From the Executive Director
The Alliance is a network of networks; we embolden creative media organizations + artists and connect them with the world.
This last year, connecting creative communities felt like blessed work amidst the lockdown – every day, the Zoom windows created a new version of our dis-embodied reality. The Alliance staff was already a network of distributed producers and consultants, working remotely, envisioning and implementing programs — but not at all remote. We built close relationships that got closer during the pandemic, sharing vulnerabilities, fears and devising a collective vision of the future.
The future is here. This month, while our meetings were still virtual, we have been connecting with new partners, members and organizations with an energy where proximity feels possible, work on screen emerges from work together, and we are learning from one another and listening with fierce intention.
Check out some of the incredible folks in the Alliance orbit this month. Links provided so you can check out their work in the world.
Mohammad Jaffrey connected with me this month from his vantage point leading partnerships, community outreach and education at Array. We got to talk about Array Crew, Arts2Work, racial justice and the power of mentorship. It’s beyond exciting to think about the work we might do together. Check out Array Crew here.
Cassidy Arkin is an incredible NYC-based producer who is leading the development of the Alliance Innovation Studio VR project, The Brown Girls Mythic + True Story Gallery. From early beginnings in public access television, Cassidy is now an award-winning Producer, currently working in the Social Impact Department at Paramount. She is a consummate connector, creative spirit and inspiration.
Aaron Thibault is VP at Gearbox Software in Dallas, TX. He responded to outreach from Ajani Amiri, our Arts2Work Employer Liaison and generously shared his ideas for community-based training for creative/tech careers in game design and development. It was a meeting of hearts and minds and we cannot wait to develop a partnership for a national training program leading to Apprenticeship.
Zakiya Collier is the Digital Archivist at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library. Pending funding, Zakiya will be supporting our Open Archive Initiative work, developing an AI-informed search and licensing tool for open media archives. Check out the Gathering Wisdom Report here.
Carrie Hawks is an animator, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, designer, and artist. Their clients include Carnegie Hall, Wired Magazine, Al Jazeera America, and Cartoon Network. Carrie is a multimedia designer with Doctors Without Borders, creating motion graphics, multimedia design, and animation. Carrie came on board this month as a mentor for our Baltimore Arts2Work program. How lucky are we?Get involved with the Alliance community. Join. Get in touch.
~ Wendy
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Notes from the Field
Latino Public Broadcasting’s 2021 Funding Cycle is Now Open!
Latino Public Broadcasting has announced they are accepting applications for their 2021 Funding Cycle. The cycle consists of three initiatives, the Current Issues Fund, Public Media Content Fund, and Digital Media Fund. LPB seeks to fund “a wide variety of projects that celebrate and reflect the diverse Latino experience and bring new audiences to public media.” A variety of submissions are accepted– short or feature-length, fiction or non-fiction, traditional or digital media are all welcome.
Vermont Youth Documentary Lab Hosts 2021 Burlington Summer Program
Registration has opened for the 2021 Burlington Summer Program, Documenting the Neighborhood & Climate. Led by The Alliance member Vermont Youth Documentary Lab in collaboration with Town Meeting TV, participants will “learn video and audio production and editing skills while producing an individual or collaborative creative media project.” The event will be held July 19th-23rd and the participation cost is sliding scale.
Fill out our eBulletin submission form.
Media Policy Watch
by Priscilla G.
Two weeks ago, a bipartisan bill called the Future of Local News Act was introduced which hopes to assemble a committee of industry experts to “build bipartisan consensus around comprehensive policy recommendations for lawmaker”, according to PEN America. PEN published a report Losing the News in 2019 recording the closure of over 2,1000 news outlets since 2004—70 more newsrooms have closed since the reports publication according to Poynter after what PEN described as an “extinction-level threat for local media” brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The introduction of this act may ease the precarious position of independent journalism.
Amazon has announced their $8.45 billion acquisition of MGM this Wednesday. Amazon claims this move will “help preserve MGM’s heritage and catalog of films and provide customers with greater access to these existing works.” Last year, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative published a report following a lengthy hearing exploring the “monopoly power” of Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Google. On the MGM Acquisition, Deadline quoted Senator Amy Klobuchar, chair of the antitrust subcommittee as stating “this is a major acquisition that has the potential to impact millions of consumers. The Department of Justice must conduct a thorough investigation to ensure that this deal won’t risk harming competition.”
