Acclaimed Director Steven Caple Jr. to Receive the 2026 ABFF Alumni Award; Grammy® Winner Anthony Hamilton to Perform
Nominees Unveiled for the 2026 Grand Jury Prizes in U.S. and International Narrative Features, Directing, Screenwriting, Performance, Documentary, and Episodic Series alongside the HBO® Short Film Showcase Finalists
LOS ANGELES, CA (May 19, 2026) – The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) today announced the “2026 Best of the ABFF” Awards, the closing night celebration of the festival’s landmark 30th anniversary season. Taking place on Saturday, May 30, at 8:30 p.m. at the New World Center in Miami Beach, Florida, the ceremony will honor outstanding achievements in independent filmmaking across the festival’s competitive categories. This year’s event is sponsored by Walmart and will be hosted by New York Times best-selling author and award–winning comedian, KevOnStage.
In a milestone year defined by the theme of "Homecoming," the program will feature the presentation of the 2026 ABFF Alumni Award to writer and director Steven Caple Jr. A true success story of the ABFF pipeline, Caple won the HBO® Short Film Award in 2013 and has since become a powerhouse director with global hits including Creed II and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. His continued rise includes Man on Fire, starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and I Am Legend 2, starring Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan. The evening will also feature a special 30th anniversary musical performance by multi-platinum, Grammy® Award-winning recording artist and actor Anthony Hamilton.
“The Best of the ABFF Awards has always been about honoring the brilliance and resilience of independent creators,” said Jeff Friday, President of NICE CROWD. “As we celebrate our 30th year, it is incredibly poetic to welcome back Steven Caple Jr., a filmmaker whose journey from our short film competition to global blockbuster success embodies the very mission of this festival. We are proud to celebrate him alongside this year's exceptional nominees.”
The festival is pleased to announce the official nominees for the 2026 competition sections, which will be honored during the ceremony:
CATEGORY NOMINEES
Grand Jury Prize – U.S. Narrative Features Funny Feelings / U.S.A. (Director: Rhonda Baraka, Screenwriter: Je’Don Holloway-Talley, Producers: Roderick McClure, Joshua Ferrell, Morgan McClure)
Girl Dad / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Solvan Slick Naim, Screenwriter: Lane Williamson, Producers: Datari Turner, Marsai Martin, Jamie Foxx)
Otra / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Armani Ortiz, Producers: Asante White, Deance Wyatt, Daniel Etzioni, Chike Ubu, Maurice Harkless)
THAT’S HER / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Nina Lee, Screenwriters: Dewayne Colley and Tiffany Yancey, Producers: Stephen “Dr.” Love and Dewayne Colley)
Three Colors: Pan-African / U.S.A. (Directors: Elijah Davis, Allison A. Waite, Tyler Ocasio Holmes, Screenwriters: Madou Elijah Diarrassouba, Gillian Allou, JaQuay Collins, Elijah Davis, Dami Olatunji, Producers: Elijah Davis, Jack McMann, Dami Olatunji, Joseph B. Agboola, Chirsten Vanderbilt Ellis)
Directing Award – U.S. Narrative Feature, presented by Ally Rhonda Baraka for Funny Feelings (USA)
Elijah Davis, Allison A. Waite, Tyler Ocasio Holmes for Three Colors: Pan-African (USA)
Nina Lee for THAT’S HER (USA)
Solvan Slick Naim for Girl Dad (USA)
Armani Ortiz for Otra (USA)
Screenwriting Award – U.S. Narrative Feature, presented by Amazon MGM Studios Sam Buckner III & Charlie T. Savage for Voices: The Musical (USA)
Madou Elijah Diarrassouba, Gillian Allou, JaQuay Collins, Elijah Davis, and Dami Olatunji for Three Colors: Pan-African (USA)
Je’Don Holloway-Talley for Funny Feelings (USA) Solvan Slick Naim and Lane Williamson for Girl Dad (USA)
Armani Ortiz for Otra (USA)
Performance Award – U.S. Narrative Feature Vena “Pretty Vee” Excell for Funny Feelings (USA)
Rome Flynn for Otra (USA)
Marsai Martin for Girl Dad (USA)
Bashir Salahuddin for Three Colors: Pan-African (USA)
Sibongile Mlambo for Three Colors: Pan-African (USA)
Peyton Alex Smith for Three Colors: Pan-African (USA)
Courtney B. Vance for Girl Dad (USA)
Grand Jury Prize - International Narrative Feature Garden of Silences / Brazil, Italy (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Henrique Dantas, Producers: Eliane Ferreira, Alessandro Borrelli)
