AFI Board Trustee Todd Wagner and his 2929 Productions helped produce the inspiring story of AKEELAH AND THE BEE (2006)which stars Oscar® and Emmy® nominated actress Angela Bassett alongside Oscar® and Emmy® winner Laurence Fishburne (his third collaboration with him) and Keke Palmer.
On October 9, 2021, AFI will award an honorary degree to Oscar® and Emmy® nominated actress and producer Angela Bassett in recognition of her contribution to the art of the moving image. Since 2019, Bassett has received her fifth, sixth and seventh career Emmy® Award nominations, including two in the Outstanding Storyteller category for her work on the documentaries THE FLOOD (2019) and THE IMAGINEERING STORY (2020), and a nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW (2020). Bassett received critical acclaim, a Golden Globe Award and a Best Actress® Oscar nomination for her spectacular portrayal of legendary singer Tina Turner in the feature film WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT. Recently, she starred in the hit films BLACK PANTHER and MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT. Last summer, she starred in the action-adventure film GUNPOWDER MILKSHAKE.
