Exclusive: Lucy J. Mukerjee has joined Stanley Nelson and Marcia Smith’s media company Firelight Media, geared toward nonfiction cinema by and about communities of color, as the new director of its flagship Documentary Lab.
An 18-month fellowship that provides emerging filmmakers of color with customized mentorship from prominent leaders in the documentary world, as well as funding, professional development workshops and networking opportunities, the Documentary Lab has thus far helped to advance the careers of over 100 filmmakers, including Dawn Porter, Yoruba Richen and Peter Nicks.
Mukerjee succeeds Sabaah Folayan, who for the past year has served as the Lab’s Interim Director. She comes to Firelight Media with over 20 years of experience producing films, programming festivals, and overseeing artist development programs. Her previous roles include Senior Programmer at Tribeca Festival, Director of Programming at Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival, Outfest Fusion Qtbipoc Festival and NewFest New York’s LGBTQ+ Film Festival,...
An 18-month fellowship that provides emerging filmmakers of color with customized mentorship from prominent leaders in the documentary world, as well as funding, professional development workshops and networking opportunities, the Documentary Lab has thus far helped to advance the careers of over 100 filmmakers, including Dawn Porter, Yoruba Richen and Peter Nicks.
Mukerjee succeeds Sabaah Folayan, who for the past year has served as the Lab’s Interim Director. She comes to Firelight Media with over 20 years of experience producing films, programming festivals, and overseeing artist development programs. Her previous roles include Senior Programmer at Tribeca Festival, Director of Programming at Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival, Outfest Fusion Qtbipoc Festival and NewFest New York’s LGBTQ+ Film Festival,...
- 5/12/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Firelight Media has today named its latest cohort of Fellows for its flagship mentoring program, the Firelight Documentary Lab, which is now in its thirteenth year.
The participants and projects set for the 18-month program, taking place from 2022-2024, are Neelu Bhuman (Chiragu (Wing)), D.A. Bullock (Mister Backlash), Silvia Castaños & Estefania Contreras (Hummingbirds), Naveen Chaubal (Pinball), Paulina Davis (The Co-op: The Kids of Dorie Miller), Athena Jones (Sisters’ Keepers), Logan Rozos (What Will I Become?), Juliana Schatz Preston (Providencia), Jiayan “Jenny” Shi (Untitled Scientist Project), Tsanavi Spoonhunter (Holder of the Sky), Lendl Tellington (…that’s why He made momma), Reveca Torres (Untitled (Art and Disability Culture)) and Raven Two Feathers (Indigenous Genders).
This year’s set of Documentary Lab projects include stories of transgender and nonbinary protagonists in search of supportive communities; profiles of politicians and activists seeking to reform racially biased policies and practices in housing and policing...
The participants and projects set for the 18-month program, taking place from 2022-2024, are Neelu Bhuman (Chiragu (Wing)), D.A. Bullock (Mister Backlash), Silvia Castaños & Estefania Contreras (Hummingbirds), Naveen Chaubal (Pinball), Paulina Davis (The Co-op: The Kids of Dorie Miller), Athena Jones (Sisters’ Keepers), Logan Rozos (What Will I Become?), Juliana Schatz Preston (Providencia), Jiayan “Jenny” Shi (Untitled Scientist Project), Tsanavi Spoonhunter (Holder of the Sky), Lendl Tellington (…that’s why He made momma), Reveca Torres (Untitled (Art and Disability Culture)) and Raven Two Feathers (Indigenous Genders).
This year’s set of Documentary Lab projects include stories of transgender and nonbinary protagonists in search of supportive communities; profiles of politicians and activists seeking to reform racially biased policies and practices in housing and policing...
- 12/7/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Meadowlark Media, the content studio founded by former ESPN president John Skipper and ESPN radio host Dan Le Batard, wants a sports content franchise to call its own.
And so the production company is launching its most ambitious content effort yet, a multi-platform series called Sports Explains the World.
“We are putting a stake in the ground that we are going to be a storytelling company,” Skipper tells The Hollywood Reporter. “When we launched the company, what we wanted to do overwhelmingly is to tell stories. Both in the number of podcasts we do and in our video. And one of the great ways to tell a story is to have an anthology series in which to put those.”
Sports Explains the World is Meadowlark’s “bold statement” that it is playing to win. “When we launched 30 for 30 [at ESPN], people knew it was quality,...
Meadowlark Media, the content studio founded by former ESPN president John Skipper and ESPN radio host Dan Le Batard, wants a sports content franchise to call its own.
And so the production company is launching its most ambitious content effort yet, a multi-platform series called Sports Explains the World.
“We are putting a stake in the ground that we are going to be a storytelling company,” Skipper tells The Hollywood Reporter. “When we launched the company, what we wanted to do overwhelmingly is to tell stories. Both in the number of podcasts we do and in our video. And one of the great ways to tell a story is to have an anthology series in which to put those.”
Sports Explains the World is Meadowlark’s “bold statement” that it is playing to win. “When we launched 30 for 30 [at ESPN], people knew it was quality,...
- 10/11/2022
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Emmy nominee Madeline Brewer (The Handmaid’s Tale) has signed on to star alongside Peyton Kennedy, Anjali Bhimani, Jeremy Radin, Akilah Hughes and Ben Gleib in the indie Pruning.
In Lola Blanc’s psychological horror film, which is currently in production in the Los Angeles area, a far-right political commentator Sami Geller (Brewer) discovers that her rhetoric has inspired a mass shooting. She must then contend with the part of herself that has a conscience.
