queen bess centennial Aviation film festival

queen bess centennial Aviation film festivalqueen bess centennial Aviation film festivalqueen bess centennial Aviation film festival

queen bess centennial Aviation film festival

queen bess centennial Aviation film festivalqueen bess centennial Aviation film festivalqueen bess centennial Aviation film festival
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BESSIE COLEMAN (January 26, 1892 - April 30, 1926)

BESSIE COLEMAN (January 26, 1892 - April 30, 1926)BESSIE COLEMAN (January 26, 1892 - April 30, 1926)BESSIE COLEMAN (January 26, 1892 - April 30, 1926)BESSIE COLEMAN (January 26, 1892 - April 30, 1926)

The 1st Aviation Film Festival in the Nation is coming 2026

The Queen Bess Centennial Aviation Film Festival is coming and we’re making preparations. Don’t miss out!

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FESTIVAL PROGRAM & EVENTS | SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2026

08:00 CST

  • Wecome and registration
  • Coffee, water, fruit, donuts
  • Airplane demos on the runway

09:00 CST

  • STEM Education in Hangar compliments of AeroStar Avion Institute
  • Tuskegee Airmen Official Bessie Coleman Honor Flyover

10:00 CST

  • Great Room - The Bessie Coleman Documentaryfilm and discussion by Captain Beth Powell
  • Theater - Award-winning aviation film
  • STEM in the Hangar
  • Flight rides and demos on the runway

11:00 CST

  • Panel discussion and book signing by Captain Beth Powell
  • STEM in the hangar

12:00 CST

  • STEM Education compliments of Bessie Coleman Aviation All-Stars
  • Theater - Award-winning film

13:00 CST

  • Panel discussion led by Captain Beth Powell
  • STEM in the Hangar
  • Theater - Award-winning aviation film

14:00 CST

  • Theater - Bessie Coleman Documentary
  •  STEM in the Hangar

15:00 CST

  • Panel Discussion with Dr. Yemaya
  • STEM in the Hangar
  • Theater - award-winning film

16:00 CST

  • Award Ceremony
  • 🏆 Bessie Coleman Centennial Award 
  • 🎞️ Best Aviation Feature Film Award 
  • ✈️ Best Aviation Short Film Award 
  • 🚁 Best Drone Film Award 
  • ✈️ Best Aviation Experimental Film Award 

PROGRAM & EVENTS

GIGI COLEMAN ONE-WOMAN SHOW

GIGI COLEMAN ONE-WOMAN SHOW

GIGI COLEMAN ONE-WOMAN SHOW

FILMS

GIGI COLEMAN ONE-WOMAN SHOW

GIGI COLEMAN ONE-WOMAN SHOW

BESSIE COLEMAN DOCUMENTARY

GIGI COLEMAN ONE-WOMAN SHOW

BESSIE COLEMAN DOCUMENTARY

HOST: CHICAGO SOUHTHLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

HOST: CHICAGO SOUHTHLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

LOCATION: BULT FIELD C56 MONEE, IL

HOST: CHICAGO SOUHTHLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

 


TUSKEGEE AIRMEN FLYOVER

TUSKEGEE AIRMEN FLYOVER

STEM EDUCATION SPONSORS

STEM EDUCATOR

AAM & STEM EDUCATION

 


STEM EDUCATOR

STEM EDUCATOR

FESTIVAL LOCATION

BULT FIELD C56 | 28261 S Kedzie Ave, Monee, IL

Queen Bess Centennial Aviation Film Festival

28261 S Kedzie Ave, Monee, Illinois, USA

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Celebrating 100 Years of Courage, Innovation and Flight

Queen Bess Centennial Aviation Film Festival

 

Aviation films inspired by Bessie Coleman’s legacy and the future of flight. Includes premieres from aviation-themed documentaries and shorts exploring innovation, equity, and sustainability in aerospace. Filmmakers submit films on FilmFreeway.com. 


The Queen Bess Centennial Aviation Film Festival honors the first African American and Native American woman to earn a pilot’s license—an icon who broke barriers and inspired generations of aviators. This new  and first in the world aviation film festival brings together film, innovation, and flight.  The Festival will share how Coleman’s legacy continues to soar through today’s pioneers of electric aviation, drones, and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). The festival will inspire future aviators, celebrate people in aerospace, and showcase groundbreaking stories connecting past courage with tomorrow’s sustainable skies.  We invite Great Lakes region of aviators, students and attendees interested in sustainable and conventional aviation.  


 Bessie Coleman Electric Aviation Demo airports/vertiport. ⚡ Electric Aviation & eVTOL Demos: Hands-on experiences with electric aircraft and drone technology, showcasing quiet, zero-emission flight and how the next century of aviation is taking shape. Work with AAM Institute to secure 1-3 electric aircraft for demo purposes.  

As electric aviation redefines what’s possible, Bessie Coleman’s courage reminds us that true innovation takes inclusion. The Centennial Festival celebrates her enduring influence—bridging the pioneering past with a cleaner, more connected, and more equitable future of flight. 

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