How to Support Black Filmmakers

BY SCOTTIE KNOLLIN

Despite the achievements in recent years for Black filmmakers (including box office success, record breaking contract deals, and Academy Award wins), there is still plenty of road to cover to attain a more inclusive film industry. Of the top 300-grossing films between 2016 and 2019, only 11.4% of producers behind those projects were people of color.

We live in an era where #OscarsSoWhite trended and only a few years later, the BAFTAs failed to nominate a single performer of color. The Black Lives Matter movement has raised the profile of Black artists and voices in the midst of fighting for the abolition of systemic racism.

While movies can seem so inferior during times of civil unrest, some of the greatest shifts in society have come from the art that injustice inspires. If you’re not a person of color, make it a priority to include films by Black filmmakers in your “must-watch” lists. Exposing yourself to others’ experiences is the biggest step you can make to understanding and empathy. But, it can’t just stop at digesting the stories that have already been told. We all should encourage and offer opportunities for new voices to be heard. Find an incomplete list of organizations, festivals, initiatives, and resources created for Black filmmakers that should be supported.

If you can’t support these groups financially, support them through social media follows and spreading their missions via your profiles and platforms. If you are in a place of authority, make it a priority to be inclusive. Always.

AFRICAN AMERICAN SUCCESS FOUNDATION

The AASF is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1997 to promote the positive image of African Americans.
The Official African American Success Foundation Website

AFRICAN DIASPORA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

The ADIFF presents films to diverse audiences, redesigns the Black cinema experience, and strengthens the role of African and African descent directors in contemporary world cinema.
The Official African Diaspora International Film Festival Website

AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL

The ABFF is an annual event dedicated to recognizing Black talent and showcasing quality film and television content by and about people of African descent. The festival has been in place for over 23 years.
The Official American Black Film Festival Website

BLACK ASSOCIATION OF DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKERS WEST

BADFW is a professional organization providing people of African descent working in documentary film, video, or other media.
The Official Black Association of Documentary Filmmakers West Website

BLACK FILM CENTER

Established in 1981, the Black Film Center and Archive at Indiana University, Bloomington, is the first archival repository dedicated to collecting, preserving, and making available historically and culturally significant films by and about Black people.
The Official Black Film Center Website

BLACK FILMMAKER FOUNDATION

The BFF is part of Good Pitch, a program dedicated to fueling the best independent documentary filmmaking in the world.
The Black Filmmaker Foundation Official Website

BLACK FILMMAKER’S ACADEMY

The BFA exists to help Black filmmakers learn the art, craft, and business side of making, distributing, and marketing cinematic masterpieces.
The Black Filmmaker’s Academy Official Website

BLACK HARVEST FILM FESTIVAL

Since 1994, the Gene Siskel Film Center has presented the annual Black Harvest Film Festival, a celebration of independent films that tell the stories and explore the images, heritage, and history of the worldwide Black experience.
The Black Harvest Film Festival Official Website

BLACK HOLLYWOOD EDUCATION AND RESOURCE CENTER

The BHERC is designed to advocate, educate, research, develop, and preserve the history, and the future, of blacks in the film and television industries.
The Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center Official Website

BLACK PUBLIC MEDIA

Formerly known as National Black Programming Consortium, BPM develops, produces, funds, and distributes media content about the African American and global Black experience.
The Black Public Media Official Website

THE BLACK TV & FILM COLLECTIVE

The Black TV & Film Collective is a non-profit organization with the mission to create opportunities for artists of color to achieve their long-term career goals within the television, film, and digital entertainment industries.
The Black TV & Film Collective Official Website

BLACK WOMEN DIRECTORS

BWD is a website dedicated to highlighting the work of women and non-binary filmmakers from the African Diaspora.
The Black Women Directors Official Website

BLACKHOUSE

The Blackhouse Foundation was co-founded in 2006 to address the “dismay and frustration at seeing so few Black people and people of color reflected in the attendance and on the slate of films selected for the (Sundance Film Festival).” The Blackhouse now hosts more than 3,000 visitors daily at film festivals throughout the year. The foundation has created more than 15,000 relationships between Black filmmakers and producers. According to their website, in 2007, there were seven Black films at Sundance; in 2019, there were more than forty Black films and projects featured.
The Blackhouse Official Website

CAST AND CREW OF COLOR

This online professional network was developed by and for people of color who work in film, television, and digital media as a way to stay connected and offer production support.
The Cast and Crew of Color Official Website

NO STUDIOS

Milwaukee-based NO Studios is a destination for creatives and lovers of art, featuring office spaces, state-of-the-art screening room, performance stage, bar, and rooftop lounge.
The Official NO Studios Website

NORTH DAKOTA HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL

The mission of the NDHRFF is to educate, engage, and facilitate discussion around local and world-wide human rights topics through the work of filmmakers and artists.
The North Dakota Human Rights Film Festival Official Website

THE ORGANIZATION OF BLACK SCREENWRITERS

The Organization of Black Screenwriters was founded in 1986 as a non-profit organization to develop great writers. The group offers training, hands-on experience, expansive resources, and extensive industry exposure.
The Organization of Black Screenwriters Official Website

PAN AFRICAN FILM AND ARTS FESTIVAL

Called the largest Black film festival in the U.S., PAFF showcases a broad spectrum of Black creative works, with a focus on those that reinforce positive images and help destroy negative stereotypes. In 2020, the Academy designated PAFF as an official qualifying film festival for live action and animated short films for Oscars consideration.
The Official Pan African Film and Arts Festival Website

PROJECT INVOLVE

Each year, 30 filmmakers from diverse backgrounds are given the opportunity to hone skills, form creative partnerships, create short films, and gain industry access needed to succeed as working artists via Film Independent’s Project Involve.
The Official Project Involve Website

SUNDANCE INCLUSION RESOURCE MAP

The Sundance Institute’s Inclusion Resource Map is a resource for all minority filmmakers to receive production support, connect with fellow filmmakers, and participate in learning programs.
The Official Sundance Inclusion Resource Map Website