Mahershala Ali Honored with Creative Icon Award at CultureCon, New Film Expands Nationwide

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Ali discussed artistic freedom and storytelling at the conference shaped by Black creatives before his film opens in wide release.

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Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali , leading star of Orion Pictures & Amazon MGM Studios' Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, took the CultureCon main stage for a Creative Genius panel on artistic freedom, diverse storytelling, and creative inspiration with veteran journalist & influential media executive Datwon Thomas, and received the Creative Icon Award on Sunday, October 4.

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It was an engaging and powerful conversation – held at one of the largest conferences shaped by and for Black creatives, community, and culture – between the two as they chatted entertainment, Hollywood, and culture through the Black creative's lens. From Mahershala's dynamic career trajectory to how music influences his approach in roles to the importance of telling and supporting original stories to leading the critically-acclaimed Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother.

Following the panel conversation, CultureCon founder Imani Ellis presented Mahershala Ali with the Creative Icon Award.

Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother is in theaters everywhere this Friday. The film is presented by Orion Pictures, a Two & Two Pictures Production, and is a film by Bassam Tariq. It is now playing in select New York and Los Angeles theaters and opens in additional cities October 2.

From writer-director Bassam Tariq, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother stars Mahershala Ali as Latif, a devoutly religious hitman who struggles to balance work, faith and fatherhood. When his wife dies, he embarks on a desperate journey across Houston to protect his children, confronting the forces closing in around him - and the beliefs threatening to unravel within.

Tickets are available at amazon.com/salp/yourmother .

Written and Directed by: Bassam Tariq

Produced by: Lucan Toh, p.g.a., Babak Anvari, Bassam Tariq, p.g.a.

Executive Producer: Brian O'Neill

Cast: Mahershala Ali , John Cho , Abubakr Ali , Laith Nakli , Tramell Tillman , Tiffany Boone, and Giancarlo Esposito

Also starring Adia, Jahleel Kamara

Genre(s): Drama, Action

Rating: R for violence/bloody images, language and some sexual content

Rated R | 111 minutes

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/Mahershala-Ali-Receives-Creative-Icon-Award-at-CultureCon-20261006)._