Film and Television Production | Undergraduate | The Cathy Hughes School of Communications

The Howard University Film and Television Production program trains students to study all aspects of the filmmaking process, from development, pre-production and production, through post-production and distribution. In addition to expanding students’ practical skills in scriptwriting, editing, producing, cinematography, documentary film production and directing, our comprehensive program includes coursework that examines the historical and theoretical framework of cinema and television from a global and cultural perspective.

Our course of study culminates in a senior thesis where students may choose to deliver a screenplay/teleplay or produce a short film.

Our Film and Television Production students have earned prestigious awards including the Princess Grace, Paul Robeson Student Awards, and Emmy Awards, in recognition for their outstanding work.

BECOME A FILM AND TELEVISION STUDENT AT HOWARD!

Chair: Ingrid Sturgis, M.A., associate professor

Jami Ramberan, M.F.A., associate professor, assistant chair & co-chair Paul Robeson Student Awards

Film and Television Production Sequence Coordinator: Srikanth Nandigama, M.F.A., assistant professor

Montre Missouri, Ph.D., associate professor & founder, Parallel Film Collective

Idit Dvir, M.F.A., associate professor

Tina Morton, M.F.A., associate professor

Vasilios Papaioannu, M.F.A., assistant professor & co-chair, Paul Robeson Student Awards

Shahriar Shafiani, Ph.D., assistant professor & sequence coordinator, MFA Film

Akosua Adoma Owusu, M.F.A., assistant professor & MJF content editor

Maha Haddad, M.F.A., M.A., master lecturer

Shom Shamapande, M.P.A., lecturer

Joshua Lowery, M.F.A., adjunct lecturer

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Latest News

“The Legacy of Dr. Benjamin E. Mays” film screening

The Legacy of Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Poster

The Moorland Spingarn Library and the Cathy Hughes School of Communications invites you to a screening of “The Legacy of Dr. Benjamin E. Mays.” This documentary will be screened at from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 3 at the MET Building, 300 Bryant St. NW., Room 100. In addition to the filmmakers, a panel discussion will include Mays scholars Dr Randolph Jelks, Dr. Vernon Burke, and Dr. Kevin Witherspoon, the Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Endowed Chair. Executive producers Sally J. Warner, Ron Worthem, producer Todd Bethel and director Michael Wells will also be available.

“Left Side of the Lion Media” embarked on the journey of creating a documentary about Dr. Benjamin E. Mays to honor and preserve the legacy of a remarkable leader, educator, and civil rights advocate.

Dr. Mays was the sixth president of Morehouse College from 1940 to 1967, where he mentored a young Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and was founding dean of Howard University’s School of Divinity. His life and work have had a profound impact on American society, shaping the course of history through his unwavering commitment to equality, education, and justice. His powerful voice and insightful writings challenged the status quo and provided a moral compass during some of the most tumultuous times in our nation’s history.

By sharing his journey, we aim to shed light on the values and principles that guided Dr. Mays’ life—values that continue to resonate today.

Professor Akosua Adoma Owusu in Porto, Portugal

Professor Akosua Adoma Owusu, M.F.A., recently presented a collection of her films at Batalha Centro de Cinema in Porto, Portugal, exploring their connection to the Harlem Renaissance and W.E.B. Du Bois. In conversation with Lisbon-based researcher Sarah Lewis Cappellari, Professor Owusu expanded access to her work for Portuguese-speaking audiences.

Lance Gross and Taraji P Henson at Howard Parade

Howard Entertainment, a collaboration between Amazon Studios and Howard University, aims to diversify talent across the entertainment industry. Through this program, students study and train alongside entertainment executives, benefiting from a unique interdisciplinary curriculum combined with hands-on work experience and networking opportunities with industry partners.

Eligible students must be juniors majoring in Music, Art, Theater, Film & TV, or Public Relations, or second-year law students. Admission to the program requires a completed application and an interview process.

The Howard University Film Organization (HUFO), founded in 1989, is open to all undergraduate and MFA Film majors. As a safe and creative, student-led organization, HUFO is dedicated to educating, enlightening, entertaining, and empowering audiences through cinema. Its mission is to support students interested in gaining hands-on experience in various aspects of filmmaking, including acting, directing, cinematography, wardrobe, screenwriting, and producing.

Beyond the classroom, HUFO fosters the development of young Black filmmakers through workshops, lectures, mentorship programs, film productions, and screenings, creating an environment for students to explore and deepen their passion for film. Dr. Shahriar Shafiani is an advisor.

