Black Public Media awarded a total of $610,000 to film and immersive projects and creatives at its seventh PitchBLACK Forum — the largest pitch competition for independent filmmakers and creative technologists developing new projects about the global Black experience — at the PitchBLACK Awards.
The figure was the highest ever amount awarded at PitchBLACK. Sponsored by Netflix and PBS, the event — held Thursday at the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse at Lincoln Center — was hosted by Baltimore-based comedian Sir Alex and included the presentation of the Bpm Trailblazer Award to Emmy-winning filmmaker Sam Pollard.
The winner of the $150,000 film award was Zenón, a documentary about the life of Puerto Rican fisherman and revolutionary Carlos “Taso” Zenón, who spearheaded protests against the U.S. Navy’s occupation, exploitation and environmental degradation of his home, the island of Vieques. Puerto Rican director Juan C. Dávila and producer Camila Rodríguez Estrada accepted the grant for their film about...
The figure was the highest ever amount awarded at PitchBLACK. Sponsored by Netflix and PBS, the event — held Thursday at the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse at Lincoln Center — was hosted by Baltimore-based comedian Sir Alex and included the presentation of the Bpm Trailblazer Award to Emmy-winning filmmaker Sam Pollard.
The winner of the $150,000 film award was Zenón, a documentary about the life of Puerto Rican fisherman and revolutionary Carlos “Taso” Zenón, who spearheaded protests against the U.S. Navy’s occupation, exploitation and environmental degradation of his home, the island of Vieques. Puerto Rican director Juan C. Dávila and producer Camila Rodríguez Estrada accepted the grant for their film about...
- 4/26/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
“Pov Shorts” will kick off its fifth season Nov. 7, with 11 documentaries highlighting topics including art as activism, freedom of expression, Americans with disabilities, intergenerational stories, and connectedness on the way.
Packaged into six 30-minute episodes, “Pov Shorts” will be available on PBS and will stream on Pov.org and the PBS Video app. The season will conclude on Dec. 19. Nearly two-thirds of the season’s films were directed by filmmakers of color, and over 80 were made by women.
“As the fifth season of ‘Pov Shorts’ marks a notable milestone, the series is well-represented by these outstanding stories and filmmakers,” says Opal H. Bennett, co-producer for “Pov.” “This is an eclectic group of episodes, some performance-forward, some animated, one focused on ‘Pov’s’ hometown – New York City – and all conveying the unique world view of each filmmaker.”
Season five’s first short is Titus Kaphar and Alex Malis’s 24-minute film “Shut Up and Paint.
Packaged into six 30-minute episodes, “Pov Shorts” will be available on PBS and will stream on Pov.org and the PBS Video app. The season will conclude on Dec. 19. Nearly two-thirds of the season’s films were directed by filmmakers of color, and over 80 were made by women.
“As the fifth season of ‘Pov Shorts’ marks a notable milestone, the series is well-represented by these outstanding stories and filmmakers,” says Opal H. Bennett, co-producer for “Pov.” “This is an eclectic group of episodes, some performance-forward, some animated, one focused on ‘Pov’s’ hometown – New York City – and all conveying the unique world view of each filmmaker.”
Season five’s first short is Titus Kaphar and Alex Malis’s 24-minute film “Shut Up and Paint.
- 9/27/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has bolstered its slate of Oscar short hopefuls with the acquisition of “Three Songs for Benazir.”
Directed by Gulistan and Elizabeth Mirzaei, the 22-minute docu tells the story of Shaista, a young man who is a refugee living in modern-day Afghanistan. Newly married to Benazir and living in a camp for displaced persons in Kabul, Shaista struggles to balance his dreams of being the first from his tribe to join the Afghan National Army with pressure from his father and brother to start a family.
“Three Songs for Benazir,” which is set to stream on the service in 2022, is qualified for Academy Award consideration in the documentary short category.
The directing duo, who are married and split their time between California and Afghanistan, filmed the short during a four-year period.
“We’re thrilled to add ‘Three Songs for Benazir’ to our Original Documentary Shorts slate,” says Chloe Gbai, Netflix manager,...
