The 22nd annual PAFF will be held on February 6-17, 2014 at the new Rave Cinemas Baldwin Hills 15 at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza in Los Angeles.
The Pan African Film Festival will honor prolific, award-winning actor/director Charles Dutton with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the festival’s annual Night of Tribute awards ceremony. For the second year, the Night of Tribute will be part of the pre-show festivities for the awards ceremony of the African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) on Friday, January 31, 2014, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Taglyan Complex, located at 1201 Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif.
Dutton is a two-time Tony-nominated and multiple Emmy award-winning actor and director of stage, television and film. He first became a familiar face to television audiences around the world for his iconic role as the Baltimore garbage collector, Roc Emerson, on the popular Fox-HBO comedy “Roc,” which aired for three seasons from 1991 to 1994. Dutton earned his first NAACP Image Award for his role of Roc followed by two more wins in 2002 and 2003 for his roles in the television movies, “10,000 Black Men Named George” and “D.C. Sniper: 23 Days of Fear”.
Dutton, who is a native of Baltimore, made his Broadway debut in 1984 with August Wilson’s ”Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” winning him a Theatre World Award and a Best Actor Tony Award nomination. Six years later, he received another Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson” before heading off to Hollywood, landing more television roles and collecting acting accolades along the way.
In 1999, Dutton received both Emmy and NAACP Image award nominations for his guest-starring role as Alvah Case on the HBO hit prison drama, “Oz.” A year later, he directed the critically-acclaimed and gritty HBO miniseries, “The Corner.” “The Corner” won several Emmys, including Outstanding Miniseries and Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or a Movie. Dutton picked up an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special. As the Yale-trained actor continued to show the range of his acting abilities, the nominations and awards just kept on coming. He won back-to-back Emmy Awards in 2002 and 2003 for Outstanding Guest Actor in “The Practice” and “Without a Trace,” respectively.
“Charles Dutton is a tour de force to be reckoned with whether he’s on stage or the screen — big or small,” says Ayuko Babu, executive director of the Pan African Film Festival. “Through his craft, he’s a chameleon and a master storyteller. With an authoritative, booming voice, he brings a larger-than-life presence to all his roles, captivating audiences and delivering riveting performances each and every time.”
Previous recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award include Oscar-winner Louis Gossett Jr., Tony award-winner Phylicia Rashad, Emmy award-winning actors Loretta Devine and Glynn Turman, the honorable Ambassador Andrew Young as well as award winning actresses Marla Gibbs and Dr. Della Reese.
“CONVERSATION WITH … CHARLES DUTTON” | “From Jail to Yale: Serving Time on Stage”
Saturday, February 8, 2014 | 7:45 p.m. Rave Cinemas Baldwin Hills 15 at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, a Los Angeles.
“I used to be a hardcore, hard-hearted guy. Once you make the decision to change, all kinds of things happen.”
– Charles Dutton
Interestingly, before Dutton’s success on the Great White Way and Hollywood, he was a juvenile delinquent, in and out of reform schools and correctional facilities. The at-risk youth hung around the wrong crowd and dropped out of school before finishing middle school. By the time he was 26, Dutton had spent roughly 12 years of his life in a penitentiary for back-to-back convictions.
It was in prison that Dutton found his passion for acting and directing. Several months into his second prison term, Dutton was sent to solitary confinement. He was allowed one book, and by accident, grabbed an anthology of black playwrights. While in confinement, he enjoyed the plays so much that upon his release, he petitioned the warden to form a drama group. The warden agreed on the condition that Dutton finish his education and get his GED.
While incarcerated, Dutton not only completed his studies, but also earned a two-year college degree in 1976, the year he was paroled. After serving his time, the ex-con enrolled as a drama major at Towson State University (now known as Towson University) graduated, and went on to earn a master’s degree in acting from the prestigious Yale School of Drama.
In PAFF’s “Conversation With …” series, Dutton will share his inspirational story with straight talk and humor in his one-man show “From Jail to Yale: Serving Time on Stage.”
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PAFF”S RISING STAR AWARDS:
The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) will also honor “Rising Stars” Emayatzy Corinealdi and Tequan Richmond, as well as industry innovators Studio film publicist Roz Stevenson, and Jeff Clanagan of CodeBlack Enterprises
2013 was a landmark year; an unprecedented number of black films played theatres nationwide. It is only fitting that that Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) recognizes two rising stars for their outstanding breakout performances in film. In recognizing some fresh faces of Young Hollywood , the festival will honor actors Emayatzy Corinealdi and Tequan Richmond with the Beah Richards and Canada Lee Rising Star Awards, respectively.
PAFF’s “Rising Star” awards are named after actors Canada Lee and Oscar-nominee Beah Richards, who pioneered roles for African Americans in film, television and stage, and sparked civil rights activism in their work.
“Filmmakers tell great stories through the choices gifted actors and actresses make on screen by embracing a role and bringing a character to life. In addition to supporting the work of filmmakers, it’s important that the Pan African Film Festival recognizes and honors the new generation of young talent, honing their craft in the entertainment industry,” said Ayuko Babu, founder and executive director of the Pan African Film Festival.
Emayatzy Corinealdi, who playd Ruby in Ava DuVernay’s critically-acclaimed “Middle of Nowhere” won the 2012 Gotham Award for Breakout Actor as well as nods from the Independent Spirit Awards and the NAACP Image Awards.
Other film credits include “In The Morning,” “The Nanny Express” and “Addicted,” set for a March 2014 release by Lionsgate. Televisiom credits include lead roles in pilots, including “Katrina”, BET’s “Gun Hill” (opposite Larenz Tate), “Demons” (opposite Ron Eldard), and and “Romantically Challenged” with Alyssa Milano.
