BlackFutureMonth: Day 6
Today we talk about black filmmakers and particularly, black male filmmakers. You’re familiar with names like John Singleton, Spike Lee, Tyler Perry, the Wayans, the Van Peebles, and more. We have relished in the success of the products of these men and held their films in high regards as “classic”, “timeless”, “top five” and more. The men mentioned and the many others that I didn’t name (man and woman, alike) have fought to have their work held in the same light as many white directors and producers. Many films and shows have been ousted out of rightfully earned awards or not even nominated. But, daily these pioneers and the impacted generations after them work harder to break through the industry in the most impactful, positive manner.
So, who is next? Who will rise to the occasion of taking the next step in film from the African American community? If you’re wondering, then you can be sure I have an answer. The Band of Artists Filmmaking Collective is group comprised of Geno Brooks, Lamont Pierre and Jared Wofford. According to their website, BOAcollective.com, the group is described as this;
BOA is a boutique financing and distribution group that facilitates and manages distribution opportunities for niche programming in independent television and film. BOA aims to put the power of distribution into the hands of artists who have produced strong content on smaller budgets. BOA seeks out unique and strong content in the form of feature films, web series, short films and television shows that have been independently produced and places them, on a non-exclusive basis, within appropriate distribution arms. BOA helps artists find appropriate placement and assists in the marketing of projects with the goals of increasing the financial potential of the project(s).
The group has already worked on a variety of series that can be found on their YouTube channel. My favorite production is Black Boots, which will be finishing up soon but there are also series like Where The Streets Have No Name, The Trouble With Going Somewhere (both stylized in all lower caps), and more. This group has managed to use their technique of low-budget productions to create some very solid work with intense storylines and diverse, dynamic characters. I highly recommend that people catch up on the work of these young men as they continue to build. You can follow them on Twitter at @BOAcollective and visit their YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/boacollective/featured?spfreload=10. Enjoy!