Bradford Ford Young at 2015 Paul Robeson Student Awards

The Department of Media, Journalism and Film in the Howard University Cathy Hughes School of Communications in Washington, DC, initiated the Paul Robeson Student Awards during the 1980s.

Through the awards, the Department pays tribute to Paul Robeson (April 9, 1898 - January 23, 1976), a gifted scholar, athlete, and one of the most celebrated artists of his day on the silver screen, theatrical and concert stages and in the recording studio. Robeson's artistry and his commitment to advocating for freedom and positive social change worldwide inspired generations.

Photo: MJF alumnus Bradford Marcel Young at the 2015 Paul Robeson Student Awards

Urbanworld Film Festival, an Oscar-qualifying film festival, is now a community partner with Howard University's Film and Television Program. Founded in 1997 by Stacy Spikes, it is one of the largest internationally competitive festivals of its kind, hosted in New York City.

For the first time in the competition’s 27-year history, Howard University’s Film and Television program has partnered with the prestigious Coca-Cola Refreshing Films Contest. This collaboration showcases the exceptional talent and creativity of Howard students, who have earned high praise from Coke Films executives for their professionalism and work ethic.

Two of our Undergraduate Film and Television majors, Chandler Pope and Annika Dean, were selected as Semi-Finalists for the 2025 contest. Their script, The Bet, stood out among over 700 submissions, earning a place in the top 8—a truly remarkable achievement!

was established in 2022 with a $1.5 million gift from The Walt Disney Company, is part of the Disney Future Storytellers program. This initiative is dedicated to increasing access to storytelling and innovation careers for individuals from historically underrepresented or marginalized communities. The fund supports students from the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts (CABCoFA) and the Cathy Hughes School of Communications (CHSoC) by providing stipends of $25,000 and more for storytelling-focused projects. Over five years, selected student cohorts will receive mentorship from Howard University faculty and alumni as they develop, produce, and create their work, creating a direct pipeline to the media and entertainment industry. Professors Srikanth Nandigama and Akosua Adoma Owusu are advisors.

was established in 2022 by Payton Mack, Class of 2022, as an annual platform to uplift emerging Black storytellers by premiering their thesis films for fellow students and the wider DMV community. Mack, now a second-year MFA Film & Television Production student at the University of Southern California, recently screened her short film Forsee (2023) at the Oscar-qualifying Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, where it was recognized as one of the 2023 Best of the Fest short films.

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Our Film and Television Production Students At Work

Film and Television student Awarded 2024 Beinecke Scholarship

Hope Bryant, Class of 2025, was named the 2024 Beinecke Scholarship recipient. Bryant, who is currently interning with Sony Pictures Television Studios is the fifth Howard student to receive the prestigious award in 50 years.

Film and Television student Lands Internship at Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc

Keith Stokes, Class of 2025, is a Creative Intern at Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Film and Television student Lands Job at Sony Music Entertainment

Chandler Ivory Pope, Class of 2025, works as the Campus Marketing Representative for Sony Music Entertainment, where she plans events and executes campaign tactics that promote and support Sony's artists.

BA Film and TV Student Jacob A Smith at Paramount Pictures

Film and Television student Lands Internship with Paramount Pictures

Jacob A Smith, Class of 2025, was recently an intern with Paramount Pictures.

Photo of HU student Cyan Shreve with camera

Film and Television student Receives 2023 Focus Features Innovation and Creativity Award

Cyan M. Shreve, Class of 2024 was the recipient of the 2023 Focus Features Innovation and Creativity Award for her original short film, Sincerely Jonah. She is now an intern in the production departments of 20th Century Studios.

Film and Television student Named HBCU Filmmaker of the Year

Julian Thedford, Class of 2022 was recently named one of the HBCU filmmakers of the year by the National Black Movie Association. His debut project “When I Wake”, which premiered at Amazon Studios, has gone on to receive over eight festival selections.

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Special Guests of the Film and Television Program

Johanna Makabi speaks with Howard Students

gave a guest lecture to over 30 History of Broadcast & Film students at Howard University. Our students watched 'Black Girl' (1966) and Makabi’s short film ‘Notre mémoire’ or 'Our Memory' (2022) on the life of Mbissine Thérèse Diop, the actress who starred in Ousmane Sembène’s film. A 2024 Villa Albertine resident, Makabi's visit was organized by Assistant Professor Akosua Adoma Owusu.

Makabi recently won the 2024 student prize at the Academy Awards® Qualifying BronzeLens Film Festival for her short film 'Grace' (2022). As part of the BronzeLens Film Festival, she was joined by former HU Faculty and noted director Julie Dash for an engaging panel discussion on Black storytelling across the Diaspora.

Photo: Johanna Makabi speaks with HU Film and Television students

Photo: Nana Mensah

Film and TV Practicum Course

Production Inclusion Project - Mentorship program - Production Assistant 101 workshop

Aqiyla-Kumar Moody, Recruiter-Talent Acquisition – Emerging Talent, Paramount

Mike Wilson, Cinematographer/Gaffer

Directing for Film & TV Course

Nana Mensah, Actress and Film Director of Queen of Glory

Production, Distribution and Exhibition Course

Khalid Jordan, Director of Development, Macro

Errol Sadler, Producer, Supremacy Films

Short form Video Production Course

Jeredon O Conner- Executive Producer/Director, Imaginarium Creative Agency

Breonna Hogan O Conner-Executive Producer, Showrunner, Imaginarium Creative Agency Gum.mp3, recording artist

Faculty Spotlight

Professor Akosua Adoma Owusu at film screening

Assistant Professor screens at the Smithsonian Mother Tongue Film Festival

Akosua Adoma Owusu, M.F.A. screened her film Kwaku Ananse in the Smithsonian Mother Tongue Film Festival’s 10th anniversary digital retrospective, which took place from Feb. 24 to March 1. Presented by Recovering Voices, a Smithsonian initiative dedicated to language, community, and tradition, the festival showcased standout films from past editions. "Kwaku Ananse" was featured among audience favorites, celebrating a decade of storytelling that uplifts linguistic and cultural heritage.

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Maha Haddad, M.F.A. to Showcase Work at Visions of Freedom: A Black Film Festival

'The Last Battlefront' directed by master instructor Maha Haddad, M.F.A., will be screened at the Visions of Freedom: A Black Film Festival on Friday, February 14, at 2:30 PM at Cramton Auditorium. Organized by Howard University’s English Department, the festival will also feature 'Sin Luces' by Professors Shafiani and Nandigama. A Q&A session with the filmmakers will follow the screenings.

selection of films will have their broadcast premiere in Montreal. For two months, through April, her films will be available on Tënk Canada, a streaming platform dedicated to independent and creative documentary films, making them accessible to viewers in Canada.

has received a Digital Media Archive Fellowship with People’s Media. Through this fellowship, Tina will archive her 20 years of video footage of the Philadelphia’s ODUNDE Festival.

worked as the Chief Lighting Technician (Gaffer) on short film, 'Sin Luces', directed by Dr. Shah Shafiani.

Nandigama also worked as the cinematographer on the short film, 'Hormones for Breakfast' and worked as the Director of Photography on 2 PSAs, Bridging Gaps, Recruiting Africa Americans for Covid Clinical Trials. His short fiction script, 'A Slice of Life', is selected for UFVA 2024 Conference.

will screen his latest short film Rain at the 39th Washington International Film Festival (Filmfest DC) at the Regal Gallery Place on April 24. He recently received the Honorable Mention Awards at the 44th Thomas Edison Film Festival (TEFF) and the Honorable Mention Award at the Experimental Forum in Los Angeles.

Photo: 'Rain' film poster

is a screenwriter whose work has made Official Selection at various screenwriting competitions such as the Beverly Hills Film Festival, Cinequest Film Festival, Final Draft’s Big Break, Filmmakers’ International Screenwriting Awards, Austin Film Festival, and the Vail Film Festival.

born and raised in PG County, Maryland, is an alum of Howard University’s MFA Film program. In addition to teaching production courses, he is an active filmmaker. Currently, Joshua is in post-production on both a narrative short film and a documentary he directed and produced. He is also working on another documentary and a web series, all scheduled for release in 2025.

Our Notable Alumni

is a renowned video artist and cinematographer. His work on Julie Dash's feature film 'Daughters of the Dust' (1991) won "Best Cinematography" at Sundance. He won the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale (2019) for "The White Album".

is a cinematographer, producer and director, widely recognized for his work on the 1998 film, 'Belly'. He has won several MTV music video awards for his cinematography work with Beyoncé. Watch his cinematography work in 'Wildcat' (2013) directed by Kahlil Joseph.

is celebrated for his cinematography work on films including 'Selma' and 'A Most Violent Year'. He became the first African American cinematographer to be nominated for an Academy Award for his work on 'Arrival' in 2016. He was also the cinematographer on 'Solo: A Star Wars Story', as well as the Netflix miniseries 'When They See Us'.