Blanc is directing from the script she wrote with Jeremy Radin, with Nick Paskhover and Chris Beyrooty producing. David Lawson, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead will also produce under their Rustic Films banner, with Brewer, Deric A. Hughes and Elia Petridis serving as EPs. Brewer is represented by CAA and Schreck Rose Dapello.
***
Exclusive: Leticia Peguero has been appointed as Senior Vice President at Oscar-nominated documentarian Stanley Nelson’s (Attica) Firelight Media.
Peguero comes to...
In Lola Blanc’s psychological horror film, which is currently in production in the Los Angeles area, a far-right political commentator Sami Geller (Brewer) discovers that her rhetoric has inspired a mass shooting. She must then contend with the part of herself that has a conscience.
Blanc is directing from the script she wrote with Jeremy Radin, with Nick Paskhover and Chris Beyrooty producing. David Lawson, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead will also produce under their Rustic Films banner, with Brewer, Deric A. Hughes and Elia Petridis serving as EPs. Brewer is represented by CAA and Schreck Rose Dapello.
***
Exclusive: Leticia Peguero has been appointed as Senior Vice President at Oscar-nominated documentarian Stanley Nelson’s (Attica) Firelight Media.
Peguero comes to...
- 6/24/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The 2022 Tribeca Festival has named its jury totaling more than five dozen members across 18 categories with Alan Zweibel, Aidan Quinn, Anne Archer, Rose Troche and Oge Egbuonu judging the U.S. Narrative Feature Competition.
Jessica Alba, Darren Aronofsky and Daryl Hannah are among jurors for the 2022 Human/Nature Prize, a new award this year going “to the project that best illuminates the pressing environmental issues of our time.”
The Nora Ephron Award, created to honor the spirit and vision of the legendary filmmaker and writer and presented for the tenth year, will be juried by Pam Grier along with Amandla Stenberg and Lisa Addario.
Rosanna Arquette, Lucy Boynton, Anthony Edwards and Nikki Karimi are the jury for International Narrative Feature.
Also set to select projects in categories including film, audio storytelling and games are Debra Winger, Andre Holland, Niecy Nash, Alex Winter, Lucy Boynton, Nanfu Wang, Sheila Nevins of MTV Documentary Films...
Jessica Alba, Darren Aronofsky and Daryl Hannah are among jurors for the 2022 Human/Nature Prize, a new award this year going “to the project that best illuminates the pressing environmental issues of our time.”
The Nora Ephron Award, created to honor the spirit and vision of the legendary filmmaker and writer and presented for the tenth year, will be juried by Pam Grier along with Amandla Stenberg and Lisa Addario.
Rosanna Arquette, Lucy Boynton, Anthony Edwards and Nikki Karimi are the jury for International Narrative Feature.
Also set to select projects in categories including film, audio storytelling and games are Debra Winger, Andre Holland, Niecy Nash, Alex Winter, Lucy Boynton, Nanfu Wang, Sheila Nevins of MTV Documentary Films...
- 6/2/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
The IDA has announced the hiring of two senior staff members and a consultant, in what the embattled organization calls “a major step forward.”
Arts administrator and film festival programmer Keisha Knight has been appointed director of IDA Funds and Enterprise Program, a critical role that involves interfacing with grant-making entities that fund IDA initiatives.
“In this capacity [Knight] will oversee a portfolio of IDA’s granting programs,” the IDA said in a release, “including IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund, Logan elevate and Equity grants, and the Pare Lorentz Documentary Fund, Xrm Media Incubator, and Netflix Global Emerging Filmmaker Award.”
Abby Sun, a filmmaker, researcher, and artist at the MIT Open Documentary Lab, has been hired as the IDA’s director of artist programs. One of her major responsibilities will be to develop thematic content for the IDA’s Getting Real 2022 conference, which is scheduled for September.
Louise Rosen, a veteran producer,...
Arts administrator and film festival programmer Keisha Knight has been appointed director of IDA Funds and Enterprise Program, a critical role that involves interfacing with grant-making entities that fund IDA initiatives.
“In this capacity [Knight] will oversee a portfolio of IDA’s granting programs,” the IDA said in a release, “including IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund, Logan elevate and Equity grants, and the Pare Lorentz Documentary Fund, Xrm Media Incubator, and Netflix Global Emerging Filmmaker Award.”
Abby Sun, a filmmaker, researcher, and artist at the MIT Open Documentary Lab, has been hired as the IDA’s director of artist programs. One of her major responsibilities will be to develop thematic content for the IDA’s Getting Real 2022 conference, which is scheduled for September.
Louise Rosen, a veteran producer,...
- 3/24/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The International Documentary Association says it has agreed to a request by staff to form a union, the latest development in a simmering conflict that has pitted the IDA board and its executive director, Rick Pérez, against rank-and-file employees.
But in a sign that more conflict might be yet to come, employees behind the unionization effort say Pérez has not signed a document necessary to allow the union effort to move forward.
Employees, calling themselves Documentary Workers United, had given Pérez until Tuesday morning to grant “voluntary recognition” to their group, which would operate under the Communication Workers of America Local 9003. Pérez and the IDA board asked for two extensions on the deadline, before it sent a response to staff on Wednesday.
“In the interest of moving forward and healing together,” the board and Pérez wrote, “we agree to your request to recognize the Documentary Workers United (Dwu), in partnership...
