2023 ABFF Honorees Courtney B. Vance, Charles D. King on the Future of Black Film [Video]

On Sunday, the 2023 American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Honors took place, live from the 1 Hotel West Hollywood in Los Angeles. The fifth annual festival celebrates Black artists who have made significant contributions to American entertainment through their work as well as those who champion diversity and inclusion in Hollywood.

Honorees of the night included Kerry Washington (Excellence in the Arts Award), Janelle Monae (Renaissance Award, Kasi Lemmons (Eve’s Bayou, Classic Cinema Award), Courtney B. Vance (Excellence in Arts Award), and Charles D. King (founder/CEO of MACRO, Industry Leadership Award.)

Ahead of the night’s festivities, Vance, King and his wife, Stacey Walker King (Chief Brand Officer of MACRO), spoke to The Root about the future of Black film and what they’re most excited to see coming down the pipeline.

“I’m excited to see us. The fact that we can tell our history, it’s us telling our own stories. And Black Panther has shown the world, as did People v.s. OJthat there’s …