The following answers include information about category definitions and submission qualifications.
General Eligibility Criteria
To be considered for an individual award, the subject must have performed in an eligible project that aired or was released between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021.
The performance or project cannot be used from a previously released project that would have qualified in a previous year (i.e., a rebroadcast performance, a performance in a released film being rebroadcast,
All entries may be modified by the entrant until submitted. Once they are submitted for review, all changes will have to be requested through the category coordinator.
General Information
**ONLY ONE SUBMISSION IS REQUIRED. IT IS THE SUBMITTING PARTIES RESPONSIBILITY TO INDICATE WHICH CATEGORIES THEIR FILM SHOULD BE CONSIDERED. PLEASE REFER TO THE AWARDS CATEGORIES, UNDER "AWARDS & PRIZES."**
● All projects must be original programming that has not been previously released and/or aired.
● There are five (5) final nominees in each category. These nominees are determined after the Voting Academy members vote on received submissions.
● The synopsis is the general overview of the project, or element unless required for that category. When writing a project synopsis, please use less than 75 words.
● Submissions that do not meet the criteria are immediately disqualified.
● If you do not provide a screener for the committee to review, your project will be disqualified.
● All submissions screeners must be digital links. Links must be supplied to the members of the Voting Academy via a third-party platform to be considered. If you are providing individual links with individual passcodes, they must be submitted by spreadsheet.
● Digital links that require login information must include the username and password. The link must remain active until the end of the voting period, December 3, 2021.
● Only producer(s) whose specific screen credit is Executive Producer, Co-Executive
Producer, Supervising Producer, Producer or Produced by, and whose functions support those credits will receive awards. In the event of a win, a maximum of two (2) trophies will be awarded. An additional five (5) trophies can be purchased.
Motion Picture Category
● Motion Picture submissions must meet the minimum length requirement for a feature film of seventy (70) minutes to qualify. Projects must either meet the Theater or Non-Theater Release.
o Theater Release - Projects that were distributed to theaters prior to the pandemic closures (and individual achievements within it) must have been initially released and distributed in the U.S. and had a minimum commercial theatrical run in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, or Miami for seven (7) consecutive days.
o Non-Theater Release (Digital) – Projects (and individual achievements within it) released on a digital platform, based on the closure of movie theaters and the change of release options, that had a previously planned theatrical release but were initially made available.
• Motion Picture Short Form submissions must meet the maximum length requirement for a short form of forty (40) minutes to qualify. A short-form film must have a paid theatrical release prior to a nontheatrical distribution or pay to show and be a final version of the film. Short Form submissions must either have an official jury screening at a recognized film festival or meet the Theater or Non-Theater Release.
Motion Picture Category Definitions and Rules
Descriptions of Categories
ACTING
Eligible submissions must be of African American or of the African Diaspora
• All Acting Categories
Awarded to actors of Motion Picture, Independent, Foreign and Animated features only. Performances from Short films are not eligible.
• Outstanding Breakthrough Performance
Awarded to actors of African American or of African Descent in their debut or breakthrough in a mainstream or independent role. More than one performer can be submitted per film.
DIRECTING
Eligible submissions must be of African American or of the African Diaspora.
• Outstanding Director
Awarded to directors of Motion Picture, Independent, Foreign and Animated features only.
• Outstanding Emerging Director
Awarded to first-time directors
• Directors Motion Picture, Independent, Documentaries, Foreign and Short films are eligible
DOCUMENTARIES
Eligible documentaries subject matter must focus on the African American or African Diaspora
• Outstanding Documentary Feature
Awarded to the director. Eligible documentaries must be 70 minutes in length and released in two or more major markets.
• Outstanding Independent Documentary
Awarded to the director. To be eligible films must be without distribution and screened at at least two film festivals.
FOREIGN-LANGUAGE & WORLD CINEMA MOTION PICTURE
Eligible films subject matter must focus on the African American or African Diaspora
• Outstanding Foreign-Language Film
Awarded to the accredited director. Must be a motion picture drama or comedy with more than 50% non-English dialogue. Foreign-Language motion pictures that originate outside the United State need not have been released in United States.
• Outstanding World Cinema Motion Picture
Awarded to the accredited director. Must be more than 50% in English and originate outside the United State need not have been released in the United States.
MOTION & INDEPENDENT FEATURES
Eligible films subject matter must focus on the African American or African Diaspora
• Outstanding Motion Picture
Awarded to directors of Motion Picture, Foreign and Animated feature only. The film must be released in 500 or more theaters nationwide and must be 70 minutes or longer
• Outstanding Independent Feature
Awarded to the accredited director(s). The film must be released in less than 500 theaters nationwide.
• Outstanding Short Film
Awarded to the accredited director(s). The film must be less than 70 minutes in length and eligible films must be screened at three film festivals or released in two major markets.
PROFESSIONAL CATEGORIES
Eligible films subject matter must focus on the African American or African Diaspora
• Outstanding Ensemble - Awarded to the casting director(s)
• Outstanding Cinematography
• Outstanding Score
• Outstanding Production Design
• Outstanding Costume Design
• Outstanding Editing
Nominees in these categories do not have to be of African American or of African Descent
SCREENPLAYS
All submitted screenplays must include at least one writer of African American or of the African Diaspora
• Outstanding Screenplay
• Original or Adapted screenplays. Motion, Independent, Animated, and Foreign films are eligible. Short Films and Documentaries are not eligible in this category.
• Outstanding First Screenplay
Awarded to the screenwriters for their debut film. Documentaries are not eligible.
Voting
Only active academy members vote for the Black Reel Awards. The voting is monitored by our nominating committee and is done in two phases - Nominations and Final vote.