But in a sign that more conflict might be yet to come, employees behind the unionization effort say Pérez has not signed a document necessary to allow the union effort to move forward.
Employees, calling themselves Documentary Workers United, had given Pérez until Tuesday morning to grant “voluntary recognition” to their group, which would operate under the Communication Workers of America Local 9003. Pérez and the IDA board asked for two extensions on the deadline, before it sent a response to staff on Wednesday.
“In the interest of moving forward and healing together,” the board and Pérez wrote, “we agree to your request to recognize the Documentary Workers United (Dwu), in partnership...
- 3/17/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Dwindling staff at the International Documentary Association are pursuing plans to unionize, Deadline has learned.
The 11 remaining full-time staff members below the level of senior manager voted unanimously to organize as the Documentary Workers United, under Communications Workers of America local 9003. They sent a statement to IDA executive director Rick Pérez on Monday morning informing him of the decision, and gave him 24 hours to grant “voluntary recognition” of the union.
The unionization push “comes as staff face unprecedented challenges at the organization,” the IDA staffers wrote in a release obtained by Deadline. “Since December 2021, nearly 50% of staff has left the organization, many in protest to the fact that numerous concerns raised by staff remain unaddressed.”
As Deadline has reported, four senior managers quit the IDA in early January after filing a complaint against Pérez accusing him of regularly engaging in abusive conduct. The complaint also criticized actions taken by the IDA board,...
The 11 remaining full-time staff members below the level of senior manager voted unanimously to organize as the Documentary Workers United, under Communications Workers of America local 9003. They sent a statement to IDA executive director Rick Pérez on Monday morning informing him of the decision, and gave him 24 hours to grant “voluntary recognition” of the union.
The unionization push “comes as staff face unprecedented challenges at the organization,” the IDA staffers wrote in a release obtained by Deadline. “Since December 2021, nearly 50% of staff has left the organization, many in protest to the fact that numerous concerns raised by staff remain unaddressed.”
As Deadline has reported, four senior managers quit the IDA in early January after filing a complaint against Pérez accusing him of regularly engaging in abusive conduct. The complaint also criticized actions taken by the IDA board,...
- 3/14/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The International Documentary Association continues to lose staff. Deadline has learned five more employees have left the embattled organization recently, including one whose resignation takes effect today.
This follows the departure in early January of four senior staff members who filed a complaint about “workplace conduct” by IDA executive director Rick Pérez, who was appointed only last May, and actions by the board which the four said constituted a “betrayal of public commitments to the documentary field.”
About 16 people remain on staff, meaning the IDA, the premier nonprofit supporting the work of nonfiction storytellers, has shed almost 40 percent of its workforce in less than two months. That’s not counting another staffer we are told plans to leave imminently, and two other staffers who tell Deadline they are looking to exit as soon as they can line up other jobs.
Among those who resigned recently is Cassidy Dimon, who...
This follows the departure in early January of four senior staff members who filed a complaint about “workplace conduct” by IDA executive director Rick Pérez, who was appointed only last May, and actions by the board which the four said constituted a “betrayal of public commitments to the documentary field.”
About 16 people remain on staff, meaning the IDA, the premier nonprofit supporting the work of nonfiction storytellers, has shed almost 40 percent of its workforce in less than two months. That’s not counting another staffer we are told plans to leave imminently, and two other staffers who tell Deadline they are looking to exit as soon as they can line up other jobs.
Among those who resigned recently is Cassidy Dimon, who...
- 3/3/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Amid numerous exits of top talent of color at fellow pubcaster NPR and ongoing backlash to the lack of diversity within its roster of filmmakers, PBS’ top exec revealed the service’s plan to make significant changes to its own operations and public broadcasting in general.
“In engaging in conversations with filmmakers, it was very clear that there were filmmakers that were having difficulty bringing their work forward,” PBS president and CEO Paula Kerger told reporters Tuesday during her executive session at the the pubcaster’s first day of virtual Television Critics Association winter press tour.
“Some of it is, in part, the structure of public broadcasting, which is very decentralized,” she said “We’re a federated system. Our stations are all independent. There are many paths into public broadcasting, so it’s confusing sometimes for filmmakers figure out, ‘Do I come to PBS? Do I go to a producing station?...
“In engaging in conversations with filmmakers, it was very clear that there were filmmakers that were having difficulty bringing their work forward,” PBS president and CEO Paula Kerger told reporters Tuesday during her executive session at the the pubcaster’s first day of virtual Television Critics Association winter press tour.
“Some of it is, in part, the structure of public broadcasting, which is very decentralized,” she said “We’re a federated system. Our stations are all independent. There are many paths into public broadcasting, so it’s confusing sometimes for filmmakers figure out, ‘Do I come to PBS? Do I go to a producing station?...
- 1/18/2022
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
PBS on Tuesday announced several new long-term initiatives to support diversity in public media. They include a commitment to create a pipeline of diverse documentary filmmakers and a pledge to include more diverse perspectives in key production roles. PBS also said it will launch on the video-focused social media platform TikTok.
PBS president and CEO Paula Kerger announced the initiatives today during the TCA Winter Press Tour.
In a new partnership with Firelight Media, the nonprofit filmmaking organization founded by Stanley Nelson and Marcia Smith, PBS is committing $3.6 million over three years to support mid-career nonfiction filmmakers through the org’s William Greaves Fund. The fund, which resources talented storytellers from diverse communities in the U.S., is designed to address the persistent structural challenges many filmmakers face after producing their first films. Firelight Media and PBS will hold a joint open call for filmmakers to submit projects for potential funding by PBS.
