On Sunday, April 27, 2025, Lionsgate presented a sold-out screening of the action thriller Shadow Force during the 49th annual Atlanta Film Festival, featuring Emmy Award winner, star and producer Kerry Washington. The screening took place at the historic Plaza Theatre.

Ahead of the screening, Washington was honored with the prestigious 2025 Ossie Davis Award for Innovation in Filmmaking, recognizing her groundbreaking portrayal of a fiercely protective mother navigating extraordinary, high-stakes circumstances, redefining the traditional boundaries of women’s roles in action cinema. The Ossie Davis Award is a rare and distinguished recognition, awarded only five times in the past 20 years, with past honorees including Spike Lee, Cicely Tyson, John Sayles & Maggie Renzi, Keke Palmer and Bill Duke.

The award presentation was introduced by Atlanta Film Festival Programmer Astin Rocks and presented by Emayatzy Corinealdi, star of the Hulu streaming television series Reasonable Doubt, which Washington executive produces through her production company Simpson Street.

Also in attendance were Shadow Force producers Stephen “Dr.” Love and Pilar Savone. Following the screening, Washington participated in a Q&A moderated by radio station V-103’s Jazzy McBee, sharing insights into the making of Shadow Force and her creative journey in Hollywood.

Directed by Joe Carnahan (The Grey, Smokin’ Aces), Shadow Force tells the story of two former elite operatives who risk everything for love and family, forcing them into hiding in order to protect their child from the couple’s dangerous past. The action-thriller is released in movie theaters on May 9, 2025 and also stars Omar Sy, Mark Strong, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Method Man and Jahleel Kamara.

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