Norfolk State University is the ideal venue to create a film program that is, at its very essence, engaged in the history of African America. Historically Black Colleges and Universities are living memorials to the 12 million enslaved Africans who survived the middle passage, as well as all of their descendants. The Nate Parker Summer Film Institute trains future filmmakers as historians, activists, and artists who are prepared to be change agents that challenge prevalent images and stereotypes that exist in media for people of African descent through film and theater. Graduates of the Institute will receive professional training, mentorship, and gain access to networking circles in the film industry.
The Nate Parker Summer Film Institute is a highly competitive program for students who have a passion for film, storytelling, social justice, and African Diaspora culture. Students are required to be academically rigorous, historically informed, and politically engaged. This flagship institute is dedicated to transforming the film industry by disrupting the established avenues towards film production and by cultivating new voices to ultimately change the racial climate of this Nation.