Gil Robertson (INTERVIEW)
The African American Film Critics Association Awards
with
Kam Williams
And
the Winner Is... Gil!
Gil
is the editor of the bestselling anthologies Family Affair: What it
Means to be African American Today, and the 2006 release, Not in My
Family: AIDS in the African American Community, both nominated for
NAACP Image Awards in the Outstanding Non-Fiction category.
He
is also the author of "Writing as a Tool of Empowerment," a
resource book for aspiring journalists, and "Where Did Our Love
Go: Essays on Love & Relationships in the African American
Community." And Just Us Books is set to release his first
children’s book, "Great African American Political Leaders."
On
television, Gil has shared his expertise on topical issues on
numerous networks, including CNN, HLN, MSNBC, E Entertainment,
National Public Radio and the Tavis Smiley Show. In addition, as a
popular lecturer on the national circuit, he addresses issues that
impact professional growth strategies and personal development.
Gil
is a co-founder and President of the African American Film Critics
Association (AAFCA), as well as the founder of the Robertson
Treatment’s Media Workshop, an annual journalism initiative
presented at the Auburn Avenue Research Library in Atlanta, Georgia
and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York
City.
A
graduate of Cal State Los Angeles, Gil is the founder and editor of
the nationally syndicated Arts & Lifestyle column, the Robertson
Treatment which appears in 30 newspapers across the country boasting
a readership in excess of 2 million. He is a professional member of
the National Press Club, The National Association of Black
Journalists, The National Academy of Recording Arts & Science,
The National Academy of Television Arts and Science and The Motion
Picture Academy.
Here,
Gil talks about the 7th Annual African
American Film Critics Association Awards ceremony which will be held
at 8 pm on Wednesday, February 10th at the Taglyan Complex in
Hollywood.
Kam
Williams: Hi
Gil, thanks for the interview.
Gil
Robertson:
Thank
you the opportunity, my AAFCA brother!
KW:
Congratulations on the AAFCA Awards which has grown in stature in
recent years.
GR:
Thanks,
Kam. Yes, this is our 7th year and, although we’re experiencing a
little itch, it’s all good. We’re celebrating Straight Outta
Compton and Ryan Coogler from Creed, as well as Teyonah Parris from
Chi-Raq. Our Special Achievement honors are going to the terrifically
talented John Singleton and Reginald Hudlin, as well as business
phenoms Jeff Clanagan and Maverick Carter. It’s truly a special
night!
KW:
Is it
safe to assume this year's ceremony will be better attended than
ever, given the number of stars calling for a boycott of the Oscars
after the Academy failed to nominate any black actors or actresses
for the second year in a row.
GR:
Our
show has always attracted an amazing array of executives and
creatives from the film and TV community, as well as an impressive
list of celebrity talent. We look forward to giving them a
high-quality event.
KW:
Isn't
it very revealing that Sly Stallone was nominated in the Supporting
Actor category for Creed, but its African-American star, Michael B.
Jordan, and director, Ryan Coogler, were both snubbed? And the only
nomination garnered by Straight Outta Compton, which featured a black
cast and director, was for its script which was written by four
whites.
GR:
Now
let’s have real talk! While the Academy doesn’t blatantly promote
itself as an organization for whites only, it’s hard to see the
Oscar as an award for all. That’s the big elephant in the room. You
call yourself the Academy Awards and you say your awards are based
solely on merit without consideration to race or gender but,
historically, all the awards are going to white people except for a
few exceptions when a black performance was just so elevated that it
couldn’t be ignored, like a few years ago when Lupita Nyong’o won
for 12 Years a Slave.
KW:
How
long do you think it'll take for the Oscars to be more inclusive? Its
President, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, who is African-American, recently
announced plans to double the number of minority voters by 2020. But
if blacks are about 4% now, that's just a 1% increase per year. Would
that likely alter the outcome?
GR:
Ms.
Isaacs is putting the work in, and I’m very confident that the
seeds she plants will grow. Change takes time and, as Hollywood
mirrors larger American society, this process will too.
KW:
Besides
offering an alternative to the the Oscars, why should people attend
the AAFCA Awards?
GR:
The
AAFCA Awards are necessary because they offer us an opportunity to
celebrate ourselves. The Oscars are never going to give us the due
that we feel we deserve and that’s okay. As a community, we must
move past that and instead support the institutions that do. Black
people, your support is necessary and you cannot sit out this party,
if you’re serious about wanting to see some real change.
KW:
Who are
some of the luminaries you hope will attend?
GR:
The
room will be filled with luminaries, but we are really thrilled to
welcome the cast of Straight Outta Compton, Ryan Coogler from Creed,
Kenya Barris, the creator of Black-ish, the incredibly-lovely Teyonah
Parris, plus an impressive lineup of hot young faces who represent
the next wave of talent in Hollywood.
KW:
I know
that AAFCA operates year-round, not just during awards season. What
sort of programs do you have planned for 2016?
GR:
We are
especially excited to see an expansion of our Student Boot Camps to
three more campuses across America. By the year’s end, AAFCA’s
Boot Camp will literally extend to the four corners of America. The
AAFCA Seal of Approval program continues to expand. Our seal will
appear on releases from Array, Codeblack, Swirl and other studios
this year. For 2016, AAFCA is going to especially ramp up our film
festival partnerships. I can’t announce details yet, but look for
us to create some significant and very strategic inroads with various
films festivals throughout American and aboard. Over
the summer, we’ll be back with Synergy in Atlanta with a special
honoree to be announced shortly. And before the year is done, I am
hopeful to announce a broadcast partner for 2017. We definitely have
a big year in store. Please visit our website [www.AAFCA.com]
and hook up with us via social media to remain connected.
KW:
Thanks
again for the time, Gil, and best of luck with AAFCA.
GR:
Thanks,
Kam.
No comments:
Post a Comment