This year, Black Warrior Film Festival will be held the weekend of Feb. 13 to 15, and students interested in participating in Black Warrior must submit applications before Jan. 15.
Films submitted and viewed at the festival range in a variety of genres. Students are able to submit narrative films, documentary films, experimental films, animated films and music videos.
Black Warrior is open not only to filmmakers but also those with creative minds. For students like Ashton Varner, a senior majoring in English, getting involved with Black Warrior doesn’t require camera skills.
“The Black Warrior Film Festival piqued my interest because I enjoy film as well as event planning,” Varner said. “I’m an English major with minors in journalism and creative writing, so this event is a great opportunity to get hands-on experience in several different areas as well as make connections.”
Tuesday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Digital Media Center, the Black Warrior Film Festival team will be hosting a PB&J mixer. This event is a place for filmmakers, actors, writers and those interested in film. This is a chance for fellowships and collaborations to form over peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, to talk and brainstorm projects for the upcoming festival in February.
“My team and I really wanted an event to bring different creatives together to get to know each other and spark some project ideas,” said Katie Howard, a senior majoring in public relations. “What better way to do that than over PB&J?”
Black Warrior was created when a group of telecommunications majors from the University went to the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The group included Howard, who is currently the executive director for the Black Warrior Film Festival.
Howard, along with others, built Black Warrior from the ground up. Starting with only UA students, Black Warrior grew in 2014.
This year there are planned panels to discuss filmmaking in the South, and a workshop or two with featured filmmakers.
“We’re working to make the festival better than ever this year,” Howard said.