Handsome Tequan Richmond, a well known face on television made the transition to the silver screen portraying the young Ray Charles Jr. (9-10 years) in the award-winning film, “Ray,” starring Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx.
He recently co-starred with Isaiah Washington, portaying one of the two Beltway snipers that terrorized the Washington, DC area in Alexandre Moors’s acclaimed “Blue Caprice.” He co-starred with Isaiah Washington,The film is nominated for a Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature.
Still, on television, Richmond is a familiar face as TJ Ashford on ABC’s highly-rated, Daytime Emmy-winning, longest-running soap opera in production, “General Hospital” as well as Drew Rock on “Everybody Hates Chris,” currently in syndication.
Richmond’s many television credits include “Cold Case,” “ER,” “CSI,” “Memphis Beat” and “Private Practice”. And he’s the star in the remake of cult classic, “House Party Five: Tonight’s the Night,” available on DVD.
PAFF’S TRAILBLAZER AND PIONEER AWARDS
The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) will honor two industry innovators for their impact and influence in the film industry. Studio film publicist Roz Stevenson of Roz Stevenson Public Relations and Jeff Clanagan of CodeBlack Enterprises.
Stevenson and Clanagan will receive the festival’s Trailblazer and the Pioneer awards, respectively. The Night of Tribute honors world-renowned actors, filmmakers, community leaders and fine artists for their contributions on stage, television, film, the arts and the community. “These two individuals have not only excelled in their chosen professions, but they have been game changers in an ever-changing, fickle industry,” said Ayuko Babu, executive director of PAFF. “Both Roz and Jeff have been groundbreakers in Hollywood, knocking down barriers and serving as mentors for others following in their footsteps.”
About Roz Stevenson | Trailblazer Award
Now retired, Stevenson served as the former president and CEO of Roz Stevenson Public Relations (RSPR) in Los Angeles. With over 30 years of experience in the film industry. RSPR specialized in motion picture publicity and promotions targeting the African-American market. Founded in June 2000 with Universal Pictures as its main client, Stevenson’s agency made a positive impact on the studio’s motion picture releases. In addition, she completed successful campaigns for other studios, including Sony Pictures, Screen Gems, Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox, New Line Cinemas, Fox Searchlight and HBO.
Under her leadership, RSPR served on more than 100 film projects, including “American Gangster,” “Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins,” “Transformers,” “Talk to Me,” “Evan Almighty,” “Norbit,” “Are We Done, Yet?,” “Smokin’ Aces,” “Pursuit of Happyness,” “Inside Man,” and “Ray” – just to name a few. Prior to opening her own firm, Stevenson served as a senior publicist at Universal Pictures, responsible for national and local TV, radio publicity and African-American campaigns for all motion picture releases. While at Universal, she worked on such award-winning films and box-office hits as “Erin Brockovich,” “The Hurricane,” “The Best Man” “The Mummy,” and “Out of Sight.”
About Jeff Clanagan | Pioneer Award
The entertainment industry’s shifts are seismic, but visionary Jeff Clanagan has managed to remain in front of the next wave for over two decades. As CodeBlack Enterprises president and CEO, Clanagan continues to set industry precedents by producing and distributing content that defies conventional wisdom, and is leading market growth into a territory that was once dismissed as barren.
In 2012, Clanagan ventured into an unprecedented partnership with Lionsgate, bringing his expertise in feature film, television programming, comedy specials and digital content to this new collaboration. As a division of Lionsgate, CodeBlack Films is a vertically integrated entertainment and new media company, focused on providing independent studios, filmmakers, globally-recognized celebrities, intellectual property rights holders and brands operating in the entertainment and sports industries cross platform monetization solutions.
Clanagan is recognized as one of Black Enterprise Magazine’s Top 50 Hollywood Power Brokers and a member of Ebony Magazine’s Power 150. Responsible for the release of nearly 200 DVDs, Clanagan’s projects have generated more than $150 million in revenue.
ABOUT THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION (AAFCA)
The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) is the premiere organization of African American film media professionals. Founded in 2003, AAFCA’s members represent a geographically diverse cross-section of media covering the cinematic arts. The organization honors excellence in cinema by creating awareness for films with universal appeal to black communities, while emphasizing film about the black experience and those produced written, directed and starring performers of African descent. The association actively reviews the quality and standard of black talent, content and media coverage. AAFCA also supports the development of future black film critics and filmmakers. AAFCA is based in Los Angeles. For more information, visit www.AAFCA.com
ABOUT THE PAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL
Gearing up for its 22nd anniversary, the Pan African Film and Arts Festival (PAFF), is America’s largest and most prestigious Black film festival, annually screening more than 150 films made by and/or about people of African descent from the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, South America, the South Pacific, Latin America, Europe and Canada. PAFF holds the distinction of being the largest Black History Month event in the country.
PAFF was founded in 1992 by award-winning actor Danny Glover (“The Color Purple,” “Lethal Weapon” movie franchise), Emmy Award-winning actress Ja’Net DuBois (“Good Times”) and executive director, Ayuko Babu, an international legal, cultural and political consultant who specializes in African Affairs. PAFF is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the promotion of ethnic and racial respect and tolerance through the exhibit of films, art and creative expression.
The goal of PAFF is to present and showcase the broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images, help to destroy negative stereotypes and depict an expanded vision of the Black experience. PAFF believes film and art can lead to better understanding and foster communication between peoples of diverse cultures, races, and lifestyles, while at the same time, serve as a vehicle to initiate dialogue on the important issues of our times.
PAFF is the grant recipient of the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles County Arts Commission. The festival thanks the generous support of the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza and RAVE Cinemas. For more information, visit www.PAFF.org.