Film and Television Production | Undergraduate

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.

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. Watch our showcase at the Library of Congress here.

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.

will screen and discuss works on Sunday, January 26th, at 2:00 PM at the National Gallery of Art. The program celebrates Black art and history on screen and features a preview of her latest film, Damn the Man, Save the Rex!, which documents the revival of the Rex Cinema in contemporary Ghana, blending culture, heritage, and cinematic storytelling.

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.

recently received the Honorable Mention Award at the 44th Thomas Edison Film Festival (TEFF) for his latest short film project, Rain. This recognition celebrates films that push boundaries, tell universal stories, and exemplify independent filmmaking at its best. As an Academy Award and Canadian Screen Award-qualifying festival, TEFF will showcase Rain in a year-long tour across universities and museums nationwide, beginning in January 2025 and running through December 2025.

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.

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'.