“You have the rest of your life to be the minority. So why not go to an HBCU?”
Those words, spoken by A Different World star Kennedi Reece at the 4th Annual HBCU First Look Film Festival, make so much sense to me. The 11-year-old me had always dreamed of going to an HBCU: a place where I could celebrate the richness of our culture, envision the endless possibilities for my future, and, of course, build memories that would last a lifetime with beautiful Black people around me.
Now, as a freshman film and television major at thee illustrious Howard University, where the festival took place, the growth I have experienced has been incomparable.
Before my touchdown at this higher-education mecca, I longed to be in a space with an array of filmmakers who looked like me. I dreamed of them believing in me, of learning from them and their experiences, and of finding my creative voice. And now, I have finally found that space. Attending the HBCU First Look Film Festival, founded by Howard’s very own Sheila Eldridge, made that dream a reality.
Held at the institution’s Amour J. Blackburn Student Center, the festival celebrates the ongoing creativity, resilience, and talent that reside in historically Black colleges and universities. The 2026 theme, “How To Be the Next,” encouraged the next generation of HBCU film and media prodigies.
The festival’s creator was part of the first class of Howard’s Cathy Hughes School of Communications, where she was mentored by the school’s namesake. “What someone did for me I want to pass that on,” Eldridge shared.
“It’s called the First Look because I want the industry to understand this is the next Spike Lee, this is the next Samuel L. Jackson…Take a look at these students now and see what they’re already doing!”
Experiencing my first HBCU First Look was nothing short of magical. From panels on the future of production with STARZ president Kathryn Busby to swag surfing with the cast of P-Valley, the festival exceeded what my prepubescent self once dreamed of.
Events kicked off at the DC Office of Cable, Film, Television, and Entertainment with the Lights Camera Connections networking mixer, an opportunity for the festival’s filmmakers, speakers, HBCU students, and community members to connect.
After an opening night filled with food, dancing, and culture, the festival officially began with an array of panels presented by STARZ (this year’s presenting sponsor), TV One, and Netflix’s A Different World. Each experience provided students like me with a space to connect with media powerhouses: producer Autumn Bailey Ford (a Shaw University alumna), editor Deanna Nowell (a Clark Atlanta University alumna), creative executive Chelsea Maloney (a FAMU alumna), and so many more who had also begun their journeys at HBCUs and helped pave the way.
The power of representation was the festival’s hot topic. Actress Colby Nixon, a cast member of CBS’ record-breaking soap opera Beyond the Gates and a 2026 HBCU First Look Film Festival honoree, stated, “We need to make sure that we are sharing [our] successful stories; the stories of Black doctors, of black lawyers, of black political figures…because if we see it we know that it can happen, if we see it we believe it, and we do it.”
Ending the unforgettable weekend with a bang, the Salute THEM Awards Luncheon, hosted by Laya DeLeon Hayes and DaSan Frazier, celebrated 25 honorees and the winners of the HBCU First Film Festival Challenge, recognizing the changemakers truly moving culture forward.
Thanks to the HBCU First Look Film Festival, hundreds of other HBCU students from across the nation and I had a space where we could feel seen, supported, and empowered to tell stories that reflect who we are. See you next year!