The acquisition also follows Biden’s announcement last year of the planned induction of associate law professor and antitrust scholar Lina Khan, publisher of Amazon’s Antitrust Paradox, into the Federal Trade Commission. Earlier this month CNBC reported that her nomination has moved to full senate vote. Khan has had bipartisan support despite mixed feelings from lawmakers like Republican Senator who expressed a fear that Khan could have a “negative effect on the economy and undermine free market principles.”
We want to hear from you. Are you concerned with any national media policy stories that are underreported? Are there any local stories in your area that need highlighting? Please let us know.
Job Bank
Artistic Director, Mixed Blood (Minneapolis, MN)
Temporary Senior Podcast Producer (Brooklyn, NY)
Executive Director, Antenna Gallery and Paper Machine (New Orleans, LA)
Marketing Assistant, Hi-ARTSÂ (New York, NY)
Client Success Manager, TRG Arts (Remote)
Client Engagement Manager, TRG Arts (Remote)
Director of Product Innovation (Remote)
Youth Media Documentary Film Instructor, EVCÂ (New York, NY)
Director of Professional Development Programs, EVCÂ (New York, NY)
Executive Director, Hi-ARTSÂ (New York, NY)
Major Gift Officer, Miami City Ballet ( Palm Beach, FL)
Teaching Artist -Animation (Anywhere)
Executive Director (New York, NY)
Workshops, Festivals, Convenings
Global Peace Film Festival (September 21-October 4, Winter Park, FL)
Athens International Film Festival (September 23-October 4, Athens, Greece)
Celebration of Fantastic Fest (September 24-October 1, Austin, TX, Geoblock: US)
Vancouver International Film Festival (September 24-October 7, Vancouver, British Columbia)
Chicago Palestinian film festival ( September 25 – October 16, 2020, Chicago, IL)
Out on Film (September 24-October 3, Atlanta, GA)
AFI Latin American Film Festival (September 25–October 7, Silver Spring, MD Geoblock: US)
Woodstock Film Festival (September 30-October 4, Woodstock, NY)
Camden International Film Festival (October 1-12, Camden, ME)
Asian American International Film Festival (October 1-11 NY)
BFI London Film Festival (October 7-18, London)
BendFilm Festival (October 8-11 Bend, OR)
Hamptons International Film Festival (October 8-14, East Hampton, NY)
Grants and Calls
ITVS Open Call
ITVS is seeking broadcast length documentary submissions from independent producers. They are offering a co-production agreement with up to $350,000 in production funding for “broadcast length documentary to air on public television.”
Deadline June, 11thÂ
Adobe and Netflix Offer $10,00 for ‘Great Untold’ Pitch
Adobe and Netflix are seeking 1-minute trailers for a story via Tik-Tok for the chance to win $10,000 and mentorship from a member of the Netflix community.
Deadline: June 13th
Roy W. Dean Summer Film Grant
From the Heart Productions is offering $3,500 and a variety of resources to independent feature films, documentaries, and web series with a budget under $500,000 through their Roy W. Dean Summer Film Grant.
Deadline: June 30th
Grants and Calls
Media Policy Watch
by Priscilla G.
Two weeks ago, a bipartisan bill called the Future of Local News Act was introduced which hopes to assemble a committee of industry experts to “build bipartisan consensus around comprehensive policy recommendations for lawmaker”, according to PEN America. PEN published a report Losing the News in 2019 recording the closure of over 2,1000 news outlets since 2004—70 more newsrooms have closed since the reports publication according to Poynter after what PEN described as an “extinction-level threat for local media” brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The introduction of this act may ease the precarious position of independent journalism.
Amazon has announced their $8.45 billion acquisition of MGM this Wednesday. Amazon claims this move will “help preserve MGM’s heritage and catalog of films and provide customers with greater access to these existing works.” Last year, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative published a report following a lengthy hearing exploring the “monopoly power” of Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Google. On the MGM Acquisition, Deadline quoted Senator Amy Klobuchar, chair of the antitrust subcommittee as stating “this is a major acquisition that has the potential to impact millions of consumers. The Department of Justice must conduct a thorough investigation to ensure that this deal won’t risk harming competition.”
The acquisition also follows Biden’s announcement last year of the planned induction of associate law professor and antitrust scholar Lina Khan, publisher of Amazon’s Antitrust Paradox, into the Federal Trade Commission. Earlier this month CNBC reported that her nomination has moved to full senate vote. Khan has had bipartisan support despite mixed feelings from lawmakers like Republican Senator who expressed a fear that Khan could have a “negative effect on the economy and undermine free market principles.”
We want to hear from you. Are you concerned with any national media policy stories that are underreported? Are there any local stories in your area that need highlighting? Please let us know.