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A BLACK FILM SPACE SYMPOSIUM

STORYTELLING BY GENRE

NEW YORK CITY | SEPTEMBER 20TH & 21ST

Join Black Film Space for a weekend symposium as we explore diverse narrative techniques and genre-specific storytelling in TV and cinema through panels, workshops, and discussions led by industry professionals and experts. This event will provide valuable insights and inspiration for filmmakers to enhance their craft and understanding of storytelling across genres.

SUPER EARLY BIRD PRICE TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE UNTIL AUGUST 23RD, 11:59PM ET.

THIS EVENT IS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

SPONSORED BY

  • Giant Pictures is an independent film company providing distribution for the digital age.

    From management of streaming channels and content libraries, to new movies and episodic series, we partner with rights owners to maximize the value of their content.

    Giant Pictures owns and operates specialty theatrical label, Drafthouse Films, and is the distribution and technology partner of the Tribeca Festival.

    Learn more at www.giant.pictures

  • A+E Networks is a collection of culture brands that includes A&E®, The HISTORY® Channel, Crime + Investigation®, History2™, BLAZE™, Lifetime®, LMN®, FYI,® VICE TV and HISTORY EN ESPAÑOL®.

    We are in seven out of 10 American homes, operating 71 channel feeds in approximately 195 territories in 40 languages around the world, reaching more than 320 million domestic and international households through joint ventures and wholly owned subsidiaries.

    We are in the story business and just as the industry and art form have evolved, so have we. Since our founding in 1983 with just two cable channels, we have grown into a multiplatform, multimedia, multi-genre content creator. Our brands have points of view we proudly champion and defend. We got to where we are by being great listeners, innovators and idea movers, specializing in the human experience.

    Visit aenetworks.com to learn more

  • cliveRd. is an agile startup studio focused on producing and building projects focused on futurism.

    Visit cliverd.com to learn more

  • Perrier is a sugar-free and calorie-free tasty carbonated mineral water.

    Perrier has different flavors including Original, Lemon, Lime, Pink and Grapefruit.

    Visit Perrier.com to learn more

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

FRIDAY, SEPt 20th - Opening Night party

Time: 6 to 11PM

Location: Diamantes - 410 8th Ave (btw. 30th and 31st)

SATURDAY, Sept 21st - Full DAY OF PANELS & WORKSHOPS

Time: 12pm to 10:30pm

Location: The Sheen Center - 18 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10012 (btw. Elizabeth St & Mott St)

11:30 AM - Doors Open

12:00 PM - Directing Actors Live Workshop

1:30 PM - Directors Blueprint - Prepping for Comedy & Drama

3:00 PM - The Art of Writing Movies for Television

4:00 PM - Complimentary Lunch

5:15 PM - Past, Present & Afrofuture of TV & Film

6:45 PM - The State of Comedy

8:30 PM - Logline & Pitch Competition (sponsored by cliveRd.)

PANELISTS & SPECIAL gUESTS

Check out our esteemed panelists. Click the + sign to learn more about each speaker.

OPENING NIGHT PARTY

An evening of mixing and mingling to kickstart our weekend in partnership w/ Afrofuture and sponsored by Giant Pictures & Perrier.

Hosted by Mc Lolahstic. Sounds by DJ Mohogany. Guest DJ set by Talib Kweli.

  • Dawson got her break as a writer on two Mindy Kaling series, Champions and Four Weddings and a Funeral.

    She most recently was a Co-EP on Everybody Still Hates Chris, the reimagined animated version of the Chris Rock live action series for Paramount+.

    On the feature side, Dawson is attached to direct her romantic comedy, When Carrie Met Michael and Other People with Paul Feig and Feigco producing.

  • Sachi Ezura is the Vice President of Adult Animation for Paramount Global, developing animated projects for Comedy Central and Paramount +.  Previously, she was Senior Producer at The Greene Space, a live event space for NY Public Radio, and a development consultant for Irony Point.

