The eighth annual Icon Mann Honors Dinner will honor “The Woman King” filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood, “Sidney” director Reginald Hudlin and Uzodinma Iweala, Executive Director of the Africa Center NYC and New York Times bestselling author ” Beasts of No Nation”. ”
Icon Mann partnered with Sony Pictures for the event, which is themed “Reimagining Narratives of the African Diaspora” and will take place on Wednesday, March 8 at the Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills, California.
The dinner is part of a series of awards week events for Icon Mann, which is a media, production and management consultancy representing the heritage of the African diaspora. The company is a leading strategic broker for investments and ventures within the creative industries for Hollywood and African media-driven nations, cultivating a global network of creators and leaders focused on “positive narrative representation.”
Filmmaker George Tillman (“Soul Food,” “Men of Honor”) will also be honored Tuesday, February 28 with a fireside chat and film retrospective ahead of his latest film “Big George Foreman,” moderated by the chief from Sony Pictures, Tom. Rothman.
Icon Mann’s awards week also includes the “Africa 2 America” forum, a series of film sessions focused on placing “the African creative sector in Hollywood for the development of bilateral exchange”, with delegates from Ghana and Uganda. The forum will take place on Tuesday, March 7 at the Fairmont Century Plaza.
“It is a wonderful time to be black and creative. We are griots, world builders and culture creators. There is great joy and cause for celebration in reimagining African diaspora narratives with the ‘Africa 2 America’ delegation sessions and our Icon Mann Honors awards,” said Tamara N. Houston, Founder of Icon Mann. “We know how imperative it is to expand collective communities of wealth, well-being, and business across all professional sectors. Being intentional about our work and collaborations with media-driven African countries like Ghana and Uganda is critical to being true storytellers and path makers.”
The full schedule of events is available below:
Tuesday, February 28
Icon Mann and Sony Pictures Entertainment Present “An Evening With George, The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World,” a Fireside Chat and Film Retrospective with “Big George Foreman” Director George Tillman Jr., moderated by Tom Rothman, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group.
Tuesday, March 7
Icon Mann’s “Africa 2 America” Film Market Sessions are officially associated with the Ghana National Film Authority and the Uganda Communications Commission.
Delegation leaders include: Juliet Asante, Executive Director of the National Film Authority (NFA) representing Ghana; Irene Sewankambo, Executive Director of the Uganda Communications Commission; Mukiza Robert, CEO of the Uganda Investment Authority; and Dr. Lilly Ajarova, CEO of the Uganda Tourism Board.
Wednesday, March 8
Icon Mann Honors, a red-carpet media awards dinner in Beverly Hills at the Waldorf Astoria, salutes those who are “reimagining African diaspora narratives.”
2023 Honorees: Gina Prince-Bythewood (“The Woman King”), Reginald Hudlin (“Sidney”) and Uzodinma Iweala, Executive Director of the Africa Center NYC.
Saturday, March 11
Icon WoMann, the inaugural women-only session, is an exclusive sisterhood forum invested in financial and emotional well-being with high-profile executives, producers, directors and actresses.