For the second consecutive year, students from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff were selected to apprentice at the 2024 Bentonville Film Festival as part of the BET-Paramount Content for Change initiative.
Wendy Guerrero, president of the BFF Foundation and Bentonville Film Festival, extended this unique opportunity to foster diverse storytelling and provide hands-on experience in the film production industry, according to a news release.
The selected UAPB students were Kaionta Dabney, a junior majoring in visual arts; Nicholas Norfolk Jr., a junior majoring in business administration with an emphasis in marketing; Braylin Perkins, a senior visual arts major and Paramount Content for Change alumnus from the 2023 BFF Festival; and Jada Tolbert, a sophomore majoring in multimedia communications.
Participants spent a week at the 2024 Bentonville Film Festival, engaging with industry experts and exploring opportunities to champion more inclusive narratives in media.
Chaired by Academy Award winner Geena Davis, the Bentonville Film Festival is an annual event promoting inclusion in all media.
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The BFF Foundation, a 501(c)(3), produces the festival in partnership with founding partner Walmart and presenting partner Coca-Cola. Held annually in Bentonville and online, BFF remains a beacon for diversity and representation in the entertainment industry, according to the release.
The UAPB students were accompanied by Frank D. Dorsey II, UAPB Dean for Student Involvement & Leadership; and Christian Jefferson, UAPB Project Lead.
“Through the Content for Change initiative, UAPB students are empowered to think about how they can dismantle societal narratives that perpetuate racism and hate,” said Dorsey. “We are thrilled to partner with Paramount and the BFF Foundation to provide these exceptional students with the platform to influence the future of media and storytelling.”
In response to the nationwide anti-racism and social justice protests that erupted throughout the summer of 2020, BET launched the Content for Change initiative, a groundbreaking campaign driven by the belief that media holds the power to shape cultural and community values.
Paramount’s Content for Change is a global, company-wide, cross-brand initiative that seeks to harness the power of content to counteract racism, bias, stereotypes and all forms of hate.
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff students meet actor Tika Sumpter (second from right) during the 2024 Bentonville Film Festival. (Special to The Commercial/University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff)