Join us as we celebrate the 10th Year Anniversary of the Morehouse Cinema, Television & Emerging Media Studies (CTEMS) department at Morehouse College. Since its inception, CTEMS has been a leader in the film and TV collegiate space through its productions, programs and accomplished graduates.

The HBCU Power Film & TV Festival is the ultimate gathering of original storytellers and audiences searching for new voices and unique perspectives. Our film festival is open to all creatives and will feature HBCU competitions for students and alumni. Our festival will feature documentaries, feature films and short films. We will also host filmmaker community conversations, panel discussions, and other networking events. By promoting and appreciating the talent from HBCUs, we will create a pipeline to Hollywood with amazing talent from places that have gone overlooked until now. With your support, we can help usher new talent into the creative pool of the art of film.

Film Awards:
Feature Film (budget over $250k USD) $1000
Micro-budget Feature (budget under $250k USD) $1,000
No-Budget Feature (budget under $25k USD)
Documentary Feature
Female Director Feature
HBCU Student Feature film $1000
HBCU Alumni or Faculty Feature Film $1000
HBCU Short Film $500
HBCU Alumni, Student or Faculty Documentary $500
Short Film
Short Documentary
Horror / Sci-Fi Short
Short Short (under 5 minutes

RULES AND GUIDELINES FOR 2023 SUBMISSIONS

The following is an explanation of the Rules and Guidelines governing film submissions to the 2023 HBCU Power Film & TV Festival. Compliance with these Rules and Guidelines is necessary in order to participate in the Film & Festival. Submission of a film implies unconditional acceptance of the Rules & Guidelines, therefore, please carefully read through the Rules prior to submitting your film. If you have any questions, please contact the HBCU Power Film & TV Festival: info@hbcupower.com.

1. 2023 HBCU Power Film & TV Festival accepts submissions for films in the following categories:

Features Films: Narrative, Animated, Documentary, Student, and International.
Shorts Films (under 40 minutes): Narrative

2. The Entrant/s submitting the film must hold all legal rights for the submission, as well as all necessary clearances for public exhibition.

3. The Filmmaker/s retain/s all submission and intellectual property rights.

4. To be eligible, your film must not have played in person or online in the state of New Mexico, USA. Please contact the HBCU Power Film & TV Festival office with any questions.

5. Films must be submitted electronically via FilmFreeway.

6. The Filmmaker/s is/are responsible for making sure all submission materials are submitted by the submission deadline indicated. If your film does not arrive or is not uploaded by the deadline for which you have registered, you may be required to pay the higher submission fee or withdrawn.

7. Each submission must be accompanied by the appropriate fee. Submission fees are in are U.S. Dollars per submission and is non-refundable. Cash is not accepted.

8. If a film received 50% or more of its funding from sources outside of the United States, the film may be submitted as an International Film.

9. Subtitles must be in English.

10. Please keep screener links and passwords up-to-date and notify the HBCU Power Film & TV Festival office promptly with any changes. Please test your media prior to submission to make sure they run properly and are not damaged.

11. Filmmakers are allowed to submit more than one film for the Festival provided that each film is submitted separately and meet HBCU Power Film & TV Festival guidelines.

12. Filmmakers are allowed to re-submit a film that was previously submitted provided significant changes were made and all eligibility requirements are met. When re-submitting the film, include a brief letter detailing the changes made.

13. A student submitting a film must provide a photocopy of a current and valid student ID or a letter from his/her school verifying enrollment.

14. Entrants may contact the HBCU Power Film & TV Festival to find out if the Festival received the submission: info@hbcupower.com or (323) 546-8182. Filmmakers submitting through FilmFreeway can check their status through the website.

15. All personal contact information is to remain confidential and not to be shared with any third parties.

16. HBCU Power Film & TV Festival reserves the right to use images from films selected in the Festival for marketing purposes.

17. All decisions regarding award winners are considered final and incontestable.

18. All films submitted must have been completed between September 2020 and July 2023.

19. Applicants acknowledge that HBCU Power Film & TV Festival reserves the right to change the nature of screenings and events due to circumstances related to public health and welfare or at the direction of local, state, or federal authorities. In such cases, no submission refunds shall be issued.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Imani Robinson

    So thankful to have been involved in this festival! A wonderful community of filmmakers participated and it was a great networking opportunity. So happy we were able to take home a win!

    September 2023
  • Eric Johnson

    Great festival. Didn’t attend in person, but appreciated being involved.

    September 2023