Black Women Film Network (BWFN), celebrating 26 years of preserving the voices of Black women in film and television, is announcing its 2023 class of honorees who will be recognized during an in-person awards luncheon at the annual BWFN Summit – powered by Cvent – on Saturday, March 25, 2023 from 8AM – 5PM at the Loudermilk Conference Center in Atlanta, GA. Early bird registration is now open at blackwomenfilm.org.
This year’s honorees are:
- Gina Prince-Bythewood (Award-Winning Director/Writer/Producer – “The Woman King,” “Love & Basketball”) – RainmakHER Award *who will be accepting the award virtually
- Danielle Deadwyler (Actress – “Till,” “From Scratch”) – Black Woman Rising Award
- Tabitha Brown (Actress, Author, Social Media Personality) – InfluenceHER Award
- Cas Sigers-Beedles (Writer, Director, Producer – “Scheme Queens,” “Unthinkably Good Things”) – StorytellHER Award
- Tammy Williams (Owner, Cinema South Studios and CS145 LED Production Facility) – TrailblazHER Award
- Latasha Gillespie (Executive Head of Global Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility for Amazon Studios, Prime Video and IMDb) – Beacon Award
The Summit’s theme is “Her Mic is On: Black Women Owning the Moment,” a tribute to the many high-profile moments of powerful speeches and words of wisdom that Black women have given to the world in recent years.
Launched during Women’s History Month, the BWFN Summit, now in its 8th year, returns to Atlanta as an in-person experience and will feature a full day of expert speakers, panels, master classes, fireside chats, and the awards luncheon where, in addition to highlighting our honorees, we will announce the recipients of our BWFN Scholarship.
“We are thrilled to have yet another opportunity to produce the BWFN Summit, thanks to the support of Cvent,” says BWFN Board Chair Saptosa Foster. “In recent years, we’ve witnessed iconic remarks from women like Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lizzo, Viola Davis, Michelle Obama and countless others. Those moments are part of a rich tradition of wisdom that is the magic of Black women, and we wanted to honor that uniqueness with this year’s Summit theme. Furthermore, there aren’t many places you can go in the film and television industry to network, gain knowledge, and access resources all in one space that is created specifically for Black women. The Summit is that space, and we are fortunate to be able to bring it back to Atlanta in person.”
“Twenty-six years ago, my Georgia State University film teacher told me the world needed to hear stories told by Black women,” says Sheryl Gripper, who founded BWFN in 1997 in Atlanta. “He asked what I was going to do about it. With the help of a visionary group of women, I formed the Black Women Film Network. That vision continues today with the leadership of our Board Chair Saptosa Foster.”