series of small anecdotes, the Oscar-nominated director thanked ABFF creators Jeff and Nicole Friday for helping him get his start in the industry; Coogler won the HBO Short Film Award at the 2011 festival for his short film “Fig,” earning a $20,000 prize to jumpstart his career.
“That was the first time that there was a vote of confidence in me that came with some capital and that allowed me to really focus and get ‘Fruitvale [Station]’ made,” he remarked. “I’ll be forever indebted to you guys for being such incredible cultivators.”
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson received the Entertainment Icon Award for his wide-ranging career in sports, film, television and beyond. He was perhaps the most proud recipient of the evening with an acceptance speech that ran just under 10 minutes. At the core of his gratitude was the recognition and appreciation of his Blackness from a Black entity like ABFF, which was top of mind as he prepared his remarks for the evening.
