Black Women Film Network (BWFN), celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year, has announced Tichina Arnold and Teyonah Parris as honorees at the 2017 “Untold Stories” Awards Luncheon taking place Friday, March 3, 2017 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. The accomplished actresses are being recognized for their excellence in acting and for promoting positive images of black women in television and film.
A two-time NAACP Image Award winning actress, Tichina Arnold is best known for her role as “Pam Jones” on the hit T.V. series “Martin,” for which she won her first Image Award. Her second Image trophy was for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for her first season starring in the critically acclaimed comedy “Everybody Hates Chris,” a series inspired by the childhood experiences of comedian Chris Rock. Arnold can currently be seen as “Cassie Calloway” on the hit Starz show “Survivor’s Remorse.”
Juilliard-trained actress Teyonah Parris has had starring roles in tv shows such as “Mad Men” and films such as Dear White People, Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story and Chi-Raq, where she played the lead character “Lysistrata,” opposite Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett. She currently plays “Missy Vaughn” on “Survivor’s Remorse.”
Additional luncheon honorees are Ozzie Areu, president of Tyler Perry Studios, Will Areu, vice president of Tyler Perry Studios, actor Dondre Whitfield (“Queen Sugar,” “Mistresses”) and Donna Lowry, veteran broadcast journalist and 20-year BWFN board member.
Several students will also be awarded with the annual BWFN Scholarship during the luncheon:
- Danielle Boyd, Senior, New York University
- Ataria Brown, Junior, Atlanta Technical College
- Sara Griffin, Sophomore, Atlanta Technical College
- Ariel Jones, Freshman, Louisiana State University
The “Untold Stories” Awards Luncheon is part of the three-day Black Women Film Summit on March 2-4, 2017. The Summit will open Thursday, March 2 at the Center for Civil and Human Rights with a screening of FOX’s new drama “Shots Fired,” created by Gina Prince-Bythewood and Reggie Rock Bythewood.
The final day of the Summit is Saturday, March 4 at Atlanta Technical College. On this day, BWFN will present the Black Women Film Festival screenings — in partnership with Bronzelens Film Festival — from 12p – 3pm.
Also on Saturday, the 10th Annual BWFN Book Festival will take place from 12pm – 2pm and will feature a number of authors, including former Death Row Records artist, Danny Boy Steward and his book Stranded on Death Row. Additional authors in attendance will be:
ChooseATL will present a panel discussion at 3pm entitled “Secrets from the Set: Showrunners, Writers, Actresses Take You Behind the Scenes of Hit TV Shows & Films Produced in Atlanta.” There will also be workshops on kids acting, stand-up comedy, auditioning, casting and social media.
Sponsors of the 2017 Summit are 11Alive, The Foote Welch Group at Morgan Stanley, ChooseATL, Georgia Production Partnership and the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame.
For tickets to the luncheon, visit blackwomenfilm.org.
For passes to the Summit, visit blackwomenfilmsummit.org.
For sponsorship inquiries, contact Natana Denzmore, natanadenzmore@gmail.com.
For media inquiries, contact Saptosa Foster, saptosa@gmail.com.
Established in 1997, the Black Women Film Network (BWFN) was founded to prepare black women to enter the film and television industries. The organization seeks to preserve the voice of these women through film and educational programs that empower and inform. A 501(c)3 non-profit, BWFN provides student scholarships, hosts screenings and workshops, and honors individuals who have excelled in this difficult industry.
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