The DC Black Film Festival (DCBFF) is dedicated to exhibiting quality film, web series and television content by and about people of African descent. We support emerging artists striving to add diversity to the images, tastemakers and storytellers working in the entertainment industry. The DCBFF is committed to playing an integral role in discovering, celebrating and helping films and filmmakers by bringing them to the attention of the industry, media and public.
The mission of the DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival is to bring attention to the creative output from Asian Pacific American (APA) communities and encourage the artistic development of APA talent, arts, and films in the greater Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Region.
Our mission embodies the following goals:
To raise public awareness of APA talent, arts & media
To encourage and promote the artistic development of APA artists of all creative arts
To provide arts education opportunities, with particular outreach to APA youth and adults
To raise awareness and act as a catalyst for the discussion of issues affecting APA communities
To bring diverse people together, to promote artistic and social interactions
To sponsor and operate a DC APA Film Festival annually
The DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival recognizes the efforts of Asian/Asian American filmmakers. Based on the number of submissions, Awards will be given to the following categories:
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Documentary
Best Cinematography
Best Lead Performer
Best Supporting Performer
Audience Choice Award
Previous Winners
2020 WINNERS
Best Picture: The Chef
Best Director: Peier “Tracy” Shen – Out of Place
Best Documentary: YAI NIN
Best Cinematography: Kneeling Sheep
Best Lead Performer: Jim Lau – The Chef
Best Supporter Performer: Gary Luk – Black Ghost Son
RIFF, one of the largest international competitive film festivals in the Mid-Atlantic, brings cutting edge film & music to the beautiful historic city of Richmond, Virginia.
The Largest Film Festival & Market of its kind in the United States, TV Interviews, Pre-Parties and After-Parties all leading up to an Awesome AWARDS CEREMONY!
Great expansion has come to The NOVA Fest in its fifth season! After hosting several hundred films from over 30 countries, producing two satellite film festivals in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., and adding a Music Festival, we have successfully expanded with the addition of a film market!
CAPITAL FILM MARKET works in conjunction with The NOVA Fest and the Virginia Film Office to bring sales agents, domestic & international film offices, and buyers from around the globe, searching for and buying new content. In this new media age CAPITAL fully embraces and offers an environment to sell content to platforms such as Laurel Channel, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, iTunes, Google play, and on and on.
Seminars, panels, receptions and party after party, lead up to an elaborate Oscar-style Awards Ceremony held at the Mosaic in Fairfax, Virginia, home of the beautiful Angelika Film Center! Welcome to the biggest festival and market of its kind in the United States of America!
Best Family/Faith Based Film: OurShow TV Show Pilot
Best Musical: PLUS ONE
Best Horror/Thriller: Cold Feet
Best Film Noir/Dark: Trouble Is My Business
Best LGBT Film: PLUS ONE
Best Inspirational Film: The Wall’s Embrace
Best Action Film: On The Edge
The Best Action Choreography: Lost Kings
Best Comedy: Sac de Merde
Best Romantic Comedy: Sac de Merde
Best Trailer: Love In Kilnerry Trailer #1
Best Visual Effects: Alfred J Hemlock
Best Art & Design: A Midwestern Methamphetamine Fairytale
Best Web/TV Series: Lost Kings
Screenplay Under 20 Pages
Best Drama: National Postcard Day by Joey Fama
Best Comedy: DC Slang by Joey Fama
Best Horror: A War On Terror by Peter Haig
Best Sci-Fi: Char Wars: Darth Vaper by Ron Podell
Best Thriller: A War On Terror by Peter Haig
Screenplay Over 20 Pages
Best Drama: Hiding in the Spotlight by Branislav Tatalovic
Best Comedy: Company Christmas by Diana Woody
