You are receiving this newsletter because you attended a past BFA event, or asked to have your name added to our periodic newsletter mailing list. A few updates and news items below. It's been a slow period for the BFA, as I decided to step back and let everyone focus on their work, as I know most of the BFA members have been building their own responses to Covid-19 and the BLM protests and calls to action. But in recent weeks, many of you have reached out to me individually about re-activating the group, and that's what's happening now.
 First - we finally have launched the BFA website. It's simple, but it's a place to send people to learn more about the organization and to learn how to join. We'll also post news there, and soon we'll add a private login area to share projects with other members. Please share the site with anyone you'd like to invite to join the BFA or to learn more.
Second, one of the important issues we've discussed at the last gatherings of the BFA during the Good Pitch and at our Sundance meeting, was the need to use the BFA to bring more attention to issues of diversity, equity and inclusion - and this has been made even more important in light of the recent BlackLivesMatter protests, and the many calls across our industries for gate-keepers at all levels to not just become allies, but to take concrete action steps to address the numerous issues that have been raised. At the same time, just prior to Covid hitting the world, we had been building a simple system for sharing projects amongst members via a shared spreadsheet and Powerpoint template. The idea was simple - to share projects that any member is supporting with funding or marketing support, and that is in need of further support, and see whether any BFA members would want to join the cause - via further funding, sharing the project with potential partners, and/or by giving marketing and impact campaign support.
I've decided to combine this project with the need for increasing funding and support for projects from the BIPOC filmmaking community, and will be working with a few film organizations to solicit curated project proposals from BIPOC filmmakers with projects in various stages of development, production and post-production, and share them with BFA members. I'll be working with several groups who already support these filmmakers to develop some curated groupings of films in need of funding and/or marketing support.
I will be sharing these projects in the coming weeks, and there is no obligation to participate, but I welcome input, suggestions, and feedback on the overall project and ways to best share projects with members. Feel free to email me for more details or to participate in the process.
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Cross-posting from the Sub-Genre newsletter - Recently, I wrote this piece on the need for brands to collaborate on social impact films during this time of multiple crises. It's also a time for more collaboration between brands and foundations - the purpose of the BFA.
As I said there - It's time for brands to start collaborating around content, specifically - it's time for them to collaborate to fund, market and distribute films for social impact. I've been preaching this for awhile now, but to my knowledge, it has only happened once (more on that below). They also need to be collaborating with foundations and other traditional funders and supporters of social change films. Again, something I've been preaching, but it has become imperative during these times.
This has become most pressing because of the recent Black Lives Matter protests, and the degree to which they've finally opened up so many people's eyes to the issues we have in the US and the world around diversity, discrimination, inequity, and so much more. But it's also been made more apparent by the Covid-19 crisis, which has both exposed so many similar issues and made them worse. Brands have been pretending to address the social issues facing our society for a long time, and have signed pledges, and have said they're taking action. But as we've seen in so many areas - it takes a community to make change.
Read the Full Article Here. And if you are interested in this subject, please contact me - as I am putting together a panel on this subject with Rick Parkhill of BrandStorytelling, for their upcoming Elevate Summer - Online - conference. We're looking for speakers from the foundation and brand communities.
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BFA Members in the News:
HP launched a new series, shot during Covid, on the future of work. The first one is about distance learning - something many people are learning to do while working right now. Check it out here. BFA Steering Committee member, Angela Matusik helped guide this project.
The Skoll Foundation Announced a New $100M gift - From founder Jeff Skoll, doubling their commitment to fighting Covid-19. Skoll is represented on the BFA by Sandy Herz.
The Ford Foundation issued a social bond—the first ever by a foundation on the United States taxable corporate bond market— to nearly double their grantmaking from approximately $550 million per year to more than $1 billion. They will focus their support on funding under-resourced areas in the US and around the world, and stabilizing and strengthening organizations they believe have what it takes to lead us through recovery to build a more just, equitable world. You can read more about it here. Four other leading foundations joined the cause to raise an additional $750M in support - John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; the W.K. Kellogg Foundation; the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Read about it, and an interview with Ford Foundation President Darren Walker in the NYT here. Ford is represented on the BFA by Cara Mertes.
BGDM To Hire List: Brown Girls Doc Mafia has put together a list of 232+ women/non-binary members of Brown Girls Doc Mafia who are ready, willing, and able to join productions right now! Info from founder Iyabo Boyd: “These listed members are directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, PAs, colorists, composers, and more. They live all over the US and throughout the world, they speak a multitude of languages, and work at a variety of skill levels. Please take a look through, and just note the first two columns: the first denotes whether a member has opted to work on just BGDM led projects vs any project, and the second denotes whether they have opted to work in Covid-19 environments, protest environments, or neither. Please respect these two elements.
Please also plan to PAY them well (and be open to negotiations for hazard pay/overtime), to CARE about their safety and health within pandemic production protocols, and to PROVIDE them the resources (and team) they need to be set up for success on your project. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!
PLEASE SHARE!! Post in your film groups/collectives/listservs, share with your colleagues and supervisors, and send it to producers, agencies, commissioners, etc. so that it can reach as many folks as possible. Your allyship is much appreciated!” See the full list here.
BGDM is not a member of the BFA, but this was an important resource to share with our members.
<<Send us your news for inclusion. Email Benjamin@sub-genre.com to be included>>
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- About – BFA members meet to discuss best practices, share information on projects and celebrate the best work in the impact media space.
- Mission - Using the power of storytelling, the Brand-Foundation Alliance (BFA) combines the efforts of like-minded funder organizations and corporations to create impactful work that results in positive global change
- History – The Brand/Foundation Alliance began as a small gathering of like-minded foundations and brands who met at the Brand Storytelling Conference during Sundance, 2019. Brian Newman of Sub-Genre and Rick Parkhill of Brand Storytelling convened a small group of their colleagues to discuss the idea of collaborating on the funding or and support of films and new media projects. The group decided to form a steering committee and formal meeting group later in 2019.
Who is on the Steering Committee of the BFA?
Wendy Ettinger, Supporter of Impact Films
Sandy Herz, Skoll Foundation
Angela Matusik, HP
Cara Mertes, Ford Foundation
Paolo Mottola, REI
Rick Parkhill, BrandStorytelling
Brooks Thomas, Southwest Airlines
Facilitator: Brian Newman, Sub-Genre
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