The Pocono Mountains Film Festival has announced the honorees for The 9th Annual PMFF Awards, benefiting The Utopia House for Battered Women. The awards will be held on Saturday, October 22 at East Stroudsburg University.

This year’s honorees from the film community include producer/director Robert Townsend, casting director Aleta Chappelle (Mooz-lum, Life Support), choreographer/creative director Frank Gatson, and independent producer Re’Shaun Frear (Pastor Brown, Dirty Laundry).

“For the past 9 years, the Pocono Mountains Film Festival has honored some of the best filmmakers and entertainers in the industry. We honor individuals who have met and exceeded the challenges of adversity under the most difficult circumstances; while providing others with the vision and motivation to reach pinnacles of success,” says Bridget Davis, CEO and Founder of PMFF.

The weekend also includes film workshops and celebrity panel discussions on Friday, October 21, a Meet & Greet with celebrity handprints embedded into the cement for the PMFF Walk of Fame at Smugglers Cove, and film workshops to be held on Saturday, October 22 at the Community Theater.

PMFF is a nonprofit organization that strives to balance the dearth of opportunities provided to African Americans in film by offering the best independent Black filmmakers a platform to showcase their work.

For more information, visit the festival’s website.