Best Action/Adventure: UNDER.PRESSURE by Eric Carlson
Best Family: Hope is Not a Black and White Rainbow by Harold Brown
Best Thriller: The Chain by Jeff Woodard
Best Horror: Iris by Neil Chase
Best Period: Clash of Iron by Richard Reed
Best Fantasy: Waiting for Jerry by Stacy Waymack Thornton
TELEPLAYS
Best Teleplay 30 Min.: DC Slang by Joey Fama
Best Teleplay 60 Min.: Fat Vs Evil by Alex Sheldon
Harold L. Brown Award of Excellence 1st Time Writer: Comic Relief by Alex Hawthorne
The James Christopher – NOVA Jury Award-Film (All Official Selections Eligible): Embers of Varanasi, The Carnival Kid, Five O’clockShadow, Wireless, Daily Bread
NOVA Jury Award-Screenplay (All Official Selections Eligible): HOG HEAVEN Episode One In The Beginning by Jack McLaughlin & George Stark, and The Shelter by Bob Caso
The NOVA Award-Screenplay (Best Local Screenplay): Metro by Tristan Aird
The NOVA Award-Film (Best Locally Produced Film): A Time Before
Screenplay of the Year (All Official Selections Eligible): Reach for the Sky by Eric Carlson
Best Action/Adventure: The Baltimore Pairing by Corey Williams
SCREENPLAY OVER 20 PAGES
Best Drama: Within These Walls by Tracie Jules
Best Comedy: Zelda’s Ever Blooming Flowers by Lorraine Portman
Best Horror: Within These Walls by Tracie Jules
Best Sci-Fi: The Muffin Conundrum by Diana Woody
Best Family/Faith Based: The Oscar by Julia Liberman
Best Action/Adventure: FourPlay by John Harris
Best Thriller: ILL CONCEIVED by Jeannette Cormier
Best Period: The Guide by Eric P. Granger
Best Romance: The Guide by Eric P. Granger
Screenplay of the Year: ILL CONCEIVED by Jeannette Cormier
The NOVA Award-Screenplay: Something You Misplaced by Chad Alexander
Jury Award-Screenplay: Life Is But A Dream by David Earle Reed, Procedure by Samantha Macher, The Voyage of Genesis 2 by David Thorndill, and 20/20: Search for Independence by Harold L. Brown
TELEPLAYS
Best Teleplay 30 Min.: Boomtown by Rashel Mereness
Best Teleplay 60 Min.: Family Secrets by Warren Hull
Previous Winners 2015
2015 AWARD WINNERS
FILM
Best Feature Film: Blue Collar Boys
Best Short Film: A Man On The Edge
Best Documentary Over 45 Min.: IN AN IDEAL WORLD
Best Documentary Under 45 Min.: Last Pyramid
Best Foreign Feature Film: Backgammon
Best Foreign Short Film: Tras bambalinas
Best Music Video: Masheenee Alcketiara
Best Actor (Feature Film): Skyler Pinkerton – (Indigo)
Best Actress (Feature Film): Sofla Lever – (Backgammon)
Best Actor (Short Film): Lawrence Gilliard Jr. – (Trial of Ben Barry)
Best Actress (Short Film): Kaitlin Magowan – (Glass House)
Best Supporting Actor (Feature Film): Stan Harrington – (Lost Angels)
Best Supporting Actress (Feature Film): Elyse Levesque – (Sons of Liberty)
Best Supporting Actor (Short Film): Charlie Heaton – (The Schoolboy)
Best Supporting Actress (Short Film): Doris Roberts – (Just Another Man’s Story)
Best Director (Feature Film): Drew Hall – (Sons of Liberty)
Best Director (Short Film): Sarah Barbault & Emilie Barbault – (Un jour de lucidité)
Best Cinematography (Feature Film): Leaves of the Tree
Best Cinematography (Short Film): Gaia
Best Screenplay (Feature Film): Mortal Remains
Best Screenplay (Short Film): The Trial Of Ben Barry
Best Score: Lost Angels
Best Editing (Feature Film): Lake Los Angeles
Best Editing (Short Film): A Man Over the Edge
Best Family/Faith Based Film: The Sparrows: Nesting
AFI DOCS is the nation’s documentary film festival known for showcasing the best in documentary filmmaking from the US and around the world.
AFI DOCS is also the only film festival in the United States that offers the unique opportunity to connect film audiences with national opinion leaders, filmmakers and intriguing film subjects. With conversations and experiences you won’t experience at any other film festival, AFI DOCS harnesses the power of this important art form and its potential to inspire change.
Screenings during this annual five-day event take place in landmark venues in Washington, DC and the world-class AFI Silver Theatre, the independent film hub of the metropolitan region.
Throughout the year the AFI DOCS FILM SERIES brings audiences in the nation’s capital the best in nonfiction filmmaking.
