Reel Sisters of the Diaspora: Difference between revisions
←Created page with '{{In use}} The '''Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival & Lecture Series''' is an annual film festival founded by African Voices magazine and Long Island...' |
(No difference)
|
Revision as of 18:32, 9 May 2019
 | This article is actively undergoing a major edit for a little while. To help avoid edit conflicts, please do not edit this page while this message is displayed. This page was last edited at 18:32, 9 May 2019 (UTC) (5 years ago) – this estimate is cached, . Please remove this template if this page hasn't been edited for a significant time. If you are the editor who added this template, please be sure to remove it or replace it with {{Under construction}} between editing sessions. |
The Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival & Lecture Series is an annual film festival founded by African Voices magazine and Long Island University's Media Arts Department, Brooklyn Campus. Established in 1997, Reel Sisters is dedicated to providing opportunities for women of color filmmakers to advance their careers in the film industry.
History
Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival and Lecture Series was founded in 1997 by African Voices magazine publisher Carolyn A. Butts and Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus. It is the first Brooklyn-based festival devoted to supporting films produced, directed and written by women of color. Butts came up with the idea in 1996, when she experienced push-back when shopping a short film she produced, in the hope of turning it into a feature length documentary on the Brooklyn poetry movement. "It was so hard to get support for me as an African American woman,” she reflected. “So, I kind of came in with a small group of women, and I came up with the idea to do a conference or a festival that was solely devoted to women of color -- not just African American, but Caribbean, Latina, and Asian. That's kind of how it was sparked to have an outlet where we could network; we could build a resource for each other to get our films made. It's not always money [or] having money. It's also having that support system -- that tribe that you can go to to get your films produced."[1]
The festival screens over 35 films each year, and since its inception, has screened over 1500 films by women of African, Caribbean, Latino, Asian, Indian and Native American descent. Reel Sisters attracts about 1200 attendees, who arrive from across the United States and from abroad. The festival has grown from a two-day event to a month-long celebration[1] that includes lectures and workshops on a variety of subjects, and also curates events throughout the year.[2]
Reel Sisters is a competitive festival and films are selected by an independent jury. Films by gender non-conforming filmmakers are accepted, as long as they are women-centered. In 2013, Reel Sisters presented Shola Lynch (Free Angela & All Political Prisoners) with its Trailblazer Award and Issa Rae (Awkward Black Girl) with the first Reel Sisters Innovation Pioneer Award for groundbreaking working in producing her award-winning web series. Reel Sisters also provides scholarships to emerging women filmmakers and offers other resources for women filmmakers.[3]
The festival sometimes chooses a theme, such as the 21st edition in 2018, which was dedicated to self-care, wellness, and healing.[4]
In 2018, the Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival became the first Academy Award Qualifying Film Festival for narrative shorts dedicated to women of color.[5]
Reel Sisters is sponsored by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council on the Arts and the Brooklyn Council on the Arts.[6]
Awards
The festival accepts and screens film in any genre and from any media, including animation and web series. Awards are provided in the following categories:[7]
- Jury awards
- Best Director
- Best Documentary
- Best Screenplay
- Best Experimental
- Best Animation
- Best Feature
- Best Short
- Best Narrative
- Best Web Series
- Best Original Soundtrack
- Reel Sisters Spirit Award
- Reel Sisters special awards
- Hattie McDaniel Award - honors women who are pioneers in the fields of theater, film and media
- Trailblazer Award - recognizes honorees in the film and television industry for their outstanding accomplishments and professional integrity in opening doors for other women of color
References
- ^ a b Tinubu, Aramide A. (October 19th 2017). "Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival & Lecture Series celebrates 20 years on Oct. 21 & 22". Shadow and Act’. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival & Lecture Series". Film Freeway. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
- ^ Johnson, Kandia (October 14, 2018). "Reel Sisters Dedicates Film Festival To Self-care And Spotlights Films By Women Of Color". Black Enterprise. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
- ^ "Join The 21st Annual The Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival & Lecture Series In Harlem". Harlem World Magazine. 26 September 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
- ^ "Keepin' it reel: Brooklyn's Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival". Film Daily. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
- ^ "Reel Sisters of the Diaspora". SPLA. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
- ^ "Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival & Lecture Series". Withoutabox. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
