The second annual HBCU First LOOK Film Festival is less than two weeks away. As the festival approaches, Miles Ahead Entertainment has unveiled some of the events and celebrity guests for the festival. The HBCU First LOOK Film Festival is the brainchild of Howard University alumna Shelia Eldridge.

Earlier this month, the festival announced that Power star Naturi Naughton-Lewis will be this year’s keynote speaker. Lewis will host a conversation on power, passion, and perseverance presented by Café Mocha Radio. Other celebrity guests include Keshia Knight Pulliam, E. Roger Mitchell, LaRoyce Hawkins, Loni Love, Kym Whitley, Shyne Barrow, Jawn Murray, Faith Jenkins, Nkechi Okoro Carroll, and David E. Talbert.

This year’s theme is “A Celebration of Black Cinema X Activism.” The festival is the only one of its kind that honors filmmakers, executives, and content creators that graduated from HBCUs. During this year’s festival Keisha Knight Pulliam, Stacy Milner (HBCU in L.A.), and TeeJ Mercer will be honored at the My HBCU Joy Awards luncheon sponsored by AARP. The winners of the festival will also be announced during the luncheon.

The 2nd Annual HBCU First Look Film Festival Highlights include:

  • Presented by Café Mocha Radio: A Conversation on Power, Passion & Perseverance with NAACP Image Award-winning actress Naturi Naughton-Lewis.
    Moderated by Emmy Award-winning host, comedienne, and actress Loni Love, the two will discuss the state of the industry and navigating its landscape.
  • Presented by NBC: Crafting Change: A Career in Storytelling and Advocacy with executive producer and showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll (Found, All American)
  • Career Development with speaker Keanna “KJ” Rose, a 2024 “I Aspire” 100 honoree, speaker, author, and FAMU alum
  • 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)
  • The annual HBCU First LOOK Film Challenge, which received over 200 film submissions, will award three winners with internships.
  • TVOne Presents “FLUFF YOUR FEATHERS: How to effectively introduce and promote your best asset… YOU!”
  • Presented by Andscape: Closing Night at the Movies, ‘The Honorable: Shyne'Documentary. A Clips & 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.

The HBCU First LOOK Film Festival will take place November 8-10 at Howard University.