The 27th Urbanworld® Film Festival announced the 2023 award winners with awards for Best Narrative Feature (U.S.) going to Frybread Face and Me directed by Billy Luther, Best Narrative Feature (World) went to Sira directed by Apolline Traoré and Best Documentary Feature went to Brief Tender Light directed by Arthur Musah.

The Urbanworld Audience Award Best Feature was won by Brief Tender Light directed by Arthur Musah

The multicultural film festival screened 73 official selections, 7 spotlight screenings, 3 spotlight conversations, and featured 5 Urbanworld Innovation sessions and 4 original screenplay finalists.

The 2023 Urbanworld Film Festival winners are:

BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE (U.S.) – Frybread Face and Me – Directed by Billy Luther

BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE (WORLD) – Sira – Directed by Apolline Traoré
Honorable Mention: Inky Pinky Ponky – Directed by Damon Fepulea’i and Ramon TeWake

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE – Brief Tender Light – Directed by Arthur Musah; Presented by ESPN Films

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT – Slice – Directed by Zaire Love
Honorable Mention – Things Long Left Unsaid – Directed by Antonia Thornton

BEST YOUNG CREATOR – The Old Young Crow – Directed by Liam LoPinto
Honorable Mention – Shallots and Garlic – Directed by Andrea Nirmala Widjajanto
Presented by The Walt Disney Studios

BEST NARRATIVE SHORT (U.S.) – Spaceship – Directed by Jorge G. Camarena
Honorable Mention – Jerome – Directed by Gianfranco Fernández-Ruiz; Death and Ramen – Directed by Tiger Ji

BEST NARRATIVE SHORT (WORLD) – Yellow – Directed by Elham Ehsas

BEST ANIMATION SHORT – Tomato Kitchen – Directory by Junyi Xiao
Honorable Mention – Lil Ruby – Directed by Bartek Kik

BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM – Quiet As It’s Kept – Directed by Ja’Tovia M. Gary

BEST SCREENPLAY – Long Live AJ – Written by Marvin Van Buren
Honorable Mention – The Washroom – Written by Elie El Choufany and Omar Al Dakheel

URBANWORLD AUDIENCE AWARD BEST SHORT – Homing – Directed by Ricardo Varona

URBANWORLD AUDIENCE AWARD BEST FEATURE – Brief Tender Light – Directed by Arthur Musah

NYWIFT AWARD for BEST FEMALE DIRECTOR, US NARRATIVE FEATURE
Sira – Directed by Apolline Traoré
Presented by New York Women In Film & Television

NYWIFT AWARD for BEST FEMALE DIRECTOR, US NARRATIVE SHORT
Lunch Box – Directed by Anne Hu
Reunion – Directed by Zainab Jah
Presented by New York Women In Film & Television