Minorities in Film (MiFILM) has set the lineup of five Fellows who’ve been chosen to advance in its 2021 Branded Lab which will begin on February 1. The Lab is in partnership with ad shops Johannes Leonardo, Even/Odd, Mustache and 72andSunny. Additional programming support has been provided by PRETTYBIRD, Free The Work, The Association for Independent Commercial Producers (AICP), Bindery and Exposure Labs’ Jeff Orlowski. This Branded Lab milestone is a major move for the MiFILM Collective on its mission to increase representation for Differently-Abled/BIPOC Directors.
The selected Fellows are: writer/director Luis Santos (Bronx), director Abraham Felix (New Orleans), photographer and director Brandon Haynes (Brooklyn), writer/director Alaa Zabara (Virginia), and actress, producer and director Okema T. Moore (Brooklyn)
Each Fellow will receive one-on-one mentorship from directors Ryan Booth, Amandla Baraka, Luz Gipson, Bianca Poletti, and Harvey Burrell for the full duration of the month-long lab.
“The Branded Lab was created to demystify the process of working in the commercial industry, specifically for underrepresented filmmakers,” said Brittany Franklin, founder of MiFILM. “We’re excited to help amplify the Lab Fellows’ unique and distinguished voices.”
The Branded Lab is just part of the MiFILM Collective’s recent initiatives and accomplishments, which include:
- A recent community partnership with The Gotham (formerly IFP), where MiFILM will work to curate events and panels.
- And securing sponsorship from Frame.io, The Moment Shop, Final Draft, and WriterDuet, giving exclusive perks to their community of underrepresented filmmakers.
“Everyone of our partners have gone above-and beyond to truly invest in diverse talent and storytelling. This is more than just a trend for them.” said Ian Q. Grant MiFILM co-founder who joined the Collective in January 2020.
MiFILM’s community liaison Ronald Hinton will work directly with the Fellows throughout the month, “As an actor/producer myself, I know that programs like these can only catapult participant success. Being able to liaise between our community and these agencies is a game changer.”
Oscar and Emmy-Winning Composer Kris Bowers Joins Barking Owl For Advertising, Branded Content
Music, audio post and sonic branding house Barking Owl has taken on exclusive representation of Oscar and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers for advertising and branded content.
Bowers’ recent film scores include The Wild Robot and Bob Marley: One Love, alongside acclaimed past works such as The Color Purple (2023), King Richard and Green Book. His contributions to television are equally impressive, with scores for hit series like Bridgerton, When They See Us, Dear White People, and his Daytime Emmy Award-winning score for The Snowy Day.
In addition to his work as a composer, Bowers is a visionary director. He recently took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for his directorial work on The Last Repair Shop. The emotionally touching short film spotlights four of the people responsible for repairing the musical instruments used by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Last Repair Shop reflects the positive influence that musical instruments have on the youngsters who play them, and the adults in the LAUSD free repair service who keep them working and in tune.
Barking Owl CEO Kirkland Alexander Lynch said of Bowers, “His artistry, diversity of style and depth of storytelling bring an unparalleled edge to the work we create for global brands. His presence on our roster reflects our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music in advertising.”
Johanna Cranitch, creative director, Barking Owl, added, “Kris first caught my attention when he released his record ‘Heroes + Misfits’ where he fused together his jazz sensibility with a deeply ingrained aptitude for melody, so beautifully.... Read More