As a precaution to avoid the further spread of Covid-19, the 2020 Newark Museum of Art Black Film Festival has been cancelled. 

The Black Film Festival and Robeson awards will be back in July 2021.

The Paul Robeson Awards are a biennial competition recognizing excellence in independent filmmaking. The competition was established in 1985 in honor of the late activist, performer and athlete.

Original films released since 2017 are eligible for submission. Only non-commercial (“independent”) films of which the filmmaker had control over the finished piece will be accepted. Films originally produced for industrial, commercial or studio purposes are excluded. If the above criteria are met, films produced for or shown on television are also eligible. Films produced in other languages or countries may be entered, provided they have an English-language soundtrack or subtitles in Vimeo or DVD (NTSC) format and meet the same eligibility criteria.

Winning works will be screened during The Newark Museum of Art Black Film Festival, with 2020 dates and locations to be announced.

All film submissions for the Paul Robeson Awards must be accompanied by the entry form, along with $40 entry fee, and submitted no later than March 18, 2020.

Entries for the Paul Robeson Awards, including film and synopsis, should be sent to:

Steven Hyland, Public Program Manager
The Newark Museum of Art
49 Washington Street
Newark, NJ 07102-3176
shyland@newarkmuseumart.org or nbff@newarkmuseumart.org