Directed by Gulistan and Elizabeth Mirzaei, the 22-minute docu tells the story of Shaista, a young man who is a refugee living in modern-day Afghanistan. Newly married to Benazir and living in a camp for displaced persons in Kabul, Shaista struggles to balance his dreams of being the first from his tribe to join the Afghan National Army with pressure from his father and brother to start a family.
“Three Songs for Benazir,” which is set to stream on the service in 2022, is qualified for Academy Award consideration in the documentary short category.
The directing duo, who are married and split their time between California and Afghanistan, filmed the short during a four-year period.
“We’re thrilled to add ‘Three Songs for Benazir’ to our Original Documentary Shorts slate,” says Chloe Gbai, Netflix manager,...
- 12/2/2021
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Brown Girls Doc Mafia (Bgdm) has selected the recipients of the very first Bgdm Sustainable Artist Grants and the Bgdm Black Directors Grants which will further support and sustain some of the most vital, distinctive voices in documentary today.
“In the last five years, Brown Girls Doc Mafia has created a vibrant online community of over 4,500 members, launched the Bgdm Member Directory for discovering Bipoc women/non-binary filmmakers and executives, and implemented numerous programs advocating for members’ access, visibility, creativity, growth, sustainability, and power in the documentary film industry,” said Bgdm Founder & Director Iyabo Boyd. “Today, we are absolutely thrilled to be able to add grantmaking to our portfolio of initiatives that bolster the creative and professional development of this community and spur change in the documentary field at large.”
This year’s Bgdm Sustainable Artist Grant grants were awarded to Mireya Guzman-Ortiz, Rebeca Huntt, Chithra Jeyaram, Sara Nodjoumi, and Jean Rheem.
“In the last five years, Brown Girls Doc Mafia has created a vibrant online community of over 4,500 members, launched the Bgdm Member Directory for discovering Bipoc women/non-binary filmmakers and executives, and implemented numerous programs advocating for members’ access, visibility, creativity, growth, sustainability, and power in the documentary film industry,” said Bgdm Founder & Director Iyabo Boyd. “Today, we are absolutely thrilled to be able to add grantmaking to our portfolio of initiatives that bolster the creative and professional development of this community and spur change in the documentary field at large.”
This year’s Bgdm Sustainable Artist Grant grants were awarded to Mireya Guzman-Ortiz, Rebeca Huntt, Chithra Jeyaram, Sara Nodjoumi, and Jean Rheem.
- 3/29/2021
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Field of Vision’s If/Then Shorts initiative has launched a new partnership with Hulu that will provide $100,000 in grants to short documentary filmmakers, plus support in the form of a one-year lab focused on production and career training. Applications open today for the program, which will support up to four filmmaking teams with projects in development with $25,000 in funding. If/Then was founded in 2017 as part of the Tribeca Film Institute. After Tfi closed last year, the program joined Field of Vision.
During the program’s first six months, recipients will be individually mentored through production by If/Then staff and participate in virtual trainings with the other grantees, consisting of keynotes from industry leaders and edit consultations. When their rough cuts are ready, filmmakers will be invited to screen their works in progress to an invitation-only audience for feedback. The remainder of the program will see filmmakers work on their final cuts,...
During the program’s first six months, recipients will be individually mentored through production by If/Then staff and participate in virtual trainings with the other grantees, consisting of keynotes from industry leaders and edit consultations. When their rough cuts are ready, filmmakers will be invited to screen their works in progress to an invitation-only audience for feedback. The remainder of the program will see filmmakers work on their final cuts,...
- 1/15/2021
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
The documentary filmmaker mentorship and funding program If/Then Shorts on Monday announced the finalists for its inaugural North Shorts Program: Six teams of diverse storytellers from the Northeast and Puerto Rico. This marks the first major development for If/Then since it moved under the umbrella of the nonprofit Field of Vision in July; it was previously a part of Tribeca Film Institute, which is in the process of winding down operations.
