Pan African Film Festival Announces Filmmaker Awards

LOS ANGELES – The Pan African Film Festival announced its filmmakers awards today during a brunch ceremony  at Locals Sports Bar & Grill in Los Angeles.

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