The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, the place that housed this year’s Academy Awards, is a beautiful, venerable venue.

But on Sunday night, the Dolby didn’t hold a candle to Detroit’s own Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.

After a two-year pandemic-induced interruption, the second annual Detroit Filmmaker Awards brought over 300 guests to the Wright to honor the best of the best films to come from Detroit burgeoning independent film scene from the past couple of years.

“With so much that’s happening in film, we wanted to showcase our brightest and best,” said Darren Brown, the founder of the Detroit Filmmaker Awards, and a writer and director himself. “If you let people know, they will support.”

Brown sits on the DFA board along with fellow Detroit-area filmmakers such as Dennis Reed, Sareta Cheatem, and the Mula Films collective.

“The pandemic held us up for the past two years, and it was questionable if we were going to do it this year, but God willing it was able to come together, and we can show the world the talent we have,” said Best Actor--Features nominee Alphonso Settles.

Kaamel Hasaun concurred.

“We’re doing some big things not just here, but throughout the country,” he said. “It’s a beautiful thing overall." Hasaun was nominated in three categories under Features, for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor (which he won), and directing Best Film nominee “3 Keys”.

Ron Dance was the host of the festivities, and a number of Detroit luminaries took part in the festivities. City Council President Mary Sheffield presented Brown with a special award. Detroit hip-hop pioneer Christian “Trick Trick” Mathis and renowned poet jessica Care moore also made appearances, with moore presenting the Audience Choice Best Actor award.

The short film “Badnapping” dominated the shorts category, with Zakiyyah B. Gray nabbing three awards for Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, and the short itself winning Best Short Film.

The full-length feature “Dear Future Husband” was a critical darling, taking home the most awards, including Best Film, Best Screenplay (Nyambe Nicole), Best Supporting Actor (Hasaun), and Best Actress (Deborah Lane Spencer).

For Nicole and Spencer, this especially seemed to be a vindicating experience, after typhoons of tragedy. Nicole wrote the screenplay just eight months after the passing of her fiancée, while Spencer suffered through the death of her father while she was in a play in Chicago just before filming.

However, in her acceptance speech for her award, she stated that her mother and sister told her that “the show must go on.”

“A beautiful thing is that we all support each other,” Brown said.

That was truly evident when Nix won Best Supporting Actress for her role as Pam in the movie “Dymez.” She was in a wheelchair at the top of the stairs and seating, but multiple people helped literally carry her down to the stage so she could accept her award.

Detroit has been making plenty of inroads in the independent film scene over the past decade plus, attracting attention not just locally, but from all over the country.

“People follow me, but they also follow other filmmakers,” said Brown. “Right now, we’re a hotbed.”

Brown plans on not only focusing on Detroit in the future.

“We want to eventually include the entire Midwest,” he said. “St. Louis, Ohio, Cleveland. There’s no limit to how far we can go.”

List of categories and nominees (winners in bold)

SHORT FILMS

Best Cinematography—

Firas Ullouch, “Luccica”

Christopher Jarvis, “Bruised Fruit”

Brandon Roberts, “Mr. Seek”

FUTURE FILMMAKER AWARDS:

Dion Shepherd, Jr.

Best Editing-Short Film—

Jesse McAnally, “Luccica”

Christopher Jarvis, “Bruised Fruit”

Matt Holloway, “Mr. Seek”

Kelechi Ukachukwu, “How Social Media Ruined Us”

“Octopus”

“Cagefight”

Best Actor—

Mushad Moore, “First Date”

Phillip Shaun Devone, “Luccica”

Aven Compau, “Mr. Seek”

Sam Meier, “Bruised Fruit”

Best Screenplay—

Zakiyyah B. Gray, “Badnapping”

Kelechi Ukachukwu, “How Social Media Ruined Us”

Jesse McAnally, “Luccica”

Christopher Jarvis, “Bruised Fruit”

Best Actress

Zakiyyah B. Gray, “Badnapping”

Ciarah Amaani, “First Date”

