This week we lost a king, true legend and American icon. My heart goes out to Mario, his family and to everyone who loved him.
My friend Warrington Hudlin introduced me to Melvin in April of 1997 a few months before the first ABFF. I was in awe of him and will never forget how cool, creatively wired and self-contained he was. His validation came from within and that was his superpower!
In our subsequent meetings at his legendary NYC apartment, he helped me think through a few of my ideas about how to diversify the industry and challenged me to make them better. He insisted that I have no fear and that I always think BIG. I will forever cherish his words of encouragement and support of the festival over the years and dedicate this year’s ABFF, our 25th anniversary in his honor.
Melvin personified “woke” and put in the work to protect and preserve Black culture for more than 60 years. Today’s Black Hollywood, owes him a great deal of gratitude. If you haven’t seen his films or read his books, now is a good time to catch up.