    She has produced on Refinery29’s After After Party, BET’s The Rundown w/ Robin Thede, and MTV’s Girl Code. She was Executive Producer of Development and Talent at Seriously.TV, a digital comedy channel under Verizon Hearst Media Partners, specializing in the intersection of comedy, politics, and social justice. She came up in television development at MTV2, overseeing casting for MTV’s hit comedy series Guy Code and Girl Code, and as Director of Original Programming at IFC. 

    She has a background in improv comedy through UCB Theater and has contributed writing to the New Yorker, New York Post, and the Girl Code book.

  • Stand-up comic and Emmy-nominated writer SAM JAY can most recently be seen killing it on the dais at Netflix’s The Roast of Tom Brady. She can currently be seen on HBO’s Pause with Sam Jay, a weekly late-night series on which she served as Host and Executive Producer, as well as in her HBO stand-up special Sam Jay: Salute Me or Shoot Me.

    She can also be seen on the Peacock series Bust Down, which she co-created with co-stars Langston Kerman, Jak Knight, and Chris Redd. She is a two-time Emmy nominee and WGA award nominee for her writing on Saturday Night Live. In 2018, she wrote for The 70th Primetime Emmy Awards and the MTV Movie & TV Awards, and in 2020 she wrote for the BET Awards. Sam was named as one of Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch in 2018, and a Comedy Central Comic to Watch in 2015.

    Sam was recently featured both on and off camera as the “Voice of God” announcer at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards on NBC. In 2023, Sam recorded a set as part of Netflix’s Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration, along with Margaret Cho, Sandra Bernhard, Billy Eichner, and Eddie Izzard—now streaming on Netflix. In 2020, Sam debuted her first one-hour stand up special Sam Jay: 3 in the Morning on Netflix.

    In 2019, Sam made her Netflix debut on The Comedy Lineup and released her album Donna’s Daughter through Comedy Central Records. In 2017, Sam was a standout of the Just For Laughs: New Faces showcase; made her late night debut on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!; and released her Comedy Central Presents half hour to rave reviews. Sam has performed internationally at comedy clubs and festivals including the Vodafone Dublin Comedy Festival, Bumbershoot Festival, 208 Comedy Festival, New York Comedy Festival, Portland’s Bridgetown Festival, The Laugh Your Asheville Off Comedy Festival, Boston’s Women In Comedy Festival, among others.

     Sam can currently be seen opposite Jonah Hill, Eddie Murphy, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the Kenya Barris-directed feature film, You People, now on Netflix. Sam’s TV credits include her hosting role on Ricking Morty, the Rick and Morty post-show on Adult Swim. Additional TV credits include The Eric Andre Show; HBO Max’s That Damn Michael Che; MTV’s SafeWord; a recurring role on TV Land’s Nobodies; Starz’s Take My Wife, Comedy Central’s White Flight, Crank Yankers, The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail, and Broad City; and Viceland’s Party Legends and Flophouse. 

    Sam is originally from Boston and currently resides in New York.

DirectING ACTORS LIVE WORKSHOP - HORROR & DRAMA

Join TV writer/director Patrick Coker (BET's Tales, CROW HILL: Tomorrow Never Ends, CBS’ East New York) for a live workshop where he directs actors through horror and drama scenes in real time, bringing the art of screen acting to life.

  • Patrick Coker is a Producer / writer best known as the Executive Producer and Showrunner  for TALES ON BET, and as Supervising Producer on the hit cop drama, East New York on CBS.

    Patrick has been involved in the Theater, Film and TV industry since the mid-90’s,as an actor, director and content provider. Educated at CUNY’S Brooklyn College and a graduate of the LIU Media Arts Program with an M.F.A. in Directing he has been the creative mind behind many indie music videos, short films and the feature film Shankman’s Deli.  

    Some of his other projects include Balance, Judy’s Child, White Pickett Fence, SHHHH, Heroin(e) and Moves We Make, all on the festival circuit. His most recent project is developing a one hour drama for Universal TV. 

    Patrick, serves on the Board of Directors for the Queen City film Festival (NJ). Patrick is from Brooklyn and  a proud member of Writers Guild of America WGA East and the Directors Guild of America.

Directors Blueprint - Prepping for Comedy & Drama

Join us for Director's Blueprint: Prepping for Comedy & Drama, where Zoey Martinson (Hulu’s Bite Sized Halloween, A24’s Ziwe) will explore the essential steps and techniques for directing in these genres, complete with a slideshow detailing the director’s vision behind select scenes.

  • Zoey Martinson is an award winning writer/ director in film and theater. Her work focus's on nuanced stories from the Diasporia. Born on the Menominee Nation then lived in Africa, London and the USA has given her work a unique lens into the stories she tells. Her theater company Smoke & Mirrors Collaborative creates work around social justice themes and has toured internationally presenting  and organizing Arts Missions for the United States Consulate General.

    Her short film The Fisherman, shot in Ghana won the Programmer's Award Short Narrative at the PAFF 2019, finalist HBO Shorts at ABFF, Cinquest, Brussels Short Film Festival, Winner of Diversity in Cannes 2020. The Fisherman is streaming on HBO Max. She was commissioned by Tribeca Studio’s to create the short Cupids, for their 8:46Films premiering at Tribeca Film Festival 2021, airing on BET & CBS moderated by Gayle King. 8:46Films was nominated for an NAACP Image Award 2022. Writer & Director of "Incomplete" for Hulu's Bite Sized Halloween, Directed season 2 episodes 1-6 of Ziwe for A24 on Showtime, TV Movie “Uthandiwe” for South Africa’s DSTV MzansiMagic, Directed an episode of Disney Discovers Talent for ABC Disney, Writer for season 2 of Betty, HBO Max.

    Her award winning short film ‘La Oposición’ played at Casa Mexico Program SXSW 2019, distributed by Aspire TV.

    She got her start in theater as a commedia dell'arte street performer around Europe and directing at UCB (Uprights Citizens Brigade) in NYC. Her play Olityelwe won the NYCFringe award for best play and ran off broadway 59E59 Street Theater, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, then toured to South Africa and the UK. Skype Duet won the 100 Grand award at HAU2 Theater, Berlin then toured Europe and Australia. Her play The Alien Nation was workshopped at Lincoln Center Education and BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music). Directed the world premiere of Gutting by Jeremy Kamps at the National Black Theater / Company Cypher. Created/Directed interactive  #HashtagProject at the Transmediale Festival in Berlin. Her musical Dreamer commissioned by The Kennedy Center, workshopped at South African State Theater.  Director/ Creator of immersive Off Broadway show The Black History Museum...  According to the United States of America that premiered fall 2019 at HERE.

    Published in five anthologies. Named one of the 18 Women Making Black History by Popsugar.com

The Art of Writing Movies for Television

This panel explores the craft of writing compelling TV movies across genres, from thrillers to holiday films, offering valuable insights from experienced screenwriters Eric Dickens (BET+’s The Deadly Getaway) & Chad Quinn (TV One’s Love to Death).

  • A native of New Jersey, Chad ”Cutty” Quinn attended Temple University where he obtained a degree in marketing and business law. He then went on to pursue his law degree at Howard University School of Law.

    During his studies at Howard however, Chad realized that he wasn’t being fulfilled. “I wrote my first short story when I was 13. It wasn’t for school or any other assignment, I just had a story in my head that I knew I wanted to get out. For the longest period I allowed fear to keep me from walking in my purpose.

    For the next few years Chad would learn to use his passion for storytelling and helping others in more unconventional ways. After years working in corporate America, he then took his talents to the educational space and spent time as a dean for K-12. Working with students and families reignited his passion to give a voice to the voiceless, so he decided to put all his efforts into his craft.

    With no formal training, Chad has managed to place as a finalist in multiple film festivals, from HBO’s Project Greenlight to the American Black Film Festival’s TV ONE Screenwriting Competition.

    The situation with TV ONE turned out to be a fruitful relationship as his first feature film was bought by the network. In the summer of 2014, Mr. Quinn’s TV pilot series “The Kids...” was also rated as the top unsigned pilot series by The Black List.

    This writer/director has multiple films that have done extremely well on the festival circuit from the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) to the prestigious Pan African Film Festival (PAFF).

