Black Film Summit returns to NIU Naperville March 20-23
The Black Film Summit returns to the Northern Illinois University-Naperville Conference Center March 20-23.
It is a celebration of Pan African achievement in the cinematic arts. The third annual summit will showcase 47 films from across the United States and nine countries representing four continents.
Day passes and ticket packages, ranging from $15 to $235, are currently on sale. Individual film block sales will begin Saturday, March 16. Tickets, film information, and schedule are available at Studio3531.com.
The films showcased will feature performances by Emmy Award-winning Mishael Morgan in the feature film, “Sway.”
Eric Roberts, an Oscar and multiple Golden Globe nominee and brother of Julia Roberts, stars alongside Heaven Howard, daughter of Oscar nominee Terrance Howard, in the short film “Princess Love.”
Geneva Maccarone (Tyler Perry’s “Medea’s Homecoming”) stars in the feature film, “The Pages of My Heart: Volume 1.”
From the U.K., Karen Bryson MBE (2017 Queen’s List — Member of the Order of the British Empire) directs the short film, “Monochromatic.”
The closing night film, “Freedom Hair,” is directed by Dianne Houston, an NAACP Image Award and Writers Guild of America nominee and the first African American female director to be nominated for an Academy Award in any directing category (“Tuesday Morning Ride”- Short Film: Live Action).
On Friday, March 22, the weekend kickoff reception will get the night started. This is an opportunity to meet filmmakers and film lovers alike while enjoying an open bar with hors d’oeuvres. Music is curated by “The World Famous” DJ Dagwood.
On Saturday, March 23 before the closing night film, guests will stroll the red carpet in their Pan African best attire and enjoy the closing night dinner reception. The four-day event will conclude with The Black Film Summit 2024 Awards. Recognitions include best films, performances, and ensembles.
Greg Turner, the founder of The Black Film Summit, states, “From the outset TBFS has been about the incredible filmmakers, the scores of people that it takes to make these films, and their artistic talent. My hope is to bring people together and build community while rejoicing in our culture as Black creatives and storytellers. We really are coming together out of love for film and the culture. The Black Film Summit is not a festival just for Black people, but all people who love films.”
A record for The Black Film Summit, 121 films were submitted for review. Of the 47 that were selected there are eight feature films, five documentaries (one of which is a student film), 24 short films, three graduate student films, and eight undergraduate student films.
The mission of The Black Film Summit is to create a welcoming environment for filmmakers across the Pan African diaspora to gather, be heard, and have their work showcased. We strive to give the African American community and its allies a safe space where they can enjoy, converse, and celebrate independent films featuring people of color.