• Celebrity
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Black Beauty Awards 2022
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Sponsors Recognition Page 2022
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2022 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • Wellness House
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Skip to content
SUBSCRIBE
  • MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Celebrity
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
      • Paint The Polls Black
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Black Beauty Awards 2022
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Sponsors Recognition Page 2022
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2022 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • Wellness House
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Home · Celebrity

Will And Jada Pinkett Smith's Film 'Sprinter' Wins Big At ABFF

Will and Jada Pinkett Smith produced film Sprinter wins three awards at American Black Film Festival
Courtesy of Sprinter
By Cori Murray · Updated October 23, 2020

Father’s Day has a special meaning for Dale Elliott, the breakout actor of Sprinter, the Will and Jada Pinkett Smith produced feature that won three top awards at the 2018 American Black Film Festival. According to Sprinter’s director Storm Saulter, Elliott’s real-life parallels the character Akeem — a young Jamaican track and field star desperate to reconnect with his broken family.

“I met my father for the first time because of this film,” Elliott bravely told the ABFF audience from the podium of the Best of ABFF presentation. The film received back-to-back wins, including best director, best narrative and the audience award. 

Director Saulter elaborated on Elliott’s watershed moment: “Dale’s real-life story is way more extreme than his character’s. He hasn’t seen his mom since he was three and he hasn’t seen his dad since he was a toddler. On a trip to America to shoot one of the party scenes, that was the first time Dale ever met his dad. This film literally brought him closer to his own father.”

Sprinter follows a very common immigrant story: families torn apart by the promise of better jobs in America. “It’s a typical Caribbean story about one parent or both parents working overseas to send back money to support the family,” says Saulter. “That’s the reality of Akeem: He thinks his mom will come back when he’s seven or eight but now he’s 17 and she’s been away for a decade. They’ve had a relationship through Skype.”

American Black Film Festival

But for the newly minted award-winning director, Sprinter’s also a nod to his country’s decade-long dominance in track and field. “Akeem’s kind of running for everybody but himself. He’s running to get back to his mom, he’s running to be like his big brother. Akeem hope’s he can bring his family back together if he just runs fast enough.”

For Saulter and his producer Robert Maylor, Sprinter’s impact is twofold: “This is the first feature in a long time to come out of Jamaica,” Saulter says backstage surrounded by his cast and producers. “We have a movement happening in the Caribbean and Will and Jada recognized the potential and the value in the story.” To which, Maylor widely grins, “We’re taking these [awards] back to Hope Road!”

When asked if Saulter hopes Will Smith will add the news of Sprinter’s ABFF awards to Will Smith’s addictive Instagram feed, Saulter quickly responds with a big laugh, “Hey, I’m waiting. The Sprinter trailer needs a remix!”

Check out the full list of winners from the 2018 Best of American Black Film Festival “Best of ABFF” presentation: 

Audience Award: Sprinter

Best Feature (2018 Jury Award): Sprinter — executive producers Will & Jada Pinkett Smith; producers Robert Maylor, Clarence Hammond, Jamal Watson

Best Director (2018 Jury Award): Storm Saulter, Sprinter

Best Screenplay (2018 Jury Award): Jinn by Nijla Mumim

NBC Spotlight Actor Award: Zoe Renee (Jinn)

HBO Short Film Award: “Moths & Butterflies” director Alfonso Johnson

TV One Screenplay Competition: Rashim Cannad’s “Connected”

ABFF Turner Drama Writing Award: Terrence L. Moore “Uptown”

ABFF Turner Comedy Writing Award: Craig T. Williams’ “Allergic”

truTV Comedy Writers Award: Harold Williams

Best Documentary (2018 Jury Award): Not In My Neighborhood by Kurt Orderson

Xfinity’s Best Web Series: Keloid, creator and director Huriyyah Muhammad

COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now