Sony Motion Picture Group CEO Calls Out Despicable Trump Video Depicting Obamas as Apes

Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group CEO Tom Rothman was vocal about championing Black storytelling at the 17th annual African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) Awards, held Sunday at the Maybourne Beverly Hills.

Rothman accepted the Impact Award, recognizing the studio’s decades-long commitment to diverse stories and talent — dating back to Sidney Poitier’s 1967 rom-com Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner — on behalf of Sony at the ceremony. Taking a moment to plug their upcoming animated sports comedy Goat, set for release on Feb. 13, Rothman made a reference to the now-deleted post Donald Trump uploaded to social media Thursday night depicting former president and first lady Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, stating, “I was thinking driving over that in the face of the regressive and despicable video that we were subject to last week — from the leader of the free world no less — that stories like these remain evermore urgent and important.

“So we’re very grateful to the creators who trust us with those stories and to audiences around the world. And come see me if you’d like to have a little insight into the bit that they do not resonate around the world, because they do,” continued Rothman, who, upon asking his team members in the audience to stand, added, “it feels kind of silly for the old white dude to be standing up here accepting this award as it belongs to all the people at the motion picture group —one that I’m very proud to say is a diverse and inclusive group.”

Sinners was the big winner during the luncheon hosted by former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, with the film receiving the award for best picture and best ensemble, Wunmi Mosaku being honored as best supporting actress, Michael B. Jordan, who wasn’t in attendance, being named best actor and Delroy Lindo receiving the Beacon Award. Ryan Coogler was also recognized for best writing and as best director.

“It’s a complicated business to be a Black person in media,” Coogler stated in his acceptance speech for writing, his first of three during the luncheon. “For so long, media was weaponized against us. It still is in many cases. And when you’re working on something, you want it to feel true. The last four times I made a movie with big studios, I knew the movie was going to go to thousands of screens domestically — the best case thousands more internationally. And I knew that the movie would have to work for every type of person that might buy a ticket and go there. It needed to make sense for all of them, but deep down inside, the question that I always have is, does it make sense for us?”

Adding that that’s a question he and his wife and business partner, Zinzi, who’s a producer on Sinners, ask themselves with each project, Coogler continued, “We got folks in our neighborhood we came up in that couldn’t read. And these were real smart people, businessmen who can read traffic signs and do things here and there, but you couldn’t hand them The Great Gatsby, you couldn’t hand them Wuthering Heights. But you could put on a movie, and they would rock with that. So it always meant something for me to be working in this medium. Writing is how I got into the business,” he added. “I got into this business on accident. I wrote something in a class and a teacher recommended that I look into writing screenplays. So it’s my first love in the business.”

Chase Infiniti also spoke from the heart while accepting the Emerging Face (actress) award for her role as Willa in One Battle After Another, calling the film “a timely reflection of the world that we’re living in.”

Continued Infiniti, “It’s a reminder that we have to learn from our past if we want to protect our future. It’s a story about a father and a daughter that’s full of heart, humor and humanity, but at its core it’s about connection, legacy and responsibility, all brought together by a cast of legends, and alongside them, truly prolific Black women: Teyana Taylor, Regina Hall and ShaynaMcHale. Each of these women represents strength in a different form. They have agency, they take up space, they lead with intention, and in so many ways, they are examples not just for Willa, but for me.

“To the young actors of color who may be listening, seeing women like that on set in their power, doing the work with excellence and authenticity, it matters,” added Infiniti. “Representation isn’t just about being seen. It’s about what’s possible when you are. And I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to see the possibilities firsthand on my first-ever film.”

Additional AAFCA Award recipients included Tessa Thompson (best actress) and Damson Idris (best supporting actor), who were unable to attend; The Perfect Neighbor (best documentary); KPop Demon Hunters (best animated feature); Miles Caton (Emerging Face, Actor); Hedda (best independent feature); The Rebel Girls (best live-action short); Hoops, Hopes & Dreams (best documentary short); Black Man, Black Man, (best animated short); and Ludwig Göransson (best music).

Special AAFCA Award recipients included producer DeVon Franklin, who received the Ashley Boone Award; Unanimous Media co-founder, co-CEO and chief creative officer Erick Peyton, who was honored with the Game Changer Award; Andscape general manager Jason Aidoo, who received the Vanguard Award; and One of Them Days director Lawrence Lamont, who received the Breakthrough Director Award.