“Every frame should challenge, heal, or awaken something in us.” This mantra defines Cortez Mack, the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award-winning filmmaker whose work has circled the globe from Rio de Janeiro to Calgary, collecting accolades at over 100 film festivals. His nomination for the Visionary Leader Award at the Influencer Magazine Awards 2025 celebrates a career built on turning personal conviction into cultural impact.

As a writer-director-producer whose films like “Bobby” (Mental Filmness Film Festival 2024) and “Splitting Image” (Urban Short Film Festival’s Filmmaker of Leadership Award 2024) confront mental health and fractured relationships, Cortez doesn’t just make movies—he engineers empathy. His BESLA Film Festival-nominated works have screened everywhere from Pinewood Studios in England to the Diaspora Festival of Black & Independent Film, proving stories about Black experiences and universal struggles need no passport.

A member of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and Chicago Emmys/NATAS, Cortez leverages his platform to mentor through initiatives like the BESLA Chicago Writers Fellowship. Whether directing Trent G’s socially charged “Reparations” music video (San Antonio Black International Film Festival 2024 Honorable Mention) or crafting faith-based shorts like “Dinner Table” (6x Christian Film Festival Award Winner), he proves artistry and activism share the same heartbeat.

With projects like “After Thoughts” (PTSD awareness) and “Sincerely, Your Father” (intergenerational healing), Cortez continues pushing boundaries. His Golden Hawk Award-winning director’s reel and “Best Screenplay” wins at festivals like the Christian Georgia Film Festival reveal a creator who masters every facet of storytelling.

Cortez Mack’s nomination honors more than his “Best Short Film” wins or Semi-Finalist placements from Sweden to Santa Monica. It recognizes a leader who treats cinema as both mirror and hammer—reflecting truth, then shaping it. In his hands, a camera isn’t just a tool; it’s a torch.