Sterling K. Brown (left), Ryan Michelle Bathe, and Gil Robertson attend the 15th Annual AAFCA Awards on Wednesday, February 21, 2024.
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Film director Ava DuVernay remembers years ago working as a publicist and struggling to draw crowds to the African American Film Critics Association’s star-studded events.
No matter which famous black actor appears, from Viola Davis to Forest Whitaker, the organization known as AAFCA gains mainstream media attention and draws non-black honorees to its flagship awards ceremony and other events. I was still having a hard time. But the group, led by co-founder and chairman Gil Robertson IV, remained committed to reviewing and honoring black actors and filmmakers who detail the African American experience.
Twenty years after its founding as a small organization, AAFCA has grown in size and scope, and has developed an admirable reputation in Hollywood. The Special Achievement Award ceremony will be held this weekend.
“It was an idea. It was a dream. It was this tiny little thing, but it was always beautiful,” DuVernay said. A public relations firm represented her at AAFCA for her first few years before she became a director. “It was rough around the edges. It was a respect. When the community came, the press didn’t report it. The actors, the creators, the writers, the directors jumped on it right away. We thought it was what it was. We worked hard to establish…so I have a lot of love for this group.”
These days, AAFCA has become a consistent support base for Black Hollywood and beyond. The organization’s annual awards ceremony has evolved into a glamorous affair with notable attendees including Oprah Winfrey, Jamie Foxx and Will Smith. Native American Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone was recognized for her breakout role in Killers of the Flower Moon at AAFCA’s 15th annual awards ceremony in Beverly Hills last month. Winners who are not black are also regulars.
Throughout the year, AAFCA strives to leave an impactful footprint with several important events, including our annual awards. AAFCA expands to Broadway in New York. The AAFCA TV Honors and Special Achievement Awards will be presented Sunday in Los Angeles.
This year, AAFCA partnered with Delta Air Lines to celebrate Black History Month, creating a curated in-flight film collection, as well as collaborating with the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to create a monthly program to help Black creators navigate the industry. Started a conversation. Last year, the organization partnered with the GRAMMY Museum to explore the intersection of music and storytelling through a year-long program.
“We have reach,” said Robertson, a longtime journalist and author. His organization was launched in 2003 after its founders realized there was a lack of black journalistic voices covering the film industry from the African diaspora. The group has grown to 130 members from across the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean, including businessman Chaz Ebert and entertainment journalist Kelly L. Carter.
“This is more than just a chicken dinner,” he said.
Madeline Di Nonno, director and CEO of the Geena Davis Media and Gender Institute, said Robertson’s ability to truly make friends with those involved in the television and film industry is a key factor in AAFCA’s sustainability. He said that he is contributing to. She noted how the awards have attracted non-Black creative participants, including Oscar winners Frances McDormand, Kathryn Bigelow and Bong Joon-ho.
“When Gil calls me, I jump,” said director Di Nonno, who was honored in 2019 as part of the AAFCA event honoring women in film. “You don’t jump out of fear. You jump out of love and respect. AAFCA has a deep respect for many years. It’s always high standards, high quality, and very strategic.”
DuVernay credits Robertson with ensuring AAFCA’s presence in Hollywood. She said his efforts in the film industry were “deeply felt.”
“He’ll show up to you. He’ll show up to your premiere,” DuVernay said of Robertson. “He’s going to show up on your set. He’s going to make sure you see him around town, but not in a flashy way. It feels like a community. He’s from here. He’s here. He has lived and watched a lot of these careers since childhood. He is a steady source of presence on the ground.”
DuVernay praised AAFCA for being a support base for Black Hollywood people who are overlooked elsewhere.
“AAFCA is a beautiful example of building your own approach to home,” said the director. She was recently honored by the AAFCA for the film Origin, a critically acclaimed project that received little recognition during Hollywood awards season. “It creates a sense of pride, dedication and togetherness within the community within the larger community.”
As an independent filmmaker, Deon Taylor can attest to that. The coach said he has been ignored for most of his career, with the exception of AAFCA.
“No one was thinking about me, but Gil and AAFCA were,” said the director of “Meet the Black,” “The Intruder,” “Fatale,” and “Black and Blue.” Taylor said. Although he has become a major figure in the independent filmmaking world through the Hidden Empire Film Group, he has not been invited to the Independent Spirit Awards.
Taylor will be honored as a rising talent at the AAFCA’s Lifetime Achievement Awards on Sunday.
“Gil was watching my trajectory,” he said. “He saw me when others didn’t. How did he achieve so much success when he was never invited to the Independent Spirit Awards? You and your wife. Think about it. Everything we make is independently monetized at the highest level. We’ve never been invited to a Spirit Awards or an independent event. No. That’s what Gil stands for.”
Last year, Taylor praised Robertson, who praised director Antoine Fuqua and actor Will Smith’s film Emancipation. It comes at a time when Smith was banned from the Academy Awards ceremony for 10 years after receiving backlash for his Oscar slap.
“He looked at Will as an artist instead of turning his back on himself and his projects,” Taylor said. “He praised Will and Antoine’s artistry because they worked out the (expletive) on that movie. He gave them an award. That’s what it is, right? … That’s why AAFCA It represents.”
Robertson is excited about the future of the organization. In addition to expanding major events, he wants to branch out into more curation spaces, expand the scope of partnerships, and close major book deals.
She also hopes to continue advancing AAFCA’s efforts to recognize Heritage Month for LGBTQ, Latinx, Asian Pacific communities and women’s history.
“We’re looking to continue to expand our footprint,” Robertson said. “I think the next 20 years will be full of new opportunities.”