    Chad has worked extensively to create projects that highlight and examine the human condition. For the Love of Musiq, which he wrote and directed stars Andrea Rachel Parker, Bryan Terrell, Clark, Malinda Williams, along with many other stand out talents, won Best of The Fest at the 2018 Hip Hop Film Festival. The film also aired on Revolt TV.

    Cutty truly takes the monarch “art is a weapon,” to life as he’s also teamed up with Ava DuVernay and Ryan Coogler’s Blackout for Human Rights, a network of concerned artists, activists, filmmakers, musicians and citizens who committed their energy and resources to immediately address the staggering level of human rights violations against fellow Americans throughout the United States. Blackout for Human Rights was recently selected as one of Ebony Magazine's #EbonyPower100 Honorees. Cutty was also recently selected as a top 10 finalist for a fellowship with Sesame Street Writers’ Room and named as a Notable Writer for 2018 by NYTF.

    Additionally, Cutty has had the opportunity to direct episodic work for frequent creative collaborator Eric Dickens’ TV series "Makeup x Breakup" which appears on AMC’s AllBlk.

    In his young but blossoming career, Cutty has already had seven feature films that premiered on network television; Loved To Death (TV ONE), Christmas Belles (BET), A Christmas Surprise (BET) ,Christmas with the Chestnuts (OWN) I Do...Again (Hallmark) , New Orleans Christmas (Hallmark), Christmas Party Crashers (BET), Christmas Revisited (OWN), and most recently, The Deadly Getaway (BET +) with another, Queens of Christmas (BET) slated for winter 2024.

    As the former Program Director for the U.S. Global Cultural Initiative, working alongside prestigious organizations including the NEA, NEH, and UNESCO, Stacey played a pivotal role in shaping cultural dialogues and fostering international exchanges. Her efforts laid the groundwork for initiatives such as Sundance Institute’s FILM FORWARD, earning her the International Engagement Award at The White House.

    A graduate of San Francisco State University's School of Cinema, Stacey's producing credits include collaborations with filmmakers Sofia Coppola (LICK THE STAR), Cauleen Smith (DRYLONGSO), and Himanshu Malik (CHITRAKUT). She serves as an advisor for the South Asia Forum for Art & Creative Heritage and is a member of the ERA Equal Voice Equal Future Editorial Board. Currently, she is the residing the Program Manager for the Artist and Critics Academies at Film at Lincoln Center.

  • Eric Dickens is an award-winning writer/director whose hit web series, "Makeup x Breakup" has aired on BET Digital and now appears on AMC’s AllBlk.

    He most recently co-wrote the BET+ thriller, “The Deadly Getaway”.  In 2021 he directed the BETHer Documentary entitled, "High Risk" and wrote the TVOne Christmas movie, "Someday at Christmas". 

    Eric hails from the city of Philadelphia and shortly after graduating high school, obtained his BA from Delaware State University. He relocated to New York and while there, received his MA in Media Studies from The New School.

    His love for filmmaking is inspired by several great directors, that include, Spike Lee, John Singleton, Gina Prince- Bythewood and F. Gary Gray.

Past, Present & Afrofuture of TV & Film

Join us for a panel that transports you through the past, present, and Afrofuture of film and TV. In this discussion, we explore the origins of Afrofuturism and how it continues to help Black people imagine new futures through the intersections of culture, science, and spirituality. Moderated by Tiffany Bender-Abdallah (Head of Special Projects, Afrofuture). Panelists to be announced soon.

The State of Comedy

During this lively panel discussion we will explore the current trends, challenges, and future of the genre in various formats. Featuring Meredith Dawson (Co-EP on Paramount+’s Everybody Still Hates Chris), Sachi Ezuri (Vice President of Adult Animation for Paramount Global) & Sam Jay (HBO’s Pause with Sam Jay, Peacock’s Bust Down).

  • Dawson got her break as a writer on two Mindy Kaling series, Champions and Four Weddings and a Funeral.

    She most recently was a Co-EP on Everybody Still Hates Chris, the reimagined animated version of the Chris Rock live action series for Paramount+.

    On the feature side, Dawson is attached to direct her romantic comedy, When Carrie Met Michael and Other People with Paul Feig and Feigco producing.

