PAFF recognizes “Mugabe: Villain or Hero?”

“Mugabe: Villain or Hero?” Earns a Special Recognition Award at the Pan African Film Festival. British director Roy Agyemang was awarded a Special Jury Recognition for his prolific documentary on Africa’s longest serving leader.

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“Mugabe: Villain or Hero?”, a documentary which was filmed over a three year period  explores the true extent of President Robert Mugabe’s support in Zimbabwe and features a rare interview with one of the world’s most reviled leaders.

With a total of 154 films, representing 34 countries all vying for accolades, Haiti’s “Stones in the Sun,” directed by Patricia Benoit walked away with the top prize of Best Feature Narrative at America’s largest and most prestigious international Black film festival. Canadian director Sudz Sutherland of “Home Again,” a movie about Jamaican deportees, received the Festival Choice Prize, given by the Pan African Film Festival and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts/LA (BAFTA/LA).

Pan African Film Festival hosts presenters, founders and honorees

Pan African Film Festival Awards host, presenters and honorees assemble during the PAFF Awards pre-show (Pictured: Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Nicole Beharie, Omari Hardwick, Lynn Whitfield, Danny Glover, Ja’net Dubois and  Ayuko Babu)

The annual film festival handed out jury, audience and special prizes during an awards brunch on Presidents’ Day at the PAFF Filmmakers Lounge, located in the Baldwin Hills, California.

Celebrating its 21st anniversary, the Pan African Film and Arts Festival (PAFF), is America’s largest and most prestigious Black film festival and founded in 1992  by award-winning actor Danny Glover, Emmy Award-winning actress Ja’Net DuBoi and Ayuko Babu.

Roy and Ayuko

Roy Agyemang director of “Mugabe: Villain or Hero?” with festival co-founder Ayuko Babu. Picture courtesy of Roy Agyemang 

Each year, the festival screens more than 150 films made by and/or about people of African descent from the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, South America, the South Pacific, Latin America, Europe and Canada and holds the distinction of being the largest Black History Month event in the country.

Samantha Ofole-Prince is a journalist and movie critic who covers industry-specific news that includes television and film. She serves as the Entertainment Editor for Trendy Africa.

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