ABOUT VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS Visual Communications’ mission is to develop and support the voices of Asian American and Pacific Islander filmmakers and media artists who empower communities and challenge perspectives. Founded in 1970 with the understanding that media and the arts are powerful forms of storytelling, Visual Communications creates cross cultural connections between peoples and generations. The organization is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year! Learn more at vcmedia.org.
ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL The 36th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF), presented by Visual Communications, runs online from September 24 – October 31, 2020 and features an exciting lineup of productions by Asian American & Pacific Islander artists from across the globe. The largest festival of its kind in Southern California, LAAPFF is also a proud Academy Award®-qualifying film festival for the Short Film Awards. For program and ticket information, please visit festival.vcmedia.org.
Golden Reel Award for Excellence in Narrative/Animated Short Film
Golden Reel Award for Exellence in Documentary Short Film
Special Jury Award: Impact Award
Special Jury Award: New Voices Award
Linda Mabalot New Directors/New Visions Award—Short Film
DOCUMENTARY AWARDS
North American Documentary Feature Award: Grand Jury Prize
North American Documentary Feature Award: Special Jury Award
International Documentary Feature Award: Grand Jury Prize
International Documentary Feature Award: Special Jury Award
NARRATIVE AWARDS
North American Narrative Feature Award: Grand Jury Prize
International Narrative Feature Award: Grand Jury Prize
Other awards for each of these categories may be given, including Best Director, Best Actor/Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Breakthrough Performance, and Special Jury Awards.
AUDIENCE AWARDS
Narrative Feature
Documentary Feature
Awards for this festival vary from year to year. This list is representative of the most common awards given out.
Past Winners
2019 Festival
Shorts Awards Golden Reel Award (Excellence in Narrative/Animated Short Film) MANILA IS FULL OF MEN NAMED BOY Dir: Andrew Stephen Lee [ Eligible for qualifying for the Short Live Action Film Oscar® ]Golden Reel Award (Excellence in Documentary Short Film) ALL IN MY FAMILY Dir: Hao Wu Special Jury Award Impact Award RANI Dir: Hammad Rizvi Special Jury Award New Voices Award NO ONE EVER REALLY DIES Dir: Anika Kan Grevstad & Mari Young
Linda Mabalot New Directors/New Visions Award – Short Film SPEAK EASY, B Dir: Becca Park & Jun Shimizu (Innovative Use of Cinematic Language)
North American Documentary Feature Awards SEADRIFT Dir: Tim Tsai (Grand Jury Prize) JADDOLAND Dir: Nadia Shihab (Special Jury Award) ORIGIN STORY Dir: Kulap Vilaysack (Special Jury Award)
International Documentary Feature Awards OUR TIME MACHINE Dir: S. Leo Chiang & Yang Sun (Grand Jury Prize – Tie) – China FOR SAMA Dir: Waad al-Kateab & Edward Watts (Grand Jury Prize – Tie) – Syria, United Kingdom FOR MY FATHER’S KINGDOM Dir: Vea Mafile’o & Jeremiah Tauamiti (Special Jury Award) – New Zealand LAST NIGHT I SAW YOU SMILING Dir: Kavich Neang (Special Jury Award) – Cambodia, France
North American Narrative Feature Awards YELLOW ROSE Dir: Diane Paragas (Grand Jury Prize) ANTE CHENG | MS. PURPLE (Best Cinematography) MAYA ERSKINE | PLUS ONE (Best Actress) EVA NOBLEZADA | YELLOW ROSE (Breakthrough Performance)
International Narrative Feature Awards HOUSE OF HUMMINGBIRD Dir: Bora Kim (Grand Jury Prize) – South Korea SONG LANG Dir: Leon Le (Special Jury Award) – Vietnam VAI Dir: ‘Ofa-Ki-Levuka Guttenbeil-Likiliki, Amberley Jo Aumua, Becs Arahanga, Dianna Fuemana, Marina Alofagia McCartney, Matasila Freshwater, Mīria George, & Nicole Whippy (Special Jury Award) – New Zealand
Emerging Filmmaker Award Winners HAPPY CLEANERS Dir: Julian Kim & Peter S. Lee (North American Narrative Feature) A WOMAN’S WORK: THE NFL’S CHEERLEADER PROBLEM Dir: Yu Gu (North American Documentary Feature)
Audience Award Winners THE FAREWELL Dir: Lulu Wang (Narrative Feature) JOURNEY TO IFUGAO Dir: Nicanor Evangelista, Jr. (Documentary Feature)
