Credit: Black Public Media
Black Public Media (BPM) is ready for submissions to its 2026 Open Call for the 10th PitchBLACK Forum & Awards. PitchBLACK is the country’s largest pitch competition for independent filmmakers creating stories for Black audiences.
Indie filmmakers are welcome to submit their feature-length projects for consideration. The five filmmakers selected to compete will receive $20,000 to support their film. The winner of the pitch competition will win an extra $150,000 production award.
Black Public Media is looking for films that “explore critical issues, promote cultural understanding and engage national audiences and/or local communities.” Projects can also be within “a range of formats, styles, subject matter and genres.” Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, serve as the project’s director or producer and have a minimum of three years professional producing and/or directing experience (or have a senior producer attached). The applicant must also have artistic, budgetary and editorial control and own their project’s copyright. Filmmakers can submit now until Oct. 1 at 11:59 p.m. PST.
Leslie Fields-Cruz, Black Public Media’s executive director, said in a statement, “As we prepare for our 10th PitchBLACK, we are looking for filmmakers with urgent, original stories that can deepen understanding of the Black experience and connect with audiences across the country.”
“We’re looking forward to identifying compelling projects, investing in the people behind them and helping prepare filmmakers to take their work to the next level,” she continued.
A free, informal webinar about the 2026 Open Call will be held Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 6 p.m. ET. Click here to register.
Here’s more about Black Public Media:
Founded in 1979, BPM funds film and immersive stories, develops media makers and produces and distributes original content. Since launching PitchBLACK in 2015 to help bring high-quality, consequential stories to viewers, the Harlem-based national nonprofit has awarded more than $2 million to film and immersive media projects. Films that have competed at PitchBLACK have gone on to premiere on PBS, WORLD, Create and PBS Digital. Program alumni have produced film, television and immersive projects for PBS, CNN, Showtime, Netflix, HBO, BET, NBC, The CW and more.
BPM has established the Black Stories Production Fund to ensure that Black stories won’t be subject to political stunts, such as Congress’ 2025 vote to rescind federal funding for public media. The vote resulted in BPM losing $1.8 million from its budget. To donate to the fund, click here.
