CANNES, FRANCE | May 26, 2026 | The Ebony Canal A Story of Black Infant Health documentary directed by six-time Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Emmai Alaquiva and narrated by EGOT Viola Davis, has won three top honors at the 2026 Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase, capping a defining week on the world’s most prestigious film stage and marking the first international stop of the film’s Global Birth Equity Tour, which launched in April 2026 during Black Maternal Health Week. The film also screened as part of the official Festival de Cannes at Pavillon Afronova, marking two historic screenings and an undeniable global moment for the maternal-health movement.
MAY 13 | OFFICIAL FESTIVAL DE CANNES SCREENING AT PAVILLON AFRONOVA On Wednesday, May 13, The Ebony Canal made its official Festival de Cannes debut with a featured screening at Pavillon Afronova, now in its 7th edition at the Marché du Film and recently rebranded from Pavillon Afriques to reflect an expanded vision of Africa’s creative industries and their global influence. The screening placed The Ebony Canal before an international audience of press, programmers, distributors, and filmmakers, opening the door to the conversations, partnerships, and momentum that defined the rest of the week.
TRIPLE WIN AT DIVERSITY IN CANNES SHORT FILM SHOWCASE Five days later, on Monday, May 18, The Ebony Canal returned to the Croisette for a featured screening at the Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase, Founded by Yolonda Brinkley, Diversity in Cannes continues its mission of championing underrepresented voices in global cinema by creating opportunities for visibility, access, and meaningful industry engagement during one of the world’s most prestigious film gatherings.
Presented with support from Julius Tennon and Academy Award winner Viola Davis’s JuVee Productions, Melanie Hoyes, Senior Director of Inclusion at the British Film Institute, and Screen Australia, the 2026 showcase was held during Diversity Day, May 18, 2026, at the Cannes Film Festival.
The Ebony Canal closed the night as one of the program’s most decorated titles — taking home:
■ Best Documentary
■ Best First-Time Director (Emmai Alaquiva)
■ Best Editing
The wins arrive on the heels of the film’s recent NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Short Form Documentary (Film), and add to a growing list of honors: including two Emmy Awards, three Webby Awards, six Telly Awards, Best Short Documentary (Social Impact) at the 2025 Essence Film Festival, and the 2025 Cultural Visionary Award from Urbanworld Film Festival.
“To be honored amongst a cadre of the most talented and visionary filmmakers in the world at the Cannes Film Festival was an experience of a lifetime. The Ebony Canal has made a global impact for illuminating a crisis but also for the exceptional filmmaking prowess of Emmai Alaquiva.
— Janis Burley, President & CEO, August Wilson African American Cultural Center.
About The Ebony Canal This is an Emmy Award-winning documentary captures the humanity and inequities shaping Black motherhood through the stories of Mariah Peoples, Rachel Strader, Alana Yzola-Daly, and Larissa Keys (Lane). It features appearances and commentary from Vice President Kamala Harris, actor and advocate Lamman Rucker, and journalist and maternal-health advocate Elaine Welteroth, with creative contributions by Keke Palmer. The film features an original score by Bud’da (Stephen Anderson), a Grammy-nominated producer and composer whose work blends emotion and storytelling. It deepens through data and analytic insights from maternal-health expert Dr. Margaret Larkins Pettigrew, whose research and advocacy highlight the systemic realities defining birth and survival for Black families in America.
Executive Produced by Brenda Gilbert, Lekha Singh, Sanjay Rawal, and Sam Reiman.
Special thanks to the Richard King Mellon Foundation and the August Wilson African American Cultural Center for their contributions to this film.
Media Contact
Marcia Perry Dix / Priscilla Clarke
Perry Media / Clarke PR
Marcia@perrymedia.com
priscilla@clarkepr.com
Mobile: 717-576-1899 Mobile: 240-476-9643