Apple Original Films’ “Causeway,” “Emancipation” and “Sidney” honored by African American Film Critics Association

NAACP Image Award-winning “Emancipation” star Will Smith and director Antoine Fuqua honored with the Beacon Award

Academy Award-nominated “Causeway” star Brian Tyree Henry wins Best Supporting Actor

Critics’ Choice and NAACP Image Award-winning “Sidney” wins Best Documentary Film

Press Release March 2, 2023

Will Smith and Antoine Fuqua (not pictured) received the Beacon Award for Apple Original Films’ “Emancipation” from Gil Robertson, co-founder and president of the African American Film Critics Association.

The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) celebrates Apple Original Films' “Emancipation” by awarding Will Smith and Antoine Fuqua with the Beacon Award in honor of their film about the triumphant true story of an enslaved man’s grueling journey through the swamps of Louisiana, as he relies on his wits, faith and dedication to his loved ones, to evade his captors and reunite with his family in freedom. Additionally, Academy Award-nominated Brian Tyree Henry, star of Apple's feature film “Causeway” earned Best Supporting Actor, while Apple’s documentary “Sidney” landed Best Documentary Film. The awards presented at the 14th Annual African American Film Critics Association Awards honor AAFCA’s mission to cultivate understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contributions of African-descended talent to cinematic and television culture — from the artistic and technical legends of the past to the still unimagined breakthroughs of future generations.

“Emancipation” has received wide acclaim, as “a strong, fierce, heartfelt movie” (The Guardian), with a “piercing honesty and careful craftsmanship” that are “a crowning achievement of Fuqua’s long career” (Clayton Davis, Variety). “Emancipation” has been recently honored with an NAACP Image Award win for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for star and producer Will Smith, in addition to receiving four NAACP Image Award nominations for Outstanding Motion Picture, Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture, Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture and Outstanding Costume Design.

Will Smith and Antoine Fuqua were awarded the Beacon Award for Apple Original Films’ “Emancipation” from the African American Film Critics Association.

Brian Tyree Henry’s Academy Award-nominated work in “Causeway” has been praised as a “genuinely fantastic” (The Playlist), and “absolutely phenomenal” (New York Magazine/Vulture) performance by “one of the finest actors around” (Deadline). Henry’s outstanding performance was also recently honored with Critics Choice Association's Celebration of Black Cinema & Television and Black Reel Awards wins, alongside nominations from the Critics’ Choice Awards, Gotham Awards, Film Independent Spirit Awards, the London Critics’ Circle and many more.

“Sidney” has been hailed as a “warm and engaging insight to an extraordinary man” (The Daily Telegraph) and a “moving documentary” about a “remarkable and much-missed man” (Daily Mail). “Sidney” won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Directing in a Documentary for director Reginald Hudlin as well as Best Biographical Documentary from the Critics’ Choice Awards, and Best Documentary from the Black Reel Awards.

These honors mark Apple’s most recent recognition from the African American Film Critics Association following the inclusion of “Causeway,” “Emancipation” and “Sidney” in AAFCA's list of the 10 best films of 2022, and wins for “Swagger” and “Pachinko” at the AAFCA TV Honors. In 2021, “The Tragedy of Macbeth” was recognized in AAFCA’s annual list of the top 10 films of the year alongside a Best Supporting Actor win for Corey Hawkins’ performance in the film.

Apple Original Films were honored with AAFCA Awards including:

"Causeway”
Best Supporting Actor — Brian Tyree Henry

“Emancipation”
The Beacon Award — Will Smith and Antoine Fuqua

“Sidney”
Best Documentary Film

“Causeway”

In “Causeway,” the new drama directed by Lila Neugebauer, Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence plays Lynsey, a military engineer who has returned to the States from Afghanistan with a debilitating brain injury after an IED explosion. It's a painful and slow recovery as she relearns to walk and retrains her memory, but when she returns home to New Orleans she has to face memories even more aching and formative than those she had in service — a reckoning with her childhood. When Lynsey’s truck breaks down, she meets mechanic James Aucoin (Brian Tyree Henry), and slowly they start to rely on each other for company and solace. These two damaged souls' budding friendship forms the center and the heart of Neugebauer's debut feature — a quiet but devastating, and ultimately uplifting, story about coming to terms and moving forward.

“Emancipation”

Antoine Fuqua’s “Emancipation” tells the triumphant story of Peter (Will Smith), a man who escapes from slavery, relying on his wits, unwavering faith and deep love for his family to evade cold-blooded hunters and the unforgiving swamps of Louisiana on his quest for freedom. The film is inspired by the 1863 photos of “Whipped Peter,” taken during a Union Army medical examination, that first appeared in Harper’s Weekly. One image, known as “The Scourged Back,” which shows Peter’s bare back mutilated by a whipping delivered by his enslavers, ultimately contributed to growing public opposition to slavery.

“Sidney”

From producers Oprah Winfrey and Derik Murray and directed by Reginald Hudlin, this revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier and his legacy as an iconic actor, filmmaker and activist at the center of Hollywood and the civil rights movement. Featuring candid interviews with Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Robert Redford, Lenny Kravitz, Barbra Streisand, Spike Lee and many more, in close collaboration with the Poitier family.

All films are currently streaming on Apple TV+.

Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all your favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. Apple Original films, documentaries and series have earned 338 wins and 1,406 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy “Ted Lasso” and historic Oscar Best Picture winner “CODA.”

About Apple TV

Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.*

For more information, visit apple.com/tvpr and see the full list of supported devices.

