PAFF, America’s largest and most prestigious international Black film festival took place from February 16 to 23, 2011 at the Culver Plaza Theatre. The festival ended its run Wednesday night with the closing film, “DWB: Dating While Black,” written, directed and produced by Van Elder.
The festival selected a total of 121 films, representing 31 countries, 75 feature length films (narrative and documentaries) and 46 short films. The festival handed out prizes for Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short, Best Narrative Short, Best Narrative Feature, and Best First Feature Film, as well as audience favorite awards.
Themed, “Experience Your World,” PAFF wanted to take its movie goers on a cinematic journey with screenings from around the world – that is, such countries as Angola, Austria, Bermuda, Canada, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mexico, South African, Nigeria, and of course, the United States.
PAFF hopes these films with global appeal will open the minds of its audiences, and transport them to lands far away and back home again … without ever packing a suitcase.
And without further ado, the winners are:
Best Picture (Narrative Feature)
* Besouro (Brazil), directed by João Daniel Tikhomiroff
Honorable Mention:
* The Athlete (Atletu) (Ethiopia), directed by Davey Frankel & Rasselas Lakew
Best Documentary Feature
* Thunder Soul (USA), directed by Mark Landsman
Honorable Mention:
* War Don Don (USA), directed by Rebecca Richman Cohen
Best Short Film (Narrative Short)
* The Abyss Boys (South Africa), directed by Jan-Hendrik Beetge
Honorable Mention:
* Hear Me (USA), directed by Kenn Michael
First Feature Film by a Director (Narrative Feature)
* I Will Follow (USA), directed by Ava DuVernay
Honorable Mention:
* Hopeville (South Africa), directed by John Trengove
Audience Award Narrative Feature
* The First Grader (Kenya/UK), directed by Justin Chadwick
Audience Award Documentary Feature Film (Documentary Feature)
* Gang Girl: A Mother’s Journey to Save her Daughter (USA), directed by Valerie Goodloe
Valerie Goodloe
Audience Award Short Film
* The Black Mozart in Cuba (Guadeloupe), directed by Steve James
Pan African Film Festival Board of Directors Awards
Best Short Film
* Precipice (UK), directed by Julius Amedume
Best Documentary Film
* The Manuscripts of Timbuktu (South Africa), directed by Zola Maseko
Best Feature Film (Best Feature Narrative)
* Viva Riva! (DRCongo/France/Belgium/South Africa), directed by Djo Tunda Wa Munga
Honorable Mention:
* The Child, (Nigeria), directed by Izu Ojukwu
* The Figurine (Nigeria), directed by Kunle Afolayan
Pan African Film Festival-British Academy of Film and Television Arts/LA (BAFTA/LA)
Festival Choice Award
* I Sing of a Well (Ghana), directed by Leila DjansiThe 2011 Pan African Film Festival is sponsored by the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, the Los Angeles County Arts Fund, Macy’s, Wells Fargo Bank, Sony Pictures Entertainment, South African Airways, Ethiopian Airlines and the Africa Channel.
For more information, please visit www.paff.org
