The 27th Urbanworld® Film Festival announced the 2023 award winners with awards for Best Narrative Feature (U.S.) going to Frybread Face and Me directed by Billy Luther, Best Narrative Feature (World) went to Sira directed by Apolline Traoré and Best Documentary Feature went to Brief Tender Light directed by Arthur Musah.
The 27th Annual Urbanworld Film Festival set to take place on November 1-5, 2023, unveiled its official 2023 slate
The war epic film Devotion directed by JD Dillard, and starring Jonathan Majors opens this year’s 26th Urbanworld Film Festival, boasting a strong film slate. Majors will also serve as the festival’s official ambassador.
The Urbanworld Film Festival unveiled the lineup (exclusively via Variety) of more than 88 official selections, panels and conversations for its 25th anniversary set to run virtually on urbanworld.org, from Wednesday, September 29 – October 3, with select in-person events held at Cinepolis Luxury Cinemas, Chelsea at 260 West 23rd Street in New York.
Urbanworld Film Festival announced the 2020 award winners with The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain, directed by David Midell winning the award for Best Narrative Feature (US) . The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain is based on the true story of the events that led to the death of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr., an elderly African American veteran suffering from bipolar disorder, who was killed during a conflict with police officers who were dispatched to check on him.
David Oyelowo’s feature directorial debut, The Water Man, will open the 24th Annual Urbanworld Film Festival on Wednesday, September 23, 2020. Oyelowo also stars in the fantasy-adventure film that follows a boy who sets out on a quest to save his ill mother by searching for a mythic figure said to have magical healing powers.
Yellow Rose, directed by Diane Paragas was a big hit at the 23rd Annual Urbanworld Film Festival, winning both the Audience Award and Jury Award for Best Feature – U.S. Cinema. The films follows Rose, an undocumented Filipino girl, who dreams of one day leaving her small Texas town to pursue her country music dreams. Her world is shattered when her mom suddenly gets picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The 23rd Annual Urbanworld Film Festival will present a slate of 78 official selections and 7 spotlight selections in Manhattan, September 18 to 22, 2019 at AMC Empire 25 on 234 West 42nd Street.
Marshall[/caption]
The Urbanworld Film Festival today revealed its 2017 film slate of 80 official selections. The festival will take place in Manhattan September 20 to 24, 2017 at AMC Empire 25 on 234 West 42nd Street.
Film highlights include the thought-provoking HBO documentary “Baltimore Rising”, directed by “The Wire” actor Sonja Sohn, which will be showcased on Friday, September 22. The filmmaker follows activists, police officers, community leaders and gang affiliates who struggle to hold Baltimore together, in the wake of Freddie Gray’s death, even as the homicide rate hits record levels, and explores how to make change when change is hard.
The U.S. premiere of Marshall will close the festival on Saturday, September 23. Long before he sat on the United States Supreme Court or claimed victory in Brown v. Board of Education, Thurgood Marshall (Chadwick Boseman) was a young rabble-rousing attorney for the NAACP. The film marks the true story of his greatest challenge in those early days – a fight he fought alongside attorney Sam Friedman (Josh Gad), a young lawyer with no experience in criminal law: the case of black chauffeur Joseph Spell (Sterling K. Brown), accused by his white employer, Eleanor Strubing of sexual assault and attempted murder. Award-winning journalist Tamron Hall will moderate a Q&A with Boseman, Brown, Gad and Academy Award® nominated director Reginald Hudlin immediately following the screening of the film.
Reginald Hudlin will also serve as the ambassador for the 2017 Urbanworld Film Festival. The acclaimed director and producer is a pioneer of the modern black film movement, helming some of the most influential films and TV series of his generation including House Party, Boomerang and “Black Panther.” Most notably, he was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar® as one of the producers of Quentin Tarantino’s Academy Award® and Golden Globe® -winning film Django Unchained, one of the top-grossing Westerns of all time.
The world premiere of Shame has been added to the lineup for the 19th Annual Urbanworld Film Festival. Tyrese Gibson and Academy Award® winner Jennifer Hudson star in Shame, a Paul Hunter film produced by Denzel Washington.
