The Foundation for the Advancement of African-Americans in Film (FAAAF) announced its nominees for the 13th Annual Black Reel Awards, Wednesday, catapulting a diverse group of films into the spotlight for Outstanding Motion Picture. The nominees for the top prize are Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Flight, The Intouchables and Middle of Nowhere, which earned a staggering nine nominations overall.
“This is one of the most eclectic groups of films we’ve seen in a very long time,” said Tim Gordon, president of the Black Reel Awards. “It was a really competitive year for Black films and our slate of nominees demonstrates that fact, from a mainstream studio pic in Flight to an edgy Tarantino Blaxploitation Western, to the tiny independent film that could in Beasts of the Southern Wild, the African-American vehicle Middle of Nowhere, and the French The Intouchables. It’s been a long time since a foreign film has cracked this list.”
The acting nominations largely reflected the popularity of the Outstanding Motion Picture category, with a few exceptions. Outstanding Actor nods went to Jamie Foxx for his portrayal of a vengeful slave in Django Unchained; Nate Parker for Red Tails, about the heroics of the all black Tuskegee Airmen; comedian Chris Rock for the romantic comedy 2 Days in New York; Omar Sy for the French comedy drama The Intouchables; and returning favorite Denzel Washington for his role as a pilot wrestling with addiction in Flight. Familiar face Halle Berry was nominated in the Outstanding Actress category for her multi-role portrayals in the mind-bending Cloud Atlas; Emayatzy Corinealdi for the journey of personal discovery, Middle of Nowhere; Viola Davis for the inspirational education dramaWon’t Back Down; Rashida Jones for the divorce comedy Celeste and Jesse Forever; and Quvenzhane Wallis for her stunning turn as a young girl trying to take care of herself and her ailing father in the Louisiana bayou, in Beasts of the Southern Wild. Wallis joins Sy in also being nominated for Best Breakthrough Performance…
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