Join us for the HBCU First Look Film Festival!!!

Schedule of Events:

November 8, 2024

09:00 am - 5:00 pm: Walk-Up and On-Site Registration
03:00 pm - 6:00 pm: Theater Screening Room - Film Screening Marathon Two days of continuous curated film screenings featuring HBCU student filmmaker challenge finalists with independent alumni film premieres
10:00 am - 6:00 pm: HBCYOU presents Beyond the Lights Career Lounge!  - Learn about and sign up for internships and meet vendors in the Lounge: Learn about summer 2025 internships and One on One mentorship opportunities.
10:00 am - 2:00 pm: David E Talbert Masterclass- director, playwright, filmmaker, author, and influencer will conduct a masterclass.
12:00 pm - 1:15 pm: Opening Plenary Lunch: A Celebration of Black Cinema and Activism. A Conversation with Actress Naturi Naughton on Power, Passion, and Perseverance - Hosted by Loni Love
01:30 pm - 2:30 pm: Presented by NBC: Crafting Change: A Career in Storytelling and Advocacy with executive producer and showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll (Found, All American) Moderated by Cori Murray
02:45 pm - 3:45 pm: "Strictly Business": Independent Filmmaking and Entrepreneurship with Production Companies - Cheryl Polote-Williamson and Bree West. Moderated by Ronda Penrice.
04:00 pm - 5:00 pm: TV One Presents How to pitch YOUR show and Film "Advice from Pros" with Brittany Inge and E. Roger Mitchell
05:30 pm - 6:30 pm: Reception to network at the HBCU First LOOK Film Festival. Hosted by DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment
07:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Opening Night Film and Talk Back - Moderator Jawn Murray for Kemba Movie

November 9, 2024

9:00 am - 12:00 pm : Walk-up and Open Registration
10:00 am - 06:00 pm: HBCYOU presents Beyond the Lights Career Lounge! New this year throughout the weekend, HBCYOU - PandG's national program supporting students attending historically Black colleges and universities - presents Beyond the Lights Career and Vendor Lounge, showcasing their commitment to leveling up students' lifestyle needs with essential product giveaways and empowerment programming. Learn about and sign up for - internships and meet vendors in the Lounge: Learn about summer 2025 internships and One on One mentorship opportunities.
10:00 am - 5:00 pm: Theater Screening Room - Student Film Screening Marathon - Two days of continuous curated film screenings featuring HBCU student filmmakers challenge finalists with independent alumni film premieres.
11:00 am - 12:00 pm: Beauty Shop Panel Discussion: Dive into the glitz and glam of the production with costume design and character Makeup with Design experts Mia Neal, Angelique Michelle. Hosted by Blex Media
12:15 pm - 1:30 pm: Presented by AARP- " My HBCU Joy Awards hosted by Loni Love honoring Actress and Director Keshia Knight Pulliam (keynote speaker) , Stacy Milner (HBCU Los Angeles), and TeeJ Mercer (Move-In Day Mafia). Celebrate the artistry of HBCU creators as we announce the winners of the 2024 HBCU First Film Festival Challenge.
1:45 pm - 2:45pm: Avant: The BLACK GODFATHER: Documentary FIlmmaking, Music Licensing and Supervision- Phil Thornton and Deborah Riley Draper
3:00 pm - 4:00pm: "Gifted and Black - Representation Matters with Laya DeLeon Hayes, Laila Pruitt and Kemba Smith
3:00 pm - 4:00pm: How to Build your brand and not lose your mind! with Kym Whitley and LaRoyce Hawkins
4:00 pm - 5:15pm: Presented by Oxygen True Crime: Faith Jenkins: From Prosecutor to Producer, a conversation with former Manhattan prosecutor, television producer and speaker Faith Jenkins (Oxygen True Crime's Killer Relationship with Faith Jenkins)
5:30 pm - 6:30pm: Presented by Andscape: Closing Night at the Movies Reception
6:30 pm - 7:30pm: Presented by Andscape: Closing Night at the Movies, 'The Honorable Shyne' Documentary. A Clips and Conversation event with a panel featuring Grammy-Award winning artist Shyne Barrow, Director Marcus A. Clarke and Andscape's Justin Tinsley and David Dennis Jr.
7:45 pm - 8:30 pm: Closing Speaker DO The RIGHT Thing! Keanna "KJ" Rose, a 2024 "I Aspire" 100 honoree, author and FamU alum ?

November 10, 2024

Passes to the African American History Museum

It's a celebration of Black Filmmakers rooted In the HBCU Culture.

Network with today's leading HBCU alumni who are 'inspiring' the next generation of filmmakers!

Date: November 8 - 10, 2024

Location: Armour J. Blackburn University Center,

2397 6th Street Northwest,

Washington, DC 20059

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