Tag: black producers

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Speakers Series feat. Effie T. Brown, CEO “Gamechanger Films”

We have a true pioneer and renaissance woman Effie T. Brown in the (virtual) house on April 10th at 12 PM ET to chat with us about her journey in becoming a filmmaker. She’ll also dive into the trials and tribulations she encountered and how they helped shape her career to where it is now.

Effie has produced some of our favorite films and projects from Dear White People to Lee Daniels’ STAR on Fox. Her achievements led to her most recently being named CEO Of Gamechanger Films which launched in 2013 as the first film fund for women filmmakers.

Under Effie’s leadership – this fund has expanded to include projects by people of color for people of color, LGBTQ+ stories and, people with disabilities.

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Effie T. Brown is the CEO of Gamechanger Films, which launched in 2013 as the first film fund for women filmmakers and now under Brown’s leadership includes projects by and about people of color, LGBTQ+ and people with disabilities as well as its expansion into television and digital content. Brown is also an award-winning film, television, and digital producer known for her highly acclaimed, multi-platform repertoire as well as championing inclusion and diversity in Hollywood, both behind and in front of the camera. Brown has produced several critically acclaimed films and award-winning projects including Real Women Have Curves (directed by Patricia Cardosa), Dear White People​ (2015 Independent Spirit Awards Best First Screenplay), HBO’s Project Greenlight (Executive Produced by Matt Damon & Ben Affleck), among several others. Brown also served as an executive producer on Lee Daniels’ ​STAR ​on FOX and Disney Channel’s ​Zombies. Prior to Gamechanger, Brown founded Duly Noted Inc., a company dedicated to ground-breaking narratives that use the genre to challenge and advance our culture in a disruptive way. Brown’s dream is to change the world through film and TV – celebrating our differences while bringing us all closer together.

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Sound of Metal: Discussion Circle

Let’s talk about the highly acclaimed film, Sound of Metal. 

On Thursday, May 27th; we’re discussing the highly praised film,  the Sound of Metal. Come ready to dive into what makes this film that won the BAFTA Award for Best Editing, the Academy Award for Best Film Editing, the Academy Award for Best Sound…the Critic’s Choice Movie Award for Best Editing – to name a few – resonate with audiences across the globe.

We’ll be discussing:

  • The Protagonist
  • Characters
  • Themes
  • Three Act Structure

The Sound of Metal has reinspired filmmakers to take a creative leap in storytelling and owning diverse narratives. Please watch the film and read the script prior to our discussion.

Download the Script | Watch the Film on Amazon Prime

About Sound of Metal :

The life of an itinerant punk-metal drummer (Riz Ahmed) begins to unravel when he suddenly loses his hearing, and with it, his identity. Directed by Darius Marder with an original screenplay by Darius and Abraham Marder; story by Darius Marder and Derek Cianfrance.

Genre: Drama

Watch the trailer:

 

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Speakers Series feat. Cameron Squires | Writer “WandaVision”

On Thursday, June 10th at 7 PM ET, join us in a conversation with Cameron Squires. He’s an accomplished writer who was most recently a part of the writing staff of the acclaimed Disney+/Marvel Studios series WANDAVISION. 

Cameron is currently developing an animated pilot with HBO Max entitled FENCE and is also the Executive Story Editor for a new untitled STAR WARS series for Disney+. Screenwriters – we know that it breaking into the writer’s room is not easy! This is a chance for you to hear from a writer who is doing amazing things in the industry and telling stories that he believes in!

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Cameron Squires is currently developing an animated pilot with HBO Max entitled FENCE, which is based on the BOOM! Studios graphic novel, and is also serving as Executive Story Editor for an untitled STAR WARS series for Disney+. He recently served as Staff Writer on the critically acclaimed Disney+ / Marvel TV series WANDAVISION and Story Editor on Netflix’s upcoming animated series AGENT KING. Prior to that, he served as Staff Writer on Season 2 of TBS’s animated series FINAL SPACE, which Conan O’Brien produces. He was the show’s Writers Assistant in Season 1 and got an episode that season. An Indiana native who played collegiate baseball at Yale, Cam moved to LA to pursue writing. He got his start in the ICM mailroom before getting a crash course in comedy working with Ed Helms.

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Brett King | VP, Creative Programming, Sony Pictures

We’re back with another Speaker Series featuring Brett King, the VP of Creative Programming, Diversity & Inclusion at Sony Pictures.

 

On Thursday, August 19th at 7 PM ET, join us in a conversation with Brett King. This is a Speaker Series you don’t want to miss and Brett is coming ready to share tools that will be sure to empower you while you’re working on your current and future projects.  He will be speaking about his journey as a producer to a studio executive, as well as sharing tips regarding applying to the Sony Diverse Directors Initiative Program which he leads at Sony. The application period will open on Sept 1st and close on Oct 1st – so come ready to take notes!

 

Brett King is Vice President, Creative Programming, Diversity & Inclusion for  Sony Pictures Entertainment, where he works with both Sony Pictures Television and the Motion Picture Group to identify and advantage opportunities for inclusion throughout the studio. 

King oversees the Sony Pictures Television Diverse Directors Program as well as the television studio’s Diverse Writers program, both designed to provide opportunities for women and ethnic minorities in scripted episodic television. Prior to working with Sony, King was a producer as well as a Program Consultant for  HBOAccess and for Disney/ABC Television Creative Talent Development,  working to find the next generation of content creators. 

A television veteran with oversight of literally hundreds of hours of television under his belt, he has been a senior-level executive at BET, The WB, Paramount  Television Studios, and 20th Century Fox Television. His executive career followed his work in New York, where he was a staff producer of the commercial parodies at Saturday Night Live as well as a producer of innumerable music videos, commercials, and promos, all while moonlighting as a DJ in some of the city’s seminal downtown clubs. 

