2016 African World Film Festival
The 2016 African World Film Festival (AWFF) took place in Detroit, MI on August 20, 2016 at the World's Largest Museum for African American History, the Charles H. Wright Museum. Founded by Letia Solomon of L. Solo Productions and Eric J. Wells of Lightsup Entertainment, the AWFF was created to provide a platform for Detroit and international filmmakers to showcase cinematic art as a featured event of the 34th Annual African World Festival.
Debuting its first year in 2016, the purpose of AWFF is to unite filmmakers from all over the world, showcase their talent, foster relationships, and encourage the Detroit community to take an active interest in the power of visual media. They wanted to empower the community with a visual voice that can help influence the masses. The ultimate goal was to spread positive images of people of African descent and be the home for groundbreaking international cinema through creative arts.
This year, AWFF featured 16 amazing films from various parts of the world. They were broken into three blocks of films with a panel discussion of questions and answers from each director at the end of each block. Audience members casted votes to judge the films and was awarded a certificate at the end of the festival. There was a great turnout for the first film festival and the team looks forward to continuing their partnship with the museum and the African World Festival for future annual events.
See below for the list of phenomenal films from all over the world.
FILM BLOCK 1
Africa For Ebola Orphans - Cameroon by Franco Bonghan (Cameroon) 6:17
Memoirs of a Black Man by Christian Davis (Detroit) 4:20
The sounds of street vendors: by Michael Brims (Houston) 8:06
Vela & Niyah by Rashada Fortier (New Orleans) 14:00
Marianne by Tomisin Adepeju (London UK) 17:32
FILM BLOCK 2
Don't Blink by Damon Merchant (Detroit) 4:20
Rogue by Cameron Cullers (Detroit) 11:59
Deus ex Machina by Armani Martin (Atlanta) 7:52
The Almighty by Joseph Chopin (Chicago) 19:09
Date by Onyinye Anyaeji (Canada) 9:58
DAYLIGHT by Shawntay Dalon (Detroit) 19:23
FILM BLOCK 3
The StickUp by Dimitri Morantus (Los Angeles) 8:03
The Fly in the Buttermilk by Ashley Norwood (Jackson, MS) 18:18
Pro by Narlyia Sterling (Los Angeles) 8:58
LOVE by Tulanana Bohela (South Africa) 23:57
Talking Piece by KPage Stuart Valdes (New York) 16:25
The Winner of our 2016 Audience Choice Award went to Christian Davis, writer and director of "Memoirs of a Black Man." You can watch it here on his YouTube account: Sweet Obsession Films "Memoirs of a Black Man"
Follow the African World Film Festival on Instagram @AfricanWorldFilmFestival and also on Facebook at "African World Film Festival"
Co-Founder: Letia Solomon of L. Solo Productions
Co-Founder: Eric J. Wells of Lightsup Entertainment
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