PBS president and CEO Paula Kerger announced the initiatives today during the TCA Winter Press Tour.
In a new partnership with Firelight Media, the nonprofit filmmaking organization founded by Stanley Nelson and Marcia Smith, PBS is committing $3.6 million over three years to support mid-career nonfiction filmmakers through the org’s William Greaves Fund. The fund, which resources talented storytellers from diverse communities in the U.S., is designed to address the persistent structural challenges many filmmakers face after producing their first films. Firelight Media and PBS will hold a joint open call for filmmakers to submit projects for potential funding by PBS.
- 1/18/2022
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Firelight Media has revealed the newest Fellows selected for the 12th Firelight Documentary Lab, the organization’s flagship mentoring program.
The new fellows are Elizabeth Ai, Sisa Bueno, Ben Corona, Pati Cruz Martínez, Gerardo del Valle, Mohammadreza Enyi & Sara Khaki, Contessa Gayles, Set Hernandez Rongkilyo, JoeBill Muñoz, Fiz Olajide, Ashley Tyner & William Tyner and Xinyan Yu. Read about their projects below.
The projects the new class brings to the Fellowship include stories of resistance and resilience spanning the globe, with subjects ranging from a young poet from El Salvador to a community of refugee musicians from Vietnam, and a community of activists fighting for climate justice in Detroit. The 2021-23 Lab also includes multiple projects focused on formerly incarcerated individuals and their families.
Beginning with the 2021-23 class, Firelight will offer a $25,000 grant for each project accepted into the Documentary Lab — $10,000 more than in previous years — to provide financial support for the in-progress productions.
The new fellows are Elizabeth Ai, Sisa Bueno, Ben Corona, Pati Cruz Martínez, Gerardo del Valle, Mohammadreza Enyi & Sara Khaki, Contessa Gayles, Set Hernandez Rongkilyo, JoeBill Muñoz, Fiz Olajide, Ashley Tyner & William Tyner and Xinyan Yu. Read about their projects below.
The projects the new class brings to the Fellowship include stories of resistance and resilience spanning the globe, with subjects ranging from a young poet from El Salvador to a community of refugee musicians from Vietnam, and a community of activists fighting for climate justice in Detroit. The 2021-23 Lab also includes multiple projects focused on formerly incarcerated individuals and their families.
Beginning with the 2021-23 class, Firelight will offer a $25,000 grant for each project accepted into the Documentary Lab — $10,000 more than in previous years — to provide financial support for the in-progress productions.
- 12/2/2021
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
As a media company that represents varied communities across the United States, PBS continues to build on its commitment to transparent reporting and accountability. On Tuesday, at its Television Critics Association (TCA) summer presentation, the public broadcasting network introduced several new initiatives and new producing partner criteria that encourage the telling of inclusive stories and promote diverse voices through its programming.
Cecilia Loving — who comes from the New York City Fire Department (Fdny), where she served as Deputy Commissioner, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer — has been named the new SVP of Diversity Equity and Inclusion at PBS, reporting directly to President and CEO Paula Kerger. Among Loving’s duties will be the development of new strategies and cultivation of future partnerships. She will also work with the public television system to support ongoing efforts around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (Dei).
“Cecilia is an accomplished leader who has extensive experience driving inclusive and equitable strategies,...
Cecilia Loving — who comes from the New York City Fire Department (Fdny), where she served as Deputy Commissioner, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer — has been named the new SVP of Diversity Equity and Inclusion at PBS, reporting directly to President and CEO Paula Kerger. Among Loving’s duties will be the development of new strategies and cultivation of future partnerships. She will also work with the public television system to support ongoing efforts around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (Dei).
“Cecilia is an accomplished leader who has extensive experience driving inclusive and equitable strategies,...
- 8/10/2021
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
PBS on Tuesday introduced several new funding initiatives, revealed updated producing partner criteria and announced that it has hired an SVP Diversity Equity and Inclusion.
The moves, revealed on the first day of the pubcaster’s TCA summer press tour slate, come as PBS faced questions at the last TCA tour in March about its record presenting content from Bipoc filmmakers, via a letter signed by more than 100 filmmakers involved in the Beyond Inclusion coalition. They were responding to PBS boss Paula Kerger’s comments of the pubcaster’s commitment to Ken Burns, who has created hundreds of hours of docuseries about American history on topics ranging from the Civil War and baseball to Muhammad Ali and jazz.
The new initiatives unveiled today will support research and development, production, and mentorship opportunities for producers and filmmakers from underrepresented groups, the pubcaster said. In addition, it hired Cecilia Loving, formerly New York City Fire Department...
The moves, revealed on the first day of the pubcaster’s TCA summer press tour slate, come as PBS faced questions at the last TCA tour in March about its record presenting content from Bipoc filmmakers, via a letter signed by more than 100 filmmakers involved in the Beyond Inclusion coalition. They were responding to PBS boss Paula Kerger’s comments of the pubcaster’s commitment to Ken Burns, who has created hundreds of hours of docuseries about American history on topics ranging from the Civil War and baseball to Muhammad Ali and jazz.
The new initiatives unveiled today will support research and development, production, and mentorship opportunities for producers and filmmakers from underrepresented groups, the pubcaster said. In addition, it hired Cecilia Loving, formerly New York City Fire Department...
