New York City’s Times Square was lit up not only by lights but by shining stars this past weekend as AMC Empire 25 hosted this year’s Urbanworld Film Festival, which celebrated its 20th anniversary milestone. The three-day event featured premieres, panels, parties and an impressive red carpet that brought out industry notables such as director Ava DuVernay (Selma, Queen Sugar), who served as Festival Ambassador this year along with actor David Oyelowo, Issa Rae (Awkward Black Girl), Bell Biv DeVoe, LaLa Anthony, Luke James, Tristan Mack Wilds and more.
Film and television standouts at this year’s festival were Disney’s Queen of Katwe starring Lupita Nyong’o and David Oyelowo, Shots Fired, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love and Basketball) and starring Tristan Mack Wilds and Sanaa Lathan, and the BET made-for-TV biopic The New Edition Story, starring Luke James and Bryshere Y. Gray (Empire). Also garnering buzz at this year’s festival was HBO’s new half-hour comedy starring Issa Rae and Jay Ellis (The Game), Insecure.
Check out our photo gallery of these celebs as they walked the red carpet and furthered Urbanworld’s mission to promote diversified, underrepresented and distinct storytelling in the film and television industry. For more on this organization go to www.urbanworld.org/films.
Photo Credit: Raymond Hagans Courtesy of Urbanworld Film Festival
