2024 Black Cinema Collective Filmmaker Microgrant Award News
We are excited to announce the two (2) awardees
and four (4) honorable mentions
for 2024 Black Cinema Collective Filmmaker Microgrant!
Thanks to careful and deliberate consideration by our jurors,
the grant was awarded to two talented new voices in storytelling:
Awardees
Dui Jarrod
The Rise of Azlan
Fiz Olajide
Underground Railroad Ride
I am extremely excited about the final selection. The work is strong and thoughtful; engaging with important questions, issues and themes in creative and poetic ways. I was drawn to films that are able to weave multiple realities and experiences into a single story.
Ania Freer, Artist, Filmmaker
2024 BCC Filmmaker Microgrant Juror
This is BCC’s second year of the Microgrant program, and we were amazed by the sheer number of powerful film projects submitted. The juror deliberations were highly competitive, reflecting the remarkable talent flourishing among Black and Afro-Diasporic filmmaking scenes emerging across the country. We received over 150 applications, which underscores the urgent need to support filmmakers in our many Black communities.
In recognizing this wealth of creativity, our jurors also selected four semi-finalist filmmakers whose work we proudly highlight here.
Honorable Mentions
Jamal Ademola
Ellas Vinieron De Las Nubes
(They Came From the Clouds)
Carla Brown
Everyone But Two
Regina Hoyles
Missing Rhythms
Scott Patterson
Cloud Nebula
The Rise of Azlan (USA, 2024, 86 mins) film still provided by film director Dui Jarrod, 2024 BCC Filmmaker Microgrant Awardee.
There were so many great submissions! Truly. It was wonderful to see so many perspectives and artistic voices and interests….I think this speaks to the quality of submissions that were a part of the pool this year.
Chari Glogovac-Smith, Artist, Composer, Filmmaker
2024 BCC Filmmaker Microgrant Juror
Underground Railroad Ride (USA, 2024, 86 mins) film still provided by film director, Fiz Olajide, 2024 BCC Filmmaker Microgrant Awardee.
Award + supporting prizes
This juried grant will offer two (2) awardees:
$7500 towards post-production work in completing their films.
a bi-coastal opportunity for public film screening and promotional support provided by the New York African Film Festival (NYAFF) and Northwest Film Forum (NWFF) in Spring 2025.
a 6-month subscription to MUBI’s expansive selection of indie films.
About Awardees + Their Films
Click images + hover for bios.
Film Trailers
About
Microgrant
Semi-Finalists
Click images for bios
About Jurors
Click images for bios
The BCC grant provides an invaluable opportunity for emerging filmmakers to push through on their projects to the finish line. It is so heartening to see the plethora and sheer range of talent out there! Being a part of this year’s jury was in itself an education and I am grateful for the opportunity.
Zainab Jah, Actor, Filmmaker
2024 BCC Filmmaker Microgrant Juror
About the Grant
Black Cinema Collective (BCC), a cinema programs organization based in Seattle centering local and global works by African and Afro-Diasporic filmmakers, launched their first microgrant in January 2023 for first-time Black filmmakers based in Washington or Oregon.
Based on the work and communities BCC serves, Black identifying, queer, trans, straight, non-binary, non-gender conforming applicants, 18+ with an active interest in film, cinema studies, Afro-Diasporic filmmaking were invited to apply.
We received more than 154 applications during the 2024 grant period which took place from April to June 2024. Due to the availability of organizational opportunities, currently enrolled students, and current contractors, team, and staff members of BCC and NWFF were not eligible to apply.
The Black Cinema Collective Filmmaker Microgrant is created by BCC lead organizer Berette S Macaulay with development support from BCC co-organizers Savita Krishnamoorthy and Abbie Altamirano; and Northwest Film Forum's Managing Director Christopher Day and Executive Director Derek Edamura. 2024 Grant media design + program support by Chile Dulce, and BCC admin assistance, communications + marketing by Em Chan.
This year’s microgrant is fiscally supported by the Creative Equity Grant from the Seattle Foundation, with BCC Team support from City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture. Award sponsorship is provided by MUBI, Northwest Film Forum, New York African Film Festival, with media sponsorship from International Examiner.
2023 BCC Filmmaker Microgrant Awardee Celebration. L-R: Savita, Berette, Abbie. Image Credit: Rubin Quarcoopame.If you’ve been following our collective, love what we do, and want us to continue, donate!
Thank You for keeping us going!