Join Howard University's English Dept. for this inaugural festival

Celebrating Black Voices and Social Justice

Howard University's Department of English's First Year Writing Program is thrilled to launch our inaugural Black Film Festival. We are dedicated to providing a platform for filmmakers and intellectuals to showcase and discuss their work. With a focus on narratives centered around social justice, cultural empowerment, and the African diaspora, the festival aims to amplify diverse perspectives and celebrate the legacy of influential cultural figures.

Schedule of Events

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 14, 2025 - Cramton Auditorium

12 - 2pm

Nikki Giovanni read-a-thon-virtual (on Zoom) and in-person (Cramton)

2:30 - 5:30pm - Homegrown: Films by Howard University professors and alumni

2:30 - 3:30 

The Last Battlefront by Anna Reid Jhirad and HU Professor Maha Haddad

(Run time: 56 min.)

This documentary is the first historical film on the right for self-government in Washington, D.C., told through the lives and voices of its citizens.

3:30 - 4pm

Sin Luces  by HU Professors Dr. Shahriar Shafiani and Professor Srikanth Nandigama

(Run time: 18 min.)

Sin Luces follows Jerry, a Mexican American bartender struggling to feel at home in a changing hometown. Through fleeting moments of friendship during a World Cup workday, Jerry comes to face the costs of holding onto a world that feels increasingly distant.

4:30 - 5pm

Somewhere in Brooklyn by HU Alum Brandon Wilkerson

(Run time: 21 min)

A police officer rekindles a romance with a woman he was involved with while undercover during the 2020 quarantine. 

5 - 5:30pm

Q&A with Professor Haddad, Professor Shafiani, and Brandon Wilkerson 

5:30 - 6pm 

Musical performance 

6 - 8:30pm

Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project by Joe Brewster and Michele Stephenson 

(Run time: 1 hr 42 min, followed by Q&A)

This documentary travels through time and space to reveal the enduring influence of Nikki Giovanni, one of America's greatest living poets and social commentators.

9 - 11:59pm

Visions of Freedom Closing Celebration

Free for Howard University students and employees

HU students, employees, & alumni - Register here (Free)

Click here to purchase tickets