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 Production | Undergraduate
Film and Television Production students study all aspects of the filmmaking process, from development, pre-production and production, through post-production and distribution.
Our Story
In addition to expanding students’ practical skills in scriptwriting, editing, producing, cinematography, documentary film production and directing, this comprehensive program includes coursework that examines the historical and theoretical framework of cinema and television from a global and cultural perspective.
The 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.
Upcoming Events
2nd annual HBCU First LOOK Film Festival
November 8-November 10, 2024
Location: Blackburn University Center
2397 6th St NW, Washington, DC 20059
Contact: Nyah Campbell, Class of 2023
Special Projects Coordinator
Miles Ahead Entertainment & Broadcasting
nyah@milesaheadentertainment.com
www.milesaheadentertainment.com
Office: 301-249-1700
2023 HBCU First LOOK Festival Highlights
Student Work
Hope Bryant, Class of 2025
Keith Stokes, Class of 2025
is a Creative Intern at Warner Bros.
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.
Jacob A Smith, Class of 2025
was recently an intern with Paramount Pictures.
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.
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.
Howard Thesis Showcase
was founded in 2022 by Payton Mack, Class of 2022. The annual event serves as a vessel for emerging black storytellers to be uplifted through premiering their thesis films to fellow students and the greater DMV community. Mack, who is now a 2nd 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. It was named one of the 2023 Best of the Fest short films.
Learn moreProgram Highlights
Howard Entertainment
Howard Entertainment, a partnership between Amazon Studios and Howard University was designed to diversify the pipeline for talent across the entertainment industry. Our students train and study alongside entertainment executives. It offers students a unique interdisciplinary curriculum, coupled with hands-on work experiences and networking with entertainment industry partners.
Students must be a junior majoring in Music, Art, Theater, Film & TV, and PR, or a second year law student. Candidates will have to complete an application and interview to be considered for the program.
Learn moreHoward University Film Organization (HUFO)
Howard University Film Organization (HUFO) is for all undergraduate and graduate film majors. Founded in 1989, HUFO is a safe and creative student-led film organization dedicated to educating, enlightening, entertaining and empowering audiences through cinema.
HUFO's mission is to organize individuals interested in gaining hands-on experiences in the art of filmmaking (i.e. acting, directing, cinematography, wardrobe, screenwriting, producing, etc.) Outside the classroom, HUFO helps young Black filmmakers explore their passion through workshops, lectures, mentorship programs, film productions and screenings.
Current Events: Cinematic Connection Mixer, Thursday, October 3, 2024 at 6:30 PM-8:00 PM
Location: Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts: Rain Room
Our Past EventsThe 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. In his honor, the Department’s Paul Robeson Student Awards recognizes some of the best work by our journalism, audio production, television production and film production students. In 2015, the Department’s Paul Robeson Student Awards honored our MJF alum Bradford Marcel Young, Class of 1999 along with director Ava DuVernay.
Photo: Bradford Young at the 2015 Paul Robeson Student Awards
Learn MoreUrbanworld Film Festival 2024
an Oscar-qualifying film festival, is now a community partner with Howard University's Film and Television Sequence. Founded in 1997 by Stacy Spikes, it is one of the largest internationally competitive festivals of its kind, hosted in New York City.
Lightreel Film Festival 2024
dedicated a block of 60 min to 70 mins to our Film and Television undergraduate students' work this June.
Black Bottom Film Festival 2023
showcased both Howard University undergraduate and MFA Film student work. Our students had a block of 2 hours to showcase films produced in our programs at the festival.
Guest Speakers & Workshops
Paris-based filmmaker, producer and 2024 Villa Albertine resident Johanna Makabi
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. 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
Special Guests of the Film and Television Sequence
Film and TV Practicum Course
- Production Inclusion Project - Mentorship program - Production Assistant 101 workshop
- Aqiyla Moody, Recruiter-Talent Acquisition – Emerging Talent, Paramount
- Mike Wilson, Cinematographer/Gaffer
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
Assistant Professor Vasilios Papaioannu's film 'Parenthesis'
has won the Honorable Mention Award at the Video Art & Experimental Film Festival (VAEFF) that took place at the Tribeca Film Center in NYC in November 2023. That is the 14th award received by the project.
Papaioannu was interviewed by the Iranian Filmmaker and Syracuse University Professor Soudabeh Moradian for the film as part of the curated program “Beyond Observation” for the Cryptofiction Media.
Photo: 'Parenthesis' film poster
Associate Professor Tina Morton
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.
Assistant Professor Akosua Adoma Owusu
recently participated on the selection committee and was invited by the 6th edition of Sharjah Film Flatform (SFP) in the United Arab Emirates to speak about the work of the late Senegalese filmmaker Safi Faye titled The Cinema of Safi Faye: Colonial Legacies, Exile and (Be)longing. Professor Owusu was in conversation with Yasmine Price, a writer, programmer, and PhD candidate in the departments of African American Studies and Film & Media Studies at Yale University.
Assistant Professor Sri Nandigama
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.
Our Notable Alumni
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, 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 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'.
Past Events
Film and Television Production | Undergraduate
Contacts
Program Details
- Degree Classification: Undergraduate
- Program Type: Major
- Length: Four years