Spelman College and BronzeLens Film Festival Partner to Launch First Summer Film Series Celebrating Black Storytelling and Emerging Filmmakers

BLFF Encore Series Showcases Independent Black Cinema Through Weekly Screenings and Conversations on Culture, Creativity and Identity

ATLANTA (July 14, 2026) -- Spelman College and the BronzeLens Film Festival (BLFF) are pleased to announce the BLFF Encore Series, a collaborative summer film series designed to celebrate the power of independent cinema while providing audiences with engaging conversations around culture, creativity, innovation and identity. The screenings will take place every Thursday beginning July 16 and continuing through August 6, at Spelman’s Mary Schmidt Campbell Center for Innovation and the Arts. 

The four-week series will feature curated screenings of award-winning and emerging films by Georgia filmmakers. Each evening will explore a unique theme, showcasing the breadth of Black storytelling across multiple genres and generations. To purchase tickets, visit Spelman College Marketplace Mall: CI&A-PAC. Each screening will begin at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m. 

The series themes include:

• July 16 – Afrofuturism: A collection of visionary films exploring technology, imagination, healing, and the future through Black perspectives.
• July 23 – Family Night: Inspiring stories for audiences of all ages that celebrate imagination, resilience, and community.
• July 30 – Arts: Documentary and narrative films highlighting influential artists, cultural icons, and creative voices whose work has shaped Black history and contemporary culture.
• August 6 – All Shorts/All Night: A powerful evening of short films examining self-discovery, legacy, resilience, and personal transformation.

Collectively, the screenings feature works by independent filmmakers whose stories span science fiction, drama, documentary, fantasy, dance and social commentary. The collaboration reflects both organizations' commitment to amplifying diverse voices and creating meaningful opportunities for audiences to engage with independent Black cinema.

After every film festival, the same questions always arise: 'That was SO good! How can I see that film again?’ or 'I heard that film was a MUST SEE, but I missed it. When and where can I watch it?' Now, here's your chance,” said Barbara Chirinos, artistic director of the Center for Innovation and the Arts at Spelman. “The BronzeLens Film Festival, in partnership with the Mary Schmidt Campbell Center for Innovation and the Arts at Spelman College, proudly presents the BLFF Encore Series—a special four-week celebration of outstanding films by Georgia filmmakers that previously screened at BronzeLens. Great films deserve an encore." 

"We're excited to partner with Spelman College to launch the Summer Film Screening Series, creating a dynamic space where independent films spark meaningful conversations and bring our community together,” said Kathleen Bertrand, BronzeLens Executive Producer. “Independent filmmakers have long challenged how we see the world, and this series celebrates their creativity, courage, and vision. Beyond the screenings, we invite audiences to engage in thought-provoking discussions about culture, innovation, identity, and the transformative power of storytelling. We believe this collaboration will inspire, connect, and entertain audiences all summer long.”



The film series underscores the shared mission of Spelman and BronzeLens Film Festival to support emerging artists, promote cultural exchange and foster conversations that extend beyond the screen. Additional information regarding guest speakers and film titles will be announced soon.

Tickets are available for purchase at Spelman College Marketplace Mall: CI&A-PAC.

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About Spelman College
Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a leading liberal arts college widely recognized as the global leader in the education of women of African descent. Located in Atlanta, the College’s picturesque campus is home to 2,700 students. Spelman is the country's leading producer of Black women who complete Ph.D.s in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The College’s status is confirmed by the U.S. News & World Report, which ranked Spelman No. 37 among all liberal arts colleges, No. 33 for undergraduate teaching, No. 2 for social mobility among liberal arts colleges, and No. 1 for the 19th year among historically Black colleges and universities.  Recent initiatives include a designation by the Department of Defense as a Center of Excellence for Minority Women in STEM, a Gender and Sexuality Studies Institute, the first endowed queer studies chair at an HBCU and a program to increase the number of Black women Ph.D.s in economics. New majors and minors have been added, including documentary filmmaking and photography, data science, refugee studies and gaming. Collaborations have been also established with MIT’s Media Lab, the Broad Institute and the Army Research Lab for artificial intelligence and machine learning, among others.

Outstanding alumnae include Children’s Defense Fund founder Marian Wright Edelman, former Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Rosalind Brewer, political leader Stacey Abrams, Federal Reserve Governor Lisa D. Cook, former Acting Surgeon General and Spelman’s first alumna president Audrey Forbes Manley, Harvard University professor and former Dean Evelynn Hammonds, actress and producer Latanya Richardson Jackson, global bioinformatics geneticist Janina Jeff and authors Pearl Cleage and Tayari Jones.

To learn more, please visit spelman.edu and @spelmancollege on social media.

 

About BronzeLens Film Festival
BronzeLens Film Festival of Atlanta, Georgia, is a non-profit organization founded in 2009 that is dedicated to bringing national and international attention to Atlanta as a center for film and film production by people of color. Its mission is twofold: to promote Atlanta as a film mecca for people of color and to showcase films and provide networking opportunities to develop the next generation of filmmakers. 

BronzeLens is an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences qualifying film festival for the Short Film Awards category. The short film that receives the BronzeLens Best Short Award may now be eligible to enter the Academy’s Short Subject competition for the concurrent season. 

For more information regarding the BronzeLens Film Festival, visit www.bronzelens.com and @bronzelens.