On February 8 at the Taglyan Complex, the 8th Annual AAFCA (African American Film Critics Association) Awards kicked off Hollywood’s busy weekend which included the Grammys and NAACP Image Awards. Featuring a Salute to the Legacy of Sidney Poitier’s Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, the evening honored the Who’s Who of the African American Film & TV community. Some of the hot moments of the night included Sanaa Lathan revealing that “back in the day all the women used to call Moonlight and Hidden Figures actor Mahershala Ali “Hershey Bar” as the actress, along with Nissan Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Jeffrey Webster, announced Ali won Best Supporting Actor for Moonlight, Boyz n the Hood director, John Singleton, presenting the Best Director award to newcomer, Moonlight, director Barry Jenkins and Empire creator Lee Daniels revealing that Dreamgirls was his inspiration to get into the entertainment business when he accepted the Vanguard award from original Dreamgirl Sheryl Lee Ralph. Other big winners included Denzel Washington for Fences, Viola Davis for Fences, the cast of Queen Sugar for Best TV Show, and Janelle Monae for Breakout Performance in Moonlight. The eloquent Monae, who also stars in Hidden Figures, told the crowd, “Moonlight was my first film. I was so nervous. It is no small thing to have the affirmation of your tribe.” Moonlight won the #1 Black Film of the Year and Best Picture of the Year. Could this be a prelude to the Oscars?