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15th National Black Writers (Virtual) Conference 2020
November 13, 2020 at 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
Originally scheduled for March 2020 on the campus of Medgar Evers College (MEC) in Brooklyn, New York, the National Black Writers Conference (NBWC2020) will be virtual this year. The Center for Black Literature (CBL) supports the public health protocols that have emerged because of COVID-19, including social distancing. With that in mind, we have decided to present NBWC 2020 as a series of webinars, online.
The 15th National Black Writers Conference (NBWC): “Activism, Identity, and Race: Playwrights and Screenwriters at the Crossroads,” November 11- November 14, 2020, will continue conversations generated at the 2019 National Black Writers Conference Biennial Symposium. Black playwrights, screenwriters, and filmmakers will examine contemporary trends in theater and film and the ways race, politics, and popular culture shape the plays and films produced.
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DAY THREE: Friday, November 13
Daytime Host: WALLACE L. FORD II
SCREENWRITING and PLAYWRITING TALKSHOPS
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Invited Talkshop Leaders: CEDRIC HILL (screenwriting) and DARREL ALEJANDRO HOLNES (playwriting)
TOWN HALL
“The Role of the Media, Critics, and Reviewers on Black Plays and Film”
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Presented as a Community Conversation, the Town Hall will examine the role of the media, critics, and reviewers in (1) shaping the writing of playwrights and screenwriters and (2) in bringing the dramatic play to the stage and the screenplay to the screen.
The conversation will include emerging and seasoned panelists whose work is impacted by professional critics and the media-at-large. Audience members will be encouraged to provide their views on the subject and suggest ways for moving forward.
Speakers: David Greaves, Pamela Newkirk, Marcia Pendelton, Lisa Cortés, and Vinson Cunningham (invited)
Moderated by BRIDGETT M. DAVIS.
Sponsored by Our Time Press.
ROUNDTABLE
“The Impact of Hip-Hop and Popular Culture on Black Playwriting and Screenwriting”
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Panelists will examine how hip-hop and popular culture have influenced and shaped the plays, films, and television scripts created by Black playwrights, screenwriters, and scriptwriters. They will also look at trends in experimental theater and independent films by Black playwrights and screenwriters.
Speakers: Dasan Ahanu, NSangou Njikam, Carl Hancock Rux, Sabrina S. Gordon, and Marcus Guillory.
Moderated by CR CAPERS of Harlem Film House.
ROUNDTABLE
“Telling Our Stories: Transcending Barriers and Boundaries on Stage and Screen”
3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Artists and writers interrogate their interior lives and collective experiences to document their stories in a country where racism, sexual violence, gender discrimination, alienation, miseducation, immigration, and cultural conflicts are very present. The speakers here will explore these issues in theater, film, and television.
Speakers: Donja R. Love, Amina Henry, Nina Angela Mercer, and
H. “Herukhuti” Sharif Williams
Moderated by DIONNE BENNETT (Assistant Professor, New York City College of Technology).
DRAMATIC PRESENTATION
5:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Performed by ALEXIS ALLEYNE-CAPUTO, interdisciplinary artist, writer, and filmmaker.
SHORT FILM SCREENINGS AND TALKBACK
“RACE CARD: Short Films Exploring Activism, Identity, and Race”
5:45 PM – 7:00 PM
ImageNation’s Sōl Cinema Cafe is proud to present a discussion: RACE CARD: Short Films Exploring Activism, Identity, and Race. These short works delve into these issues with wit, humor, and brutal honesty, in an effort to spark dialogue and effect change.
Featured works* include Paris Blues in Harlem, a dramatic look at gentrification in this historic Black community; Harriet Returns, a satire that ponders what Harriet Tubman would say to today’s youth; Burden, an exploration of the Black man’s burden in America; and Little Apple, an award-winning web series featuring a nine-year-old superhero who defends her community. The film discussion will be followed by a filmmaker Q&A session. RACE CARD offers a taste of what the new, Harlem-based Sōl Cinema Cafe offers. More at www.solcinemacafe.com.
NOTE: Conference attendees will have access to the films before the Conference.
Moderated by MOIKGANTSI KGAMA.
NBWC SUMMIT KEYNOTE
Friday, November 13, 2020
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
The Summit Keynote of the National Black Writers Conference will feature a robust conversation with WOODIE KING JR, STANLEY NELSON, VOZA RIVERS, and NGOZI ANYANWU on the themes of activism, race, and identity in the plays and films of Black writers. The speakers will share their experiences, as well as their perspectives and analyses of past, current, and emerging trends in the plays and films produced.
There will be time for a Q&A session with the audience.
Moderated by NINA ANGELA MERCER.
Host: LURIE DANIEL-FAVORS
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HOW TO REGISTER
Before you register, view the full program schedule HERE
(Dates, Times, Event Descriptions, Speakers, Moderators, and More!)
EARLY REGISTRATION: SEPTEMBER 1 – OCTOBER 16, 2020
All Three (3) Days General Donation $65
1 Day General Donation $25
1 Day Students/Faculty/MEC Alumni $20
1 Day Senior Citizens $20
Free MEC Students $0
REGULAR REGISTRATION: OCTOBER 17 – NOVEMBER 5, 2020
All Three (3) Days General Donation $75
1 Day General Donation $30
1 Day Students/Faculty/MEC Alumni $25
1 Day Senior Citizens $25
Free MEC Students $0
STANDARD REGISTRATION: NOVEMBER 11 – NOVEMBER 14, 2020
All Three (3) Days General Donation $80
1 DAY General Donation $35
1 Day Students/Faculty/MEC Alumni $30
1 Day Senior Citizens $30
Free MEC Students $0
TALKSHOPS (Talkshops Run Concurrently)
- FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13 (11:00 AM – 12:30 PM) – Playwriting & Screenwriting
- SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14 (11:00 AM – 12:30 PM) – Playwriting, Fiction, Poetry, or Publishing
NOTE: Attendees may register for one session each day. Each session is $30.
Registration for NBWC 2020 is managed by Eventbrite: www.centerforblackliterature.eventbrite.com