Photo Courtesy of Palm Springs International Film Society

The Palm Springs International Film Awards is an annual event that fosters and honors creativity in the cinematic arts. The organization that sponsors and hosts the gala, The Palm Springs International Film Society, “enthusiastically pursues its artistic and public service goals; to enrich, to educate, to entertain, to initiate cultural dialogue and celebrate cinematic excellence in any language.” This year, Tony, Oscar, and Emmy winner (all she needs now is a Grammy), Viola Davis, is receiving one of the night’s highest honors, the Desert Palm Achievement Award (Actress). Davis receives this honor for her transformative work as Ma Rainey in the Netflix stage-to-screen adaptation of August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Davis is only one of two Black actresses to be honored with this award (the other being Halle Berry).  Another Tony and Grammy Award winner, Leslie Odom, Jr. is receiving the Spotlight Award (Actor) for his strong performance as Sam Cooke in the film One Night In Miami. Odom, Jr. is also one of two Black men to receive this honor (the other being Jamie Foxx).

Photo courtesy of Palm Springs International Film Society

The annual gala will not be held this year as a result of COVID-19 limitations, however, a special segment will be aired on Entertainment Tonight on February 11 and February 25 (check your local listings for more information). And to hear more about the selections for the Palm Springs International Film Awards, please visit psfilmfest.org. 

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Courtesy of Netflix

After his magnetic performance in August Wilson’s acclaimed drama, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, which debuted on Netflix in December 2020, Chadwick Boseman will receive a posthumous honor. The late actor, who passed away last summer after a 4-year battle with colon cancer, will receive the Performance of the Year Award by the Critic’s Choice Association at their third annual Celebration of Black Cinema.

Portraying the troubled yet inspiring role of Levee in the Netflix drama directed by George C. Wolfe (Topdog/Underdog), written by Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Stick Fly), and produced by Denzel Washington (Fences), Boseman ignited our screens for what would be his final performance. Levee is the trumpet player for Ma Rainey, who’s aspirations and goals are what encapsulates the dream for Black America: hard work, grit, and an uncompromising passion. He is joined on screen by other stage legends Tony winner Viola Davis (King Hedley II), Tony nominee Colman Domingo (The Scottsboro Boys), and Glynn Turman (A Raisin In the Sun). 

Although Boseman is most remembered for his groundbreaking role as King T’Challa/Black Panther in the Marvel film “Black Panther,” he is no stranger to the stage. After graduating from Howard Unversity with a BFA in Directing, Boseman set his sights on acting, directing, and playwriting. He is a former Drama League Directing Fellow and an AUDELCO winner for his role in Urban Transitions. 

Along with the award, a donation will be made in Boseman’s honor to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Gold Program. The Academy describes the program as a “talent development, diversity, and inclusion initiative to provide individuals, with a focus on underrepresented communities, access, and resources to achieve their career pathways in filmmaking.”

The digital event will be shared with the public on Saturday, February 6 on KTLA.

You can now watch Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom streaming on Netflix

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