Christine Crokos’s Pimp won the Best Narrative Feature Award (U.S. Cinema) and the Audience Award for Best Feature at the 22nd Annual Urbanworld Film Festival, presented by AT&T’s The Humanity of Connection and founding partner HBO.

Pimp is produced by Lee Daniels and stars Keke Palmer as a female pimp who dominates in a sexual underworld dominated by men. The film, which also stars Aunjanue Ellis, Edi Cathegi, DMX, Haley Ramm, Vanessa Morgan and Mike E. Winfield, was one of several features and shorts awarded during the film festival’s awards brunch hosted by journalist Lola Ogunnaike at New York’s Tribeca Grill Loft.

Pimp won a $2,500 prize presented by ARRAY, with an honorable mention going to Menelek Lumumba’s 1 Angry Black Man.

The Burial of Kojo by Blitz Bazawule won Best Narrative Feature (World Cinema) and won a $2,500 prize presented by Urbanworld, with Gustavo Ramos’ El Chata (The Sparring Partner) earning an honorable mention.

In the narrative short division, the winner was Barnaby Blackburn’s Wale, earning a mentorship commitment as a $25,000 funding commitment from REIGN towards the next short film project, which will be featured on REIGN’s on-demand platform. Second and third prizes went to Jesse Atlas’ Let Them Die Like Lovers and Bola Ogun’s Are We Good Parents?, winning $15,000 and $10,000 commitments from REIGN, respectively.

Melissa Haizlip’s Mr. Soul won Best Documentary Feature and was presented with a $5,000 prize from HBO. Honorable mention went to Katie Galloway and Dawn Valadez’s The Pushouts.

Best Music Video went to Pablo Mengin-Lecreulx’s Scandal, and Best Screenplay went to Melody Cooper’s Northern Cross, earning a $10,000 prize from BET Networks. Moon Molson’s screenplay for Johnny Ace earned an honorable mention.

The award for Best Young Creator went to Sasha Whittle for Three In Stride, winning mentorship as well as a $25,000 funding commitment for the next short film project, which will be showcased on REIGN’s on-demand platform. Honorable mention went to Giovana Olmos for Silvia In The Waves.

Fred Soligan won the award for Best Web Original for Frank & Lamar, with honorable mention going to Alexander Etseyatse for Otis. Along with Crokos winning the Audience Award for Pimp, Otoja Abit won the Audience Award for Best Short for Jitters.

Next year’s Urbanworld Film Festival will take place in September in New York.

Edi Cathegi

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