Beth Powell’s Bessie Coleman Film Wins Cannes Documentary Honours

Jamaican-born pilot and filmmaker Beth Powell has earned fresh recognition for Discovering Bessie Coleman, the 2024 documentary she directed about Bessie Coleman, the trailblazing aviator. The film, produced by Lorna Chin, secured the Diversity in Cannes-Best Documentary and Director’s Choice Award.

Coleman is remembered as the first African American and Native American woman to receive a pilot’s licence. In an Instagram post marking the win, Chin said Powell brought her the idea in 2023. “We developed the story over the course of a year, eventually deciding to lean into a Jamaican storytelling style,” she said.

Powell also received the Better World Fund-Commitment Award for her documentary work and service to the community.