King is a proud father of two.

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Breaking Into Directing

On Thursday, Aug. 5th at 7 PM ET; join us for an interactive conversation on breaking into directing whether it be film, television, digital – or commercial.

 

Did you start out as a Writer? An Actor? Maybe you were on a tight budget so you directed your own short or series. No matter what your journey may look like, many of us find ourselves in the lauded Director’s chair.

This panel will be moderated by Daytime Emmy nominated Filmmaker, Dui Jarrod (“King Ester,” Issa Rae Productions) featuring Okema T. Moore (Creative Director/Producer, OWN; Netflix, Fox, BET),  Stacey Muhammad (Director, “Queen Sugar,” “First Wives Club,” “Being Mary Jane”), and Quincy G. Ledbetter (Director, 2021 Webby Award Winner “Alieu the Dreamer”).

Our discussion will be followed by an audience Q&A – see you there! 

 

ABOUT DUI JARROD

Dui Jarrod is a Daytime Emmy nominated & award-winning screenwriter, director, and playwright residing in Brooklyn, NY best known for BROOKLYN. BLUE. SKY. It is the first acquired web series for BET Networks after winning the Xfinity Best Web Series Award at the American Black Film Festival. His new series, “King Ester” has been nominated for 4 Day-time Emmy Awards. Jarrod’s work focuses on the power of human connection in the landscape of America. duijarrod.com 

 

ABOUT OKEMA T. MOORE

Okema T. Moore is a passionate multi-genre producer turned director who never thought she’d be here! Starting as an actor/singer, she found the roles for Black women stereotypical and monolithic and vowed to figure out ways to change that. Leaving a cushy finance job at 36 to start all over, she worked her a** off to become a PGA Producer and Creative Director working with the likes of OWN, Netflix, FOX, BET, TLC, and more. Okema is committed to proving that good stories come from all corners of life and deserve to be told by the most unlikely people! And as development becomes more and more her calling, she presently revels in bringing the ideas of these unlikely people to the masses. moorethanenuff.com 

 

ABOUT STACEY MUHAMMAD

New Orleans native Stacey Muhammad is a multi-hyphenate artist who has received rave reviews for her cinematic approach and distinctive style to storytelling and for creating emotionally charged character-driven stories. Since directing her first episode of TV on the groundbreaking series, Queen Sugar for OWN, she’s gone on to direct the season premiere and 2nd episode of Tracy Oliver’s First Wives Club for BET+ as well as episodes of the forthcoming Amazon series, HARLEM, starring Meagan Good and Whoopi Goldberg. She recently wrapped episodes of the forthcoming CBS / Paramount+ series, Guilty Party (starring Kate Beckinsale), and is currently directing two episodes of the second season of Love Life for HBO Max. 

Stacey is an alumnus of the esteemed Warner Brothers Directing workshop and was one of thirteen directors chosen by the Directors Guild of America and the Association of Independent Commercial Producers for the inaugural Commercial Director’s Diversity Program. She’s since gone on to direct three commercials for AARP. 

Stacey is currently in development with Malcolm D. Lee’s Blackmaled Productions on her first feature film titled, THE RETURN. staceymfilms.com

 

ABOUT QUINCY G. LEDBETTER

Quincy G. Ledbetter is a filmmaker, musician, photographer, and artist from Brooklyn, New York by way of Woodbridge, Virginia. As a self-taught jack of all trades, Quincy excels in writing, directing, editing, cinematography, and music composition. His work in digital media has won an Edward Murrow Award and an ASME Ellie Award for News Documentary (2018), an Emmy Nomination for Short Format Daytime Program (2017), and a Webby Award (2016 and 2021). Quincy has worked with notable organizations such as BET Networks, Paramount Players, NPR, Color of Change, Mashable, Mic.com, HuffPost, Vox, and The New York Times. qledbetter.com

 

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‘A Black Lady Sketch Show’

On Thursday, Aug. 26th at 5 PM PST | 8 PM EST; join us in a conversation with editors of the hit Emmy-nominated HBO comedy A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW. 

 

This panel features the women making history:  Daysha Broadway, Stephanie Filo, and Jessica Hernández. This is a panel you don’t want to miss, hosted by Hollie Harper the creator and co-exec producer of Hella Late! with Hollie Harper on BRIC TV and a co-host of the nationally trending Twitter Storytelling Chat “BlerdDating.” Daysha, Stephanie, and Jessica make up the first-ever all-women of color editing team nominated for an Emmy and want to tell you their stories of how they got into the business, the highs and lows of Hollywood, and how to find your passion and tribe. Expect a hilarious evening with these ladies!
Our discussion will be followed by an audience Q&A – see you there! 

 

ABOUT HOLLIE HARPER

Hollie Harper is a comedy nerd from South Jersey. She is currently the creator and co-exec producer of Hella Late! with Hollie Harper on BRIC TV and a co-host of the nationally trending Twitter Storytelling Chat “BlerdDating.” Hollie has been featured on NY1 and in Black Enterprise Magazine, Thrive Global, and Confessional Magazine.
Her popular sketch comedy show AMERICAN CANDY has played the Comic Strip, Gotham Comedy Club, BAM Café as well as the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival.  Time Out Chicago named them one of the five groups to watch.
Hollie is a regular host for West Side Comedy Club and works with Gold Comedy and Stand Up Girls, two programs that empower young women by teaching them standup comedy. She is also the Creative Director of the very successful Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest. Subscribe to her YouTube Channel

 

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