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16TH ANNUAL URBANWORLD FILM FESTIVAL
NEW YORK, NY (September 26, 2012) The 16th Annual UrbanWorld Film Festival presented by BET Networks opened on Thursday night at AMC theater on 34th Street. BET premiered the film "Being Mary Jane," an original made for television movie and pilot, directed and written by husband and wife team Salim Akil and Mara Brock Akil. The film's main star Gabrielle Union along with cast members, Tika Sumpter and Richard Brooks made their way through the red carpet greeted by her friends, fans and the press. We're a big fan of Gabrielle Union. She looked rather divalous and beautiful! A huge congratulations to the Akils, the cast/crew and BET!
MICA Scoop had the privilege of networking with the talented couples, Gabrielle Union, her people and Debra Lee, CEO/Chairman of BET at the afterparty at the lavish rooftop at Hotel Gansevoort. What a great opening that was that night!
MICA Scoop had the privilege of networking with the talented couples, Gabrielle Union, her people and Debra Lee, CEO/Chairman of BET at the afterparty at the lavish rooftop at Hotel Gansevoort. What a great opening that was that night!
From left: Founder of Urbandworld, Stacy Spikes; Writer/Producer, Mara Brock Akil; Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BET Networks, Debra L. Lee; actress, Gabrielle Union; actress, Tika Sumpter and actor, Richard Brooks
ABOUT THE SHOW BEING MARY JANE
This is a story to which millions of modern women will both relate and respond. Mary Jane Paul is a one-woman show: a successful TV news anchor, entirely self-sufficient — an all-around powerhouse who remains devoted to a family that doesn’t share her motivation. As Mary Jane juggles her life, her work and her commitment to her family, we find out how far she’s willing to go to find the puzzle pieces that she, and society, insist are missing from her life as a single Black female. (Credit BET Network)
This is a story to which millions of modern women will both relate and respond. Mary Jane Paul is a one-woman show: a successful TV news anchor, entirely self-sufficient — an all-around powerhouse who remains devoted to a family that doesn’t share her motivation. As Mary Jane juggles her life, her work and her commitment to her family, we find out how far she’s willing to go to find the puzzle pieces that she, and society, insist are missing from her life as a single Black female. (Credit BET Network)
UrbanWorld Film Festival is a 5-day event, from September 19th through the 23rd, included with receptions, live screenplay readings, after dark parties, conversations with filmmakers, and independent film screenings of shorts, features and documentaries. This year’s Urbanworld Film Festival presented 49 films including 17 world premieres. The festival had a lot of wonderful films to see.
The festival concluded with an awards reception at Tribeca Grill Loft, sponsored by Warner Bros. Pictures and HBO® and hosted by actors Stephen Hill (Barbasol) and Tracy Heggins (The Last / First Kiss, Cherry Waves). Here are the list of festival winners found below:
FOUR
Directed by Joshua Sanchez
Honorable Mention:
Wolf – Directed by Ya’Ke Smith
Best Narrative Short
RECORD/PLAY
Directed by Jesse Atlas
Honorable Mention:
“Forever In Hiatus” – Directed by Andy Nguyen
Best Documentary Feature
SOUL FOOD JUNKIES
Directed by Byron Hurt
Honorable Mention:
Jake Shimabukuro: Life on 4 Strings – Directed by Tadashi Nakamura
Best Screenplay
“AGENT 12 & THE MESSIAH STONE”
Written by Peter Lord
Honorable Mention:
Escaping Bushwick – Written by Javier Ortiz
Best Teleplay
“NALA’S HEART”
Written by Pauline Gray
Audience Award
BARBASOL – Best Short
Directed by Ralph Scott
DOIN’ IT IN THE PARK – Best Feature
Co-Directed by Kevin Couliau & Bobbito Garcia
The Urbanworld® Film Festival is the largest internationally competitive festival of its kind. The five-day festival includes narrative features, documentaries, and short films, as well as panel discussions, live staged screenplay readings, and the Urbanworld® Digital track focused on digital and social media. Over the last fifteen years, Hollywood studios, indie film distributors, and established and emerging filmmakers have consistently chosen Urbanworld® to premiere box office and award-winning hits. Urbanworld® has also provided a platform for some of today’s leading brands seeking to reach key influencers across the industry and within the consumer marketplace. The Urbanworld® Film Festival is an initiative of the Urbanworld® Foundation Inc., a nonprofit organization founded in 1997 by Stacy Spikes. Urbanworld endeavors to consistently manifest its mission of redefining and advancing the roles of multicultural constituents in contemporary filmed entertainment. By implementing initiatives that actively support and develop content creators of color, Urbanworld significantly contributes to the evolution of the media and entertainment landscape and the diversity that it reflects.
