APRIL 20, 2021

BLACK PUBLIC MEDIA

WEEKLY DISPATCH

By Leslie Fields-Cruz

Photo of DJ Jigüe from AfroPoP feature Bakosó, by Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi

Spring is Poppin' with 'AfroPoP' and Tribeca's 20th Anniversary

The preliminary analytics we’ve received on Total Market Coverage for AfroPoP Season 13 reflect a highly enthusiastic reception from public media station programmers across the country. These data affirm our decision to move the series from its customary winter schedule (January-February) to the springtime. Thanks to all the public media stations that have opted to include the series on their spring programming slots, and to the viewers who are already watching the series on WORLD Channel. The BPM staff and I look forward to our meeting with members of the Public Television Programmers’ Association this week to discuss ways we can continue supporting each other's efforts.

Tank, from director Yaba Blay's web series 'Professional Back Girl'

This week on AfroPoP, WORLD will air Professional Black Girl, an hour-long compilation of shorts about Black womanhood, set in the Crescent City (New Orleans). The film features highlights from a web series of the same name produced and directed by filmmaker Yaba Blay. Go here for details.

Another piece of good news we received recently is that Tribeca Film Festival will celebrate its 20th anniversary this June by hosting a hybrid schedule of virtual and in-person events. Covid-19 restrictions forced Tribeca organizers to offer only virtual screenings last year, so the planned in-person activities are an exciting sign that the Covid curtain may finally be lifting in New York City.

Tribeca kicks off June 9 with outdoor screenings of the long-awaited film version of Lin Manuel Miranda’s Tony-winning musical In the Heights. Screenings of the film, directed by Jon M. Chu, will be held at locations across all five NYC boroughs. Tribeca runs through June 20. The full schedule was just released so I haven't had time to review it yet, but I'm sure it's stellar. I also hear the final weekend may include a Juneteenth celebration. Tribeca At Home passes are on sale now.

If you or someone you know is working on a short film about the indigenous Pacific Islander experience, be advised that Pacific Islanders in Communication (PIC) is accepting applications now through May 14 to its Shorts Fund. The Fund offers strategic support and up to $25k in funding. Click here for details.

Finally, on Wed., April 28, The WNET Group will host a town hall on the topic News That Needs Telling: Journalism That Examines Injustice and Explores Black Power. This virtual event is part of a series titled, New American Dream, and features five weeks of virtual town halls on the theme “Disrupting Systemic Racism and Envisioning the Nation Beyond It.” Each town hall will livestream, from 5-6:30 p.m. ET, and is free to the public.

Black Public Media is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, with further funding from the MacArthur Foundation and the New York State Council on the Arts. Support for Afropop: the Ultimate Cultural Exchange and the 360 Incubator+ Fund comes from the National Endowment for the Arts. BPM is the only nonprofit that offers training, funding and distribution for projects solely about the Black experience. We are seeking foundations, corporations and individuals to help our work. For more information about underwriting and contributions, please contact Alisa Norris (Alisa@ blackpublicmedia.org). To donate, click here! In addition, you can donate to BPM through your Amazon purchases by going to smile.amazon.com/ch/31- 1335950.

Our mailing address is: 530 W 25th St., # 501, New York NY 10001.