Film and Television Production | Undergraduate

Our Story

Students in Film Production at HU

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

Click here for Faculty Profiles

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.

Assistant Professor Presents Films at Batalha Centro de Cinema in Portugal

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.

 

Professor Akosua Adoma Owusu at Batalha Centro de Cinema

In conversation with Lisbon-based researcher Sarah Lewis Cappellari, Professor Owusu expanded access to her work for Portuguese-speaking audiences. Additionally, a selection of her 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.

Film and Television Production Program Highlights

Howard Thesis Showcase

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.

Learn more
Payton Mack headshot with Howard sweater
Our Film and Television Production Students At Work
Strut The Yard Documentary still

STRUT The Yard: The Documentary directed by Taylor Brooks Sheds Light on Models’ Mental Health

Read More on The Hilltop Watch the film here
Hope Bryant Headshot

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.

Read more on The Dig
Keith Stokes Headshot

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.

Chandler Ivory Pope headshot

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.

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Julian Thedford headshot

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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From Bison to Blockbuster: The Rise of Alana I. Smith

Watch on HU News Service
Special Guests of the Film and Television Program

Paris-based filmmaker Johanna Makabi

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

Nana Mensah Headshot
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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Master Lecturer Maha Haddad headshot

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.

HU Film Faculty Akosua Adoma Owusu at Kamala Harris' Election Night Event with HU Students on the Yard

Akosua Adoma Owusu, Assistant Professor of Film, featured in The Atlantic with Howard University students at Election Night Event on the Yard

Akosua Adoma Owusu, M.F.A., joined Howard University students at Kamala Harris’ Election Night Event on the Yard. The gathering was featured in The Atlantic article, “The Night They Hadn’t Prepared For.”

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HU Professor Akosua Adoma Owusu Headshot

Akosua Adoma Owusu, M.F.A.

will serve on the international jury for the 2025 Charles E. Guggenheim Emerging Artist Award at the 2025 Full Frame Documentary Festival, hosted by Duke University in Durham, NC, from April 3–6. Additionally, her film Reluctantly Queer will be featured in The Weight of a Question: Documentary and the Art of Inquiry, the festival’s 2025 Thematic Program curated by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Yance Ford. This program highlights works by filmmakers who challenge audiences to engage with complex and, at times, uncomfortable questions about the world around us.

Associate Professor Tina Morton headshot

Tina Morton, M.F.A.

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.

HU Faculty Sri Nandigama on set in Ohio

Srikanth Nandigama, M.F.A.

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.

Rain film poster

Vasilios Papaioannu, M.F.A.

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

Dvir headshot

Idit Dvir, M.F.A.

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. 

Joshua Lowery MFA Film

Joshua Lowery, M.F.A.,

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
Arthur Jafa in studio headshot

Arthur "AJ" Jafa, Class of 1983

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".

Malik Hassan Sayeed headshot

Malik Hassan Sayeed, Class of 1990

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.

Bradford Young headshot 2

Bradford Marcel Young, Class of 1999

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'.

Film and Television Production | Undergraduate

Contacts

Srikanth Nandigama (Primary Contact)

Sequence Coordinator
Assistant Professor
Email

Ingrid Sturgis

MJF
Department Chair
(202) 806-7357
Email

Program Details

  • Degree Classification: Undergraduate
  • Program Type: Major
  • Length: Four years

Statistics

Howard University Ranked by Hollywood Report as one of the 25 Best American Film Schools