The Paul Robeson Awards Competition: THIS IS A CALL FOR ENTRIES!!!

The Newark Museum's Newark Black Film Festival (NBFF) - celebrating its 44th anniversary in 2018 - once again commemorates the life and times and cinematic achievements of the great actor, singer, civil rights activist and all-American athlete, Paul Robeson. Robeson was among the first black American artists to challenge conventional notions of "proper Negro behavior," doing so increasingly after World War II, when the forces of reaction were strongest in American politics. His criticism of the racial status quo in the United States made him vulnerable to attack by those who felt that, as a black man, he had gone too far. Robeson had not gone too far. He had set an enviable standard for artistic freedom, freedom of expression and artistic excellence the Newark Black Film Festival ennobles through the Paul Robeson Awards.

WE ARE LOOKING FOR FILMS THAT HIGHLIGHT THE HISTORIC IMPORTANCE OF THE BLACK EXPERIENCE IN THE UNITED STATES AND THROUGHOUT THE AFRICAN DIASPORA. IF YOU HAVE MADE A FILM THAT EXPLORES THE LIVES, DREAMS, AMBITIONS, FEARS, STRUGGLES AND FAITH OF BLACK PROTAGONISTS, EITHER AS FULL-LENGTH DRAMA OR COMEDY, OR AS A DOCUMENTARY, EXPERIMENTAL FILM OR ANIMATED WORK, WE INVITE YOU TO ENTER.

THERE ARE NO RESTRICTIONS ON THE FILMMAKERS, REGARDLESS OF RACE, RELIGION, GENDER OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION.

The Paul Robeson Awards festival is a biennial competition. Original films released since January, 2015 will be considered. Only non-commercial ("independent") films over which the filmmaker has had and retains control of the finished work will be accepted.

EXCLUDED: Films originally produced for industrial, commercial or studio purposes.

Films produced for or shown on television are eligible if they meet the above criteria. Non-English language films may be entered if they have an English language soundtrack or subtitles in Vimeo or DVD (NTSC) format and meet the above criteria.

The films will be screened by a panel of judges from the film industry. Cash awards will be awarded at the discretion of the judges. The judges may withhold an award if no entries are considered award caliber.

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018.

INTERESTED? GOOD!

For more specific information and entry forms,

email: nbff@newarkmuseum.org

Telephone: 973.596.6635

or log onto: newarkmuseum.org to download an entry form.

ALSO: Follow the Newark Museum and the Newark Black Film Festival on Facebook and Twitter!