ABOVE PHOTO: Haitian actor Jimmy Jean-Louis came up a big winner, including a Best Actor award, for his portrayal of the Haitian revolutionist in “Toussaint L’Ouverture.”
(Photo courtesy of Ian Foxx)
LOS ANGELES — The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) is happy to announce the winners of its films in competition today. The festival handed out jury, audience and special prizes during an awards brunch on Presidents Day at the Bridge Overlook in the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza.
PAFF, America’s largest and most prestigious international Black film festival, took place on February 9-20, 2012 at the new Rave Cinemas Baldwin Hills 15 at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. The festival selected a total of 160 films, representing 30 countries, 91 feature length films (narrative and documentaries) and 67 short films. PAFF handed out prizes for Best Feature Narrative, Best Documentary, Best Short and Best Director First Feature Film, as well as audience favorite awards at the close of the festival.
The French epic film (with English subtitles), Toussaint L’Ouverture, starring Haitian actor Jimmy Jean-Louis, came up a big winner with three prizes — Best Feature Narrative and an Audience Award for Narrative Feature as well as a Best Actor award for Jean-Louis’ portrayal of the Haitian revolutionist.
Directed by Philippe Niang, the film, “Toussaint L’Ouverture” is the long-awaited, two-part action-packed epic film, depicting the life of the Haitian leader. L’Ouverture led the first successful slave revolt in world history, defeating Napoleon Bonaparte and winning independence from France.
Known for his military genius and political acumen, L’Ouverture established Haiti as the first black nation in the western hemisphere and the first Black free nation as well. The success of L’Ouverture and the Haitian Revolution rocked the institution of slavery throughout the “New World” of the Americas.
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