500 Years Later is the title of an independent documentary film directed by Owen 'Alik Shahadah

Owen 'Alik Shahadah

Owen 'Alik Shahadah is a director, African writer, and scholar. He is best known for authoring works, which deal with African history, social justice, environmental issues, education and world peace...

, written by M. K. Asante, Jr.

M. K. Asante, Jr.

MK Asante is an African-American author, filmmaker, and professor. He has been described by the Philadelphia Inquirer as "a rare, remarkable talent that brings to mind the great artists of the Harlem Renaissance." He was described by CNN as "a master storyteller and major creative force." He is...

 released in 2005. It won five international film festival awards (including UNESCO

UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

 'Breaking the Chains Award') in the category of Best Documentary

Documentary film

Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...

. 500 Years Later has received praise as well as controversy, both for the genre of the film (creative documentary), and the social-political impact of the film as it relates to race study.