Tag: black filmmakers

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Office Hours: Get Help On Your Project

WRITERS & PRODUCERS, this one’s for YOU! Need some extra support to help you #MakeYourWork? Let ‘s go!

On Tuesday, April 18th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM ET, chat with BTFC Black Producers Fellow, producer, and writer Bethel Dixon during BTFC Office Hours! She’ll do her best to support you and help you move your project forward!

 

During BTFC Office Hours we’ll answer general production questions and provide an environment where you can get advice and feedback on your projects from industry professionals.

How can we better describe them? It’s an open door for any member who would like to just come in and ask a question. Get a second pair of eyes on a rough cut, get some help on budgets, have your script reviewed…

Remember back in the day when our professors had office hours and you would just go in to ask a question or get some help? That is what these office hours are like.

Join us to talk about your project and ideas, so that you’re better equipped to move them forward. It’s all-time well spent.

Meet Bethel

Bethel Dixon is a writer/producer focused on creating a body of work that tells authentic and moving stories centered upon the lives of people of color around the globe. Bethel is a first-generation Ethiopian-Eritrean American filmmaker, who brings a distinct voice and vision to her work drawn towards the exploration of humanity, family dynamics, women, immigrant life, and film as a vessel for social impact.

In 2021, Bethel was selected as a Black Producers Fellow by the Black TV & Film Collective and Wavelength Productions. As part of the inaugural class of fellows, her short film HERE, will tackle the subject of the black experience of education in America told from an immigrant lens. Bethel co-wrote and produced the short film CROSSROADS, which premiered at BronzeLens in 2020 and screened at the 2021 Pan African Film Festival. A former screenwriting mentee of the 2012 Women In Film Mentoring Program, Bethel studied feature film writing with the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program.

Prior to shifting her career towards independent filmmaking, Bethel served as Development Manager for Investigation Discovery developing content for the leading true crime network on television and the #1 network for women in all of cable. During her time with ID, Bethel co-developed seven series and specials, including the documentaries SUGAR TOWN, BLACK AND BLUE, and THE ATLANTA CHILD MURDERS. Under the ID Films banner, she championed six issue-based documentaries challenging timely narratives spanning hate crimes, wrongful convictions, juvenile sentencing and more. Prior to her time with ID, Bethel spent one year in programming with Discovery Channel, preceded by four years with Sony Pictures Television.

NOTE: 40-minute slots will be assigned on a first RSVP basis. A Zoom link and information form will be sent to you 48 hours before your session. Please block out 6:00 – 8:00 PM ET on your calendar until your slot is received.

This event is for BTFC Members Only.

Members, please use your access code to RSVP.

Need help? Contact [email protected]!

Want access to this event? Sign up for our BTFC Membership!

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The Download with Rachel Watanabe-Batton

Join us for this exclusive virtual conversation! 

On Thursday, February 16th at 7:30 PM ET, join us at the virtual table for The Download with Emmy award-winning producer Rachel Watanabe-Batton to discuss producing for film and television.

Meet Rachel Watanabe-Batton

Rachel Watanabe-Batton is a film and television producer and founder of Contradiction and Struggle, which tells stories that reframe history and culture, and connects cinema, causes and capital. Watanabe-Batton executive produced the musical “Sneakerella” for Disney Plus starring Chosen Jacobs, Lexi Underwood and John Salley, released May 2022. Rachel recently won an Emmy for her work on “Sneakerella”, which was nominated an outstanding 11 times.

She produced the film installation “Out/Side of Time” by artist Jenn Nkiru for The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s new Afrofuturist Period Room Before Yesterday We Could Fly; and was Consulting Producer on EPIX docu-series “By Whatever Means Necessary” by Director-Exec Producer, Keith McQuirter, which received the 2021 NAACP Award for Outstanding Directing in a Documentary.

Watanabe-Batton’s producing credits include non-fiction series “I Pity the Fool” with Mr. T (TV Land/ Lionsgate), barbershop documentary “Cutting Edge” (Cinemax/HBO), and sports docu-series “Insider Training” (Discovery). She has produced narrative films with numerous auteur directors including features “Ripe” (Mo Ogrodnik), “Book of Love” (Jeff Byrd), and shorts “The Killers” (Tanya Hamilton) and “Bajo del Perro” (Polish Brothers). Her directing-producing credits reflect her wide range of interests, like documentary “Crisis in the Crib: Saving Our Nation’s Babies” linking infant mortality to racism featuring Exec Producer and campaign spokeswoman for The Office of Minority Health, Tonya Lewis-Lee; and “Blueprint” lifestyle makeover series for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Her debut narrative film “Once You’re In,” co-directed with classmate Lauren Greenfield, starring undocumented Irish immigrants in Boston, aired on WGBH while she was an undergraduate at Harvard-Radcliffe and features Poet Laureate of Ireland Seamus Heaney.

Watanabe-Batton’s fluency in socio-historical storytelling is rooted in a lifetime of crossing class, race, gender, urban and rural lines, and is strengthened by years of collaborations with musical and visual artists. Her first jobs in film were as a temp development assistant at Danny Glover’s Carrie Productions and story researcher for Quincy Jones Entertainment. Her breakthrough job was working in creative development for veteran producers Paula Weinstein, Mark Rosenberg, Peter Heller and Julie Bergman at Spring Creek Productions on the Warner Bros lot. While there, she organized demonstrations from the studio lot during the L.A. Rebellion. She then assisted acclaimed Australian film director Peter Weir on “Fearless” starring Jeff Bridges and worked at the groundbreaking Propaganda Films on iconic commercial campaigns, music videos and sci-fi series “Thunderbirds Are Go.” During the heyday of music videos in the late 1990’s, Watanabe-Batton co-founded NY-based production company Department of Film with director Nick Quested at Goldcrest Post. She has produced content for leading recording artists including Diddy, DMX, Faith Evans, Fat Joe, Lil Jon, Nas, Trick Daddy, Usher, Wu-Tang Clan, and many others. Watanabe-Batton has also directed top ten videos in the U.S. (“Play No Games”) and Africa (“Incomplete”) and helmed international productions.

The Download

Offered multiple times a year, The Download is a special virtual guest conversation series hosted by the Black TV & Film Collective. It features impactful filmmakers who provide insider knowledge to help Black creatives do their work. Recent guests on The Download have included Aaron Rahsaan Thomas, Charlene Polite Corley, the editing team of A Black Lady Sketch Show, Janine Sherman Barrois and Pete Chatmon. 

#MakeYourWork

Join us at this edition of The Download and get the information and inspiration you need to #MakeYourWork! RSVP today!

Questions? Contact [email protected].

Interested in becoming a member? Sign up for our BTFC Membership!

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Office Hours: Get Help On Your Project

WRITERS, this one’s for YOU! Need some extra support to help you #MakeYourWork? Let ‘s go!

On Thursday, February 23rd from 6:00 to 8:00 PM ET, chat virtually with BTFC Co-Founder and award-winning writer, producer and director Laura Fielder during BTFC Office Hours! She’ll do her best to support you and help you move your project forward!

 

During BTFC Office Hours we’ll answer general production questions and provide an environment where you can get advice and feedback on your projects from industry professionals.

How can we better describe them? It’s an open door for any member who would like to just come in and ask a question. Get a second pair of eyes on a rough cut, get some help on budgets, have your script reviewed…

Remember back in the day when our professors had office hours and you would just go in to ask a question or get some help? That is what these office hours are like.

Join us to talk about your project and ideas, so that you’re better equipped to move them forward. It’s all-time well spent.

Meet Laura

Laura Fielder

Laura Fielder is a writer, director and producer. Her award-winning projects have screened at the Hip Hop Film Festival, the Toronto Black Film Festival, The Katra Film Series, and the American Black Film Festival. Laura’s screenplays have placed in numerous competitions including the BlueCat Screenplay Competition. Laura is a working member of The Gotham’s Expanding Communities Summit – a cohort of diverse independent film professionals. She is also a member of NYWIFT. Laura is a graduate of UCLA TFT Professional Screenwriting Program. A classically trained violinist, Laura is an alum of The CUNY Graduate Center (MA, Ethnomusicology).

NOTE: 40-minute slots will be assigned on a first RSVP basis. A Zoom link and information form will be sent to you 48 hours before your session. Please block out 6:00 – 8:00 PM ET on your calendar until your slot is received.

This event is for BTFC Members Only.

Members, please use your access code to RSVP.

Need help? Contact [email protected]!

Want access to this event? Sign up for our BTFC Membership!

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The Download: Producing for the Family with Fred Rogers Productions

Join us for this exclusive conversation featuring Black producers who are making an impact on children’s programming behind the lens!

On Thursday, February 9th at 7:30 PM ET, join us for the first edition of The Download for 2023!

We’re sitting at the virtual table with Chris Loggins, Olubunmi Mia Olufemi, and Kenney Randall from Fred Rogers Productions and discussing how they got their start, what they currently do and how they got there, how they are preparing for the next stage of their careers, and the range of opportunities in the children’s entertainment business.

Meet Our Panelists

Chris Loggins

Chris Loggins is Supervising Producer for Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, overseeing all aspects of television production, working closely with partners on everything from scripting through final episode delivery and beyond, and directing live-action segments for the series. An Emmy® Award-winning producer, Chris also serves as production manager for Peg + Cat and Odd Squad, which both air on PBS KIDS. Before joining Fred Rogers Productions, he served as the development coordinator at WQED, the PBS station in Pittsburgh. Chris has previous experience working with children in his roles as host of “Baby and Me Storytime” at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and driving the Storymobile for Beginning with Books Center for Early Literacy. He holds a B.A. in American Studies with a focus on African-American History from Kenyon College.

Olubunmi Mia Olufemi

Olubunmi Mia Olufemi is Supervising Producer of Alma’s Way, the new PBS KIDS series created by Sonia Manzano and produced by Fred Rogers Productions. Mia is responsible for overseeing all phases of production, serving as the company’s liaison with the animation studio and broadcaster. Additionally, she coordinates the creation of series assets for marketing and licensing efforts, among other duties. Mia started her career in children’s television at WGBH (now known as GBH) Educational Foundation, where she worked on acclaimed children’s properties including Arthur, Curious George, Martha Speaks, and Design Squad Global.

Most recently, she was the producer of Molly of Denali, the Peabody Award-winning PBS KIDS show. Her work is devoted to building inclusive productions, on screen and behind the scenes, that authentically celebrate and highlight under-represented populations, particularly minorities and immigrant cultures. For Alma’s Way, she has worked to create spaces to uplift new voices in children’s media. Mia received her M.A. in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson College.

Kennedy Randall

As Production Assistant at Fred Rogers Productions, Kennedy Randall provides support on series including Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. She has previously worked as a freelance video editor, production assistant, designer, and editor. Kennedy has also served as an assistant to rapper, activist, and entrepreneur Kellee Maize for whom she has completed research, website editing, social media design, and much more.

With a background in digital media production and television as well as childcare, she has become interested in understanding the ways in which children consume media, and in turn, how that content can aid in their development. In her free time, she enjoys writing poetry and is at work on two novels. Kennedy holds a B.A. in Communications from Slippery Rock University.

The Download

Offered multiple times a year, The Download is a special virtual guest conversation series hosted by the Black TV & Film Collective. It features impactful filmmakers who provide insider knowledge to help Black creatives do their work. Recent guests on The Download have included Aaron Rahsaan Thomas, Charlene Polite Corley, the editing team of A Black Lady Sketch Show, Janine Sherman Barrois and Pete Chatmon. 

#MakeYourWork

Join us at this edition of The Download and get the information and inspiration you need to #MakeYourWork! RSVP today!

Questions? Contact [email protected].

Interested in becoming a member? Sign up for our BTFC Membership!

BACK TO NEWS & EVENTS

Office Hours: Get Help On Your Project

Producers, this one’s for YOU! Need some extra support to help you #MakeYourWork? Let ‘s go!

On Thursday, January 26th from 4:00 to 6:00 PM ET, chat with BTFC Co-Founder and award-winning producer and director Huriyyah Muhammad during BTFC Office Hours! She’ll do her best to support you and help you move your project forward!

During BTFC Office Hours we’ll answer general production questions and provide an environment where you can get advice and feedback on your projects from industry professionals.

How can we better describe them? It’s an open door for any member who would like to just come in and ask a question. Get a second pair of eyes on a rough cut, get some help on budgets, have your script reviewed…

Remember back in the day when our professors had office hours and you would just go in to ask a question or get some help? That is what these office hours are like.

Join us to talk about your project and ideas, so that you’re better equipped to move them forward. It’s all-time well spent.

Meet Huriyyah Muhammad

Huriyyah is an award-winning writer, director and producer whose projects have been invited to the Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Institute, AFI, Austin Film Festival, New Voices in Black Cinema, American Black Film Festival and many others.

She is recipient of the 2020 Sundance Institute’s Producers Award for Farewell Amor, which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, and the 2021 SFFILM Rainin Grant for Screenwriting and 2021 Black List Feature Residency for her feature screenplay, God Help the Gayes, will mark her narrative feature directorial debut. The film is slated for production in Fall 2023.

NOTE: 40-minute slots will be assigned on a first RSVP basis. A Zoom link and information form will be sent to you 48 hours before your session. Please block out 4:00 – 6:00 PM ET on your calendar until your slot is received.

 

Members, use your code to RSVP for this event!

Need help? Email [email protected]

This event is exclusive to BTFC MEMBERS ONLY.

Interested in becoming a member? Visit www.blacktvfilmcollective.org/join

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Deep Focus: The Greenlight on Development | 3-Part Series

This January, join us for a three-part workshop series DEEP FOCUS! This edition, facilitated by Producer/Executive ProducerHeidi Reinberg is a three-part masterclass!

Schedule

  • DEVELOPMENT – Wednesday, January 4th
  • GRANTS – Wednesday, January 11th
  • PITCHES – Wednesday, January 18th

Can’t make a session? RSVP for all three sessions to receive the recordings.

This three-part workshop will cover:

  • What elements do you need to put together to approach a broadcaster/streamer? A film funder? Someone who wants to invest in your film?
  • What does a well-developed project look like?
  • What exactly are grant-makers looking for — or at? — when they review your proposal?
  • How does a written proposal differ from a verbal pitch?

Heidi Reinberg

With nearly two decades of hands-on experience as a documentary producer (and now as a consulting producer and grants-panel reviewer), Heidi Reinberg learned pretty much everything she knows about “the business of the business” on the job — including developing compelling nonfiction projects and turning them into award-winning pitches and effective grant proposals. Now she is on a mission to impart this “real talk” (and at least a soupçon of wisdom) to as many aspiring/emerging producers as possible with a goal toward getting to “Count us in!” instead of the dreaded “Come back when you have a rough cut.”

Deep Focus

Deep Focus is a workshop series centered on filmmaking from acting to cinematography and distribution. In these exclusive workshops, experts teach hands-on techniques coupled with a segment for Q & A and workbooks as takeaways. Those who are unable to attend can take advantage of a replay accessed from our Black TV & Film Collective library.

#MakeYourWork

Join us for Deep Focus and get the information and inspiration you need to #MakeYourWork! RSVP today!

Questions? Contact [email protected].

Members, use your code to access your discounted ticket.

Interested in becoming a member? Sign up for our BTFC Membership!