Black Public Media’s PitchBLACK Forum Poised to Surpass $2 Million in Support for Black Storytellers

Black Public Media (BPM) is gearing up for its annual PitchBLACK Forum, the nation’s largest pitch competition dedicated to independent filmmakers and creative technologists crafting Black content. This year’s event, sponsored by industry giants Netflix and PBS, promises to be a landmark occasion as BPM is on track to exceed a staggering $2 million in funding awarded to innovative film and immersive projects since the initiative’s inception.

With $225,000 in project development funding up for grabs at this year’s competition, the PitchBLACK Forum will take place on Wednesday, April 30, beginning at 9 a.m. For the first time, the event will be held in Harlem, the vibrant New York City neighborhood that serves as BPM’s home base, at the iconic Apollo Stages at the Victoria.

The high-stakes pitching competition will showcase the talents of five film teams, all presenting compelling documentary projects from 9 a.m. to noon. Following this, six immersive teams will take the stage from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., unveiling projects that incorporate cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality, 3D animation, and interactive games. Industry leaders from public media, commercial television networks, distribution companies, and funding organizations will be in attendance to witness these groundbreaking pitches.

Further details about the participating projects can be found at https://blackpublicmedia.org/pitch-black/pitchblack-2025/.

The highly anticipated winners of production and distribution awards will be revealed at the PitchBLACK Awards on Thursday, May 1, at 7 p.m. This celebratory event will also honor the remarkable career of history-making film editor Lillian E. Benson, ACE (American Cinema Editors), with the prestigious BPM Trailblazer Award. Benson is celebrated for her Emmy®-nominated contributions to impactful projects such as Eyes on the Prize II, Showtime’s Soul Food, NBC’s Chicago Med, and OWN’s Greenleaf. The evening will feature an engaging conversation with Benson, moderated by NPR host Brittany Luse of It’s Been a Minute.

Adding to the celebration, BPM will present a curated collection of works edited by Lillian E. Benson as part of the BPM Trailblazer Film Retrospective. These films will be available for free streaming on blackpublicmedia.org between April 28 and May 12.

Leading the charge at these pivotal events will be BPM executive director Leslie Field-Cruz. The PitchBLACK Forum will be emceed by advertising futurist Tameka Kee, while comedian and Harlem comedy club owner Jamie Roberts will host the PitchBLACK Awards. The awards ceremony will also feature a special musical performance by Yansa Fatima. The heart of the event, however, remains the talented creatives who are dedicated to telling authentic Black stories.

Since its launch in 2015, BPM, a national nonprofit committed to funding quality film and immersive work, developing media makers, and producing and distributing original content, has awarded over $1.8 million to 23 film and immersive projects through the PitchBLACK competition. This year’s event signifies a major milestone as the organization surpasses the $2 million mark in its commitment to fostering Black voices in media.

Media interested in attending either the PitchBLACK Forum or the PitchBLACK Awards are required to RSVP by Friday, April 25, to  [email protected] , indicating which event they wish to cover. Please note that media seats are limited and confirmation is required.