  • Sachi Ezura is the Vice President of Adult Animation for Paramount Global, developing animated projects for Comedy Central and Paramount +.  Previously, she was Senior Producer at The Greene Space, a live event space for NY Public Radio, and a development consultant for Irony Point.

    She has produced on Refinery29’s After After Party, BET’s The Rundown w/ Robin Thede, and MTV’s Girl Code. She was Executive Producer of Development and Talent at Seriously.TV, a digital comedy channel under Verizon Hearst Media Partners, specializing in the intersection of comedy, politics, and social justice. She came up in television development at MTV2, overseeing casting for MTV’s hit comedy series Guy Code and Girl Code, and as Director of Original Programming at IFC. 

    She has a background in improv comedy through UCB Theater and has contributed writing to the New Yorker, New York Post, and the Girl Code book.

  • Stand-up comic and Emmy-nominated writer SAM JAY can most recently be seen killing it on the dais at Netflix’s The Roast of Tom Brady. She can currently be seen on HBO’s Pause with Sam Jay, a weekly late-night series on which she served as Host and Executive Producer, as well as in her HBO stand-up special Sam Jay: Salute Me or Shoot Me.

    She can also be seen on the Peacock series Bust Down, which she co-created with co-stars Langston Kerman, Jak Knight, and Chris Redd. She is a two-time Emmy nominee and WGA award nominee for her writing on Saturday Night Live. In 2018, she wrote for The 70th Primetime Emmy Awards and the MTV Movie & TV Awards, and in 2020 she wrote for the BET Awards. Sam was named as one of Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch in 2018, and a Comedy Central Comic to Watch in 2015.

    Sam was recently featured both on and off camera as the “Voice of God” announcer at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards on NBC. In 2023, Sam recorded a set as part of Netflix’s Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration, along with Margaret Cho, Sandra Bernhard, Billy Eichner, and Eddie Izzard—now streaming on Netflix. In 2020, Sam debuted her first one-hour stand up special Sam Jay: 3 in the Morning on Netflix.

    In 2019, Sam made her Netflix debut on The Comedy Lineup and released her album Donna’s Daughter through Comedy Central Records. In 2017, Sam was a standout of the Just For Laughs: New Faces showcase; made her late night debut on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!; and released her Comedy Central Presents half hour to rave reviews. Sam has performed internationally at comedy clubs and festivals including the Vodafone Dublin Comedy Festival, Bumbershoot Festival, 208 Comedy Festival, New York Comedy Festival, Portland’s Bridgetown Festival, The Laugh Your Asheville Off Comedy Festival, Boston’s Women In Comedy Festival, among others.

     Sam can currently be seen opposite Jonah Hill, Eddie Murphy, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the Kenya Barris-directed feature film, You People, now on Netflix. Sam’s TV credits include her hosting role on Ricking Morty, the Rick and Morty post-show on Adult Swim. Additional TV credits include The Eric Andre Show; HBO Max’s That Damn Michael Che; MTV’s SafeWord; a recurring role on TV Land’s Nobodies; Starz’s Take My Wife, Comedy Central’s White Flight, Crank Yankers, The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail, and Broad City; and Viceland’s Party Legends and Flophouse. 

    Sam is originally from Boston and currently resides in New York.

Logline Pitch Competition (Sponsored by CliverD)

Black Film Space is partnering with cliveRd, an agile startup studio focused on producing and building projects focused on futurism, for a Logline and Pitch Competition. Five filmmakers will pitch a panel of judges for a chance to win $1,500 towards their production budget for projects in any narrative format or genre! This event is part panel, part competition and part mixing and mingling.

Judges/Panelists include Sean Charles (Scripted & Unscripted Development & Production Manager at ALLBLK/WE tv), Casey Baron (Jury for NewFest, Brooklyn Horror Film Festival) & Cynthia Francillion (Film Development Executive).

  • Sean Charles is a Scripted & Unscripted Development & Production Manager at ALLBLK/WE tv an AMC Networks property.

    He is responsible for producing and developing all original content for the streaming service, in addition to assisting in acquisitions and scheduling. Sean most recently worked in Corporate Communications as a Production Coordinator working on all cross branding and marketing assets, across internal and external communications from Sundance Film Festival to Offsite meetings.

