The Finalists for the Black Filmmaker Residency (Pictured Above) are Invited to Pitch at the Black Creators Forum
Black Creators Forum (Nov. 1-2, 2018) is a Symposium of Speakers and Discussions, Ending in a Pitch Contest Open to Industry and the Public; Finalists and Winner of Indie Memphis Black Filmmaker Residency in Screenwriting Invited to Pitch Projects at BCF
(July 24, 2018 | Memphis, TN) Indie Memphis Film Festival is pleased to announce its continued commitment to supporting black filmmakers, present and future, with the new Black Creators Forum, running November 1st and 2nd
at the Hattiloo Theatre. The Black Creators Forum will run before and
parallel with the opening of the Indie Memphis Film Festival (November
1st - 5th, 2018), and is a two-day symposium of workshops and invited
speakers led by notable black filmmakers and critics with a wide
interdisciplinary range, including fine art, music, and online content.
The goal is to explore ways black filmmaking can find creativity and
sustainability from other mediums, and to ease the barrier of entry for
black artists who would like to work in film.
The event will be programmed by Indie Memphis Senior Programmer Miriam Bale and produced by Jason Farmer, Indie Memphis board member and
owner of Black Lens Productions. “With the rich cultural, arts and
musical legacy of Memphis as the backdrop, creating vibrant stories in
our own tenor and tone on film is a natural, organic progression,” said
Farmer, ”The Black Creators Forum in conjunction with the Indie Memphis
Film Festival was created to give voice and vision to empower artists
who can meet a growing demand for new media.”
The
two-day event of closed door discussions will conclude with a public
pitch event on November 2nd, 2018. A dozen filmmakers will pitch
projects, including finalists of the inaugural Indie Memphis Black Filmmaker Residency in Screenwriting program, as well as the winner of the Residency, Alex Huggins.
Huggins will receive a $7500 unrestricted cash grant and a two month
residency in Memphis to work on his feature film screenplay, Mason Dixon.
“There
was an incredible range of subjects and tones among the finalists’
projects—from a coming-of-age period piece about pop culture just before
Beyoncé to a perverse comedy adventure, best described as if John
Waters were a queer woman. Ultimately the selection committee went with
Alex Huggins and his strong vision as a writer-director,” said Bale.
“But we want to see all these projects made. Our intention is that the
Forum and its pitch event will bring these new talents to the attention
of producers, funders, and future collaborators.”
The
Residency finalists were decided by Indie Memphis staff and a board
member from 106 applications, and the winner was decided by an
independent selection committee of black film professionals.
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