See social justice through the eyes of a new generation. Seven remarkable social justice films take audiences inside stories and issues they may never have encountered—and offer unexpected perspectives on issues they thought they knew.
The program features six extraordinary short films, each under 30 minutes, selected from a highly competitive field of nearly 100 submissions from student and emerging filmmakers nationwide. These six emerging filmmakers rose to the top for their powerful storytelling, fresh perspectives, and distinctive approaches to social justice. In addition, we will air the first-ever winner of the newly established Howard University Filmmaker Competition.
Time | Program |
10:00 AM | Opening remarks by OCTFME Director and DC Film Commissioner LaToya Foster |
10:05 AM | Screening of the 4 Student Finalist Films |
12:00 AM | Talkback hosted by Emmy-winning producer Opal Hope Bennett |
12:30 PM | Joint reception bringing together student and emerging filmmakers, attending jury members, and the broader community to celebrate this year’s finalists |
Anurima Bhargava
Civil Rights Advocate and Filmmaker
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Anurima Bhargava is a civil rights advocate and filmmaker dedicated to promoting dignity and justice in our schools, workplaces and communities. Teaching America is her directorial debut; she has also served as a producer and advisor to numerous documentaries, including Writing With Fire (Oscar Nominated; Peabody Award), While We Watched (Peabody Award, Henry Award), The Body Politic (Emmy Nominated), the docuseries The Vow, A Shot At History, Patang and The Inquisitor. She previously led civil rights enforcement in schools, colleges and universities at the U.S. Department of Justice; directed the education practice at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund; and chaired the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. She currently chairs the U.S. Board of Doc Society and serves on the Capacity Council for Brown Girls Doc Mafia.
Louis Massiah
Filmmaker and the Founder
of the Scribe Video Center
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Louis Massiah is a documentary filmmaker and the founder of the Scribe Video Center.
Massiah has developed production methodologies that assist first time makers author their own stories, including the Precious Places Community History project, a collection of 150 collaborative documentaries; Muslim Voices of Philadelphia; and The Great Migration - A City Transformed. He is the artistic director of the North Philadelphia History Festival. Massiah’s documentaries, include: “TCB – the Toni Cade Bambara School of Organizing”, “Tenants of Lenapehocking in the Age of Magnets,” “W.E.B. Du Bois – A Biography in Four Voices”, T”he Bombing of Osage Avenue”, and two films for the “Eyes on the Prize II” series. A MacArthur Foundation “genius award” fellow, he is currently an A.D. White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University.
Srikanth Nandigama
Award-winning Cinematographer and Educator
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Srikanth Nandigama is an award-winning cinematographer and educator. He is an Assistant Professor in Cathy Hughes School of Communications, Department of Media, Journalism and Film, and Undergraduate Film-TV Sequence Coordinator.
Professor Nandigama’s areas of teaching include intermediate to advanced level film production courses. His research focuses on the psychological impact of Cinematography and he aims to explore various interactive/immersive methods of filmmaking and implement them in presenting socially relevant narratives.
LaToya Foster
OCTFME Director &DC Film Commisioner
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Director LaToya Foster is a dynamic leader at the forefront of Washington, D.C.’s creative and entertainment sectors. As the Director of the award-winning DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment (OCTFME), Foster champions the city’s thriving cultural landscape while advancing its creative economy. She also serves as the DC Film Commissioner, where she plays a pivotal role in shaping D.C.’s burgeoning film production industry.
In her role within the cabinet of Mayor Muriel Bowser, Foster leads the Creative Affairs Office (CAO) and the Mayor Muriel Bowser Presents 202Creates initiative, an impactful program that supports and empowers the District’s diverse creative communities across all eight wards. OCTFME under Foster’s leadership is home to the district’s key media assets, including DC Radio 96.3HD4, the first municipally managed radio station in the city, and a robust lineup of government cable access channels, including District Council Channel (DCC), District of Columbia Network (DCN), District Knowledge Network (DKN), and the 24-hour streaming platform, District of Columbia Entertainment Network (DCE).
With over two decades of experience in communications, Foster’s career spans television, radio, and media production. Before her tenure at OCTFME, she served as Director of the Mayor’s Office of Communications, where she led the media operations for the Bowser Administration and served as the chief spokesperson for the Mayor’s office, guiding communications strategies for nearly 100 District government agencies. Foster’s career in government communications also includes serving as the chief spokesperson for the late Mayor Marion S. Barry Jr., where she was instrumental in managing his communications and contributing to his award-winning autobiography.
A seasoned television and radio veteran, Foster’s media career includes executive producing and hosting several high-profile programs. As the host of "In The Know TV" on Washington’s ABC affiliate, WJLA, she interviewed major political figures, including President Barack Obama and President Joe Biden. She also created, produced, and hosted "This Is Your Moment", a talk show that aired on The Word Network, interviewing world-renowned figures in music, politics, and entertainment.
Foster’s career began in radio, where she developed and hosted programs for Radio One, the largest urban broadcasting company in the world, including the highly regarded “Live at Five”, “The Washington Insider”, and “The Power Block”. In 2017, she launched “Voice of the City” on DC Radio, helping to expand the station’s influence in the D.C. area. Foster has also shared her insights as a commentator on national platforms, including MSNBC, Fox News, BET, and TV One.
A recipient of multiple honors, including the 2023 President Joseph R. Biden Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2023 Spectrum Circle Innovation in Media Award, Foster is also deeply committed to social causes. In her spare time, she has devoted countless hours to mentoring youth, advocating for adoption and foster care awareness, and promoting civic engagement throughout the D.C. community.
With her blend of creative vision, communications expertise, and dedication to public service, LaToya Foster is a transformative leader shaping the future of Washington, D.C.'s entertainment and media industries.
Come watch the films, then join us Saturday evening to see the winners announced during
New Orleans’ National Impact: Three Families Behind a Movement.
Register here to be there when the next generation of civil rights storytellers is recognized.
Ronald W. Walters Leadership & Public Policy Center, Howard University’s Office of External Affairs,
and the Department of Media, Journalism & Film
Myrtilla Miner Building Auditorium, Howard University School of Education
2565 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001
(Entrance on 6th St NW)
OPAL HOPE BENNETT
Opal H. Bennett is the Emmy-winning Executive Producer at POV Shorts and Senior Producer at POV. Under her curation, POV Shorts won the 2020 and 2022 IDA Award for Best Short Form Series and the series broadcast the 2021 News & Documentary Emmy winner for Short Documentary, The Love Bugs.
Previously, Opal was Shorts Programmer and Director of Artist Development at DOC NYC and Senior Programmer at Athena Film Festival. Prior to that, Opal also worked with Nantucket Film Festival, Aspen ShortsFest, Tribeca Film Festival and consulted for The Gotham (formerly IFP). She is a Programming Consultant for March On!. Opal is a member of the AMPAS Documentary branch. She has served on juries for SxSW, HotDocs, Aspen & Palm Springs ShortsFests, Cleveland, Milwaukee and Seattle International Film Festivals and IndieMemphis Film Festival among others. She has also served on the shorts selection committees for Cinema Eye Honors and the IDA. Opal has participated on various selection committees for film programming and grants.
A Columbia Law grad, Opal holds a Masters in Media Studies from the London School of Economics, and received her B.A. from New York University.