As summer kicks into gear, I’m looking forward to receiving more vacation auto-responses, more away-from-my-desk messages – and eventually sending one of my own. But before taking time off, summer at the Alliance for Media Arts + Culture means supporting our members whose film projects and media programs for emerging artists are in high gear, and we are in an intensive creative planning mode with Alliance producers who are working on upcoming programs:
We will be producing an October conference called ANCESTORS + MACHINES: The Futures We Dream, a virtual unConference about Truth, Art and Culture in the Age of AI. It is looking like a full day of conversations, demonstrations and presentations from artists, technologists, filmmakers, journalists, critical thinkers, world builders and culture bearers, as we navigate together the quest for humanity and realness in the age of AI and sentient machines. Bots and avatars will make guest appearances, and the day will feature video, poetry, youth voice – and an open mic event where we jump into the abyss of everything we don’t know. I’m hearing Toni Morrison, whose words always help me through it all: “…no need for silence, no room for fear.”
We have also been developing a very exciting initiative called Unlocking Creativity. It focuses on justice-impacted youth and currently and formerly incarcerated individuals. The idea is to support a group of producers and nonprofit organizations that provide media training programs to this community – like The Last Mile, Uncuffed from KALW (San Quentin), and Voices from Within (Sing Sing). The Alliance aligns resources to build a network and community of practice for visionary industry partners who provide advanced technical training/certification, apprenticeships, producing opportunities and mentorship. Unlocking Creativity also includes a vision for a new model of creative placemaking and production where Arts2Work Apprentices join with construction apprentices to tell untold stories and transform closed youth prisons (and other neglected buildings) into mixed-use creative community development centers – and get jobs there.
When the eBulletin returns after Labor Day, we’ll be publishing a buffed-out calendar of free workshops, networking events, a new online film club, professional development seminars, Arts2Work Conversations and a conference schedule. Our affiliated Arts2Work training programs in Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Watts, Colorado Springs, and Oakland are supporting a community of talented, emerging BIPOC+ artists ready for their next steps, seeking mentors, and eager to be part of a creative team. Our folks are emerging Associate Producers, Assistant Editors, Multimedia Graphic Designers – and coming soon – Digital Archivists/Curators. Please contact us if you have hiring needs and want to participate. We can hook you up.
Joining the Alliance helps support all these programs and adds your voice to an extraordinary community of makers, leaders, learners and visionaries. Come build with us.
~ Wendy
wendy@thealliance.media
And PS. If you go to one film festival this summer, BlackStar is August 2 – 6.
Notes from the Field
Vermont Youth Documentary Lab Wins First Place in Filmmaker Contest
A short film by Vermont Youth Documentary Lab, Poverty (Vermont) won first place in the Junction Arts & Media’s Freedom & Unity Youth Filmmakers Contest in their History and Contemporary Issues category. The documentary interviews a number of community members as they discuss the financial realities of life in Central Vermont and what they’re doing to combat the effects of poverty.
Union Docs to Host Kostrov’s Seasons: Summer
This Saturday, June 30th, Union Docs in partnership with Spectacle Theater will conclude their film series focused on Russian filmmaker Vadim Kostrov. The films blend a variety of styles to portray Russia’s underground subculture, past and present, with Friday’s screening of Loft-Underground chronicling squat culture in Moscow in the 80’s and 90’s “trac[ing] a continuity of dreamers occupying the margins.”
Grants and Calls
Catapult Development Grant
The Catapult Development Grant offers early-stage assistance to independent documentary filmmakers with films in development. Grant recipients will be awarded up to $25,00 in development funding.
Deadline: July 10th
Sundance 2023 Fall Sandbox Fund
Independent filmmakers whose works explore the intersection of science and nonfiction film are encouraged to apply for Sundance’s Fall Sandbox Fund. The fund offers grants as well as engagement events and other opportunities.
Deadline: July 24th
Women in Film Seattle: Professional Members Grant
One professional member of Women in Film Seattle will be awarded a grant of $1,000 to assist in the creation of a video project.
Deadline: August 18th
Graton Fellowship for Artists from California-Based Tribes
California-based indigenous filmmakers are encouraged to submit to Sundance Insitute’s Graton Fellowship. Recipients will be awarded $25,000 along with a year of professional support and a trip to Sundance Film Festival.
Deadline: August 28th
Workshops, Festivals, Convenings
| Over-The-Rhine International Film Festival, July 6th-8th, Cincinnati, OH New York Asian Film Festival, July 14th-30th, New York, NY Indy Shorts Film Festival, July 18th-23rd, Indianapolis, IN Deep In The Heart Film Festival, July 20th-23rd, Waco, TX Woods Hole Film Festival, July 29th-August 5th, Cape Cod, MA San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, July 20th-August 6th, San Francisco, CA BlackStar Film Festival August 2nd-6th, Philadelphia, PA Sidewalk Film Festival, August 21-27, Birmingham, AL |
Media Policy Watch
by Priscilla Genet
Last week, classic film institution Turner Classic Movies faced a round of firings, leaving many concerned about the channel’s future. These firings were lead by controversial new owner David Zaslav, who took over after The Warner Bros. Discovery merger last year. The station has reportedly gone from 90 to 20 personnel, with General Manager of over 25 years, Pola Changnon, exiting. Zaslav previously garnered negative attention after Warner Bros. Discovery laid off over 100 employees last year, but some at TCM felt that Zaslav’s status as a fan of classic films would shield the channel. Filmmakers Martin Scorsese, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Steven Spielberg met with Zaslav and issued a public statement saying they were “heartened and encouraged” by their conversation.
Zaslav recently came under attack after plummeting CNN’s ratings in an attempt last month to make the station more appealing to a broader ideological spectrum by hosting a town hall with former president Donald Trump. In defense of the decision, Zaslav stated “Our view is, there’s advocacy networks on either side. We have the best journalists in the world. We need to show both sides of every issue,” at an address for the MoffettNathanson Technology, Media and Telecom Conference. MoffettNathason, as well as Zaslav’s commencement speech at Boston University, were picketed by the striking Writers Guild of America with protestors flying an airplane banner reading “David Zaslav – Pay Your Writers.”
Job Bank
| Media Arts & Culture Director, RYSE – Richmond, CA NYU TV & New Media Technician – New York, NY Executive Director, Waycross Community Media – Forest Park, OH Director of Communications, NYU – New York, NY Managing Director, FACETS – Chicago, IL Programs Coordinator, Manhattan Neighborhood Network – New York, NY Associate Director, Finance and Administration, Field of Vision – New York, NY Development Director, Field of Vision – New York, NY more jobs on the Job Bank |