Please view more of the images found below.
Urbanworld Digital "The New Now:
Rewriting Opportunity in Content Distribution" @ HBO Theater,
From Left: Moderator, Rachel Wantanbe-Batton, Producer/Vice Chair of Producers Guild of America East; Alvin Bowles, CEO of Grab Media; Nick Hall, VP of HBO Entertainment; Alvin V. Williams, Executive Executive Vice President of Alchemy Networks and Andrew Mer, VP of Content Partnerships, SnapFilms
Nick Hall, VP of HBO Entertainment
and Alvin V. Williams, Executive Executive Vice President of Alchemy Networks
and Alvin V. Williams, Executive Executive Vice President of Alchemy Networks
Nick Hall, VP of HBO Entertainment
Jon Wolfe Nelson, Sign Language Interpreter
"Being Mary Jane" Red Carpet Open Night Screening Premiere
Tracy "Twinkle" Byrd, Casting Director for Being Mary Jane
Tracy "Twinkle" Byrd, Casting Director for Being Mary Jane
Karen Gravano (VH1, "Mobb Wives")
Taimak (actor, "The Last Dragon")
Jennifer Williams, (VH1, "Basketball Wives")
Debra L. Lee, Gabrielle Union and Tika Sumpter
Red Carpet Open Night Screening Premiere for "Being Mary Jane."
"Mary Jane" is like a ‘Sex and the City’ feel to it.” Awesome show!
Red Carpet Open Night Screening Premiere for "Being Mary Jane."
"Mary Jane" is like a ‘Sex and the City’ feel to it.” Awesome show!
Mara Brock Akil, Debra L. Lee, Gabrielle Union and Tika Sumpter
Director, Salim Akil and Tracy "Twinkle" Byrd
Mara Brock Akil, Debra Lee, Gabrielle Union, Tika Sumpter, Richard Brooks, Gabrielle Glore, Salim Akil
and Twinkie Byrd at Opening Night of the 16th Annual Urbanworld Film Festival
Actress, Tika Sumpter
Actress, Gabrielle Union arriving to the red carpet
Grabrielle Union
Harriate Cole and Debra Lee
Actress, Ion Overman
Mara Akil and Grabrielle Union
The Akils
Gabrielle Glore, Executive Producer
and head of programming for the festival
Interpreter Amanda Blakely
Founder Stacy Spikes and Debra L. Lee, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BET Networks, the leading media and entertainment company aimed at African-Americans
BET top execs Debra Lee (Chairman and CEO), Loretha Jones (President of Original Programming), Jeanine Liburd (Exec Pres. of Corporate Communications) and Connie Orlando (VP, Original Programming) were also in the house to present the film, which was met with rave reviews following the screening. ESSENCE entertainment director Cori Murray moderated the cast Q&A afterward.
Loretha Jones
(President of Original Programming)
Q&A with writer/producer Mara Brockman Akil and actors
Mara Brockman Akil
Debra Lee, Stacy Spike and Loretha Jones
Actress, Jubil Khan
Deaf filmmaker/Screenwriter, Ann Marie "Jade" Bryan
With Malika Lee Whitney
Afterparty at Hotel Gansevoort
Jubil networking with Twinkle Byrd
Jubil getting her dance on
Just chilling and enjoying my drink
Jubil Khan with Debra Ginyard
Jubil Khan and actress Davetta Sherwood
Debra Ginyard and actress Davetta Sherwood
Former BET Anchor, Jacques Reid
Jubil Khan and Jacques Reid
Loving the regal look of an Nubian African Queen!
Jubil Khan and Forrest Renaissance (Promoter)
Jubil Khan with Carl Nelson
Jubil Khan, Carl Nelson, Jacque Reid and Salim Akil
Jade, Carl Nelson, Jacques Reid and Salim Akil
Sometimes it's good to just be silly.
Networking!
With Mara Brock Akil
The crew/cast from DOIN’ IT IN THE PARK
Promoting our Social Awareness Movement: Support Deaf African-American Culture in Film
(Ebony Watson and Irma Green teaching a woman some sign language)
Actress, Antilla Zulkifl
Filmmaker, Jennifer Perlis
With filmmaker, Maya Washington who directed White Space, which follows the inner life of a deaf
performance poet as he makes his debut at an open-mic night for a hearing audience.
performance poet as he makes his debut at an open-mic night for a hearing audience.
Spreading the message loud and clear.
Support Deaf Black Films
Our group representing Deaf Films and Deafersity!
Afterparty hangout at the Caulfield Lounge with Jubil Khan and Ebony Watson.
Jubil Khan and Jade
Jubil Khan and Ebony watson
Antilla Zulkifl and Jubil Khan
Thank you for stopping by! 
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