In the short film written by Gibson, up-and-coming soul singer Lionel Jacobs (played by Gibson) is working the nightclub scene, trying to climb to the top of the charts while married to his background singer Bobbi Ann (played by Hudson). He wants to do right by his wife and their children but, his struggle with drugs and alcohol test the strength of his fidelity and their relationship. A conversation with Gibson will follow the screening.
Gibson will also serve as the ambassador for this year’s festival. “I’m honored to serve as the ambassador of the 2015 Urbanworld Film Festival and to premiere my short film Shame in such a creative and exciting environment. I strive to create art across all mediums that supports and showcases our diverse landscape and Urbanworld is the perfect partner as they actively and significantly do the same. I’m thrilled to join the filmmakers showcasing their projects at the festival as we inspire, encourage and excite others through film.” says Gibson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9capxlmuh4
Also confirmed to participate in the festival, ABC News Correspondent Deborah Roberts will moderate the
panel discussion with prima ballerina Misty Copeland and Nelson George from the closing night film A
Ballerina’s Tale on Saturday, September 26, 2015.
The 19th Annual Urbanworld Film Festival announced all of the films that will be showcased at the upcoming festival taking place September 23-27, 2015 at Manhattan’s AMC Empire 25 on 234 West 42nd Street.
BET’s Muhammad Ali: The People’s Champ will serve as the opening night film at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 23. The biographical tribute to the former heavyweight champion, directed and executive produced by Clarence “Coodie” Simmons and Chike Ozah, will connect the fighter’s boxing prowess as well as his social media activism, to the millennial audience to reveal Ali’s meaning in the world today.
Premiering on BET Wednesday, September 23 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT, the special features exclusive interviews with family, friends and admirers including Muhammad Ali’s daughter and niece Laila Ali and Shaya Ali, LL Cool J, Ludacris, T.I., Nas, Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Ray Lewis, Tyrese, Rosie Perez, David Banner, Michael Eric Dyson, Billie Jean King, Walt Frazier, Jim Brown, Ronnie Essett, Sway Calloway, Wood Harris, Jeffrey T. Sammons, Godfrey C. Danchimah, Richard Sherman, J. Ivy and Common. A Q&A with filmmakers will follow.
A Ballerina’s Tale will close the festival on Saturday, September 26 at 8:30pm. The film is an intimate look at a crucial period in the career of principal dancer Misty Copeland of American Ballet Theatre (ABT). It follows Misty from her triumphant lead performance in Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center through her painful injury and recovery that followed, to her return to ABT and subsequent pop cultural icon status. The documentary, directed by Nelson George, also examines issues of race and body image in the elite ballet world. Sundance Selects will release the film theatrically and on VOD on October 14. After the screening, there will be a Q&A with Copeland and George.
2015 Urbanworld Film Festival SLATE
OPENING NIGHT FILM
Muhammad Ali: The People’s Champ – Directed by Clarence “Coodie” Simmons & Chike Ozah (USA) –
Presented by BET Networks
CLOSING NIGHT FILM
A Ballerina’s Tale – Directed by Nelson George (USA) – Presented by Sundance Selects
SPOTLIGHT FILMS
3 ½ Minutes, 10 Bullets – Directed by Marc Silver (USA) – Presented by HBO
Stretch & Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives – Directed by Bobbito Garcia (USA)
The Man In 3B – Directed by Trey Haley (USA) – East Coast Premiere
NARRATIVE FEATURE FILMS
