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2013 was a banner year for Black film as witnessed with the box office and critical successes of “12 Years A Slave,” “The Butler,” and “Fruitvale Station.”  To celebrate, The BFCA (Broadcast Film Critics Association), along with TVOne partnered up for a special evening celebrating in the best in Black cinema at the House of Blues in West Hollywood on January 7th.

Attendees included director Malcolm D. Lee, who was in good spirits with the success of “Best Man Holiday” who’s $70 million box office gross is twice the amount of  1999’s “The Best Man” ($34.1 million).  When asked about the upcoming sequel, Lee smiled coyly and said “I’ve got some ideas. We’ll see.”

Jay Ellis, who plays rookie football player Bryce “Blue” Westbrook on BET’s “The Game” was thankful for the support of viewers who embraced his character, on the heels of Tia Mowry and Pooch Hall’s departure.  “It was definitely a challenge being the new kid on the block, but the fans have been so amazing.”

The highlight of the event were performances from the cast of “20 Feet From Stardom” – a documentary about the backup singers behind superstars like David Bowie and The Rolling Stones. Lisa Fischer, Judith Hill, and Darlene Love brought down the house a soulful live performance.

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