A Film Festival Just For HBCU Students Is Heading To Detroit

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D etroit is known as the Motor City but for two days in August, it will be a haven for Black creatives from HBCUs.

The Autumn Sun Film Festival comes to Detroit on August 23 with an awards ceremony and gala the next night. Founder and filmmaker Bruce Clifton says that his hometown deserves a place where filmmakers can come together and share their work. It’s taking place at Newlab at Michigan Central Station, a 30-acre campus dedicated to technology and culture.

A pool of 100 filmmakers drawn from the 102 historically Black colleges and universities have been winnowed down to 25 who will compete for a $10,000 prize in Detroit.

The idea came about after a conversation Clifton had with educators at North Carolina A&T and Alabama State in 2018 who were looking for more outlets for their student filmmakers.

“Detroit maintains a rich history of producing pioneers in the arts and civil rights movement,” Clifton said. “Autumn Sun aims to be a worthy addition to the next chapter of that legacy. The goal is to host the festival in Detroit annually and expand its scope to include programming for all Black filmmakers from ages 18-30.”

Aside from it being Clifton’s hometown, Detroit also has an HBCU. Pensole Lewis is the only HBCU dedicated to design. Earlier this year, it moved into the city’s 5000-square-foot Icon Building.

“For nearly two centuries, HBCUs have been a bastion for the cultivation of African-American leaders and provocateurs of Black and American culture,” Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield said at a press conference.

“The arts, especially film and cinematography, has played a critical in the fight for justice and African American film makers and actors and actresses have been at the core. It is with great pride and enthusiasm that I welcome and look forward to the HBCU Film Invitational celebrating Black cinema in Detroit.”