After School – Directed by Carlos Melendez & Mauricio Mendoza (USA) – New York Premiere
A Girl Like Grace – Directed by Ty Hodges (USA) – New York Premiere
Breaking Through – Directed by John Swetnam (USA) – US Premiere
Carmin Tropical – Directed by Rigoberto Perezcano (Mexico) – New York Premiere – Presented by NewFest in
Partnership with Outfest
Chapter & Verse – Directed by Jamal Joseph (USA) – World Premiere
Flow – Directed by Fenar Ahmad (Denmark) – US Premiere
Honeytrap – Directed Rebecca Johnson (UK) – New York Premiere
Knucklehead – Directed by Ben Bowman (USA)
Last Night – Directed by Harold Jackson III (USA)
Pocha – Directed by Michael Dwyer (USA) – New York Premiere
Primero De Enero (January 1st) – Directed by Erika Bagnarello (Dominican Republic) – New York Premiere
Riding 79 – Directed by Karola Hawk Gonzalez (Puerto Rico) – New York Premiere
Somewhere In The Middle – Directed by Lanre Olabisi (USA) – New York Premiere
The Stockroom – Directed by Victor Cruz (USA) – World Premiere
The Two Of Us – Directed by Ernest Nkosi (South Africa) – New York Premiere
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILMS
Anatomy of a Dress – Directed by Flora Pérez-Garay (Puerto Rico) – New York Premiere
Can You Dig This – Directed by Delila Vallot (USA) – New York Premiere
Dramatic Escape – Directed by Nick Quested (USA) – World Premiere
Hate Crimes in the Heartland – Directed by Rachel Lyon (USA)
In Football We Trust – Co-Directed by Tony Vainuku and Erika Cohn (USA) – New York Premiere
Romeo is Bleeding – Directed by Jason Zeldes (USA)
Tap World – Directed by Dean Hargrove (USA)
We Like It Like That – Directed by Mathew Ramirez Warren (USA) – New York Premiere
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
By Jamal Joseph: A Life Transformed by the Arts – Directed by Mike De Caro (USA) – World Premiere
Looking at the Stars – Directed by Alexandre Peralta (Brazil) – New York Premiere
Quest for Cuba: Questlove Brings the Funk to Havana – Directed by Jauretsi & Daniel Petruzzi (USA) –
Presented by Okayplayer Films & Jill Newman Productions
NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS
#American – Directed by Nate Parker (USA) – New York Premiere
1440 & Counting – Directed by Tony Gapastione (USA) – New York Premiere
2nd Life – Directed by Jake Alexander McAfee (USA) – New York Premiere
Ackee & Saltfish – Directed by Cecile Meke (UK)
About That… – Directed by Damien Smith (USA) – New York Premiere
Amishi – Directed by Malinda Kaur (UK)
Ana – Directed by Renee Marie Petropoulos (USA) – New York Premiere
Bad Hunter – Directed by Sahim Omar Kalifa (Belgium) – New York Premiere
Beyond The Passage – Directed by Terrence Jones (USA) – New York Premiere
Blackcard – Directed by Pete Chatmon (USA)
Boxed In – Directed by Tasha Smith (USA) – New York Premiere
Charlotte – Directed by Angel Kristi Williams (USA) – New York Premiere
Clean – Directed by Gabriel Wilson (USA) – World Premiere
Debt to Society – Directed by Tristan Daley (USA) – New York Premiere
Dream – Directed by Nijla Mu’min (USA) – New York Premiere
Dubois – Directed by Kaz Ové (Trinidad & Tobago) – New York Premiere
Fanta Face – Directed by Yaa Boaa Aning (USA) – World Premiere
Forgiving Chris Brown – Directed by Marquette Jones (USA) – World Premiere
Gang – Directed by Clayton Vomero (USA) – US Premiere
Human Behavior – Directed by Carey WIlliams – New York Premiere
In the Clouds – Directed by Marcelo Mitnik (Argentina) – New York Premiere
King of Guangzhou – Directed by Quester Hannah (China)
Late Expectations – Directed by Laurie Arakaki (USA) – World Premiere
Lia – Directed by Ethosheia Hylton (UK) – World Premiere
Love for Passion – Directed by Nathan Hale Williams (USA)
Mandala – Directed by Guan Xi (China) – New York Premiere
Marianne – Directed by Tomisin Adepeju (UK) – New York Premiere
Only Light – Directed by Evita Castine (USA)
Roubado – Directed by Erica A. Watson (USA) – New York Premiere
Since I Laid Eyes – Directed by Adel Morales
South Arcadia Street – Directed by Melanie D’Andrea (USA) – New York Premiere
Standing8 – Directed by Michael Molina Minard (USA)
Stanhope – Directed by Solvan Naim (USA) – New York Premiere
Stomach – Directed by Javier Kühn (UK/Spain) – World Premiere
Taking Chance – Directed by Jerry Lamothe (USA) – World Premiere
Tap Shoes & Violins – Directed by Dax Brooks (USA) – New York Premiere
The Call – Directed by Zamo Mkhwanazi (USA) – New York Premiere
The Cycle – Directed by Michael Marantz (USA) – New York Premiere
The Loyalist – Directed by Minji Kang (South Korea)
The Reunion – Directed by Carmen Elly Wilkerson (USA) – New York Premiere
The Trade – Directed by Michael A. Pinckney (USA) – World Premiere
The Trophy Thief – Directed by Dave Edwardz (USA) – New York Premiere
The Walk – Directed by Alonso Alvarez Barreda (Mexico) – New York Premiere
The Waltz – Directed by Trevor Zhou (USA) – World Premiere
Times of Competition – Directed by Toti Loureiro & Ruy Prado (Brazil) – New York Premiere
Tough – Directed by Alfonso Johnson (USA) – New York Premiere
Wait Till the Wolves Make Nice – Directed by Jess dela Merced (USA) – New York Premiere
Wayward – Directed by Kira Richards Hansen (Denmark) – New York Premiere
Welcoming Arms – Directed by Roseanne Ma (USA) – New York Premiere
When Fragile Things Break – Directed by Shanika Warren-Markland (USA) – New York Premiere
Beyond the Lights
The 18th Annual Urbanworld Film Festival, will take place this weekend September 17-21, 2014, at Manhattan’s AMC Loews 34th Street 14, and various other locations in New York. The festival will screen over 70 films, including 12 world premieres.
Relativity’s Beyond the Lights, a drama written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love and Basketball, The Secret Life of Bees) and produced by Relativity, Relativity Sports, Undisputed Cinema and Homegrown Pictures in association with BET Films, will serve as the opening film at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 18 at the SVA Theater at 333 W. 23rd Street. The story of a talented young musician on the brink of super stardom struggling with the pressure of her new-found success stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Belle, Larry Crowne), Nate Parker (Red Tails, The Great Debaters), Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting) and Emmy Award® nominee Danny Glover (The Color Purple, Lethal Weapon). The film opens nationwide on November 14, 2014. Prince-Bythewood, a longtime supporter of the festival and Independent Spirit Award® winner, is the ambassador for this year’s festivities.
URBANWORLD 2014 FILM SLATE
OPENING NIGHT FILM
Beyond the Lights – Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (USA) – US Premiere
SPOTLIGHT EVENTS
Avenues – Directed by Aaref Rodriguez (USA) – Hosted by HBO Latino
Blood and Bone – Directed by Ben Ramsey (USA) – Hosted by Cinemax – Curated by Urban Action Showcase
Habla Men – Hosted by HBO Latino
Purple Rain – Directed by Albert Magnoli (USA) – 30th Anniversary Sing-A-Long
Sleep Dealer – Directed by Alex Rivera (Mexico) – Hosted by The National Association of Latino Independent Producers
Urbanworld Underground – Curated by Project Catalyst
Jo – Directed by April A. Wilson (USA)
La Solitaria – Directed by Nelson Isava (USA)
Page 36 – Directed by Nelsan Ellis (USA)
The Unseen Beauty – Directed by Gabriel de Urioste (USA)
Touch – Directed by Shola Amoo (United Kingdom)
Trust & Estates – Directed by Jeanette Bonds (USA)
NARRATIVE FEATURE FILMS
Brooklyn – Directed by Pascal Tessaud (France) – US Premiere
Christmas Wedding Baby – Directed by Kiara Jones (USA) – World Premiere
Cry Now – Directed by Alberto Barboza (USA) – New York Premiere
Difret – Directed by Zeresenay Berhane Mehari (Ethiopia)
God Loves The Fighter – Directed by Damian Marcano (Trinidad & Tobago) – New York Premiere
In the Morning – Directed by Nefertite Nguvu (USA) – World Premiere
Lake Los Angeles – Directed by Mike Ott (USA) – New York Premiere
Los Angeles – Directed by Damian John Harper (Mexico) – New York Premiere
Love Magical – Directed by Justin Foran & Jason Sokoloff – World Premiere
Montana – Directed by Mo Ali Out of Comp (UK) – US Premiere
Night Has Settled – Directed by Steve Clark (USA)
Unsound – Directed by Darious Britt (USA)
What It Was – Directed by Daniel Armando (USA)
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILMS
12 Months – Charysse Tia Harper (USA) – World Premiere
Finding Samuel Lowe – Directed by Jeanette Kong (USA)
Hating Obama – Directed by Marquis Smalls (USA) – World Premiere
Lucky – Directed by Laura Checkoway (USA)
Sewing Hope – Directed by Derek Watson (Uganda) – New York Premiere
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILMS (con’t)
SODIQ – Directed by Adeyemi Michael (UK)
The Hip-Hop Fellow – Directed by Kenneth Price (USA) – New York Premiere
DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
Bookin – Directed by John Kerkscey (USA)
ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Nine – Directed by Wanichaya Phraejunya & Chawalit Kaewmanee (Thailand)
NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS
Afronauts – Directed by Frances Bodomo (USA)
Anatomy of Assistance – Directed by Cory Bowles (Canada) – New York Premiere
Barrio Boy – Directed by Dennis Shinners (USA)
Berea – Directed by Vincent Moloi (South Africa) – East Coast Premiere
Celluloid Dreams – Directed by Jonathan Dillon (USA) – New York Premiere
Contamination – Directed by R. Shanea Williams (USA) – New York Premiere
ContentMode x J. Cooper Present “206” Starring David Oyelowo – Directed by J. Cooper (USA)
For The Birds – Directed by Tara Atashgah (USA/Iran)
Full-Windsor – Directed by Faraday Okoro (USA) – New York Premiere
Habeas Corpus – Directed by Booker T. Mattison (USA) – New York Premiere
Hechki (Hiccups) – Directed by Kartik Singh (USA) – World Premiere
Hermanas – Directed by Cristina Kotz Cornejo (Mexico) – East Coast Premiere
Hypebeasts – Directed by Jessica dela Merced (USA)
Isaiah’s Birthday – Directed by Shawn Gerrard (Canada) – World Premiere
J-1 – Directed by Geoffrey Guerrero (USA)
Jaya – Directed by Puja Maewal (India) – New York Premiere
Jenny & Lalo – Directed by Janine Salinas Schoenberg (USA) – East Coast Premiere
L’Autre Feme – Directed by marie KA (Senegal) – East Coast Premiere
Midday Crisis – Directed by Jeff Man (USA) – New York Premiere
Milk & Honey – Directed by Daniel Pfeffer (USA)
Missing Grandma – Directed by Adel L. Morales (USA) – World Premiere
Muted – Directed by Rachel Goldberg (USA)
One Past – Directed by Juli S. Kobayashi (USA) – World Premiere
Pitahaya – Directed by Albert Espinosa (Spain) – New York Premiere
Present Trauma – Directed by Mark D. Manalo (USA) – East Coast Premiere
Serena Strong – Directed by Philiane Phang (USA) – World Premiere
Seventh Grade – Directed by Stefani Saintoge (USA)
Silencio Chino – Directed by Javier Melero De Luca (Venezuela) – US Premiere
Sketch – Directed by Stephen T. Barton (USA) – New York Premiere
Strings Attached – Directed by Nelcie Souffrant (USA) – New York Premiere
The Bravest, The Boldest – Directed by Moon molson (USA) – New York Premiere
The End Again – Directed by Crystle C. Roberson (USA) – New York Premiere
Tobacco Burn – Directed by Justin Liberman (USA) – New York Premiere
Tonsure – Directed by Fred Bumaye (USA) – World Premiere
Woman In Fragments – Directed by Qun Xhou (USA/China/Japan) – New York Premiere
Your Love – Directed by Laila Petrone (USA) – World Premiere
You’re Dead To Me – Directed by Wu Tsang (USA) – New York Premiere