Posted by | Ray Cornelius
CONGRATS to ASPiRE Network’s Vice President and Channel Manager—Melissa Ingram. She is the recipient of AAFCA’s coveted SYNERGY AWARD and the first female honoree. ASPiRE is the cable network founded by NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
The SYNERGY AWARD celebrates inroads made by film and TV professionals in the Southeast and provides an opportunity for creative professionals to connect and collaborate with their peers across the industry.
“Aspire has carved out a great niche with its programming that puts a spotlight on Black excellence, and a great deal of that success is owed to Melissa’s leadership,” says AAFCA president Gil Robertson. “AAFCA is enormously proud to add her to the list of other Atlanta-based film and TV honorees who have contributed greatly to the phenomenal growth of our industry in the southeast.”
Pasts recipients include filmmaker Rob Hardy, TV producer and playwright Mark E. Swinton , film mogul Roger M. Bobb and Eric Tomosunas of SwirlFilms.
In addition to the SYNERGY AWARDS, AAFCA will also host its first ever Summer Screening Series in Los Angeles and Atlanta with screenings of 30, 25 and 20 year old anniversary titles that celebrates Black culture and life, as well as the evolution of Black filmmakers.
Featured films for the series launch are COMING TO AMERICA (1988); POETIC JUSTICE (1993) and DOWN IN THE DELTA (1998). One of the series’ main highlights is a special Q&A with John Singleton, who directed POETIC JUSTICE, taking place Saturday, July 14th at the Mark Taper Room in downtown Los Angeles.
“We are very happy to celebrate these landmark films that not only entertain, but also raise awareness of the African American experience, says AAFCAPrograms Director, Nicholas Maye. “The fact that these films are still impactful 30, 25 and 20 years later speaks to the long-lasting power of Black film and its images and themes.”
Stay tuned…
Photo Credits: AAFCA
