Black Reel Award for Outstanding Independent Film

Last updated
Black Reel Award for Outstanding Independent Feature
Country United States
Presented by The Black Reel Awards (BRAs)
First award 2002
Most recent winner A Thousand and One (2024)
Website blackreelawards.com

This article lists the winners and nominees for the Black Reel Award for Outstanding Independent Film. This award is presented to the directors of the film.

Contents

Winners and nominees

Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.

2000s

YearFilmDirector(s)Ref
2002
The Visit Jordan Walker-Pearlman [1]
30 Years to Life Vanessa Middleton
Blue Hill Avenue Craig Ross Jr.
Lift DeMane Davis and Khari Streeter
Lumumba Raoul Peck
One WeekCarl Seaton
2003
Standing in the Shadows of Motown Paul Justman [2]
Biggie & Tupac Nick Broomfield
Crazy as Hell Eriq La Salle
2004
Anne B. Real Lisa France [3]
All About You Christine Swanson
G Shonie De La Rosa and Larry Blackhorse Lowe
2005
The Woodsman Nicole Kassell [4]
Motives Craig Ross Jr.
Woman Thou Art Loosed Michael Schultz
2006
Constellation Jordan Walker-Pearlman [5]
Love TrapFrank B. Goodin II
On the One Charles Randolph-Wright
On the Verge of a Fever John L'Ecuyer
Proud Mary Pat Kelly
2007
Traci Townsend Craig Ross Jr. [6]
No. 2 Toa Fraser
Premium Pete Chatmon
2008

2010s

YearFilmDirector(s)Ref
2010
Mississippi Damned Tina Mabry [7]
Sugar Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
This is the Life Ava DuVernay
2011
Preacher's Kid Stan Foster [8]
Black Venus Abdellatif Kechiche
Finding God in the City of AngelsJennifer Jessum
Kings of the Evening Andrew P. Jones
Toe to ToeEmily Abt
2012
My Last Day Without You Stefan Schaefer [9]
Besouro João Daniel Tikhomiroff
BillyPeter Burger
MamitasNicholas Ozeki
The Tested Russell Costanzo
2013
LUV Sheldon Candis [10]
ElzaMariette Monpierre
Four Joshua Sanchez
The Last Fall Matthew A. Cherry
Yelling to the Sky Victoria Mahoney
2014
Blue Caprice Alexandre Moors [11]
Mother of George Andrew Dosunmu
Things Never SaidCharles Murray
An Oversimplification of Her Beauty Terence Nance
Go for Sisters John Sayles
2015
The RetrievalChris Eska [12]
1982Tommy Oliver
Christmas Wedding Baby Kiara C. Jones
CRUAlton Glass
Una Vida: A Fable of Music and the MindRichie Adams
2016
Tangerine Sean S. Baker [13]
Blackbird Patrik-Ian Polk
Knucklehead Ben Bowman
The Man in 3B Trey Haley
Somewhere in the MiddleLanre Olabisi
2017
American Honey Andrea Arnold [14]
How to Tell You’re a DouchebagTahir Jetter
Hunter GathererJoshua Locy
The Land Steven Caple Jr.
Morris from America Chad Hartigan
2018
Crown Heights Matt Ruskin [15]
Burning Sands Gerard McMurray
Gook Justin Chon
Imperial Dreams Malik Vitthal
The Incredible Jessica James James C. Strouse
2019
JinnNijla Mumin [16]
A Boy. A Girl. A Dream. Qasim Basir
Roxanne Roxanne Michael Larnell
Monsters and Men Reinaldo Marcus Green
Yardie Idris Elba

2020s

YearFilmDirector(s)Ref
2020
The Last Black Man in San Francisco Joe Talbot [17]
Burning Cane Phillip Youmans
Clemency Chinonye Chukwu
Guava Island Hiro Murai
Luce Julius Onah
2021
The Forty-Year-Old Version Radha Blank [18]
American Skin Nate Parker
Farewell Amor Ekwa Msangi
Miss Juneteenth Channing Godfrey Peoples
Sylvie's Love Eugene Ashe
2022
Zola Janicza Bravo [19]
Concrete Cowboy Ricky Staub
Nine Days Edson Oda
Test Pattern Shatara Michelle Ford
The Water Man David Oyelowo
2023
The Inspection Elegance Bratton
Emergency Carey Williams
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. Adamma Ebo
Master Mariama Diallo
Nanny Nikyatu Jusu
2024
A Thousand and One A. V. Rockwell
All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt Raven Jackson
Earth Mama Savanah Leaf
How I Learned to FlySimon Steuri
Rye Lane Raine Allen-Miller
2025
We Grown Now Minhal Baig
Albany Road Christine Swanson
Blink Twice Zoë Kravitz
Hard Truths Mike Leigh
I Saw the TV Glow Jane Schoenbrun

Multiple wins

2 wins

Multiple nominations

3 nominations
2 nominations

References

  1. 2002 Black Reel Awards
  2. 2003 Black Reel Awards
  3. 2004 Black Reel Awards
  4. 2005 Black Reel Awards
  5. 2006 Black Reel Awards
  6. 2007 Black Reel Awards
  7. 2010 Black Reel Awards
  8. 2011 Black Reel Awards
  9. 2012 Black Reel Awards
  10. "Critics Wild About Beasts". Black Reel Awards. February 8, 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  11. "2014 Black Reel Awards - Nominees". Black Reel Awards. December 11, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  12. 2015 Black Reel Awards
  13. 2016 Black Reel Awards
  14. 2017 Black Reel Awards
  15. 2018 Black Reel Awards
  16. 2019 Black Reel Awards
  17. 2020 Black Reel Awards
  18. "A Special "Night in Miami!" – the Black Reel Awards". Archived from the original on 2021-02-22. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
  19. "'The Harder They Fall' Sets Record with 20 Nominations from the Black Reel Awards". Black Girl Nerds. BGN Staff. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.