The fellowship and funding program is a partnership between If/Then, Points North Institute, Lef Foundation, and ScreeningRoom. Many of If/Then’s programs are open to filmmakers residing in or making films about particular regions. The North Shorts program is aiding storytellers from the Northeast and Puerto Rico to explore a range of socially, politically, or culturally relevant topics rooted in those areas.
An external jury selected six filmmaking teams to receive a $5,000 post-production grant and...
The fellowship and funding program is a partnership between If/Then, Points North Institute, Lef Foundation, and ScreeningRoom. Many of If/Then’s programs are open to filmmakers residing in or making films about particular regions. The North Shorts program is aiding storytellers from the Northeast and Puerto Rico to explore a range of socially, politically, or culturally relevant topics rooted in those areas.
An external jury selected six filmmaking teams to receive a $5,000 post-production grant and...
- 9/15/2020
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
Field of Vision on Wednesday announced that, following the indefinite end of Tribeca Film Institute’s programs, the organization will be taking one of Tfi’s filmmaker-mentorship programs under its wing. The If/Then Shorts program, which provides funding and guidance for short documentary filmmakers, will be moving to the nonprofit Field of Vision, along with its program director Chloe Gbai and supervising producer Caitlin Mae Burke.
The move speaks to the value Tfi’s programs have brought to the film community. Filmmakers have voiced disappointment and concern when the for-profit Tribeca Enterprises announced in May that it would be winding down operations at its nonprofit arm, which was widely considered a crown jewel of Tribeca.
“If/Then Shorts is an incredible program, and one that’s vital to the field. We’re so glad that they can find their new home with Field of Vision,” said Charlotte Cook, Fov’s co-founder and executive producer.
The move speaks to the value Tfi’s programs have brought to the film community. Filmmakers have voiced disappointment and concern when the for-profit Tribeca Enterprises announced in May that it would be winding down operations at its nonprofit arm, which was widely considered a crown jewel of Tribeca.
“If/Then Shorts is an incredible program, and one that’s vital to the field. We’re so glad that they can find their new home with Field of Vision,” said Charlotte Cook, Fov’s co-founder and executive producer.
- 7/22/2020
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
As those of us involved in independent film know well, the ecosystem for creating this work is tenuous at best. There are possibly a dozen organizations in the U.S. whose endorsements are able to truly catalyze a film’s success. Filmmakers work incredibly hard and we each find our ways to get the project done. But even for more experienced filmmakers, starting a new project can mean crafting a patchwork quilt of small grants, a residency, maybe a Kickstarter campaign. And all of us look to the same gatekeepers for that first, elusive yes.
For 20 years, the Tribeca Film Institute (Tfi) provided one of those crucial entry points through the gate. This is why, like many in the independent film community, I was disappointed and saddened by the recent announcement of the Tfi “pause.” It is exceedingly rare for a nonprofit to return from a pause like this, so...
For 20 years, the Tribeca Film Institute (Tfi) provided one of those crucial entry points through the gate. This is why, like many in the independent film community, I was disappointed and saddened by the recent announcement of the Tfi “pause.” It is exceedingly rare for a nonprofit to return from a pause like this, so...
- 6/4/2020
- by Sara Archambault
- Indiewire
With the help of a technical consultant and several dry runs, the online pitch day for the Tribeca Film Institute If/Then Short Documentary Program, originally set to be held at the Cleveland International Film Festival, went off without a hitch. Sure, there were elements that couldn’t be replaced — FaceTime can’t beat face time — but more than 300 people watched the pitches on April 16, and filmmakers James Christenson and Brennan Vance won a $25,000 grant for their project “To Be Reconciled.”
If/Then director Chloe Gbai said the turnout was higher than usual, including “a ton of industry — industry we wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. The way that Cleveland is positioned in the calendar, it’s a beloved festival, but it doesn’t get as much industry traffic as other festivals. There’s a lot of good that festivals and market do both for our industry and the economies where...
If/Then director Chloe Gbai said the turnout was higher than usual, including “a ton of industry — industry we wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. The way that Cleveland is positioned in the calendar, it’s a beloved festival, but it doesn’t get as much industry traffic as other festivals. There’s a lot of good that festivals and market do both for our industry and the economies where...
- 5/17/2020
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
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