“Sankofa will always be about the art of storytelling, using the art of film to break down cultural barriers, challenging our own preconceived notions of the world [...].”

Article by Maddie Tyler, AKSM News

LOS ANGELES - In what was described to be a “spellbinding “ evening by some, Riptide Pictures’ 2018 documentary, Sankofa, took home the Gold Award for Best Documentary at the 46th Student Academy Awards. The ceremony was held on the evening of Thursday, October 17th at the historic Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Sankofa was one of sixteen nominations chosen from over 1,600 entries from around the world that submitted their film to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

The film started as a part of Villanova University’s 2018 Social Justice Documentary class headed by professor, Hezekiah Lewis. The production of the film would take twenty-one students on a journey from Philadelphia, PA to Ghana to tell the story of those who have been silenced by mental slavery.

Upon returning to Villanova, the film was produced and a premiere was held at WHYY in Philadelphia with other events surrounding the film’s release. Between the release of the film and October 16, the film would go on to be entered into seven other film festivals where the film won numerous awards including first place in the 2019 San Francisco Black Film Festival.

On Thursday night, AKSM founder and CEO, Andrew McKeough, worked on post-production events for Sankofa and stated that, “Sankofa represents the full potential that students have and how Villanova’s Communication program allows those students to realize that potential. These students were not just students, they were professionals that shared a story that had to be told. For anyone who doesn’t understand this, look where we are today and the impact that this film has had on the world. I congratulate Princess, [Lewis], and the whole crew of Sankofa on this honor.”

The journey will continue for Sankofa and it’s crew as Sankofa is now eligible to compete for the 2019 Oscars in the Documentary Short Subject category.

Upon accepting the award, the film’s director, Princess Garrett, said that, “Sankofa will always be about the art of storytelling, using the art of film to break down cultural barriers, challenging our own preconceived notions of the world and sharing this with others. Above all, we always wanted to challenge perspectives and promote dialogue among people so that we can begin and continue to talk about issues rather than hide from them.”

That could not be further from the truth for this group of students who have go on to graduate and seek careers in the film and television industry.