FEBRUARY 11, 2025
BLACK PUBLIC MEDIA
WEEKLY DISPATCH
By Leslie Fields-Cruz
During this second week of navigating stormy weather for Black History Month, BPM is pleased to co-present the public media premiere of What the Storms Taught Us, one of several short films featured in Season 2 of the series Homegrown: A Part of/Apart From. Produced by Firelight Media in partnership with BPM, Latino Public Broadcasting, Pacific Islanders in Communications and PBS, the series features stories that grapple with issues of cultural identity, sovereignty and agency. This film, by John P. Wheatley, spotlights the agonizing seven years of resilience and frustration U.S. Virgin Isles students, educators and administrators have experienced ever since hurricanes Irma and Maria tore their communities and schools apart by back in 2017. You can watch the film here.
Then on Presidents’ Day, Feb. 17, we invite you to check out the digital premiere of The Aunties, a new film by Charlyn Griffith-Oro and Jeannine Kayembe-Oro that offers an unexpected connection to Harriet Tubman. This AfroPoP Digital Short is about a pair of Black gay women whose love for each other, the land, its stories, and what they can produce if properly tended, offers a fitting way to end to the long Valentine’s Day weekend. Watch it here.
Prioritizing Community Connections
We’re heartened by news of the discussions held during Sundance Film Festival recently on what’s next for the documentary film industry. Many similar conversations are needed around the country. BPM shares our colleagues’ commitment to supporting and delivering independent media content that reflects the richness of our national culture. We do that by supporting stories that are simultaneously informative and entertaining. Where it is possible for us to attend these conversations, we’ll be there.
Finally, I look forward to next weekend’s convening of our recurring PitchBLACK Bootcamp. BPM will host 11 film and creative technology teams for a three-day immersion experience designed to connect them to one another and to creative mentors as they prepare to pitch their projects at PitchBLACK this spring. We’re hosting *PitchBLACK Forum on Wed., April 30 and PitchBLACK Awards on Thurs., May 1. Both events will take place at The Apollo Stages at the Victoria in Harlem. Mark your calendars. It’s gonna be spectacular!
*PitchBLACK Forum is an invitation only event. If you are part of the film or immersive media tech industry, a funder, investor, distributor, museum or gallery exhibitor, impact producer, or curator who would like to be invited, please complete and submit this Industry Credentials Form.
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BPM is supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting with further funding from the MacArthur Foundation and the New York State Council on the Arts. BPM is the only nonprofit that offers training, funding and distribution for projects solely about the Black experience. We welcome foundations, corporations and individuals to help with our work. For more information about underwriting and contributions, contact Delynda Lindsey (delynda@blackpublicmedia.org).