For its ninth annual awards program, the African American Film Critics Association has proclaimed 2017 the “year of the woman in cinema.”
“There is no argument that women have made a bold step forward this year in Hollywood,” said AAFCA president Gil Robertson. “The evidence demonstrated during the past year speaks for itself both in terms of box office and critical recognition by women, and we predict that there will be continued momentum going forward. We are also pleased that African American women are a part of this progress and are taking advantage of increased opportunities to make their cinematic imprint.”
Filmmakers like Dee Rees and Ava DuVernay have already made considerable waves this year. Netflix acquired Rees’ “Mudbound” out of Sundance for $12.5 million and set it on a crash course for Oscar season, while DuVernay’s “13th” (also a Netflix title) picked up an Oscar nomination and an Emmy this year.
“Women wrote, produced, and directed some of the year’s most compelling, provocative, and culturally relevant movies,” AAFCA co-founder Shawn Edwards said. “However, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that women have a permanent place at the table with equal representation.”
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The AAFCA also announced recipients of its special achievement honors for 2017. “Get Out” writer-director Jordan Peele, Alcon Entertainment co-chiefs Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove, Los Angeles Film Critics Association president Claudia Puig, and ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey will all be recognized for their accomplishments in the entertainment industry.
The third edition of the AAFCA special achievement luncheon will take place on Feb. 3, 2018, at the California Yacht Club in Marina del Rey, Calif. The organization will hold its “celebration of women in cinema” during its awards ceremony on Feb. 7, 2018, at Hollywood’s Taglyan Complex.
