The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) is gearing up to honor several Hollywood luminaries at its 7th Annual AAFCA Special Achievement Awards luncheon. Deadline reports that on March 3, in the Centennial Room at the Los Angeles Athletic Club, the AAFCA will honor Jamie Foxx and Datari Turner of Foxxhole Productions; Fatima Robinson, the legendary choreographer who has worked with Beyoncé, Michael Jackson, and was head choreographer for the recent reboot of The Color Purple; Deon Taylor, a rising filmmaker; the late Michael Latt; and the feature film Killers of the Flower Moon
. Delta Airlines will receive the association’s Film Advocate Award.Foxx and Turner are receiving the AAFCA’s Producers Award for work their production company performed on three standout releases in 2023: They Cloned Tyrone, Story Ave, and The Burial. Robinson will receive the Salute to Excellence Award in recognition of her work in the field of choreography, which includes her work on the film adaptation of the stage musical based on Alice Walker’s 1982 Pulitzer-winning novel. Taylor will be given the Horizon Award, which celebrates and acknowledges a rising talent in the film industry.
Filmmaker Taylor, who is founder of Hidden Empire Group, has directed The Intruder
as well as Fatale and will be helming Free Agents, a film centered on a group of professional athletes who hatch a plot to get revenge on the team owners they feel are underpaying and exploiting them. According to Deadline, Taylor is also attached to forthcoming biopics about John Lewis and Floyd Mayweather, Jr.Latt will be honored with the inaugural Freedom Award, which the AAFCA created to honor his work as a marketing strategist, thought leader, and the founder of Lead With Love. Latt’s organization has worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Ryan Coogler, the Fruitvale Station
director Marvel tapped to helm its Black Panther franchise. Latt’s family will be accepting the award on his behalf.Killers of the Flower Moon is being honored with the Stanley and Karen Kramer Social Justice Award due to the film’s depiction of the true story of the Osage Nation murders.
Lastly, Delta is receiving AAFCA’s Film Advocate Award as thanks for the airline’s dedication to including diverse content and spotlighting up-and-coming directors as part of its in-flight entertainment options.
AAFCA President and Co-Founder Gil Robertson told Deadline that his organization looks forward to celebrating the honorees, saying, “Our list this year includes titans and trailblazers whose work has transformed the cinematic arts.”
Robertson continued, “Their work leaves us in awe of their incredible achievements and inspires us to move forward in all our endeavors with passion, creativity and determination. AAFCA looks forward to celebrating them.”
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