Emerging Black Filmmakers! The Luminal Theater is looking for more new short films and media made by Black filmmakers for FRESH BLACK FILMS. The remaining editions of our series will take place in one (1) Northeast & one (1) Southeast USA city. See rules and terms for more information.

Previous editions took place in Brooklyn, NY and Atlanta, GA, with summer editions taking place in Durham, NC and Baltimore, MD.

FRESH BLACK FILMS' mission
This showcase will expose fresh audiences to new Black films, and Black filmmakers and creatives to each other’s dynamic work. Comedies, Dramas, Documentaries, Web Series, Experimental Films, and New Media are all accepted.

We define "emerging" as filmmakers, regardless of age, who are fairly new to directing & producing cinema, but are not film students, and have had only intermediate success on the film festival circuit and have not had films acquired by major distribution or streaming platforms (HBO, Netflix, etc).

FRESH BLACK FILMS IS HYPERLOCAL
Submitted films should be directed or produced by Black filmmakers from or currently living in:
Northeast USA: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland
AND
Southeast USA: Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia

The beauty of Fresh Black Films is our hyper local focus. Ensure that you are applying *only* if you are from, currently living in, or your film takes place in the places listed above and in our RULES & TERMS.

PLEASE READ RULES & TERMS for MORE INFORMATION.

*cover image from Tiara West's MELANIE & KYLE, winner of FBF South - Atlanta's Audience Award prize*

cash award to 1st place Audience Award winner of each showcase and special prizes to selected filmmakers

All films must comply with the following rules/regulations:

Submitted films should be directed or produced by Black filmmakers from or currently living in:
Northeast USA: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maine
AND
Southeast USA: Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Virginia

You must submit evidence (or have it made plain on your film's page) that your film has Black/African-American/African diaspora director or producer and that you are from the above states/regions. ONLY the film’s director or producer can submit.

Only films completed between Oct. 2022-April 2024 are eligible. No premiere status is needed.

Filmmakers must be between 18 and older.
Only Narrative, Documentary, Animated, and Experimental films are eligible.

Films must have a minimum of 1 minute, maximum 20 minutes running time.

Only two (2) submissions per filmmaker or filmmaking team.

This call is for the Fall/late Fall edition of our showcase. Our previous submission call was for films shown in the Spring and Summer of 2024 in both the Northeast and the Southeast. Please only submit once per calendar year - if you resubmit the same film from our early 2024 submission call, that WILL result in an immediate disqualification.

Films can be in any language but we request that non-English films have subtitles in English or provide a transcript in English. NOTE: We may be able to help subsidize subtitling costs for some selected films.

Only films with original or licensed (and attributed) music may be submitted; copyright-free (but again, attributed) and music via public domain is welcome. We reserve the right to ask you and your team if your music is unoriginal or uncleared and to not choose your film based on such.

Works in progress are welcome, but must be completed four (4) weeks before the screening if selected.

No X-rated films may be submitted, but we do invite films that push the envelope (we do not believe in stymying your creative freedom, but we have limits on what we can show).

Digital screeners only through FilmFreeway only. Please do not mail your entry.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • We are grateful for Fresh Black Films awarding us with a 2024 Honorable Mention! We hope to attend and participate more heavily next year.

    September 2024
  • Very nice people and they don’t mind answering questions. I would definitely submit again.

    May 2024
  • Safiya Songhai

    This is such an impressive group of diverse films, topics, approaches, and purpose. The festival is held in a quaint art gallery in Brooklyn for the Fresh Black Films North and it gives a community feeling because of the intimate setting. This festival also gives cash prizes for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winner.

    I highly recommend this festival.

    May 2024