Black Warrior Film Festival Eyes the Future

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The sixth annual Black Warrior Film Festival will take place at The University of Alabama’s Ferguson Center March 2-3.

The festival seeks to celebrate the art of filmmaking and highlight emerging talent, encompassing this year’s theme: the Future of Film.

The two-day event will include screenings of student films, panels on filmmaking, diversity and the entertainment industry as well as workshops with industry professionals, students and UA alumni.

All festival events are free and open to the public.

“We are so excited to bring so many wonderful industry professionals to the festival this year and to highlight the incredible talent we have here on our campus,” said Mary Elizabeth Newman, executive co-director of the Black Warrior Film Festival. “Hosting conversations focusing on the future of the film industry is important as we move through a constantly shifting landscape and continue to challenge norms that dominate screens.”

Writer Brandon Easton and writer/director Danny Ryan are two of the notable guests attending the festival. Easton serves as a staff writer for season two of Marvel’s “Agent Carter” and has written for WB Animation’s 2011 reboot “ThunderCats” and Hasbro’s “Transformers: Rescue Bots.”

Ryan is a UA alumnus whose short films have screened at festivals around the world, including Cannes Film Festival’s Emerging Filmmakers Showcase. While at UA, he co-founded the Black Warrior Film Festival. He is working on narrative and commercial projects both in VR and traditional video.

Easton and Ryan will host two workshops Friday, March 2, covering the topics of writing for TV and VR filmmaking, respectively.

The three panels on Saturday will cover topics ranging from women in film to working in the creative side of the industry. Panelists include Dr. Barbara Brickman, professor, UA New College; Connor Simpson, UA alumnus and 2017 Holle Award for Excellence in Filmmaking recipient; and Yasmine Nana-Yeboah, a senior public relations major.

Panels will take place between film blocks Saturday and will be located in room 3104 in Ferguson Student Center.

Five student filmmakers have been named finalists for the Holle Award for Excellence in Filmmaking, one of whom will win the $10,000 grand prize. The winner, along with the recipients of the festival’s other awards, will be announced Saturday night.

The Black Warrior Film Festival is an annual event at The University of Alabama produced for students, by students. Established in 2013, the competitive showcase of student films highlights emerging talent from universities across the nation through communitywide screenings, events, workshops and featured guests.

The festival seeks to celebrate the work of undergraduate and graduate students, as well as provide an opportunity to enrich The University of Alabama and Tuscaloosa communities through the art of filmmaking.

All festival events are free and open to the public. For more information on Black Warrior Film Festival and for a full schedule of events, visit www.blackwarriorfilmfest.com.