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| CHARLOTTE BLACK FILM FESTIVAL |
| Charlotte Black Film Festival founder Tommy Nichols poses with Mayor Vi Lyles. The 2025 showcase, which is June 5-8 at Ayrsley Grand Cinemas, includes film filmmaker submissions from 32 states and 13 countries. |
The Charlotte Black Film Festival is expanding its reach.
Submissions from 32 states and 13 countries will be represented at the 15th annual showcase June 5-8 at Ayrsley Grand Cinemas, 9110 Kings Parade Blvd. CBFF’s mission is “to provide a platform for African American filmmakers and content creators to showcase their work, celebrate their culture, and tell their stories.”
The free festival includes an Opening Night welcome, network mixer, Independent Films and Red Carpet Vision Awards: Bowties and Sneakers.
Coffee Conversations: “All Black, No Sugar, No Cream” is June 6-7 along with “Actors Idol,” “My Beat, Your Movie” and Pitch Me competitions for filmmakers. The festival will close with a June 8 prayer breakfast.
CBFF founder Tommy Nichols uses the showcase to “promote diversity and inclusion in the film industry by highlighting the talents and contributions of Black artists and those telling the stories of the African diaspora.”
Nichols, who is originally from Dayton, Ohio, was introduced to film by a youth leader at church. After writing a few plays, he transitioned to film as a creative outlet and learned what was needed to make a quality production. He had passion but quickly realized how expensive filmmaking is.
A month after moving to Charlotte, Nichols was hired to record an awards ceremony at Johnson C. Smith University. A presentation by Charlotte Regional Partnership CEO Ronnie Bryant revealed film was one of the top five growth indicators in the region, which inspired Nichols to research African Americans’ involvement in the growing industry.
“I know that every time an economic engine comes through a city, we find out on the caboose side of economic development,” he said. “We find ourselves fighting for fumes.”
In 2010, the festival was launched as “an economic driver using film as its platform.” As a new opportunity for Black creatives, Nichols’ goal is to pave the way for creative sustainability.
In the process of developing the festival, Nichols realized it would be difficult to collaborate with other Charlotte creatives because he lacked ties to the area.
To compensate, Nichols used resources at hand. As an employee at Central Piedmont Community College, he leveraged relationships to hold the festival on campus. He attended the CIAA basketball tournament as a “culture event” and made a habit of connecting with people who are known in the community and “tagging along for the ride.”
“No one knew anything about the Charlotte Black Film Festival,” he said. “But they knew about CPCC. They knew about CIAA.”
From there, the festival gained traction. Two years after its founding, CBFF was named Best Culture Event at CIAA. The showcase is also launching a filmmaking grant in collaboration with the city of Charlotte “to inspire the creation of compelling projects that reflect the richness of Black and Latino culture and creativity.” The grants, which range from $500 to $5,000, will support established and emerging filmmakers in creating animation, short films and web series.
Aside from funding creative projects, Nichols said the festival is important because Black people need to tell their own stories.
“Main film festivals don’t have the breadth or depth of our community,” he said. “Our community is so broad, and in a Black film festival, it tells that story across neighborhoods.”
