‘HBCU Week NOW’ Introduces Its Inaugural Student Film Festival – Accepting Submissions Now
During a week-long festival held every September, the nationally recognized ‘HBCU Week’ dedicates itself to honoring the undeniable legacy and cultural impact of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and spotlighting the creative and academic contributions of HBCU students, while inspiring the next generation of creators and innovators. Recently, a new offshoot of this public media initiative has been unveiled – ‘HBCU Week NOW’ offers all the things ‘HBCU Week’ does, except now you can access comprehensive and unique HBCU-focused content anytime and anywhere via its huge digital library, available for free on YouTube.
‘HBCU Week NOW,’ backed by Black Public Media, has also just announced its latest endeavor in uplifting the work of HBCU students, particularly in the media arts sector, with the launch of its first ever nation-wide Student Film Festival. The festival is seeking entries of completed films in any genre, with a particular focus on narratives exhibiting Black experiences, culture and/or history. The festival is an opportunity for HBCU students and recent alumni to both broadcast their work on a nation-spanning platform and to give voice to their HBCU experience – plus, there’s prize money for the films selected to participate.
Ten short films will be chosen (of up to 30 minutes in length), and a $5,000 prize will be granted to the filmmaking team behind each selection. All entries will be due by Saturday April 12th at 11:59 p.m. EDT and can be submitted Here. Any and all eligible filmmakers are encouraged to apply – to qualify you must be currently enrolled in or a recent graduate (within the last three years) of an accredited HBCU. The festival will be available online and the winning films will debut next year during Black History Month 2026.
If you or someone you know is a recent HBCU graduate with a short film or a film idea, there’s still a little under three weeks left to enter for an opportunity to share your story and a chance to win $5,000, so apply NOW!
