SABIFF 2025 - ANHK ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Event Overview:

The San Antonio Black International Film Festival - SABIFF 2025 presents it's signature ANKH ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS. This awe-inspiring Red Carpet event honors legendary Black film Disrupters, Creative entrepreuners and filmmakers commetted to advancing Black Cinema with a body of filmworks and history that speak to liberation. Join us for a one-of-a-kind evening filled with culture, entertainment, awards, an on-stage interview, and an exclusive screening of Gerima's acclaimed film SANKOFA, which by the way is a must see for every person of African descent! Special Guest: joining us in celebration is renown director, , SABIFF's 1st Ankh Honoree in 2020.

🎥 Program Highlights:

• Entertainment African Dancers & Drummers
• Honoring Black film legends
• Red carpet experience w/ Photo Ops!
• On-stage interviews + Audience Q&A
• Post Mixer at Elsewhere-SA

SABIFF 2025 ANKH AWARDEE

Haile Gerima, has created over a dozen indie films, however, he is perhaps best known as the writer, producer and director of the acclaimed film , which was picked up by Ava DuVernay's ARRAY NOW Releasing, re-released and exhibited on Netflix 25+ years after it opened in 1993. This historically inspired dramatic tale of African resistance to slavery has won international acclaim, awarded first prize at the African Film Festival in Milan, Italy, Best Cinematography at Africa’s premier Festival of Pan African Countries known as FESPACO, and nominated for the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival where it competed with major Hollywood movies. Forewalling the film as a means to get it to Black Audiences ignited a Black indie film movement that will be discussed further on stage with Gerima after the awards and screening. Based in Washington, DC he continues to make indie films through his company Negod-Gwad Productions, distribute through Mypheduh Films and sell at his liberated space Sankofa Video & Bookstore.

2025 ANKH AWARDEE

Ava DuVernay is a change-maker who has had a profound impact on the film industry since she first came on the indie film scene in 2012. She swithed from her career as a publicist, and created her first film in her early 30s. The opportunity to direct the Hollywood acclaimed fim SELMA catapulted her directing career with critical acclaim and notable industry projects, including: "13th", Disney's "A Wrinkle in Time," the creation of the TV series "Queen Sugar", a venture where she forged the career of women directors. The Netflix miniseries "When They See Us," which garnered numerous accolades. She founded ARRAY, a film collective dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion in filmmaking In the last ten years, she has made significant strides through her work as a producer/director, her company ARRAY NOW, and her revolutionary advocacy for under-represented voices in Hollywood.

Special Guest: Charles BurnettSABIFF is elated to welcome acclaimed filmmaker Charles Burnett in person this year. Burnett was our virtual and inaugural Ankh Achievement Honoree in 2020, during the height of the COVID shutdown. A pioneering voice in UCLA’s , Burnett is celebrated for his deeply human and realistic portrayals of African American life.

Born in Mississippi and raised in Watts, Los Angeles, he emerged from UCLA’s graduate film program with his landmark thesis film Killer of Sheep (1977), which was later selected for preservation by the Library of Congress in the National Film Registry.

A distinguished Guggenheim Fellow, Burnett’s extensive film and television work spans genres and reflects more than 40 years of experience across both the Hollywood industry and independent Black cinema. He is best known for his critically acclaimed family drama To Sleep with Anger. Check out our website for Burnett's full filmography.

A special screening of HAILE GERIMA's award-winning film is showcased in partnership with the historic , followed by an onstage post Q&A session. An evening like this is rare San Antonions; you don't want to miss this refreshing boost of culture * history * empowerment * honor all rolled into one evening. Get your tickets today!

For More Information Visit: SABIFF.tv or via QR code on promotional materials.Limited seating – advance purchase recommended.

#SABIFF 2025 Next Days Event Highlights:

🎬 Saturday, October 4 — Soul Saturday

• Films-In-Competition Film Blocks Showcases (All Day from 9 AM – 6:30 PM)
• Filmmaker & Ubuntu Community Awards Gala, Dinner, Entertainment (8 PM – Midnight)

🎬 Sunday, October 5 — Sunday Glory BEST OF SHOW “Showcase”

• Wrap Film Viewing Party closes out the festival
• Best-of-Fest screenings (in-person + online)
• Extended online film access for 1-week post-festival

Did you miss our pre-fest , and 1st 2 days of events? Here's a Sneak Preview of SABIFF 2025 4-Day Festival and Prefest (9/27) event!

Host or Publisher San Antonio Black International Film Festival, (SABIFF)