    He also formed and led the inaugural Black employee resource group, Vested Interest in Black Employees (V.I.B.E) from 2018 through 2021, as Co-Chair. He received his B.A in Media Communications from Queens College, CUNY and holds an M.B.A from Mercy College.

  • Casey is a Programmer focusing on US Narratives and Games at Tribeca Festival.  With a decades’ worth of experience in the industry, further efforts supporting the filmmaking community includes stints as a Jury member for competitions across the country including at NewFest, Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, and Houston Cinema Arts Borders | No Borders.  Casey was also a co-lead curator of the inaugural Andscape House for The Walt Disney Co.

    He has been an advisory board member on the American Documentary Artist Emergency Fund, Austin Film Society Grant for Short Films, The Rainin Fellowship from the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, and currently the NYU Game Center Incubator.

    Born and raised in Dominica in the West Indies, Casey now resides in New York City, NY.

  • Cynthia Francillon is a queer, Haitian-American writer, filmmaker, and performer hailing from Brooklyn, NY.

    With an MFA in Screenwriting and a career spanning over a decade, she has produced award-winning short films featured at festivals like Blackstar Film Fest and Slamdance, and spearheaded projects such as the first SAG-affiliated, Black queer-centered episodic narrative podcast debuting at Outfest Film Festival.

    Previously working on the Feature Films Development team at Blumhouse Productions, Cynthia has played a key role in scouting new talent in the horror genre, acquiring and marketing critically acclaimed horror films, and amplifying horror stories with Black leads.

    She currently writes a monthly online publication focused on creative self-exploration from a place of curiosity, whimsical desire, and sustainable living, and is in the process of producing a series of short films centered around vignettes of Black queer love and spirituality.

PITCH COMPETITION

Black Film Space is partnering with cliveRd, an agile startup studio focused on producing and building projects focused on futurism, for a Logline and Pitch Competition. We are seeking innovative ideas from our participants to pitch to a panel of judges for a chance to win $1,500 towards their production budget for projects in any narrative format or genre!

You must purchase a ticket to either the Pitch Competition ($15), Saturday Pass, or Weekend Pass to be considered for the competition.

You will recieve a link to submit your logline in the registration confirmation e-mail. Extended and Final deadline Wednesday, September 4th, 11:59PM ET.

Please note: The application only requires you to submit your name, logline, and high quality photo of yourself.

From the logline submissions, we will choose 5 finalists to pitch and compete for the $1,500 grant on September 21st, 8:30pm.

The top 5 finalists will be notified on Monday, September 9th and announced on Wednesday, September 11th.

5 Finalists must Prepare a 6 page deck to pitch in front of an audience and our judges. Each finalist will have up to 5 minutes to pitch their project.

Pitch decks must include:

• Cover Page

• Project Summary

• Portfolio/Former Projects

• Mood Board

• Team

• Why Us (Why are you the right filmmaker to make this film?)

The winner will be announced at the end of the session. Funds will be released within 14 business days following the symposium.

Pitch Competition Session Schedule

8:30pm - Panel on how to improve your pitch with our judges

9:15pm - Pitch Competition

10:00pm - Mixing and Mingling

TICKET PRICES

FAQs

  • No. It's open for all lengths, formats and genres of scripted/narrative films.

  • Unfortunately, no. It's open for scripted projects.

  • Your name, e-mail address, logline, basic details about the project and quality photo of yourself (for promotional purposes)

  • We are open to all experience levels. We are choosing the finalists based on the most clear, concise, unique, well written loglines.

  • You are required to use the prize money on the project you are pitching.

    You will be provided specific instruction on how to report the use of the funds.

  • Yes, only two team members from each project can pitch at a time.

  • To get a feel for how a logline should read, start with a basic structure.

    When [INCITING INCIDENT OCCURS]...

    A [CHARACTER TYPE]...

    Must [OBJECTIVE]...

    Before [STAKES]

    Keep your logline between 25 to 50 words or one to two sentences.

  • Unfortunately, no. You can only submit one logline per filmmaker.