Check out this weeks Partner News!

Join NYWIFT for a screening of Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It screening from October 29th through November 1st.

Join @NYWIFT for a screening of Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It screening from Friday, October 29th through Monday, November 1st. Followed by a pre-recorded conversation with the legendary @theritamoreno and Director Mariem Pérez Riera! Moderated by #NYWIFT Executive Director, Cynthia Lopez.

Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It illuminates the humor and the grace of Moreno, as well as lesser-known struggles faced on her path to stardom, including pernicious Hollywood sexism and abuse, a toxic relationship with Marlon Brando, and serious depression a year before she emerged an Oscar winner. Moreno’s talent and resilience triumphed over adversity, as she broke barriers, fought for representation and forged the path for new generations of artists.

                                                                             Sign up at nywift.org/events

 

Justice for My Sister (JFMS) is happy to announce that we have extended the deadline for the BIPOC Sci-Fi Screenwriting Lab to Monday November 1st at 11:59pm PST. Take some time this weekend to complete your application. Don't miss out on the opportunity to be part of a community of like-minded artists dedicated to their craft! 

Those accepted into the second cohort will take part in a 9-week lecture series held on Mondays, commencing on November 15, 6-9pm PST. Tuition for this program is $555 ($1000 value) with a limited number of partial scholarships available. We encourage all writers and artists of color to apply, especially those who hold a vision for liberation and stewardship of the land. We need your voice and vision for the future.  
 

To apply, visit: 

• https://www.justiceformysister.org/bipoc-lab-application-form // Applications are open until November 1st at 11:59pm PST
• If you have additional questions, please contact Gabrielle at [email protected] 

WIA Scholarship Program Announces 2022 Industry Partnerships

 Women in Animation is continuing to expand its ongoing WIA Scholarship Program with workshops, tutoring sessions, software packages and cash prizes for recipients of the 2022 cycle from industry partners Animation Focus, Animation Mentor, Autodesk, Foundry, LAIKA, Toon Boom and Wacom. Additionally, WIA’s Bay Area and Montreal Chapters are providing special scholarship prizes for students who have ties to their areas.

The Women in Animation (WIA) Scholarship Program is devoted to furthering the academic efforts of deserving animation students who demonstrate artistic talent, a passion for animation, a financial need, and a promising future in our industry. Applicants who are pursuing various aspects of animation production from schools all over the world who have identified themselves as women, transgender or non-binary are encouraged to apply.

Read more here. 

ANA’s SeeHer Campaign Launches Latina-Focused Storytelling Guide

Photo Courtesy of ANA

The Association of National Advertisers’ SeeHer initiative has created its first #WriteHerRight storytelling guide, focused on Latinas, to be released today as part of its annual Multicultural Marketing and Diversity Conference in San Diego, Calif.

The guide, developed partnership with Telemundo and NBCUniversal, is intended to be a resource to encourage authentic portrayals of Hispanic women and girls in marketing, media, advertising and entertainment. This first #WriteHerRight guide encourages brands and content creators to help Hispanic women see themselves reflected in content. Additionally, “Latina Characters: Authentic Representation and Storytelling Guide” features questions that aim to illuminate the opportunities to promote authentic representation of Latinas, addressing potential blind spots and unconscious biases, as well as language and cultural nuances.

Read more on Variety.

MACRO X HBCU ENTERTAINMENT SUMMIT ANNOUNCES LINEUP FOR ITS THIRD ANNUAL EVENT

Photo Courtesy of Twitter/@RadioBlackOn

The Association of National Advertisers’ SeeHer initiative has created its first #WriteHerRight storytelling guide, focused on Latinas, to be released today as part of its annual Multicultural Marketing and Diversity Conference in San Diego, Calif.

The guide, developed partnership with Telemundo and NBCUniversal, is intended to be a resource to encourage authentic portrayals of Hispanic women and girls in marketing, media, advertising and entertainment. This first #WriteHerRight guide encourages brands and content creators to help Hispanic women see themselves reflected in content. Additionally, “Latina Characters: Authentic Representation and Storytelling Guide” features questions that aim to illuminate the opportunities to promote authentic representation of Latinas, addressing potential blind spots and unconscious biases, as well as language and cultural nuances.

Read more here. 

Bizzabo Honored by Goldman Sachs for Entrepreneurship

Photo Courtesy of Bizzabo

Goldman Sachs selected Shushan as one of 100 entrepreneurs from multiple industries to be honored at the two-day event. Shushan is the co-founder and CEO of Bizzabo, the world's fastest-growing operating system for hybrid, virtual and in-person events. Driven to help marketers and event organizers from world-leading brands promote, manage and maximize their events, Shushan has leveraged his experience to provide event organizers the tools they need to deliver personalized experiences, create moments that spark authentic connections, and cultivate evergreen communities that live beyond event day. Shushan has also led Bizzabo in winning the People's Choice Award at the Event Tech Awards for five years in a row and was named a Top 50 SaaS CEO for 2019.

Read more here.

AMC Theaters’ New On-Screen Caption Policy Is Both a Strong Step Toward Inclusion and ‘Smart Business Sense’

Photo Courtesy of AP

Between the Oscars finally installing a ramp at its annual ceremony and the Emmys failing to live up to their promise of one, it’s still shocking that, in 2021, the implementation of basic equipment to allow Deaf and disabled people the same access as everyone else is still hovering at adequate. This is especially true when it comes to on-screen media representation and literal access to media spaces.

