Editor

Run & Shoot Filmworks, Inc., producer of the Martha's Vineyard African-American Film Festival (MVAAFF), announced the winners of the HBO and Saatchi &Saatchi sponsored film competitions, which took place Saturday, August 8th, 2009. Out of nearly 300 submissions received from around the world, 56 films were chosen for the festival and fifteen films in three categories-short, feature, documentary-were selected for the competitions.

Other highlights of the MVAAFF included the screening of "The Nine Lives of Marion Barry" (HBO) to a sold-out crowd, a special viewing of Disney's animated film "The Princess & The Frog" followed by an animation workshop and new sponsor Prudential held a powerful filmmakers panel moderated by Root.com editor Bijan Bayne.

"We are extremely proud of everyone who participated in this magnificent event. All of our sponsors, repeat attendees, guest speakers and filmmakers helped to make this one of the best festivals of the year," said MVAAFF co-founders Floyd A.B. Rance III and Stephanie Tavares-Rance. "The quality and number of films we receive each year is confirmation that our festival is not only vital, but it also plays a key role in getting mainstream Hollywood to recognize the untapped talent within the African-American film community."

The 2009 winners of the HBO Film Competition are:

Best Short:
Kwame - written and directed by Edward Osei-Gyimah (Los Angeles, CA)

Best Documentary:
Herskovitz: At The Heart of Blackness directed by Llewellyn Smith (Boston, MA)

Best Feature:
10-20, produced and directed by Terrisha Kearse (Los Angeles, CA)


The 2009 Saatchi &Saatchi "Nothing is Impossible" award winner:

Best Documentary:
Return to Mexico City - produced/directed by Joie Walls (New York, NY)

About Run&Shoot Filmworks, Inc Martha's Vineyard African-American Film Festival

Run & Shoot Filmworks, Inc., is a New York-based film production company credited with creating outstanding visual work for several clients including HBO, Martell Cognac, Reebok, NBC Sports and Footlocker. For the past three years, Run & Shoot Filmworks has produced the MVAAFF with the primary goal of providing a positive environment where filmmakers can share their thoughts, ideas and aspirations.

The film festival serves as a vehicle through which Run & Shoot Filmworks can support the efforts of emerging and established African-American screenwriters, as well as aid in their artistic development

About HBO
Home Box Office, Inc. is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., providing two 24-hour premium television services, HBO and Cinemax. Together, both networks reach approximately 40 million subscribers in the United States via cable and satellite delivery. Home Box Office's international joint ventures bring HBO branded services to more than 50 countries around the globe.

About Saatchi&Saatchi
Saatchi & Saatchi NY is the largest agency in the 150-office Saatchi & Saatchi global network, part of Publicis Groupe, the world's fourth largest communications group. It handles the Miller High Life, I Love NY Tourism Board and JCPenney businesses as well as over 40 #1 brands in its client portfolio, including: Tide, Pampers and Olay (Procter & Gamble); Pillsbury and Cheerios (General Mills); Theraflu and Triaminic (Novartis); Ameriprise; and Reynolds Wrap. The agency represents clients with combined annual revenues of approximately $500 billion and market capitalization of approximately $650 billion.

Saatchi & Saatchi is known for its outstanding creative ideas that generate powerful emotional connections between consumers and products. This is a key element in Lovemarks, Saatchi & Saatchi's unique methodology for elevating the status of brands created to create "loyalty beyond reason" and "inspirational consumers."