HBCU student film festival coming to Detroit

A national film festival for students of historically Black colleges and universities is coming to Michigan Central Station next month.

The big picture: Two days of events — including film screenings, panels and a gala — will draw in student filmmakers from 107 HBCUs across the country, officials announced Wednesday at a press conference.

• The Autumn Sun film festival's founder Bruce Clifton, a Detroit native, said he wants to "invite the world" to the city "because we deserve it."

Between the lines: Film screenings will take place Aug. 23 at Newlab at Michigan Central , a startup hub next to the renovated train station. The winner of a $10,000 award will be announced Aug. 24, followed by a gala honoring the students in Michigan Central.

What they're saying: "We believe that artists are innovators and that great innovation requires great inspiration. So we need the help of our artists and our filmmakers to offer critique," said Nate Wallace, head of civic partnerships for Michigan Central. "We need that human element that arts provide to create the type of place we want to build."

City Council President Mary Sheffield said HBCUs are at the center of Black and American leadership and culture, praising the effort to bring students together in Detroit.

• "The arts, especially film and cinematography, has played a critical role in the fight for justice," she said. "African American filmmakers, actors and actresses have been at the core."

The intrigue: Detroit is home to a design-focused HBCU, Pensole Lewis College , a revival of the former Lewis College of Business that was designated an HBCU in 1987 and closed in 2015.