We’ve Got Much In Store For You in 2022
by Leslie Fields-Cruz
If you follow us on social media, you’ve probably already noticed that we’ve got a lot going on the next few months. We start off by celebrating the upcoming PBS premiere of Jamila Wignot’s award-winning documentary, Ailey, which kick’s off this year’s season of PBS’ American Masters Jan. 11 at 9 p.m. Check local listings for details in your area. A few weeks later, Leola Calzolai-Stewart makes her directorial debut with, The American Diplomat, which airs on PBS’ American Experience (Feb. 15). Later that month, the long-anticipated Fannie Lou Hamer’s America, by Joy Davenport, will kick of the 10th season of WORLD Channel’s acclaimed series America ReFramed on Feb. 22.
This month, we’re launching a new Call for Shorts. This call is specifically for completed short documentary films. Select films could win a slot in the PBS Short Film Festival (July) among other opportunities. Read here for details.
For Black History Month, we’re hosting a virtual mixer where you and others of the BPM family can come together to salute each other’s work, celebrate our predecessors, and meet and greet our fantastic BPM board and staff.
We also invite you to celebrate the month by picking up an item from the BPM Shop that expresses your love for Black stories and storytellers.
Then in March, we invite our Baltimore friends to join us for the first in a series of Black Media Story Summits we’re hosting this year to address the issue of vaccine equity. Media makers who attend the Baltimore summit will be eligible to receive up to $60K in funding toward a project that underscores the community and individual health benefits of vaccinations.
During the spring, we’ll kick off the 14th season of our award-winning series, AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange, featuring five exciting episodes of films telling stories from around the African Diaspora. The series premieres Mon. April 4, on WORLD Channel, and will present a new feature each week through May 2. Details about the slate of films will be shared in our February newsletter.
On April 22, we’ll host another virtual PitchBLACK Forum and Awards program. Competing filmmakers will vie for up to $100K in project funding.
In addition to these programs and activities, BPM will continue to co-host monthly African Diaspora Film Club gatherings virtually with our partners at the San Francisco Museum of the African Diaspora, and we’ll soon launch a series of virtual classes on VR Cameras and VR editing.
So, if you don’t already follow us on social media, I strongly encourage you to do so. Our newsletter is published monthly and our weekly dispatch comes out every Tuesday, but in between there are always updates and opportunities that we announce through our Facebook, IG, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts. Follow us there, too, so you don’t miss out.
We look forward to having you join us for one or more of these events soon.
— Fields-Cruz is the executive director of Black Public Media