- 8/10/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
PBS has instituted new diversity, equity and inclusion disclosure requirements for production talent and staff and committed $11 million to new initiatives, the public broadcasting network announced Tuesday.
Under the new criteria, producers will be required to “create and share their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (Dei) plans for all new agreements, describe how their project aligns with PBS’s Dei principles, and disclose representation data for production team members for both above-the-line talent and below-the-line positions.” The requirements will apply to all new agreements, series renewals and direct-to-pbs programs on all platforms, including children’s programming and digital.
PBS recently came under fire for allotting a disproportionate amount of its airtime and funding to programs from Ken Burns. Back in March, more than 130 filmmakers signed an open letter criticizing PBS for what they described as a “systemic failure to fulfill a mandate for a diversity of voices.” In response to the letter,...
Under the new criteria, producers will be required to “create and share their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (Dei) plans for all new agreements, describe how their project aligns with PBS’s Dei principles, and disclose representation data for production team members for both above-the-line talent and below-the-line positions.” The requirements will apply to all new agreements, series renewals and direct-to-pbs programs on all platforms, including children’s programming and digital.
PBS recently came under fire for allotting a disproportionate amount of its airtime and funding to programs from Ken Burns. Back in March, more than 130 filmmakers signed an open letter criticizing PBS for what they described as a “systemic failure to fulfill a mandate for a diversity of voices.” In response to the letter,...
- 8/10/2021
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
Firelight Media today revealed the 14 Fellows selected for the 2020-22 Firelight Documentary Lab. The 18-month program supporting Black, indigenous and other filmmakers of color is now in its 11th year.
The projects the new class bring to the Fellowship range from stories of generational Black farmers in the American South and the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls in Montana to personal stories revolving around family, immigration, ancestry, identity and more.
“It has been an extraordinarily challenging year for documentary filmmakers, especially emerging filmmakers of color, which Firelight’s Documentary Lab is designed to support,” said Loira Limbal, SVP Programs at Firelight Media. “Between the dual crises of the global pandemic and the national reckoning with racist violence in the U.S., filmmakers like the 14 Fellows we’ve just welcomed into the Lab need funding, professional networks, and a supportive community of peers perhaps more than ever before.
The projects the new class bring to the Fellowship range from stories of generational Black farmers in the American South and the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls in Montana to personal stories revolving around family, immigration, ancestry, identity and more.
“It has been an extraordinarily challenging year for documentary filmmakers, especially emerging filmmakers of color, which Firelight’s Documentary Lab is designed to support,” said Loira Limbal, SVP Programs at Firelight Media. “Between the dual crises of the global pandemic and the national reckoning with racist violence in the U.S., filmmakers like the 14 Fellows we’ve just welcomed into the Lab need funding, professional networks, and a supportive community of peers perhaps more than ever before.
- 10/29/2020
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Abigail Disney, Sheila Nevins & More To Appear At New York Women In Film & Television Virtual Summit
Abigail Disney, Sheila Nevins are among the notable speakers slated to appear at a documentary-focused edition of the New York Women in Film & Television Creative Workforce Summit.
The event, which will take place virtually from October 20 to 23, will feature keynote speakers, panels and film screenings. According to the Nywift announcement, the goal is to “establish forward-moving strategies to create change and mobilize support and leadership for the future.”
Other notable participants include Laverne Berry, a producer and former Nywift president who is the protagonist in Capturing the Flag, a documentary about the fight against voter suppression; and Marcia Smith, president of Firelight Media, which has backed films like Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool.
Panelists will include Lisa Cortes & Liz Garbus (All In: The Fight for Democracy), Marjan Safinia (And She Could Be Next), Dawn Porter (John Lewis: Good Trouble), Shalini Kantayya (Coded Bias), Maria Finitzo (The Dilemma of Desire...
The event, which will take place virtually from October 20 to 23, will feature keynote speakers, panels and film screenings. According to the Nywift announcement, the goal is to “establish forward-moving strategies to create change and mobilize support and leadership for the future.”
Other notable participants include Laverne Berry, a producer and former Nywift president who is the protagonist in Capturing the Flag, a documentary about the fight against voter suppression; and Marcia Smith, president of Firelight Media, which has backed films like Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool.
Panelists will include Lisa Cortes & Liz Garbus (All In: The Fight for Democracy), Marjan Safinia (And She Could Be Next), Dawn Porter (John Lewis: Good Trouble), Shalini Kantayya (Coded Bias), Maria Finitzo (The Dilemma of Desire...
- 10/12/2020
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
The pandemic has brought the film industry to a standstill, leaving many director uncertain when they can get back to work. The last few weeks have been particularly hard for filmmakers from marginalized communities, especially those from poorer socioeconomic backgrounds.
No one probably knows this struggle better than award-winning documentarian Stanley Nelson and writer-producer Marcia Smith. The pair, who co-founded Harlem-based non-profit Firelight Media have been conducting outreach within their creative community. Using surveys and focus groups, the organization has been evaluating how filmmakers of color can move forward in an even more unstable economic environment than they are accustomed to.
“We did a survey and held several one-on-one conversations, with the purpose of trying to get a handle on how they were dealing with the current situation, what they thought of the future, and how we could play a role,” said Smith. “Much of the response was concern about...
