Richard T. Jones Hosts Hollywood's Most Global Red Carpet Tonight

Beverly Hills gets a passport stamp tonight. The 2026 Global Film Awards roll out the red carpet at 5 PM at the Writers Guild Theater on South Doheny Drive, and the man running the show is Richard T. Jones, the Sgt. Wade Grey of ABC’s The Rookie.

The guest list mixes Hollywood power with first-time filmmakers. DeVon Franklin, the producer and bestselling author behind Franklin Entertainment, leads the arrivals with Nick Vallelonga, who won two Oscars for Green Book. Actress and singer Demetria McKinney, Grammy-nominated producer Theron “Neff-U” Feemster, Ricco Ross, Richard Lawson and Zambian gospel artist Ephriam Mutalangue are also on the list.

950 films, 30 countries, one carpet

The Authentic Global Film Festival says more than 950 films from roughly 30 countries were submitted this year. Many of the filmmakers walking tonight have never seen their work on a big screen. That is the point, says founder Dr. Gershom Sikaala: “Talent doesn’t depend on where you were born or how old you are, but opportunity too often does.”

What to watch for

At 6 PM, Vallelonga, Franklin and Feemster sit down for a panel hosted by Anabelle D. Munro, with filmmaker Amanda “Kazzy” Cryer and producer Joey Zhou. The awards run from 7 to 9 PM, and the party moves to N10 on West 3rd Street at 10 PM. We’re on the carpet all night, so follow @hollywoodnewsaccess for arrivals as they happen.

Disclosure: Hollywood News Access is part of the same media group as Newswire Hollywood, the festival’s official media partner, and PR STARPOWER, which handles the festival’s publicity. Details are from the festival’s official run of show and press release.