Alex Meitz, “Bruised Fruit”

Stephanie Stoiko, “Luccica”

Best Director

Zakiyyah B. Gray, “Badnapping”

Christopher Jarvis, “Bruised Fruit”

Jesse McAnally, “Luccica”

Kelechi Ukachukwu, “How Social Media Ruined Us”

Best Short Film

“Badnapping”

“Bruised Fruit”

“How Social Media Ruined Us”

“Bruised Fruit”

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS:

Best Actor—Eddie Cane Coppola

Best Actress—Ciera Angelia

Best Film—"Cain and Abel”

FEATURES:

Best Cinematography

Beasy Jones, “Narc”

Jeff Brown, “One More Flip”

Carlton L. Canty, “Meeting Boone”

Charles Kennedy, “In a Sentimental Mood”

Kyle Morgan, “He Played Me”

Thomas Pawloski, “The Letter”

Send the Hero, “Indictment: Who is Jonathan Carter?”

Best Editing

Beasy Jones, “Narc”

Paige B. Alston and Terry King, “Meeting Boone”

Donald Bolton, “Dymez”

Jeff Brown, “One More Flip”

Tiffany C. Brown, “Indictment: Who is Jonathan Carter?”

Brandon Cornett, “Deceitful Passions”

Zachary Cunningham, “In a Sentimental Mood”

Jhayla Mosley, “The Letter”

Dylan Sides, “Price of Love”

Nate Talbot, “Chocolate Kiss”

Best Screenplay

Nyambe Nicole, “Dear Future Husband”

Paige B. Alston, Meeting Boone

Lisa Brown, “He Played Me”

Ronnie Kirk, “One More Flip”

Renika McQueen, “Deceitful Passions”

Jhayla Mosley, “The Letter”

Chivez “IceWear Vezzo” Smith and Kamal Smith, “Price of Love”

Best Supporting Actress

Nix, “Dymez”

Mica Bivings, “He Played Me”

Terricka Byers, “3 Keys”

Elizabeth Foxx, “Strange Fruit”

Tory Monay, “Deceitful Passions”

Neisha Nashae, “Price of Love”

Deborah Lane Spencer, “Meeting Boone”

DaCarla Strong, “The Letter”

Best Supporting Actor

Kaamel “Diezel” Hasaun, “Dear Future Husband”

Kimeth “K-Deezy” Allen, “Indictment: Who is Jonathan Carter?”

Chris Collins, “The Letter”

Tristan Fazekas, “Narc”

Shawntez Prince, “He Played Me”

Kwende Reid, “One More Flip”

Marcus Woods, “Meeting Boone”

Best Actress

Deborah Lane Spencer, “Dear Future Husband”

Ciera Angelia, “Dymez”

Kristin Clarke, “Chocolate Kiss”

Brittany Hollis, “The Letter”

Shelby Leigh, “He Played Me”

Mena Monroe, “One More Flip”

DaCarla Strong, “Meeting Boone”

Best Actor

Dez Cortez, “Dear Future Husband”

Demaris Harvey, “Deceitful Passions”

Kaamel “Diezel” Hasaun, “Price of Love”

Antoine Jackson, “Narc”

Tattoo Man Paige, “Strange Fruit”

Alphonso Settles, “He Played Me”

Don Snipes, “In a Sentimental Mood”

Lemastor Spratling, “Indictment: Who is Jonathan Carter?”

Best Director

Zach Cunningham, “In A Sentimental Mood”

Deleon Alexander, “Strange Fruit”

Paige B. Alston, “Meeting Boone”

Beasy Jones, “Narc”

Jhayla Mosley, “The Letter”

Kamal Smith, “He Played Me”

Best Film

“Dear Future Husband”

“Chocolate Kiss”

“Deceitful Passions”

“He Played Me”

“3 Keys”

“In a Sentimental Mood”

“Meeting Boone”

“One More Flip”

“Price of Love”

“The Letter”

“Strange Fruit”

For more information visit: http://www.detroitfilmmakerawards.com.