Photo by Cynthia Gibson
By Cynthia Gibson
Contributing Writer
CULVER CITY — The 33rd Pan African Film Festival concluded its annual celebration of Black storytelling and creativity with the Filmmaker Awards Brunch on Feb. 17. Held at the Palm Sophia’s indoor-outdoor rooftop in Culver City, the event honored outstanding filmmakers and their contributions to cinema.
Culver City’s leadership, including Mayor Dan O’Brien, Vice Mayor Freddy Puza and Councilman Bubba Fish, expressed gratitude to festival organizers for holding the festival in their city. They extended an invitation for the festival’s return in coming years.
Festival Executive Director Oduduwa Olatunji opened the brunch by commending the filmmakers and highlighting the diverse creativity showcased throughout the festival.
“Each year, PAFF continues to serve as a global stage for Black creatives, and 2025 was no exception,” Olatunji remarked. “The winning films this year not only pushed artistic boundaries but also reflected the richness and depth of Black storytelling.”
The brunch, hosted by actress Essence Atkins, known for her roles in “Poppa’s House” and “Are We There Yet?”, featured the presentation of awards across five categories: Jury Awards, Audience Awards, Programmers’ Awards, and the Ja’Net DuBois Festival Awards. Seventeen filmmakers were honored with handcrafted ebony wood ceremonial staffs, designed by Ghanaian artist Allohn Agbenya. This award symbolizes the West African tradition of bestowing a ceremonial staff to individuals who have achieved excellence in their field.
The Ja’Net DuBois Festival Awards, named in honor of the late actress best known for portraying Willona Willis on the sitcom “Good Times,” recognize exceptional documentaries and narratives. DuBois co-founded the festival alongside actor Danny Glover and activist Ayuko Babu.
This year, “Soundtrack to a Coup D’etat” (France, Netherlands) and “Mount Mutombo” (United Arab Emirates) shared the Ja’Net DuBois Festival Award for feature documentary.
“Soundtrack to a Coup D’etat” delves into the intersection of African politics and American jazz during a CIA-backed coup in the Congo, which sparked a political upheaval in the Global South.
“Mount Mutombo” chronicles the life of NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo.
Director Dina Corin of “Mount Mutombo” reflected on the humanitarian legacy of the basketball icon during her acceptance speech.
“Mutombo was a great NBA player, but he was an even greater humanitarian,” Corin said. “His biggest message was greatness isn’t just what you achieve, but how you help others rise. That’s how he led his life. I really hope this film inspires people to do the same.”
The PAFF Rising Star Award was presented to Tramell Tillman, recognized for his performance as Seth Milchick in the Apple TV+ series “Severance.” In his acceptance speech, Tillman paid homage to past trailblazers and resonated with the festival’s “Dream Beyond” theme.
“I’m reminded of our ancestors with the pain and indignities that they faced, that they were willing to fight for a world that was better than we were ever given,” Tillman said. “I receive this award not to rest on my laurels, but to make the public commitment to continue to uplift our business, to provide safe spaces for everyone.”
Actor Jonathan Majors, who starred in the festival’s opening night film “Magazine Dreams,” presented the final awards for Best Feature Documentary and Best Feature Narrative. He seized the moment to voice his concerns about the current challenges facing the arts and called for vigilance.
“Why do they take out the arts first? Because the art holds the feeling and holds the culture,” he said. “It holds the essence of the people.
“If you remove that, after you’ve been conquered, you have no reference point of who you are, where you came from.”
The Best Narrative Feature award was presented to Vallentine Chelluget, Apuu Mourine, Kevin Schmutzler and Tobias Schmutzler for their film “Nawi: Dear Future Me” (Kenya). Based on the winning story of a nationwide writing contest, “Nawi” follows a 12-year-old girl navigating the challenges posed by the cultural practice of child marriage in northern Kenya.
Filmmaker Tobias Schmutzler said the film was made to protect Kenyan girls and to spread the word about the perils of child marriage.
Atkins lauded the filmmakers for their courage and dedication to portraying the stories of the African diaspora.
“Thank you for being brave,” she said. “Thank you for leaving the places you were born into and migrating away from family and loved ones to do this thing that we all do that really does connect us in our humanity and make the world a better place.”
The Filmmaker Awards Brunch marked the culmination of the festival’s final week, which featured a variety of events including the Love to Laugh Comedy Show, PAFF Institutes and book signings, the spotlight film “Birth of the Black Underworld,” and the closing night film “My Dead Friend Zoe.”
For a comprehensive list of the 2025 PAFF Award winners, visit PAFF.org.
