2022 Newark Black Film Festival
Overview
The Newark Museum of Art celebrates the 48th anniversary of the Newark Black Film Festival by continuing its legacy of presenting films that heighten the historic importance of the Black experience in the United States. The festival has screened 943 films to audiences since its inception in 1974. Produced by The Newark Museum of Art, the Newark Black Film Festival is back for the first time since 2019 in a fresh new format. We are proud to reintroduce this beloved event to our film community.
Screenings
The Newark Black Film Festival will take place July 12-17, 2022.
Exact schedule and location of screenings to be announced.
Entry Deadline
2022 Newark Black Film Festival submissions are now closed. Filmmakers will be notified by May 6.
Eligibility & Liability
Eligibility
Original films released since January 2019 will be considered. Films must be directed by a person who identifies as Black or must tell a story of Black experience. Non-commercial or independent films over which the filmmaker has had control of the finished piece are preferred. Films produced for or shown on television or online are eligible if they meet the above criteria. If the length of selected works dictates, the screenings may be abbreviated.
Films produced in other languages or countries may be entered if they have an English-language soundtrack or subtitles and meet the above criteria.
Liability
Entrant indemnifies The Newark Museum of Art/Newark Black Film Festival against possible copyright infringement resulting from screening or exhibition of works.
Entry Instructions
Films must be submitted via digital means only, through filmfreeway.com/NBFF2022
Early bird entry fee: $20 by March 1
Entry fee: $40 by April 1
Paul Robeson Awards
The festival has historically featured the Paul Robeson Awards, a biennial competition which provided filmmakers the chance to submit and screen their films as part of the festival. The Paul Robeson Awards have now merged with the main festival to create a competition, where all films are eligible for awards each year. The Newark Black Film Festival once again commemorates the life and cinematic achievements of Paul Robeson through the presentation of these awards.
The winner of each category will receive a check for $500. Categories include:
- Long Narrative
- Short Narrative
- Long Documentary
- Short Documentary
- Animation
- Experimental
- Web Series
A grand prize of $1,000 will be presented to the best film of the festival.
Entries will be screened by a panel of judges. Awards will be presented at the discretion of the judges. The judges may choose to withhold an award if no entries are considered award caliber. Winners are asked to include Newark Black Film Festival in any of their subsequent publicity materials.
Selection Committee
Dale E. Colston
Patricia Faison
Jeff Friday
LeRoy Henderson
LeRon Lee
Millicent Matthews
Lisa Payne
Mary Sue Price
Yvonne Michelle Shirley
Ayana Stafford-Morris
Richard Wesley (Chair)
Information
For more information, please visit filmfreeway.com/NBFF2022, or email: nbff@newarkmuseum.org.
Funding
The Newark Museum of Art’s Newark Black Film Festival is made possible by
The Newark Museum of Art, a not-for-profit museum of art and science, receives operating support from the City of Newark, the State of New Jersey, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State (a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts), the New Jersey Cultural Trust, the Prudential Foundation, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the Victoria Foundation, the Estate of Phyllis and Sanford Bolton, the Wallace Foundation, and other corporations, foundations, and individuals. Funds for acquisitions and activities other than operations are provided by members and other contributors.