This past weekend I returned to Howard University for the second annual HBCU First LOOK Film Festival. The purpose of the three-day event was to honor HBCU students and alumni in the film industry and to highlight Black filmmakers at HBCUs. Students were given the opportunity to network and learn at the festival, which included a number of seminars, master classes, and panel discussions. AARP, HBCU GO, CLEO TV, Urban One, NBC, and TV One served as some of the sponsors of this year’s festival. I had such a great time last year, so I had to come back, so here is a recap of my experience at the 2024 HBCU First LOOK Film Festival.
Day 1
Day one was filled with so many great events I wished I had the opportunity to fully engage with all of them. As different events were going on throughout the day, HBCYOU presented the “Beyond the Lights Career Lounge.” This was an opportunity for students to learn about and sign up for vendors and meet vendors. They also learned about summer 2025 internship opportunities and one-on-one mentorship opportunities.
The first event I attended was the David E. Talbert Masterclass. Talbert is a well-known playwright, author, filmmaker, and Morgan State University alum. He has written and directed several popular films, including First Sunday, Baggage Claim, and Almost Christmas. I was extremely excited to attend this masterclass because I am a huge fan of Talbert and his work. This was technically my first acing class, so I didn’t know what to expect, but I genuinely enjoyed the class. He was very intense but very good at the same time. I learned a lot about the art of acting while I was in the class. The classes ended up running longer than expected, so I had to leave to attend the other events, but the master class was one of my highlights of the whole festival.
Next, I attended the opening plenary lunch where Power star Naturi Naughton-Lewis served as the keynote speaker and comedian Loni Love served as the host. She talked about power, passion, and perseverance, giving us an incite to how she navigated her time in the industry, including her time with 3LW. At the end of the talkback session, attendees were able to ask her questions; luckily, I was one of those people. I asked her a question in reference to her role in the Lifetime film Abducted at an HBCU: A Black Girl Missing. She was incredibly sweet and even took pictures with students.
As a fan of All American and its spin-off, All American: Homecoming, I was extremely excited that Nkechi Okoro Carroll, who is the showrunner for both shows, was going to be there. Not only is she widely known for the All American series but show Found as well. In this session, she shared how her show Found combines her love for storytelling and advocacy. Editor Cori Murray was the moderator. There was also an event on independent filmmaking and entrepreneurship with productions for students to attend. Dr. Cheryl Polote-Williamson and Bree West were the guest speakers.
This next session I was extremely excited for because Spelman alumna Brittany Inge currently plays on one of my favorite shows, The Ms. Pat Show, and has starred in some of my past favorites as well. She and actor E. Roger Mitchell were present for the “Fluff Your Feathers” discussion presented by TV One. They spoke on how to effectively introduce and promote yourself while working in the industry. I really enjoyed this discussion, as I am a fan of both actors, and they gave some really great advice. TV One’s Austyn Buggers also gave some great advice on how to craft the perfect elevator pitch.
Around 5:30, the sessions ended for the day, and there was an opening night at the movie reception. Following the reception, there was a screening of the movie Kemba followed by a talkback panel discussion moderated by Jawn Murray of the “Sherri” Show. Creator and producer Kemba Smith and director Kelley Kali were on the panel.
Day 2
The festival kicked off on day two with a beauty shop panel discussion where we learned about the world of fashion and costume design from film and television costume designer Angelique Michelle and journalist and host Ashleigh Demi. Although I have no interest in working in fashion, I really enjoyed this event. I often see that other sections of the film and television industry, such as costumes and productions, get overlooked at events like this, so I was glad to see that there was something for everyone.
During lunch on day two, the festival hosted the My HBCU Joy Awards presented by AARP. There were three honorees this year: Stacy Milner of HBCU Los Angeles, TeeJ Mercer of Move-In Day Mafia, and actress Keshia Knight Pulliam. The winners of the festival of the were also announced during lunch. Promise Robinson from Hampton University was the grand prize winner of this year’s festival. All three ladies gave very inspiring speeches that moved and empowered the audience. The element of surprise seems to be the theme of the festival. Last year Barack and Michelle made an appearance at the Rustin screening, and this year Emmy Award winner Sherri Shepard made a surprise appearance to introduce her dear friend TeeJ Mercer during the ceremony.
Following the ceremony, the festival was filled with more events for students to learn from. Phil Thornton and Deborah Riley Draper were on the panel for the Avant: The Black Godfather: Documentary Filmmaking, Music Licensing & Supervision session. BMF star and current Howard University student Laila Pruitt was present for a session about how representation matters. Kemba Smith and Laya DeLeon Hayes joined her on the panel. I didn’t attend that session, but several attendees said the session was great and they learned a lot.
I am a HUGE Chicago P.D. fan, so when I learned that LaRoyce Hawkins was going to be there, I made sure that I got my seat right in the front. He, along with Jessie Woo and comedian and actress Kym Whitley, discussed how to identify your career niche and market your brand. Kym Whitley is just as funny as she is in movies and television; she had me and the audience cracking up the whole session. This was by far my favorite session of the entire festival, not only because I was able to see one of my celebrity crushes in person but also because they were giving some really great advice. Jessie Woo was also really great and incredibly sweet. Seeing her was also quite special for me because I’ve been following her and her career for quite a while, and she is currently doing what I would do career-wise. Another surprise of the festival was that actor JB Smoove popped in during this session. He didn’t speak, but it was really cool to see, as I am a fan and we attended the same university. The last session of the day was a session with prosecutor to producer Faith Jenkins of Oxygen True Crime’s Killer Relationship with Faith Jenkins. As the festival started to come to an end, there was another reception right before the screening of The Honorable Shyne’ documentary, followed by a panel discussion with Grammy-award-winning artist Shyne Barrow, director Marcus A. Clarke, and Andscape’s Justin Tinsley and David Dennis Jr.
Florida A&M alum Keandra “KJ” Rose closed the festival with her Do the Right Thing workshop, giving students the tools to utilize their natural gifts.
Although the turnout wasn’t as big as last year, over all it was a great event. I learned a lot, made so many connections, and was able to meet people that I’ve looked up to in the industry. Every HBCU student and alum should attend this festival at least once; it's truly something you don’t want to miss.