Who We Are
Where Storytelling, Technology
and Culture Converge
Urbanworld is a five-day festival, based in New York City, showcasing narrative and documentary features, short films, web originals, music videos, spotlight screenings and conversations, and live staged screenplay readings.
Our Urbanworld Innovation Summit convenes industry experts sharing insights on the evolving landscape of content creation, financing, distribution, and marketing through a series of engaging and informative panels.
Urbanworld Nightlife rounds out the festival, with a dynamic mix of parties and cultural events.
Our Legacy
The Urbanworld Film Festival, founded in 1997 by Stacy Spikes, is one of the largest internationally competitive festivals of its kind. Since inception, Hollywood studios, indie film distributors, and established and emerging filmmakers have consistently chosen Urbanworld to premiere box office and award-winning hits.
The Urbanworld Film Festival is an initiative of the Urbanworld Foundation Inc., a nonprofit organization that redefines and advances the presence and impact of the multicultural community in cinema and cross-platform media.
Our Team
Stacy Spikes
Festival Founder
Stacy Spikes
Festival Founder
Stacy Spikes is an award-winning entrepreneur and inventor who USA Today named one of the 21 most influential Black leaders in technology. He holds several technology patents and is the co-founder and CEO of the nation’s first theatrical subscription service, MoviePass. In addition, Spikes is the founder of Urbanworld, the largest international festival dedicated to nurturing Women and BIPOC filmmakers. His memoir, Black Founder, was released in January 2023.
Verona Jones
Festival Director
Jessica Chong
Festival Producer
Jessica Chong
Festival Producer
Jessica is producer, curator, and events manager known for orchestrating unforgettable special events. Jessica dedicated 22 years to the field of education before transitioning to the special event world, curating nightlife events spun by celebrity DJs and organizing events for celebrity clients. Jessica has worked for the BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™ organization, serving as a production and talent manager for BGR FEST!, project manager for BLACK GIRLS LEAD, and collaborated with BGR! and Sony Pictures on VIP New York City screenings for "The Woman King" and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody." Additionally, Jessica co-produced the Brooklyn-based M.A.D.E. SUMMIT & FESTIVAL 2022 and joined the UrbanWorld team in 2022, showcasing her versatility in delivering exceptional experiences across various domains.
Louisa Brown
Filmmaker Liaison
Louisa Brown
Community Partner Liaison
Louisa is an acclaimed filmmaker and film enthusiast, and excels in corporate storytelling, collaborating with renowned brands like Bacardi, Dusse, and Rocnation. Her co-written short film "Mila and Mimi Too'' won Lionsgate's "Spy Who Dumped Me" female storytellers competition in 2018, followed by Best Screenplay at The Broad Humor Festival in 2019 after premiering at HBO'S Women in Comedy Film Festival. She is a partner at MADE Community, where she's committed to empowering her community. She brings her experience and expertise to her role as Community Liaison at Urbanworld, to help champion black and brown creatives, blending her passion for film and community upliftment.
Samantha Debicki
Screenwriting Program Producer
Samantha Debicki
Screenwriting Program Producer
Samantha Debicki has programmed Urbanworld's screenplay competition and produced its live readings and screenwriter activations for over a decade. She has also produced a number of nonprofit events, including galas, fundraisers, and the Screenwriters Showcase for the "Made in New York" Media Summit. As an actor, she is a member of off-Broadway’s TBTB company. Sam is also a freelance writer with clients in the corporate, yoga/health, and creative spaces. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Columbia University, where she majored in English.
Eric Iverson
Webmaster
Eric Iverson
Webmaster
Eric Iverson has directed his Digital UX/UI Development & Design team (Extima) for 10+ years launching over 100 websites and apps for customers ranging from custom SaaS solutions to global e-Commerce to event & media organizations.
Candace Jones
Events Manager
Candace Jones
Events Manager
Candace Jones (CJ) is a project designer, producer, and DJ. CJ has served on the production team for Urbanworld since 2015 where she mixes her worlds of music and the movies. At BLACK GIRLS ROCK! she has served in the global mission of women's and girls' empowerment with founder DJ Beverly Bond since 2008 and as associate producer for the acclaimed BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Awards on BET. She joined Howard University alumni comrades to create the HU Entertainment Collective, a resource platform for its vast and prominent community in creative fields. She's been a member of the GRAMMY Family since 2003 and previously held positions at The Recording Academy, Universal Music Group, and Creative Works.
Tony Murphy
Technical Manager
Tony Murphy
Technical Manager
After spending most of his career behind the scenes helping other filmmakers get their projects seen on the film festival circuit, Tony looks to write and create work that pushes the parameters of urban cinema. The former New Yorker has pulled on all of his experiences, which include working as a Post Production Supervisor in Los Angeles as well as his own unique biracial background of growing up Black and Asian. With other projects in the works, Murphy, a former festival director for Urbanworld and current Technical Producer, is researching and writing a psychological thriller set in Bangkok.
SPINXX
Content Capture Lead