ACTRESS REGINA HALL TO HOST ANNUAL CEREMONY
Show Tapes Friday, February 17 in Los Angeles and will air on BET
Wednesday,
February 22 at 8:00PM ET
#ABFFHonors
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
BET Networks and The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is proud to
present actor and director Denzel Washington with the "Hollywood
Legacy Award;" writer, producer and actress Issa Raewith the
"Rising Star Award," and film director and producer F. Gary Gray
with the "Excellence in the Arts Award" during this year's "BET Presents
The American Black Film Festival Honors." The awards gala held February
17 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA will air on BET and
Centric, Wednesday, February 22 at 8:00PM ET.
This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170131005913/en/
ABFF Honors' mission is to celebrate Black culture by honoring
individuals, movies and television shows that have had a significant
impact on American entertainment, as well as the people who are
proponents of championing diversity and inclusion in Hollywood. The
annual event will be hosted by actress Regina Hall.
This year's list of honorees includes some of Hollywood's powerhouses.
Denzel Washington is a veteran and iconic figure whose exemplary
performances in film and on the stage has been recognized by his peers
and loyal fan base. His unforgettable performances have garnered him two
Academy Awards, three Golden Globes, a Screen Actors Guild Award and
countless others. Denzel's current project, the critically-acclaimed
film adaptation of August Wilson's Fences, in which he produced
and directed, also earned him a 2017 Oscar nomination.
Writer, producer and actress, Issa Rae, created her own path by starting
out in the online/web space, but has since transitioned to television
and is now one of Hollywood's much-watch talents. Her new show, HBO's
INSECURE, took the world by storm this past year with its ridiculously
hilarious punch lines, private rap battles and a killer musical
selection. It also earned her, her first Golden Globe nomination for
"Best Actress in a TV Comedy or Musical."
F. Gary Gray has been making moves behind the camera since 1989 and has
brought some of today's most buzzworthy and top box office films to the
silver screen. Gray directed his first film, the comedy Friday,
at age 24 and has since gone on to direct some of the biggest names in
film, including Academy Award-winner Kevin Spacey, Academy Award-nominee
Samuel L. Jackson in The Negotiator, Golden Globe-winner Queen
Latifah in Set if Off, Academy Award- winner Charlize Theron and
Academy Award-nominee Mark Wahlberg in Italian Job and Golden
Globe and Emmy Award-winner John Travolta in Be Cool. Up next, he
will direct the eighth installment of The Fast and the Furious
franchise (The Fate of the Furious).
ABFF Honors will be one of the highlights of the Hollywood Awards season
and Black History Month. The event is executive produced by ABFF
Ventures founder Jeff Friday, Suzanne de Passe and Madison Jones for de
Passe Jones Entertainment, Jesse Collins for Jesse Collins
Entertainment, and Connie Orlando, Stephen G. Hill and Debra Lee for BET
Networks.
The 2017 ABFF Honors sponsors are Cadillac and Prudential Financial
Services (Red Carpet Partners), Morgan Stanley (Corporate Partner) and
Hennessy (Official Spirit Partner).
For more information about the 2017 ABFF Honors, log on to www.ABFFHonors.com.
Also, follow us on our social media platforms:
SOCIAL MEDIA:
For media inquiries and to apply for media credentials for the 2017 ABFF
Honors, please log on to http://abffhonors.com/media/2017-ABFF-Honors-Credential-Application.pdf.
ABOUT ABFF
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is an annual event dedicated to
showcasing quality film and television content by and about people of
African descent. It supports emerging artists to foster a wider range of
images, stories and storytellers represented in the entertainment
industry. The festival is committed to the belief that Black artists and
content creators deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream
counterparts. ABFF founder Jeff Friday conceived the festival in 1997 as
a vehicle to promote diversity in the motion picture industry, and
strengthen the Black filmmaking community through resource sharing,
education, artistic collaboration and career development. Today, the
ABFF is recognized as the preeminent pipeline to new Black talent, both
in front of and behind the camera, and is regarded as one of the leading
film festivals in the world. The ABFF is a property of ABFF Ventures
LLC, a multifaceted entertainment company specializing in the production
of live events, television and digital content targeted to upscale
African American audiences.
For additional information about the festival, visit www.ABFFHonors.com.
ABOUT BET NETWORKS
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the
nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and
public affairs television programming for the African-American audience.
The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can
be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom
and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer
brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading
Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news;
CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American
Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home
Entertainment; BET Live, BET's growing festival business; BET Mobile,
which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices;
and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170131005913/en/
PRESS:
Strategic Heights Media
Michelle Huff Elliott,
212-634-7176
michelle@strategicheights.com
or
BET
Communications
Terrece Walker, 212-205-3264
Terrece.Walker@BET.net
Source: BET Networks
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