The 5th Annual BlackStar Film Festival (USA) Launches Call for Submissions - 2016

The 5th Annual BlackStar Film Festival (USA) Launches Call for Submissions - 2016

Media Advisory from Lauren Holland, associate director

Submissions are officially open for BlackStar Film Festival. The festival’s fifth annual celebration of cinema focused on work by and about people of color in a global context will take place 4-7 August 2016, in Philadelphia.

The discounted early bird deadline is 29 February; the regular deadline is March 18; and the late deadline is 15 April.

Films will be entered into competition for Best Feature Narrative & Documentary, Best Short Narrative & Documentary, Best Experimental Short, Best Music Video, and Audience Awards. Winners will be selected by a jury of industry professionals and announced at the BlackStar Awards ceremony during the festival.

 To be eligible for competition, films must be directed by a person of African descent or who otherwise identifies as black, feature persons of African descent, or tell a story of the black experience. The maximum running times are 120 minutes for feature films and 30 minutes for short films.

Submit your film to BlackStar Film Festival here.

Heralded by Ebony magazine as the “Black Sundance,” BlackStar Film Festival comprises a dynamic and important collection of films highlighting both independence and cultural community. Past guests have included Ava DuVernay, Spike Lee, Nelson George, Haile Gerima, Michael K. Williams, Lisa Cortés, Hank Willis Thomas, Greg Tate, King Britt, Omari Hardwick, and Jimmy Jean-Louis.

The 2015 festival hosted over 70 films from around the world, including the Philadelphia premieres of LIFE’S ESSENTIALS WITH RUBY DEE, CHRISTMAS WEDDING BABY, and BADDDDD SONIA SANCHEZ. dream hampton was honored with the Richard Nichols Luminary Award at the closing event at World Café Live, which also featured performances by Phonte and Muhsinah.

Image credit, BlackStar Film Festival: The Mahoyo Project: South Africa, screened at the 2015 edition.