“Jordan Peele continues to raise the bar in horror specifically and film overall,” says AAFCA President/Co-Founder Gil Robertson

It was just a year ago when “Get Out,” Jordan Peele’s directorial debut swept AAFCA Awards earning its star Daniel Kaluuya a best actor nod, a best director prize for Peele, best Screenplay and overall best film of 2017.  Peele, who followed up his success with “Us,”  a psychological horror film, which earned over $255 million globally, has once again received nods by the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA), the world’s largest group of black film critics.

AAFCA host Nischelle Turner,  AAFCA co-founder Gil Robertson, Keegan-Michael Key and  director Jordan Peele at  the 2018 AAFCA Awards

“Us,” which stars Lupita Nyong’o and “Black Panther’s” Winston Duke received three total wins including a Best Director nod for Peele and a Best Actress accolade for Nyong’o.

“Jordan Peele continued to raise the bar in horror specifically and film overall,” stated AAFCA President/Co-Founder Gil Robertson. “With ‘Us,’ he once again upended the horror genre. His centering of a black nuclear family determined to survive in a complex storyline in a genre where black family units have historically been unseen is extraordinary. He continues to push previously set boundaries with bold storylines that bring a refreshing perspective to cinema overall and the genre specifically.”

Lupita Nyong’o

The organization, whose membership spans the U.S., the Caribbean, Europe and Africa and is the largest of its kind, also announced its ten best films of the year which include Chinonye Chukwu’s harrowing movie “Clemency,”  “Harriet,” a film about one of America’s greatest heroes and Melina Matsoukas’s romantic drama “Queen & Slim” about an outlaw couple on the run.

“This year’s best films reflect a wide spectrum of diversity and creativity.  Many of them tackle social injustice and challenge the criminal justice system in the United States specifically. AAFCA members, who put in their ballots from as far away as Australia and Jamaica, cast a wide net to recognize films made in the U.S. and beyond.Their choices truly reflect the best of cinema in 2019,” continued Robertson.

AAFCA is the brainchild of veteran journalists Gil Robertson and Shawn Edwards who were frustrated with the film industry’s failure to promote positive images and themed stories from the African Diaspora and annually celebrate excellence in film and television with the AAFCA Awards where hundreds of celebrities and film critics came together to honor the best of the year. Oprah Winfrey, Anthony Anderson, David Oyelowo, Ava DuVernay,  O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sheryl Lee Ralph, Courtney B. Vance, Aldis Hodge, Quincy Jones, Carl Weathers, Rick Famuyiwa and Louis Gossett Jr. are just some of the many celebrities who have attended past ceremonies.

No hosts have been announced as yet for the upcoming 11th AAFCA Awards, which will take place on Jan. 22 at the Taglyan Complex in Hollywood, Calif.

Check out the complete list of AAFCA Awards recipients:

Best Film: “Us” (Universal Pictures)
Best Director: Jordan Peele (“Us,” Universal Pictures)
Best Actor: Eddie Murphy (“Dolemite Is My Name,” Netflix)
Best Actress: Lupita Nyong’o (“Us,” Universal Pictures)
Best Supporting Actor: Jamie Foxx (“Just Mercy,” Warner Bros. Pictures)
Best Supporting Actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“Dolemite Is My Name,” Netflix)
Best Breakout Performance: Kelvin Harrison, Jr. (“Waves,” A24)
Best Animated Film: “Abominable” (Universal Pictures)
Best Documentary: “The Black Godfather” (Netflix)
Best Foreign Film: “Parasite” (Neon)
Best Independent Film: “The Last Black Man in San Francisco” (A24)
Best Screenplay Presented with The Black List: Bong Joon-ho, “Parasite” (Neon)
Impact Award: “Queen & Slim” (Universal Pictures)
We See You Award: Taylor Russell (“Waves,” A24)

Samantha Ofole-Prince can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @samanthaofole

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