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Legendary Cinematographer Dante Spinotti Awarded the
First-ever “Beacon Award”
The I See You Awards® announced today that it is recognizing trailblazing independent filmmakers Dante Taylor and Roxanne Avent Taylor with its inaugural I See You Awards' "In Focus Award". The husband-and-wife team, co-founders of Hidden Empire Film Group, is being recognized for their amazing accomplishments in film over the years.
Hidden Empire’s impressive slate of films includes the hit thriller ‘Fatale’, starring two-time Academy Award®-winner Hilary Swank and Michael Ealy; ‘The Intruder’, starring Dennis Quaid, Michael Ealy and Meagan Good; and ‘Traffik’, starring Paula Patton, Missi Pyle and Omar Epps, among others. Their upcoming projects include the highly-anticipated ‘Meet the Blacks 2: The House Next Door’, starring Mike Epps and Katt Williams; and the psychological thriller ‘Don’t Fear’.
“We wanted to recognize Roxanne and Deon and also express our gratitude to them for not only being trailblazers, but also for being wonderful examples of first-class independent filmmakers and supporters of independent/freelance film critics,” said Terri Lee Chandler, founder of the I See You Awards. Chandler, who also is the film critic for WWJ Newsradio 950 in Detroit, Michigan, added “We are also thrilled to honor Roxanne for being a champion of the less fortunate.”
Also receiving a special award is legendary cinematographer Dante Spinotti, who is the recipient of the first-ever I See You Awards' "Beacon Award" for lighting the way for independent film.
With an impressive resume that includes such Hollywood blockbusters as ‘Heat’, ‘The Insider’, ‘L.A. Confidential’, ‘Ant Man and the Wasp’, ‘The Last of the Mohicans’, and numerous others, Spinotti passed on a $100 million film to work with the Taylors on the indie film ‘Traffik’, released in 2018.
As expressed by Deon Taylor in a video posted on YouTube, Spinotti is a shining example of “someone showing that we should all work together and lift each other up.”
The awards will be handed out during the 5th Annual Black Tie Blue Carpet I See You Awards ceremony in Detroit, Michigan on Sunday, August 29, 2021. The ceremony will be streamed live on Facebook, starting at 2:00 p.m. EST.
About the I See You Awards:
The I See You Awards, now in its 5th year, is an internationally-known awards program that was developed to recognize and reward the achievements of low-budget independent filmmakers; those with budgets that do not exceed $700,000.The I See You Awards creates a platform where the independent film community (including talent in front of and behind the camera) is recognized.Every year since 2017, we have hosted/streamed film screenings, held industry workshops/seminars and although virtual in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, a highly-anticipated and much-talked-about black tie, blue carpet awards ceremony.Our event attracts submissions from throughout the United States and from around the world.
For more information on Hidden Empire Film Group, please visit their website by clicking here.
For more information on Dante Spinotti, please visit his IMDb page by clicking here.
Editor's Note: If you're an indie filmmaker, the 5th Annual I See You Awards® will be held in August 2021. Submissions are now being accepted. To submit your project, or for more information on the awards program, click here.
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