25th AAWIC FF Festival Programs May 17, 2025
2:00pm-3:30pm (EST.) The Politics of Black Women in Film-Keynote Panel
Moderator: Princess A. Hairston
Princess A. Hairston--is a director and Emmy-nominated editor in New York City. Princess has produced and directed films such as BREAKING THE NEWS a feature-length documentary distributed on PBS and LADIES FIRST: a story of Women in Hip Hop on Netflix. She has edited many films such as the SXSW 2024 Visions Audience Award winning documentary Songs from the Hole, and This World Is Not My Own which premiered at SXSW in 2023, the highly ranked 2021 Amazon doc series LulaRich, the 2021 Truer Than Fiction Award winning documentary Pier Kids, FRESH DRESSED, an official 2015 Sundance Film Festival selection and the Emmy-nominated series Capture with Mark Seliger. In 2020, Princess was selected as one of 25 filmmaker nominees for the 2020 Lynn Shelton Of A Certain Age grant. She is a 2018 recipient of the Karen Schmeer Editing Fellowship and a 2018 Winner of the NYTVF + WEtv Producer Pitch which led to a development deal. Her work has been recognized with nominations and awards from the Emmys, The Webbys, and many film festivals.
The Politics of Black Women in Film Keynote Panel in Partnership with ImageNation
Join us for an insightful and empowering panel discussion that delves into the complexities and challenges faced by Black women in the film industry today. The Politics of Black Women in Film will bring together some of the leading
voices in film, alongside influential industry professionals, to explore the unique struggles and triumphs that women—particularly Black women—encounter in a traditionally male-dominated field.
This thought-provoking conversation will cover a wide range of topics, including the underrepresentation of Black women in various film roles, the barriers to entry in both front-of-house and behind-the-scenes positions, and the
systemic issues that impact women of color in Hollywood. Our panelists will share their personal experiences, discuss the importance of amplifying Black women's voices in film, and highlight the efforts being made to challenge and
change the status quo.
The panel will take place at the LaGuardia Community College
located at 31-10 Thomson avenue, Queens NY 11101
(entrance on Van Dam Street between Thomson avenue and 47th avenue).
*Please note, the event will take place at the LaGuardia Community College Room E111 on the First Floor.
Keynote Panelist
Keynote Panelist: Lamonia Deanne Brown
Through the Gilchrist Group, Lamonia is the Festival Director for the Essence Film Festival (powered by Essence Studios), which she created at the request of Richelieu Dennis in 2019. Previously as a Consulting Content Strategist and Creative Development Executive at WarnerMedia OneFifty (a Warner Bros. Discovery brand under the Corporate Social Responsibility department), Lamonia managed the content development and strategy.
Keynote Panelist
Keynote Panelist: B. Monet
B. Monét is a distinguished writer and director. In 2019, she became the first African American woman to direct and star in a Cadillac commercial. Additionally, she directed a branded short film, "She’s Revolutionary,” on the #MeToo founder Tarana Burke for Levi’s and Girlgaze. Differently, Monét was chosen as one of the winners of the Queen Collective in partnership with Queen Latifah, Tribeca, and P&G. Her short film Ballet After Dark is exclusively streaming on BET.
Keynote Panelist
Keynote Panelist: Dawne Langford
Dawne Langford is an independent documentary filmmaker. Recently, she produced THE BODY POLITIC, which aired nationally on POV/PBS in November 2024; and is currently developing a new slate of projects. Previously, Dawne worked on projects for CNN Films, CGTN, Discovery Channel, and Moxie Pictures. She was a 2023 Sundance Producers Lab Fellow cohort member and the 2024 Sundance + Adobe Women to Watch Fellow.
SPECIAL SCREENING-"The Rebel Girls" 7:00pm (EST.)
In June 1963, on a hot and muggy day in Americus, GA, Civil Rights activists, including 500 children, marched to the Martin Theater to sit on the main floor, instead of the mandatory Colored balcony. Many of the children were arrested and thrown into local jails. Then, dozens of the girls were abducted in the middle of the night and taken to an undisclosed location – a Civil War-era stockade, in Leesburg, GA, originally built to house captured Union soldiers.
For nearly sixty days, the girls were held captive in the stockade without ever being charged with a crime. Their parents were told they were lost in the system. Despite being fed half-raw meat, sleeping on a concrete floor, and drinking rust-filled water, THE GIRLS SURVIVED! With the gift of creative and magical thinking, they disappeared into a fantasy world to preserve their spirits and fight another day.
THE REBEL GIRLS was written, directed, and produced by Felicia D Henderson (First Kill, The Punisher, Soul Food) and stars Nika King as Ella Mae Brown, Kyanna Simone as Bertha, Honey Robinson as Myrna, and Nia Sondaya as Lulu. Josephine Lawrence stars as Octavia, Maxcianna Saintilus as Carol, Avynn Crowder-Jones as Beretta (“Bee”), and Asia Holiday as Gussie Lee.
Mellicent Dyane, Special Screening Moderator
Mellicent Dyane, founder of DyaneFoster Film, Casting & T.V. (DyaneFoster Inc.), brings over 30 years of professional experience as a casting director and production facilitator. Her entertainment journey began in California as a freelancer for AT&T while studying Business and Sports Communications at Los Medanos College. In 2014, she followed her passion for directing and fully embraced her entrepreneurial spirit. Recognized by Cambridge Who’s Who as one of the top 20 entrepreneurs (2008–2012) and honored twice as "Latina of the Year" by Latinas Unidas, Mellicent has contributed significantly to the Latino community and served on several civic and professional organizations, including NYWIFT and NAMIC, where she co-chaired the New York Chapter's membership from 1997–2003. In addition, she is writing two books and a health-focused cookbook. Her impressive credits span indie films like Middle of Nowhere (dir. Ava DuVernay), #LIKE, Supermodel, and The We and the I (dir. Michel Gondry), along with major campaigns and PSAs for brands such as NFL+, Nike, Verizon, and Coca-Cola. She’s worked across pilots and promos for Viacom, CBS, Lifetime, BET, ESPN, and more, and contributed to hit series including To Live and Die BedStuy, The Kids, and Telemundo’s La Voz. Mellicent’s music video credits are equally extensive, having worked with icons like Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, Daddy Yankee, Cardi B, Prince, and many others, solidifying her as a powerhouse in entertainment production. She is currently developing a new animated TV series that is coming soon. That she is writing, producing, and directing. In addition, she is writing, producing, and directing. NOW.., if "about her mother being a survivor of heart disease"
25th AAWIC FILM FESTIVAL HONOREES
Roger Maloney, 25th AAWIC FF LUMINARY
Roger Maloney is a visionary media executive, career strategist, educator, and the dynamic founder of Ufront Media News, a groundbreaking platform dedicated to amplifying diverse voices across the media landscape. With a professional career spanning over two decades, Roger is a respected leader at the crossroads of media innovation, digital storytelling, and career empowerment.
Rance Huff, 25th AAWIC FF LUMINARY
After an award-winning career in journalism as founder & publisher of a Black community newspaper, he has spent the last two decades in city government as a communications director, legislative director & Chief of Staff. He currently serves in the administration of the Office of NYC Public Advocate.
25th AAWIC FF FILM SCREENING
25th AAWIC FF FILM SCREENING PROGRAM features Independent film made by women of color. The film screening program consist of Narratives, Dramas, Documentaries and Foreign Films.
Viewers get to vote for the film that they enjoyed. The filmmaker who receives the most votes will be the winner of the 25th AAWIC Film Festival Audience Award!!
Click the link below for
Film Screening Program 5-8 Agenda
Film Screening Program 5-8 Agenda Link