No one probably knows this struggle better than award-winning documentarian Stanley Nelson and writer-producer Marcia Smith. The pair, who co-founded Harlem-based non-profit Firelight Media have been conducting outreach within their creative community. Using surveys and focus groups, the organization has been evaluating how filmmakers of color can move forward in an even more unstable economic environment than they are accustomed to.
“We did a survey and held several one-on-one conversations, with the purpose of trying to get a handle on how they were dealing with the current situation, what they thought of the future, and how we could play a role,” said Smith. “Much of the response was concern about...
- 5/15/2020
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
The organization that administers the Peabody Awards has established an East Coast board of directors as it looks to raise its profile in the broader media landscape.
The 18 board members include Katie Couric, Vice Media CEO Nancy Dubuc, PBS president-ceo Paula Kerger of PBS and MTV Documentary Films president Sheila Nevins. The board of directors will be tasked with expanding the Peabody Awards’ media visibility with nonprofits, policy makers, and the public. The board is separate from the jurors who determine the winners of Peabody Awards every year.
“This new board serves as a complement to our existing West Coast board and brings the totality of what we do into focus,” said Peabody executive director Jeffrey Jones. “Their collective experience in journalism, documentary filmmaking, radio and podcasting, nonprofit management, and issue-conscious work reflects the diverse constituencies we partner with and promote. We welcome their participation, and appreciate the board’s...
The 18 board members include Katie Couric, Vice Media CEO Nancy Dubuc, PBS president-ceo Paula Kerger of PBS and MTV Documentary Films president Sheila Nevins. The board of directors will be tasked with expanding the Peabody Awards’ media visibility with nonprofits, policy makers, and the public. The board is separate from the jurors who determine the winners of Peabody Awards every year.
“This new board serves as a complement to our existing West Coast board and brings the totality of what we do into focus,” said Peabody executive director Jeffrey Jones. “Their collective experience in journalism, documentary filmmaking, radio and podcasting, nonprofit management, and issue-conscious work reflects the diverse constituencies we partner with and promote. We welcome their participation, and appreciate the board’s...
- 5/29/2019
- by Mackenzie Nichols
- Variety Film + TV
Firelight Media has its 12 filmmakers for the 2018-20 Firelight Documentary Lab, an 18-month fellowship supporting filmmakers from racially and ethnically underrepresented communities. See their names and project below.
The filmmakers are culturally diverse, with impressive backgrounds ranging from public and commercial media to investigative journalism and digital production. The projects they bring to the fellowship tell stories of the aftermath of Hurricane Maria’s impact on Puerto Rico, domestic violence, federalization of the war on drugs, Indigenous identity, Kkk hostilities against Vietnamese refugees, and the mothers left in the wake of police brutality.
“We are honored to support the work of this new Doc Lab cohort because we believe they collectively embody the future of nonfiction — which is inclusive, centers those who have traditionally been on the margins, and pushes the boundaries of the documentary form,” said Loira Limbal, VP and Documentary Lab Director at Firelight.
Firelight Documentary Lab has...
The filmmakers are culturally diverse, with impressive backgrounds ranging from public and commercial media to investigative journalism and digital production. The projects they bring to the fellowship tell stories of the aftermath of Hurricane Maria’s impact on Puerto Rico, domestic violence, federalization of the war on drugs, Indigenous identity, Kkk hostilities against Vietnamese refugees, and the mothers left in the wake of police brutality.
“We are honored to support the work of this new Doc Lab cohort because we believe they collectively embody the future of nonfiction — which is inclusive, centers those who have traditionally been on the margins, and pushes the boundaries of the documentary form,” said Loira Limbal, VP and Documentary Lab Director at Firelight.
Firelight Documentary Lab has...
- 12/7/2018
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
The Sundance Film Festival often provides a window into the kind of movies that the industry wants to sustain, and the 2018 edition is no exception. From opening-night crowdpleaser “Blindspotting” to the police shooting drama “Monsters and Men” to the satiric “Sorry to Bother You,” the U.S. competition swells with stories featuring people of color. But the impulse to diversify current cinema goes beyond the movies. Though hard data is elusive, few will deny the dominance of one demographic at independent movie theaters around the county. Sundance titles lucky enough to land distribution in art houses invariably find themselves in front of predominantly older, white audiences.
The Art House Convergence is finally trying to do something about that. In the days leading up to Sundance, the annual gathering of the indie exhibition community met for its ninth edition in Midway, Utah, a half hour from Park City. This time, diversity...
The Art House Convergence is finally trying to do something about that. In the days leading up to Sundance, the annual gathering of the indie exhibition community met for its ninth edition in Midway, Utah, a half hour from Park City. This time, diversity...
- 1/19/2018
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
by Peter BelsitoTwo years after his documentary on the Black Panthers, filmmaker Stanley Nelson chronicles the evolution of the United States’ historically black colleges and universities.Group of graduated students, men and women at Atlanta University 1900s (Credit: Atlanta University Center)
The story of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (aka HBCUs) began before the Civil War and influenced the course of our nation yet remains one of America’s most important untold stories. Until now.
Veteran documentarian Stanley Nelson’s latest work traces the century-and-a-half story of HBCUs in the documentary film “Tell Them We Are Rising” revealing the crucial role of HBCUs not only in the identity of black Americans but in the nation as a whole.
A haven for Black intellectuals, artists and revolutionaries — and path of promise toward the American dream — Black colleges and universities have educated the architects of freedom movements and cultivated leaders in every field.
