The Denver Ad School (DAD) has partnered with Cactus, the Denver creative agency known for its award-winning work in the mental health and wellness space, to launch Black Creativity Matters, an annual scholarship fund that’s designed to remove one of the biggest barriers of entry for young Black creatives into the advertising industry. The initiative also aims to provide Colorado-based agencies with a consistent pipeline of Black, portfolio school-trained talent who are ready to work and looking to begin their careers in the state. The scholarship is being funded by a collective of Colorado advertising agencies, including Cactus, Fact & Fiction, CPB, TDA, Madwell, Fortnight Collective, Vladimir Jones, Motive, LRXD, and Karsh/Hagan. Agencies have committed to covering half the tuition for a Black student and Denver Ad School is matching the agency contributions dollar-for-dollar, with the goal of providing full-ride scholarships per year. Currently, they have raised nearly $160,000, enough for 10 students, but that’s a number they hope to grow. Heather Vanisko, director of the Denver Ad School, notes that initiative isn’t about getting a pat on the back for a job well done, but rather trying to change a big part of our business that’s long overdue for a change. Jeff Graham, Cactus president/CMO, said, “Our industry has a real diversity problem nationwide, and it’s especially pronounced here in Colorado, a state with a four percent Black population. We are a creative market in desperate need of the stories, skills and influence of Black creators. Instead of sharing well-meaning platitudes on social media, the Colorado creative community wanted to lead with real action, while acknowledging this is just a first step. It’s a chance to put Colorado on a national stage and show aspiring creatives that our state is a welcome and nurturing place for Black creativity”….
To honor the legacy of beloved filmmaker Lynn Shelton who passed away in May at the age of 54, Seattle’s Northwest Film Forum, alongside Duplass Brothers Productions, are launching the Lynn Shelton “Of a Certain Age” Grant. The $25,000 unrestricted cash grant will be awarded each year to a US-based woman or non-binary filmmaker, age 39 or older, who has yet to direct a narrative feature. Shelton often spoke of feeling inspired after seeing filmmaker Claire Denis speak at Northwest Film Forum and learning that Denis did not make her first feature until age 40. Shelton went on to make her own first feature film (We Go Way Back) at the age of 39. In the years since, she built a prolific canon of feature and television work and made an indelible mark on the landscape of American cinema. The grant fund was spearheaded by Duplass Brothers Productions, which includes Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass and Mel Eslyn, and has since been bolstered by many others, including Washington-based production company COLOR, Tracy Rector, Eliza Flug, Marc Maron, Joshua Leonard & Alison Pill, Michaela Watkins & Fred Kramer, CB Shamah, Chris & Philip Wohlstetter, and Jennessa & Robert West. It will be stewarded by Northwest Film Forum, one of Shelton’s favorite non-profit organizations and a community film center that supported her in her early years and throughout her career. Nominations for the Lynn Shelton “Of a Certain Age” Grant are being sought from a national Advisory Committee made up of film programmers, filmmakers, and arts leaders, demonstrating expertise on the current filmmaking landscape and knowledge of emerging filmmakers from around the country. Some of these names are: Beth Barrett (Seattle International Film Festival), Emily Best (Seed & Spark), Effie Brown (Gamechanger Films), Kat Candler (filmmaker), Amy Dotson (Northwest Film Center), Miranda July (filmmaker), Mynette Louie (producer), Leah Meyerhoff (Film Fatales), Lucy Mukerjee (Tribeca Film Festival), Janet Pierson (SXSW Film Festival), Mike Plante (Sundance Film Festival), Rishi Rajani (Hillman Grad), and Tracy Rector (filmmaker/activist), among others. An Award Selection Committee will determine the recipient of the grant. Northwest Film Forum will award the inaugural grant in 2020. Shelton emerged from her hometown of Seattle to become a major force in American independent cinema and a prolific television director. She was a vibrant, kind, creative human being. Her work drew acclaim for its compassion, humor, unique voice and wonderful performances. Shelton directed eight features including Humpday (2009), Your Sister’s Sister (2011), Outside In (2018), and last year’s Sword Of Trust. Shelton also worked in television, directing memorable episodes of acclaimed series, including Mad Men, GLOW, The Mindy Project, and Little Fires Everywhere. For those looking to give in her honor, donations to the Shelton/Seal Family Fund for the Northwest School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children, or Seattle’s Northwest Film Forum are encouraged….
The Toronto International Film Festival, New York Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival and Venice Film Festival have released an official letter of solidarity, with each organization committing to cooperation, information sharing, and support of one another’s global events. “The art form we love is in crisis,” the statement reads in part. “Our own organizations have seen unprecedented challenges to our work and our financial security. The pandemic caught each of us as we were preparing for the biggest event of our year in the fall of 2020. We knew we had to adapt. We decided to collaborate as we never have before.” The festivals have all endured financial challenges amid the health pandemic. As a result, it has been essential for each organization to reimagine the delivery of its film festival to its audiences. “This year, we moved away from competing with our colleagues at autumn festivals and committed instead to collaboration,” the statement continues. “We are offering our festivals as a united platform for the best cinema we can find. We’re here to serve the filmmakers, audiences, journalists and industry members who keep the film ecosystem thriving. We need to do that together”….