Lights Out / Cameroon (Director: Enah Johnscott, Screenwriter: Nfua Buh Melvin, Producers: Carista Asonganyi, Nfua Buh Melvin)
Seahorse / Canada (Director and Screenwriter: Aisha Evelyna, Producer: Natalie Remplakowski)
Small Gods / U.K. (Director: Asher Rosen, Screenwriters: Asher Rosen, Luke Reilly, Cimpaye Florence Mariserena, Bizimana Hussain, Producers: Andreas Raold, Jack Pollington, Shema Faustin)
Grand Jury Prize - Documentary Feature ALTADENA – Rising From The Ashes / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Ethan Lader, Producers: Zaire Calvin, Samantha Stokes)
Black Is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite Story / U.S.A., U.K. (Director: Yemi Bamiro, Producers: Joanna Boateng, Lizzie Gillett, Ian Bonhôte, Andrew Calof)
Cycles of Resilience: A Journey Through Austin's Black History / U.S.A. (Director: Ya’Ke Smith, Producers: Lauren Vunderink, Talib Abdullahi)
The Foolishness of God: A Forgiveness Journey with Desmond Tutu / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Karen Hayes, Producer: Rana Kazkaz)
Grand Jury Prize - Episodic Series Law’s World: Lipstick Bandit / U.S.A. (Creator, Writer, and Director: Law Artis, Producers: Danae Grandison, Law Artis)
Love Song / U.S.A. (Creator, Writer, and Director: Nofisat “Love Nafi” Almaroof, Producers: Mohamed Williams, Okema T. Moore, Agnes Erskine, Nadia Sasso)
Takes A Village / U.S.A. (Creator, Writer, and Director: LaDarius “Dee” Torrey, Producers: Letia Solomon, Khari Johnson, LaDarius Torrey)
The Comic Shop / U.S.A. (Creator and Writer: Cheyenne Ewulu, Director: Jalen Blot, Producers: Simone Kirlew, Victor Lord, Cheyenne Ewulu)
Ti Blan / U.S.A. (Creator and Writer: Noah Petion Laforest, Director: Dwight Ellis Jr., Producers: Sydney Crawford, Noah Petion Laforest)
More information about the films in competition can be found HERE.
ABFF sponsors and partners to date are Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO® (Founding), Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) (Host), Ally Financial, Amazon MGM Studios, Comcast NBCUniversal, Walmart (Presenting), City of Miami Beach, American Airlines (Major), Netflix, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Eli Lilly and Company, Lexus (Official), CBS, with the support of the Miami Beach Visitor And Convention Authority, Hartbeat, AARP, L'Oréal Groupe, STARZ, ESPN, GLAAD (Supporting), Motion Picture Association, Uber, Bounce (Contributing), Nielsen, Fulton Films GA, The Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition (BLACC) powered by AHF, William Morris Endeavor (Associate), Variety, LA Times, Getty Images (Media).
Additional details and programming announcements will be released in the coming weeks. For updates, visit www.nicecrowd.com and follow @ABFF on Twitter and
@AmericanBlackFilmFestival on Instagram and Facebook.
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About ABFF
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is the premier annual event dedicated to empowering emerging talent and showcasing film and television content by and about people of African descent. Founded in 1997 by Jeff Friday, ABFF has evolved into a leading talent discovery platform, attracting a global community of creators, executives, and fans. Each June, the festival draws more than 7,000 attendees to Miami Beach for five days of screenings, panels, networking, and cultural experiences. Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026, ABFF continues to serve as both a launchpad for talent and a cultural hub amplifying the diverse intersections of culture and achievement.
About NICE CROWD
NICE CROWD is a pioneering live events company operating at the intersection of culture, entertainment, and tourism. Founded by Nicole and Jeff Friday, the company produces high-impact festivals, awards shows, and destination experiences in major U.S. cities and global markets. Guided by The Power of Gathering, NICE CROWD believes that when people come together, creativity flourishes, new voices are amplified, and meaningful connections are made. The company’s mission is to harness that energy to drive cultural relevance and deliver measurable economic impact for its partners. With expertise in event production, audience engagement, and strategic partnerships, NICE CROWD showcases groundbreaking artists and innovators creating experiences that resonate with audiences while enabling brands and media to shape a more connected, creative world. www.nicecrowd.com
More information about the American Black Film Festival (ABFF): https://www.abff.com/miami/