The IFAP Awards

From Christopher R. Owens, President, CESO Enterprises, Inc. crowens@cesony.com:

On behalf of CESO ENTERPRISES, INC., Alyssa Dann, Chris Oledude, and all of our production participants, I would like to compliment the organizers and operators of The IFAP Awards
When we created our first music video (which was long enough to be a short film), we knew nothing about film festivals. With the help of FilmFreeway, we started researching. The categories were good. Everyone who contacted us on behalf of this festival was helpful. The submissions looked excellent.

It was indeed exciting to discover this new world and to be so warmly welcomed by the inhabitants!  To have GEORGE FLOYD: SAY THEIR NAMES selected for inclusion was an honor in and of itself. So, to be awarded Finalist, was thrilling and beyond what we expected!
We were happy to “get the word out” and continue motivating people worldwide to consider the injustices embedded within our nation’s criminal justice system. After all, situations where a powerful segment of the population uses its law enforcement apparatus to abuse and oppress other segments of the population are recognizable in and common to many societies.
We recommend submitting your work and we certainly intend to participate again in the future. Peace and stay safe!

Lovely festival, thank you for letting me be part of it!

I cannot say enough about Floyd and the team at the IFAP Awards! First of all, it was clear that Floyd and anyone on the review team are really passionate about supporting and promoting the hard and "heart" work of independent filmmakers, especially those of color. Floyd was very hands on during the whole process, including making sure the equipment worked well when the film was shown. Films were shown in an intimate environment, and Floyd facilitated engaging discussions with the audiences after each screening. The Awards Ceremony was like nothing we have experienced before - it truly was like being at the Oscars! The venue, the entertainment, the Masters of Ceremonies, the award presenters, the videos that accompanied the announcement of the nominees, and even the awards themselves were first class all the way, making the event truly unforgettable! And the great experience that we had during the festival did not stop when the last award was given out, as Floyd has continued to support the filmmakers in the IFAP Awards "family," providing learning opportunities with industry leaders, using social media to provide advice and share lessons learned, and even creating other opportunities for films to be screened in places like Las Vegas through the partnerships and collaborations that he has fostered. Not only were we honored and proud to be a part of such a great festival with a big heart, but we are equally grateful that this experience connected us with such an amazing person as Floyd and his wonderful team. I highly recommend submitting to any festival for which Floyd is a leader.

The experience with IFAP was amazing. It was great meeting so many talented Filmmakers. The energy from the hosts was exhilarating. The positive messages delivered by the IFAP staff and the Award recipients was emotional and inspiring. I look forward to this experience next year!

2019 I attended the IFAP Awards because my music video was nominated. Not only did the video win, which was amazing, but everything about the award event was wonderful, including great food and drink, the swag bag, and the red carpet interviews. Very enjoyable experience. Will be back in 2020.