Stefani Saintonge Named as Winner of ESSENCE's Black Women in Hollywood Short Film Contest

NEW YORK, Feb. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- ESSENCE, the #1 media brand for African-American women, has named Stefani Saintonge as the winner of its first The Essence Black Women in Hollywood Short Film Contest: Spotlight On Our Journeys, it was announced today.

An ESSENCE first, the Black Women in Hollywood Short Film Contest challenged entrants to present unique, refreshing visions of Black women—multidimensional portrayals that are different from the stereotypical and often negative images that respondents in a recent ESSENCE study said don't reflect the totality of who they are. Last November, ESSENCE invited aspiring filmmakers to showcase their own inspiring images reflecting the truths and triumphs of Black women's lives by entering the contest. Contest finalists were selected from an eclectic gathering of submissions by a team of ESSENCE editors. From there, ESSENCE's Black Women in Hollywood Academy, featuring top industry tastemakers chose Saintonge as the winner—who will be recognized in the company of A-listers during the 7^th annual ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon held on February 27, 2014. Saintonge will receive the Black Women in Hollywood Discovery Award. Saintonge's journey will be chronicled on Essence.com, and a portion of her film will be shown at the Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon.

The Black Women in Hollywood Academy featured: Shonda Rhimes, creator and executive producer of hit shows Grey's Anatomy and Scandal; actress Regina King; husband and wife producing team Mara Brock and Salim Akil; film director and writer Gina Prince Bythewood; producer Stephanie Allain; PEOPLE movie critic Alynda Wheat; director and editor-in-chief of Shadow and Act Tambay Obenson; filmmaker Ava DuVernay; director of development for 34th Street Films Amber Rasberry; and screenwriter and director Dee Rees.

At 26, Saintonge, who hails from Queens, N.Y., is a daring young risk-taker who loves exploring provocative new stories to tell and the opportunity to expand her repertoire from documentary to narrative. With tenacity, she made the film in just 9 months—writing it, casting an amazing pool of talent through the Casting Network on Craigslist and throwing every dime she had into her dream. The result: Seventh Grade, a unique coming-of-age story about a brave young Black girl who discovers the politics of sexuality and in the process stands up for a friend and makes it count.   

"It's great to get validation from your own community, and ESSENCE represents that community very well. I'm really happy to be a part of it," says Saintonge of winning the contest. "When I was in middle school I remember…the stories that are out there for when [men] come of age, [was] about them being interested in sex. For women, they become the sex objects. So I wanted to explore what that's like for women to deal with your body becoming a sex object. That's why it's really amazing."

This year, the 7^th annual Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon will honor three of the year's most impactful and inspiring talents, both in front of the camera and behind-the-scenes, including: 2014 Academy Award® nominated actress Lupita Nyong'o (Best Breakthrough Performance); Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences President Cheryl Boone Isaacs (Trailblazer Award) and award-winning director/writer Ava DuVernay (Visionary Award). Award presenters include Sidney Poitier, Oprah Winfrey, Alfre Woodard, Kerry Washington, David Oyelowo, Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee and Danai Gurira. In recognition of the 50^th Anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the event will also pay tribute to legendary performers who were Champions of the Civil Rights Movement: Nichelle Nichols, Jim Brown and Denise Nicholas, among others.

For more details on this year's honorees and to watch the live streaming of the red carpet of the Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon, visit Essence.com/BWIH.

ABOUT ESSENCE COMMUNICATIONS INC.:

ESSENCE Communications Inc. (ECI) is the number one media company dedicated to African-American women, with a multi-platform presence in publishing, live events, and online.  The company's flagship publication, ESSENCE magazine, is the preeminent lifestyle magazine for African-American women; generating brand extensions such as the ESSENCE Festival, ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood and Black Women in Music, Window on Our Women and Smart Beauty consumer insights series, the ESSENCE Book Club, ESSENCE.com, and ventures in digital media (mobile, television and VOD). For 43 years, ESSENCE, which has a brand reach of 9.8 million, has been the leading source of cutting-edge information and specific solutions relating to every area of African-American women's lives.  Additional information about ECI and ESSENCE is available at www.ESSENCE.com.

SOURCE ESSENCE Magazine