George C. Wolfe Will Be Honored by African American Film Critics Association

"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" director George C. Wolfe will be honored by the African American Film Critics Association with the Salute to Excellence Award.

This year's honorees also include Mariah Carey and Stacey Abrams.

"When you think about all four of these projects and individuals, they're being very intentional in wanting to utilize their talents for good, for information and with the intention to uplift and empower," AAFCA president and CEO Gil Robertson told Variety.

The awards presented represent the recipient's entire body of work. Other awards given out during the ceremony on April 7th will represent work done over the past year. Those nominees will be announced on March 8th.

"For many actors, their pathway to success begins in the theater, and Mr. Wolfe has certainly been a part of the development process for a lot of big names that we know today in the TV and film space. He's such a brilliant man and director - from 'Lackawanna Blues' to 'Angels in America' to what he did with 'Ma Rainey' - telling stories that reflect in it to a great degree our history in this country as Black people," said Robertson about Wolfe.

Wolfe won Tony Awards for his Broadway productions of "Angels in America: Millennium Approaches" and "Bring in 'da Noise/Bring in 'da Funk." His theatre directing credits include The Iceman Cometh, Shuffle Along, or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed (NY Drama Critics' Circle Award and Drama Desk Award for Best Musical); Lucky Guy; The Normal Heart (Drama Desk); Jelly's Last Jam (Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award); Angels in America: Millennium Approaches (Tony Award and Drama Desk) and Perestroika (Drama Desk); Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk (Tony and Drama League Award); Topdog/Underdog (Obie Award); Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 (Drama Desk); Elaine Stritch at Liberty (Tony for Special Theatrical Event); The Tempest; Caroline, or Change (Olivier Award Best Musical); and A Free Man of Color.

From 1993-2005 Wolfe was the Producer of The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival. He is the writer of the award-winning The Colored Museum and Shuffle Along..., and he directed/adapted Spunk (Obie) and Harlem Song.

Wolfe directed and co-wrote the HBO film "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks," as well as "Lackawanna Blues," for which he earned The Directors Guild Award and a National Board of Review Award.