Avon Kirkland wrote, directed and produced Ralph Ellison: An American Journey which was shown at Sundance Film Festival and broadcast on American Masters in 2002. He also produced and directed Street Soldiers, a profile of MacArthur Award-winner Joe Marshall, which aired on PBS with funding from ITVS. His acclaimed film Booker on the life of Booker T. Washington was selected as one of the 10 best programs of the year by the Los Angeles Times. Simple Justice, his film for The American Experience series was a finalist for a Humanitas Award and won a CINE Golden Eagle.