PitchBLACK
PitchBLACK 2026 will take place in Harlem, April 29-30, at The Apollo Stages at the Victoria. Starting Mon., March 16, earlybird tickets to PitchBLACK Awards will be on sale for 50% off the regular price. This discount ends March 31.
Forum Registration is Now Open!
PitchBLACK Forum is a free, invitational event. Invited guests may register by clicking the “Forum Registration” button below. Independent media makers and members of the public media community who have not yet received an invitation may click the “Get Credentials” button below to access the credentialing application. Accepted applicants will receive their credentials by email.
PitchBLACK Awards
Starting Wed., April 1, all tickets for PitchBLACK Awards are full price except to BPM donors, who are entitled to a 25% discount. Visit Ticketmaster to get your tickets and follow us on social media, subscribe to our newsletter or click the “Visit PitchBLACK 2026” arrow below for program updates.
Celebrate Black Storytelling
Black Public Media’s annual PitchBLACK Forum is the United States’ premier pitch competition for independent documentary filmmakers and creative technologists whose content reflects the Black experience. Makers of traditional and immersive media works are invited to pitch their projects for production funding. The winning projects are selected by a jury of industry leaders. PitchBLACK is attended by public media creators, distributors, and industry leaders from around the globe.
PitchBLACK Highlights
- $2M+ in production funding awarded to PitchBLACK Forum winners
- Led to six network broadcasts
- Led to one immersive activation
- Led to two webseries
- Recognized seven documentary filmmakers with its Trailblazer Award
- Named five Nonso Christian Ugbode Fellows
PitchBLACK Film Forum
The PitchBLACK Film Forum features teams of documentary filmmakers pitching their projects to a panel of public media executives and funders. Forum winners can receive up to $150K in production funding.
PitchBLACK Immersive Forum
The PitchBLACK Immersive Forum features creative technologists pitching their projects to an expert panel of emerging media professionals and funders. Forum winners can receive up to $75K in project funding.
PitchBLACK Awards
Winners of the PitchBLACK Forum are announced at the PitchBLACK Awards, where we also present our BPM Trailblazer Award and announce recipients of the Nonso Christian Ugbode Emerging Media Fellowship.
The BPM Trailblazer Award is presented to prolific media makers who have produced an exceptional body of work and have a strong history of mentoring other makers. The Trailblazer Retrospective offers an opportunity for audiences to screen a curated selection of films by the Trailblazer for a limited time. The 2026 Trailblazer Retrospective is a virtual affair running April 27-May 10. The screenings are free, on-demand, but registration is required. The Trailblazer Retrospective registration portal will open in March.