This week, AMC Entertainment, owner of the largest movie theater chain in the world, announced that it will expand on-screen captioning at 240 locations in the United States. On-screen captioning is presented within the film, not unlike turning the presentation into the sort you might find on a DVD or Blu-ray. This is different than closed captioning, which theater patrons see through the use of a special device. In the past, however, these devices have been criticized for malfunctioning or not being charged by theater staff before use.

Read more here. 

Top film school honors Halyna Hutchins with a scholarship for female cinematographers

Photo Courtesy of Sam Wasson/Getty Images 

The American Film Institute has created a scholarship in honor of Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer who died on the set of Rust when Alec Baldwin discharged a prop gun.

"As is profoundly true in the art of cinematography, words alone cannot capture the loss of one so dear to the AFI community," the nonprofit said in announcing the initiative. "At AFI, we pledge to see that Halyna Hutchins will live on in the spirit of all who strive to see their dreams realized in stories well told."

Read more here. 

Marvel Studios’ Victoria Alonso Among Honorees Set For 2021 Outfest Legacy Awards Gala

Photo Courtesy of Sthanlee B. Mirador/Sipa Via AP Images

At the 2021 Outfest Legacy Awards, Marvel Studios’ Victoria Alonso will be honored with the Visionary Award, with additional awards going to Neon, Jonathan Howard, Robin de Jesús, Rain Valdez, Alan Koenigsberg and Marissa Román Griffith.

At the gala, taking place at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on November 13th, Alonso is being recognized for her contributions to LGBTQ+ representation and media visibility While serving as Marvel Studios’ President of Physical and Post Production, Visual Effects, and Animation Production, the industry vet has exec produced many of its films and TV series, including Avengers: Endgame, Black Panther, Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Widow, Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings, WandaVision, Loki, and more, positively impacting the LGBTQ+ community on a global level.

Read the full article here. 

Sundance Institute Sets Fellows For Inaugural Producers Intensive

Photo Courtesy of Sundance Institute

The Sundance Institute has set 10 fellows for its inaugural Producers Intensive, taking place virtually from October 21-22.

The artists and projects selected on the nonfiction side are Rachel Dickinson (Let the Little Light Shine), Alba Jaramillo (La Flaca), Rajeswari Ramanathan (The 1980 Civil Case), Chris Renteria (Chain of Rocks) and Shannon Sun-Higginson (You Lucky You Got a Mamma). Those chosen for the Fiction fellowship are Beverley Gordon (Experience), Lauren López de Victoria (forward), Breanne Thomas (In the Jackpot), Jesy Odio (Molokai’ Bound) and Ashley Chrisman (The Homesick)

The Producers Intensive was designed through a collaboration between Sundance’s Documentary Film and Feature Film Programs, as a means of providing creative, strategic and professional development support for emerging fiction and nonfiction producers from traditionally underrepresented communities.

Read more about the program here.

ON ‘INDEPENDENT LENS’ IN NOVEMBER: RACIAL JUSTICE, FAMILY-RUN NEWSPAPERS AND BUCKET LIST ADVENTURES

This month on Independent Lens – the award-winning anthology series of documentaries and fiction films – explore the unforgettable stories of Americans and their communities striving for equality, justice and a place to tell their stories.

Learn more about the documentaries here. 

Tired of the old boys’ network in Hollywood? We are too! So now you can HUSSLUP--

We are excited to announce our partnership with NALIP and invite all of you to join our invite-only free beta. We will email invites this Fall and schedule white glove Zoom on-boarding for those who want it. After you join, you will receive 5 invites for your closest colleagues. Space in the beta is very limited as we continue to build and test the product. 

So HUSSLUP to get your spot and become a Founding Member of the new creator-centric network that is transforming Hollywood’s old clique with one click!

Sign-up Today here!

Latino Public Broadcasting Job Announcement: Program Coordinator

Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB) is a unique bridge between talented Latino filmmakers and almost any American who owns a television or smartphone. We are L.A.-based non-profit and the only media organization in the US expressly committed to bringing independent Latinx voices, narratives, and ideas to wide audiences on PBS and its streaming platforms.

The Program Coordinator supports LPB’s systems that move creative projects from ideas through multiplatform distribution to audiences nationwide. The successful candidate is a media-savvy, detail-oriented team player who thrives behind-the-scenes. An excellent writer, the PC is responsible for a monthly newsletter, web updates, and direct communication with a range of Latinx filmmakers. Known for precision and the ability to manage details, the PC will be responsible for compiling production deliverables, analytics, selection panels, media impressions, and more. Blending diplomacy, accuracy, curiosity, and a deep appreciation for the power of storytelling, the PC position is ideal for someone looking to develop close relationships and growth in the public/independent media landscape. Finally, a sense of humor would go a long
way.

Apply Here.

NBCUNIVERSAL NEWS GROUP AND ASPEN IDEAS FESTIVAL TO ENTER MULTI-YEAR EXCLUSIVE MEDIA PARTNERSHIP

NBC News

Beginning next year, NBCUniversal News Group will become the exclusive media partner of the Aspen Ideas Festival. The 2022 Festival is set to take place from June 25 -July 1 in Aspen, Colorado. The multi-year, multi-platform partnership includes an editorial and programming collaboration to jointly create engaging and informative festival content and even further extend the reach of the festival’s on-the-ground events, partners and sponsors to audiences across NBCU News Group’s wide-reaching broadcast, cable, digital, audio and streaming platforms, including Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service. For more information, read here.

Spark Fund – Info Session for Industry Partners

Join Firelight Media this Friday, October 29 at 12pm ET to learn about Firelight Media's new Spark Fund (part of the NEH’s Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan or #SHARP initiative) for established BIPOC nonfiction filmmakers, and how our organizations can collaborate to support more filmmakers of color. For more information and to register, click here.