2023 Brownsville Initiative Reflections: You Did That!

What does film and TV look like when we have unlimited  access? When our voices are supported and heard, what kinds of stories do we dream up?

For four weeks this summer, You, Kashif and The Brownsville Initiative participated in community-driven, collaboration-first, love-filled filmmaking. You did that! Through this work, you revealed to us the storytellers and visionaries within you. You showed us what is possible when we dream and create collectively.

When we collaborate on our dreams, it is possible to make stories about a Kenyan girl in Brooklyn who yearns to be known for her gifts and not just her name. Or about a young Brown couple who make lying to each other its own art form. Or a brother and sister from Brownsville who have nothing left but their legacy to keep a roof over their heads. You did that.

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It is possible to share our visions, our ideas, our characters, our self-expression, our languages, our obstacles, our vulnerabilities, and our truths with a community of supportive artists and make very real films. 

It is possible to share meals, celebrate birthdays, sing, dance + vogue together, AND bring our whole authentic selves to visual storytelling. You did that too.

We hope these experiences open the door to life-long collaborations with your peers and life-long collaborations with us. Keep writing and finding new ways to work together. Hold onto the love and safety you found to express your stories. We’re invested in supporting your next steps; share them with us. Thank you for trusting us. Let’s keep the spark going. Let’s keep the fire lit.

We’re building a community, a home for filmmakers, that’s part of a bigger ecosystem of like-minded artists and we need storytellers like you to lead the way.

Learn more about The Brownsville Initiative and other programs when you click here.