*Special offer is good for three months after the first activation of the eligible device. One offer per Family Sharing group. Plans automatically renew until cancelled. Other restrictions and terms apply; visit apple.com/promo for more information.

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Text of this article

Apple Original Films’ “Causeway,” “Emancipation” and “Sidney” honored by African American Film Critics Association

NAACP Image Award-winning “Emancipation” star Will Smith and director Antoine Fuqua honored with the Beacon Award Academy Award-nominated “Causeway” star Brian Tyree Henry wins Best Supporting ActorCritics’ Choice and NAACP Image Award-winning “Sidney” wins Best Documentary Film

The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) celebrates Apple Original Films' “Emancipation” by awarding Will Smith and Antoine Fuqua with the Beacon Award in honor of their film about the triumphant true story of an enslaved man’s grueling journey through the swamps of Louisiana, as he relies on his wits, faith and dedication to his loved ones, to evade his captors and reunite with his family in freedom. Additionally, Academy Award-nominated Brian Tyree Henry, star of Apple's feature film “Causeway” earned Best Supporting Actor, while Apple’s documentary “Sidney” landed Best Documentary Film. The awards presented at the 14th Annual African American Film Critics Association Awards honor AAFCA’s mission to cultivate understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contributions of African-descended talent to cinematic and television culture — from the artistic and technical legends of the past to the still unimagined breakthroughs of future generations.

“Emancipation” has received wide acclaim, as “a strong, fierce, heartfelt movie” (The Guardian), with a “piercing honesty and careful craftsmanship” that are “a crowning achievement of Fuqua’s long career” (Clayton Davis, Variety). “Emancipation” has been recently honored with an NAACP Image Award win for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for star and producer Will Smith, in addition to receiving four NAACP Image Award nominations for Outstanding Motion Picture, Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture, Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture and Outstanding Costume Design.

Brian Tyree Henry’s Academy Award-nominated work in “Causeway” has been praised as a “genuinely fantastic” (The Playlist), and “absolutely phenomenal” (New York Magazine/Vulture) performance by “one of the finest actors around” (Deadline). Henry’s outstanding performance was also recently honored with Critics Choice Association's Celebration of Black Cinema & Television and Black Reel Awards wins, alongside nominations from the Critics’ Choice Awards, Gotham Awards, Film Independent Spirit Awards, the London Critics’ Circle and many more.

“Sidney” has been hailed as a “warm and engaging insight to an extraordinary man” (The Daily Telegraph) and a “moving documentary” about a “remarkable and much-missed man” (Daily Mail). “Sidney” won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Directing in a Documentary for director Reginald Hudlin as well as Best Biographical Documentary from the Critics’ Choice Awards, and Best Documentary from the Black Reel Awards.

These honors mark Apple’s most recent recognition from the African American Film Critics Association following the inclusion of “Causeway,” “Emancipation” and “Sidney” in AAFCA's list of the 10 best films of 2022, and wins for “Swagger” and “Pachinko” at the AAFCA TV Honors. In 2021, “The Tragedy of Macbeth” was recognized in AAFCA’s annual list of the top 10 films of the year alongside a Best Supporting Actor win for Corey Hawkins’ performance in the film.

Apple Original Films were honored with AAFCA Awards including:

"Causeway”
Best Supporting Actor — Brian Tyree Henry

“Emancipation”
The Beacon Award — Will Smith and Antoine Fuqua

“Sidney”
Best Documentary Film

“Causeway”

In “Causeway,” the new drama directed by Lila Neugebauer, Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence plays Lynsey, a military engineer who has returned to the States from Afghanistan with a debilitating brain injury after an IED explosion. It's a painful and slow recovery as she relearns to walk and retrains her memory, but when she returns home to New Orleans she has to face memories even more aching and formative than those she had in service — a reckoning with her childhood. When Lynsey’s truck breaks down, she meets mechanic James Aucoin (Brian Tyree Henry), and slowly they start to rely on each other for company and solace. These two damaged souls' budding friendship forms the center and the heart of Neugebauer's debut feature — a quiet but devastating, and ultimately uplifting, story about coming to terms and moving forward.

“Emancipation”

Antoine Fuqua’s “Emancipation” tells the triumphant story of Peter (Will Smith), a man who escapes from slavery, relying on his wits, unwavering faith and deep love for his family to evade cold-blooded hunters and the unforgiving swamps of Louisiana on his quest for freedom. The film is inspired by the 1863 photos of “Whipped Peter,” taken during a Union Army medical examination, that first appeared in Harper’s Weekly. One image, known as “The Scourged Back,” which shows Peter’s bare back mutilated by a whipping delivered by his enslavers, ultimately contributed to growing public opposition to slavery.

“Sidney”

From producers Oprah Winfrey and Derik Murray and directed by Reginald Hudlin, this revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier and his legacy as an iconic actor, filmmaker and activist at the center of Hollywood and the civil rights movement. Featuring candid interviews with Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Robert Redford, Lenny Kravitz, Barbra Streisand, Spike Lee and many more, in close collaboration with the Poitier family.

All films are currently streaming on Apple TV+.

Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all your favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. Apple Original films, documentaries and series have earned 338 wins and 1,406 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy “Ted Lasso” and historic Oscar Best Picture winner “CODA.”

About Apple TV

Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.*

For more information, visit apple.com/tvpr and see the full list of supported devices.

*Special offer is good for three months after the first activation of the eligible device. One offer per Family Sharing group. Plans automatically renew until cancelled. Other restrictions and terms apply; visit apple.com/promo for more information.