CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS:
Koze Koze: A Storytelling Commons
20 Slides / 20 Seconds
Friday, October 9, 2026 at City College of New York from 11 am – 3 pm
NOU Haitian Dominican Film Festival & Symposium
What can an image, an idea, a story, or a question reveal about Haiti and the Dominican Republic?
The NOU Haitian Dominican Film Festival & Symposium invites students, scholars, artists, filmmakers, creative thinkers and doers, cultural workers, and engaged citizens to participate in a dynamic series of Koze Koze: A Storytelling Commons presentations exploring the histories, cultures, identities, experiences, and futures of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
This is an invitation to share an idea—not necessarily a finished paper or polished academic presentation. We are interested in research, creative practices, personal reflections, works in progress, visual experiments, community projects, films, archives, oral histories, and provocative questions that encourage us to think differently about Haitian and Dominican life and the connections between our communities.
We welcome presentations that explore:
- Haitian and Dominican histories, and new visions for a future
- Migration, diaspora, and transnational experiences
- Race, colorism, anti-Blackness, and belonging
- Art, film, music, literature, and popular culture
- Gender, sexuality, family, and community
- Language, memory, and storytelling
- Borders, geography, and place
- Shared histories and points of connection
- Difference, conflict, solidarity, and reconciliation
- Foodways, spirituality, healing, and ancestral knowledge
- Youth and intergenerational knowledge
- Activism, social justice, and community organizing
- Contemporary Haitian and Dominican creative practices
- New media, technology, and emerging forms of storytelling
The Format
20 slides. 20 seconds. 6 minutes
On Friday, October 9th at City College, presenters will have exactly 20 slides, 20 seconds each, to present a fast-paced, accessible exchange of ideas. Presentations will take place from 11 am – 3 pm.
We especially encourage presentations that cross disciplines, challenge assumptions, make connections, and invite conversation. We encourage presentations to be rooted in love.
Who Should Apply?
This open call is for anyone with something meaningful to contribute, including:
Students • Scholars • Artists • Filmmakers • Educators • Writers • Cultural Workers • Historians • Researchers • Community Organizers • Entrepreneurs • Storytellers • Creative Thinkers • Creative Doers • Engaged Citizens
You do not need to be an established expert. Curiosity, lived experience, research, creativity, and a compelling idea are all forms of knowledge.
Submission
Please submit to noufest.dominicanslovehaitians@gmail.com, or fill out the form below by September 27, 2026:
- Presentation title
- Brief description/abstract (250 words or less)
- Short biography (150 words or less)
- Your relationship to or interest in the subject
- Optional: links to relevant work, film, artwork, writing, research, or project
Timeline
- Selected presenters will receive additional information about the 20 Minutes / 20 Slides format and presentation requirements by September 30
- Presentations due October 4
- Presentation run-through on Zoom October 5, various times
To apply, fill out the form below:
