Race Forward and Working Films are thrilled to present Race Flicks, a micro-film festival and track of Facing Race: A National Conference being held in person in St. Louis, Missouri, November 20-22, 2024.
Race Forward is pleased to be co-curating the Race Flicks track with Working Films, a national leader in the use of documentaries for social change and environmental justice. Race Flicks lifts up critical issues of racial justice through film and opportunities for activists, organizers, nonprofits, and others to use them to advance their work. The Facing Race and Working Films team will work with selected filmmakers to create dynamic programming and discussions tailored to the topics raised by each film. Given that the conference will take place in Missouri, this year’s program will have a strong focus on stories of racial justice and equity in the U.S. Midwest by filmmakers based in the Midwest. While these films and filmmakers will be prioritized, we will also accept films made by and about communities in other areas around the world, given that racial justice issues are connected across regions. As in years past, the program will prioritize filmmakers who are telling stories about their own experiences, filmmaking that is accountable to and authentically represents the people and places featured, and films that hold great potential to build power among those who are directly impacted by the issues at hand.
Race Flicks focuses on showcasing the highest caliber filmmaking related to racial justice and strategies for using it to make an impact. The selected films will be chosen in large part because of the way they have been or could be used strategically by activists, organizers, nonprofits, and others to advance their work for racial justice.
Eligibility:
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Applicants must be 18 years of age.
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This opportunity is open to filmmakers with feature-length documentaries and short documentaries featuring stories about racial justice. Films must not exceed 75 minutes.
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Films may feature stories from anywhere in the world, but priority will be given to films and filmmakers based in the U.S. Midwest.
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Filmmakers must have a vision and goals for the film’s impact beyond just widespread viewership (i.e. Do you see your film motivating people to sign a petition? Call their legislators regarding the issues in the film? Connect organizers and activists across different movements? etc.)
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Priority will be given to filmmakers with a personal connection to the film’s story and/or a strong process of ongoing consent and accountability to the people and communities featured in the film. Visit www.docaccountability.org to explore more about what this means.
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Filmmakers may submit more than one film.
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Selected filmmakers will be invited to attend the Facing Race Conference to present their film and take part in a panel discussion (including other conference presenters/organizers) around the film’s topic. Selected filmmakers will receive:
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A complimentary All-Access pass to the Facing Race Conference
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1 night of free lodging at a hotel near the conference venue
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Monetary travel support on an as-needed basis
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To apply, please complete the application by 11:59 pm PST on February 2nd, 2024 including a preview link to screen your film.