Our Father, the Devil Leads ABFF Jury Awards Winners

The American Black Film Festival recently held its in-person events in Miami and recognized some of the competition’s top films.

According to Deadline, the festival’s top prize for Best Narrative Feature and the John Singleton Award for Best First Feature went to Ellie Foumbi’s Our Father, the Devil.

While accepting the award for Best Narrative Feature, associate producer/film editor Roy Clovis Jr. remarked how he and Foumbi actually met at the festival four years ago and have made four films together since then. “It is a partnership that really seems to work. We are just thrilled. I’m sure she’s going crazy watching. I know she would be very grateful to thank all of you. I hope everyone gets to see the film,” Clovis said.

“She wrote a beautiful, insightful film that you all must see, about a child soldier, and did it in such a way that you won’t believe the journey that you’re on when you see the film,” Clovis said while accepting the award for Best First Feature.

The film follows “An African refugee’s (played byBabetida Sadjo) quiet existence in a sleepy mountain town in the south of France is upended by the arrival of a charismatic Catholic priest (played by Souleymane Sy Savane) whom she recognizes as the warlord who slaughtered her family.”

Actor/writer/producer Issa Rae is an ambassador for the event, which features panels for TV series, independent movies and short films. The American Black Film Festival continues virtually through Thursday, June 30 on the festival’s ABFF Play platform. The Fan Favorite award will be announced on ABFF’s social media Friday, July 1.

Jury Award Winners:

Best Narrative Feature

Our Father, the Devil

Directed by Ellie Foumbi, produced by Ellie Foumbi, Joseph Mastantuono;

Prize: $2,500, presented by Sony Pictures Entertainment

Best Director, Narrative Feature

Feel Like Ghosts

Directed by Kali Baker-Johnson

Prize: $5,000, presented by Cadillac

Best Screenplay, Narrative Feature

Feel Like Ghosts

Written by Kali Baker-Johnson

Prize: 2,500, presented by TV One

John Singleton Award – Best First Feature

Our Father, The Devil

Directed by Ellie Foumbi

Prize: $5,000, presented by Netflix

Best Documentary Feature

A Woman on the Outside

Directed by Zara Katz, Lisa Riordan Seville

Produced by Kiara C. Jones, Zara Katz, Lisa Riordan Seville

Prize: $2,500, presented by Prime Video

Best Web Series

Mine

Directed by Randall Dottin, Luisa Dantas

Prize: $2,500, presented by Comcast NBCUniversal

HBO Short Film Award

Another Country

Directed by Sherif Alabede

Prize: $10,000 for winner, $5,000 each for four finalists presented by

Warner Bros. Discovery

The Talent Pipeline Program winners are:

ALLBLK’s Shoot Your Shot Casting Call

Javon Terrell

Prize: Role in upcoming ALLBLK Original series Judge Me Not

Warner Bros. Discovery Writers Initiative, One-Hour Drama

The Saints

Written by Deion Higginbotham

Prize: $5,000

Warner Bros. Discovery Writers Initiative, Half-Hour Drama

Townhall

Written by Diara Newman

Prize: $5,000