The story of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (aka HBCUs) began before the Civil War and influenced the course of our nation yet remains one of America’s most important untold stories. Until now.
Veteran documentarian Stanley Nelson’s latest work traces the century-and-a-half story of HBCUs in the documentary film “Tell Them We Are Rising” revealing the crucial role of HBCUs not only in the identity of black Americans but in the nation as a whole.
A haven for Black intellectuals, artists and revolutionaries — and path of promise toward the American dream — Black colleges and universities have educated the architects of freedom movements and cultivated leaders in every field.
- 1/27/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Members of the film community are coming out of the woodwork to band together and push back on the repression that is anticipated to come out of the incoming Trump administration. From documentarians reaffirming their commitment to exposing hidden truths to narrative filmmakers pledging to combat racism with their work, many are planning a strong response to the 2016 presidential election.
Read More: President Donald Trump: How the Indie Film World Will Respond
The Film Society of Lincoln Center assembled some of those voices Wednesday by convening an “urgent conversation” with Film Quarterly entitled “Film & Media in a Time of Repression.” Moderated by Film Quarterly editor and Uc Santa Cruz professor Ruby Rich, the event featured speakers including “House of Cards” creator Beau Willimon, blacklisted screenwriter Walter Bernstein and Portugese documentary filmmaker Susana de Sousa Dias. Here are some of the highlights from the discussion, which outlined some key points...
Read More: President Donald Trump: How the Indie Film World Will Respond
The Film Society of Lincoln Center assembled some of those voices Wednesday by convening an “urgent conversation” with Film Quarterly entitled “Film & Media in a Time of Repression.” Moderated by Film Quarterly editor and Uc Santa Cruz professor Ruby Rich, the event featured speakers including “House of Cards” creator Beau Willimon, blacklisted screenwriter Walter Bernstein and Portugese documentary filmmaker Susana de Sousa Dias. Here are some of the highlights from the discussion, which outlined some key points...
- 12/16/2016
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Getting Real 2016: Ida and AMPAS Announce Conference Guests, Including Ava DuvVernay and Steve James
The International Documentary Association (Ida) has announced the lineup and additional keynote presentations for Getting Real ‘16, its biennial filmmaker-to-filmmaker conference inaugurated by the Ida and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2014.
The three-day conference, which will be held September 27-29 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study and other locations in Hollywood, will include keynotes, conversations with filmmakers and interactive presentations exploring the art and craft of documentary, along with their exclusive “Here’s What Really Happened” sessions, which go behind the scenes into the making and distribution of recent documentaries.
Read More: ‘Cameraperson’ Trailer: Kirsten Johnson’s Acclaimed Documentary Is a Cinematic Self-Portrait
This year will also see a new focus on the evolution of documentary, including a Vr Doc Summit.
Keynote speakers for the latest incarnation of Getting Real include filmmakers Ava DuVernay, Shola Lynch, Ezra Edelman,...
The three-day conference, which will be held September 27-29 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study and other locations in Hollywood, will include keynotes, conversations with filmmakers and interactive presentations exploring the art and craft of documentary, along with their exclusive “Here’s What Really Happened” sessions, which go behind the scenes into the making and distribution of recent documentaries.
Read More: ‘Cameraperson’ Trailer: Kirsten Johnson’s Acclaimed Documentary Is a Cinematic Self-Portrait
This year will also see a new focus on the evolution of documentary, including a Vr Doc Summit.
Keynote speakers for the latest incarnation of Getting Real include filmmakers Ava DuVernay, Shola Lynch, Ezra Edelman,...
- 8/23/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
“Diversity” may be a big buzzword for the film business these days, but for a lot of organizations, the challenges implied by the term are nothing new. While the Academy announced last week that it was inviting 683 new members—many from diverse backgrounds—to their vaunted club, the independent film side of the industry has long been fighting the good fight, with programs, grants and foundations focused on creating a more equitable entertainment ecosystem.
But how well are such initiatives working? “If we’re honest with ourselves, we have to realize there are a lot of well-meaning programs out there that are not having an impact,” said Film Independent’s Josh Welsh. “I’m at a point of great frustration. I am proud of what we’ve accomplished, but at the same time, these studies continue to come out every year that say the numbers in the industry are, as a whole,...
But how well are such initiatives working? “If we’re honest with ourselves, we have to realize there are a lot of well-meaning programs out there that are not having an impact,” said Film Independent’s Josh Welsh. “I’m at a point of great frustration. I am proud of what we’ve accomplished, but at the same time, these studies continue to come out every year that say the numbers in the industry are, as a whole,...
- 7/7/2016
- by Anthony Kaufman
- Indiewire
Marcia Smith, executive director of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation since 1995, has resigned.
In a statement, she cited SAG’s possible merger with AFTRA as the reason, saying, “I feel it is time for new leadership at the Foundation to meet the challenges that the new structure will bring.”
Replacing Smith on an interim basis is Sallie Weaver, formerly SAG’s deputy national executive director of contracts. More recently, Weaver formed Entertainment Labor Consulting and before that was a consultant at Entertainment Strategies Group, which was formed by David White before he became SAG national executive director in 2009.
Weaver started work on Monday. The Foundation did not announce a process for finding a permanent replacement for Smith.
The SAG Foundation is a non-profit organization -- separate from SAG -- that offers services to SAG members such as career workshops, scholarships, and live video streaming of various educational programs. According to a spokesperson,...
