Former Ambassador Nicole Avant to Take Bahamas Film Honor in December

Nicole Avant will return to Nassau in December to accept the Visionary Producer Award at the Bahamas International Film Festival. The former U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas will also be named an honorary patron of the event. This recognition connects her current role in cinema to her diplomatic past, marking a full circle for her relationship with the country.

The award ceremony is scheduled for the opening night gala of the main program. That section of the festival runs from December 10 to December 14. A separate three day preliminary event will take place earlier on Harbour Island, featuring a screenwriters residency and specific film screenings.

Leslie Vanderpool, the festival founder and executive director, issued a statement announcing the honor. Vanderpool described Avant as a powerhouse who has opened doors as a producer, author, and diplomat. She stated that Avant’s work is an integral part of the Bahamas' record and reflected the high regard the nation holds for her.

Avant’s producing credits include the 2019 Netflix documentary The Black Godfather. That film chronicled the life of her father, music executive Clarence Avant. The National Board of Review named it one of the Top Documentaries of the Year, and it earned Emmy and NAACP Image Award nominations.

She served as an executive producer on the 2021 film Trees of Peace. That picture tells the story of four women who form a bond while seeking refuge during the Rwandan genocide. In 2024, she produced Tyler Perry’s The Six Triple Eight, which depicts the first all Black female battalion to serve overseas in World War II. That film earned five NAACP Image Awards and an Academy Award nomination for best original song.

Avant began her career in the music industry with roles in promotions at A&M Records and later as a vice president at Interior Music Publishing. She expanded into writing in 2023 with the release of her memoir, Think You’ll Be Happy, which became a national bestseller. A children’s book is currently in development.

In her own statement, Avant called her return a beautiful homecoming. She recalled meeting Vanderpool during her time as ambassador as one of her earliest memories. Avant and her husband, Ted Sarandos, participated in the festival during its early years and have watched it grow into a platform for filmmakers from the Bahamas and around the world.

The festival will host a Producers Lab throughout the main program to support this focus on behind the camera creative forces. The lab will include sessions on producing, pitching, and development. These workshops aim to help Bahamian and international filmmakers sharpen their craft and prepare projects for the marketplace.