In a statement, she cited SAG’s possible merger with AFTRA as the reason, saying, “I feel it is time for new leadership at the Foundation to meet the challenges that the new structure will bring.”
Replacing Smith on an interim basis is Sallie Weaver, formerly SAG’s deputy national executive director of contracts. More recently, Weaver formed Entertainment Labor Consulting and before that was a consultant at Entertainment Strategies Group, which was formed by David White before he became SAG national executive director in 2009.
Weaver started work on Monday. The Foundation did not announce a process for finding a permanent replacement for Smith.
The SAG Foundation is a non-profit organization -- separate from SAG -- that offers services to SAG members such as career workshops, scholarships, and live video streaming of various educational programs. According to a spokesperson,...
- 1/31/2011
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In March 2009, voice actors Paul Pape and Joe Cipriano joined engineer George Whittam to honor Don Lafontaine, their late friend and a voiceover legend, who voiced more than 5,000 movie trailers. With the Screen Actors Guild Foundation, the three worked to create and build the Don Lafontaine Voice-Over Lab, where voice performers can work on their craft and record demos and auditions. The lab is located at the SAG Foundation Actors Center in Los Angeles.After Pape approached Marcia Smith, the foundation's executive director, about the idea, start-up funds were raised over the course of a weekend through contributions from Lafontaine's close friends and co-workers. These contributors later became the lab's advisory board.The SAG Foundation was the perfect partner for turning this idea into reality, says Casey Lewis, construction project manager and the Actors Center's director: "Basically, our mission is to assist, educate, and inspire actors. That's what we do through our programs.
- 10/1/2010
- backstage.com
The Screen Actors Guild Foundation was formed 25 years ago out of necessity—a necessity that now seems a bit silly, given the scope and success of the organization it gave birth to."At that time, there were a lot of telethons," says JoBeth Williams, the foundation's president. "That was a very popular thing to do, TV fundraising telethons, at which our guild members would waive their salaries." But even though SAG members may have declined their paychecks, that money was still legally obligated to go somewhere. "The guild is a union, not a charity," Williams explains. "People wanted to be able to use this money for membership help, aid, emergency assistance, basically. So the foundation was formed first for the purpose of being able to accept those checks and use the money to be able to assist guild members in need."Since it was formed in 1985, the SAG Foundation has...
- 2/24/2010
- backstage.com
First off, the best news, as I predicted (in private) Duncan Jones' Moon will be premiering, yay! The comedy Adventureland starring the talented Bill Hader is playing. The sweet kid soldier film Johnny Mad Dog is playing in the spectrum section, and the Jesco White story White Lightnin' which we reported on earlier is in the Park City at Midnight section.
But where the hell is Stingray Sam?
Full list after the break.
Premieres
* "Adventureland," directed and written by Greg Mottola, stars Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds and Bill Hader in the story of a college grad who gets a job at an amusement park. A Miramax release.
* "Brooklyn’s Finest," directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by Michael C. Martin, a drama about three Brooklyn cops who come together at the same deadly location. With Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Don Cheadle and Ellen Barkin.
* "Earth Days," directed by Robert Stone,...
But where the hell is Stingray Sam?
Full list after the break.
Premieres
* "Adventureland," directed and written by Greg Mottola, stars Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds and Bill Hader in the story of a college grad who gets a job at an amusement park. A Miramax release.
* "Brooklyn’s Finest," directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by Michael C. Martin, a drama about three Brooklyn cops who come together at the same deadly location. With Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Don Cheadle and Ellen Barkin.
* "Earth Days," directed by Robert Stone,...
- 12/4/2008
- QuietEarth.us
Premieres
To showcase the diversity of contemporary independent cinema, this section offers the latest work from American and international directors and world premieres of highly anticipated films.
Adventureland / U.S. (Director-screenwriter: Greg Mottola)
In 1987, a recent college graduate takes a nowhere job at his local amusement park and discovers the job is perfect preparation for the real world. Cast: Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Bill Hader. World premiere
Brooklyn's Finest / U.S. (Director: Antoine Fuqua; screenwriter: Michael C. Martin)
After enduring vastly different career paths, three unconnected Brooklyn cops wind up at the same deadly location. Cast: Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Don Cheadle, Ellen Barkin. World premiere
Earth Days / U.S. (Director: Robert Stone)
The history of our environmental undoing through the eyes of nine Americans whose work and actions launched the modern environmental movement. World premiere, closing-night film
Endgame / U.K. (Director: Pete Travis; screenwriter: Paula Milne)
A...
To showcase the diversity of contemporary independent cinema, this section offers the latest work from American and international directors and world premieres of highly anticipated films.
Adventureland / U.S. (Director-screenwriter: Greg Mottola)
In 1987, a recent college graduate takes a nowhere job at his local amusement park and discovers the job is perfect preparation for the real world. Cast: Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Bill Hader. World premiere
Brooklyn's Finest / U.S. (Director: Antoine Fuqua; screenwriter: Michael C. Martin)
After enduring vastly different career paths, three unconnected Brooklyn cops wind up at the same deadly location. Cast: Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Don Cheadle, Ellen Barkin. World premiere
Earth Days / U.S. (Director: Robert Stone)
The history of our environmental undoing through the eyes of nine Americans whose work and actions launched the modern environmental movement. World premiere, closing-night film
Endgame / U.K. (Director: Pete Travis; screenwriter: Paula Milne)
A...
- 12/4/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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