Presented by Community Partner B&H Photo and Canon
The 11th annual Bushwick Film Festival (BFF) will host their free Bushwick Stories Community Screening on October 14, at LightSpace Studios in Brooklyn.
The screening will include premieres for 5 short documentaries created by 15 young storytellers from Bushwick who participated in the Bushwick Stories filmmaking workshop, sponsored by community partner B&H Photo and Canon.
BFF founder and CEO, Kweighbaye Kotee said, "We're constantly striving to create opportunities for our community. This workshop - with the tremendous support of B&H Photo and Canon - aimed to lower the hurdles at the entry point of the film industry by providing hands-on experience across a range of roles and the opportunity for students to learn and test themselves on a level that is normally unattainable to young people, especially in communities with limited resources."For more information, please visit: bushwickfilmfestival.com/bushwickstories/
Bushwick Stories seeks to empower local youth with the tools to tell their own stories and encourage them to see the film industry as a viable professional pathway.
Over the course of five days this past August, the workshop taught 15 students between the ages of 16-24 the basics of filmmaking, lighting techniques and how to use professional digital video and audio equipment.
Students were able to connect and learn from top industry professionals such as Adam Neuhaus, Director of Development at ESPN Films, costume designer, Alexyz Kemp (Avengers: Infinity War, Black Panther, The Hunger Games) and Filippo Piscopo, Director of the original HBO documentary It Will Be Chaos.
Students were also able to leverage B&H's 45 years of experience as a provider of top-level counseling and gear in the photo, video and audio market, and Canon's iconic optical products, granting them access to top-notch equipment and invaluable insights.
With the help of producers from the festival's network, students were guided on the path from conceptualizing their idea to executing it into a short documentary.
With the help of producers from the festival's network, students were guided on the path from conceptualizing their idea to executing it into a short documentary.
One film reflects on the changes and roots of the neighborhood through the eyes of the members of Brotherhood Boxing Gym, while another group shines a light on the impact of current politics on the local youth.
All films will be shown for free at the festival's biggest venue (LightSpace Studios), giving the young filmmakers the chance to showcase their work to friends, family and community amidst fellow filmmakers.
Each film will be followed by a Q&A, giving the stage to the young creatives and allowing them to share their experiences and message with their audience.
About Bushwick Film Festival:
Founded in 2007, The Bushwick Film Festival (BFF) is a leading independent film and media company in Brooklyn. The festival is hailed as one of Brooklyn's most influential cinematic events for its contribution to the borough's artistic, cultural, and economic growth. The festival attracts film and entertainment industry leaders at national and international levels; and showcases films created by the best and most diverse emerging independent filmmakers in Brooklyn and worldwide. BFF provides a platform for emerging filmmakers to share their stories and present opportunities for them to make a living doing what they love. BFF provides spaces for audiences from all backgrounds to connect and discover new independent movies and experience unique cultural events.
About B&H Photo:
B&H began as a "mom and pop" shop in 1973. After wife-and-husband partners (Blimie and Herman, respectively) opened the doors in Tribeca with one employee, their trademark dedication to candid selling and quality merchandise quickly attracted a loyal following of photo, video and audio professionals. At a time when shysters abounded, we developed a reputation for honesty and ethical business practices, and the word spread.
Today, as the USA's largest non-chain specialty electronics retailer, we deliver that same pioneering integrity via specialized showrooms, classes and tutorials, and as always, unparalleled inventory and service on a daily basis. We continue to expand to meet your needs with showrooms, classes, helpful educational and social media content, serving customers worldwide from our highly rated website, award-winning mobile Apps, catalogs and our 34th Street "SuperStore."
About Canon:
Canon U.S.A., Inc. is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States and to Latin America and the Caribbean markets. In the spirit of our corporate philosophy of Kyosei-all people, regardless of race, religion or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future-Canon is committed to an approach to business that is socially responsible and economically logical. Canon seeks to be a truly excellent global corporation. For our customers, we offer the best products possible. Simultaneously, we strive to improve our relationships with local communities and to increase our respect for the environment as we contribute to the prosperity of the world and the happiness of its people.
About Bushwick Film Festival Founder, CEO Kweighbaye Kotee
Kweighbaye Kotee is the founder of the Bushwick Film Festival (BFF). Hailed as one of Brooklyn's most celebrated events, BFF is recognized for its contribution to the borough's artistic and economic growth. Dedicated to her community and the arts, Kotee serves on The Bushwick Community Board and is co-chair of its Arts & Culture committee. In addition, in 2016 she founded MCCG, an M/WBE community affairs company that helps developers positively engage with communities to create empowering opportunities for local residents and organizations. To date, her company has helped facilitate the distribution of over $400,000 in grants to local organizations and artists.
Born in Liberia, she and her family immigrated to the U.S. at the brink of the Liberian Civil war. She attended public school in Newark, NJ where she was awarded a scholarship from the Wight Foundation to attend Blair Academy, a private boarding high school. She moved on to receive her B.S in Media, Culture, and Communications from New York University.
She has been featured on NBC, Fox News, Huffington Post, POPSUGAR, Delta Air Lines, Brooklyn Magazine, Indiewire, Tribeca Film and lives in Brooklyn.
About Bushwick Film Festival:
Founded in 2007, The Bushwick Film Festival (BFF) is a leading independent film and media company in Brooklyn. The festival is hailed as one of Brooklyn's most influential cinematic events for its contribution to the borough's artistic, cultural, and economic growth. The festival attracts film and entertainment industry leaders at national and international levels; and showcases films created by the best and most diverse emerging independent filmmakers in Brooklyn and worldwide. BFF provides a platform for emerging filmmakers to share their stories and present opportunities for them to make a living doing what they love. BFF provides spaces for audiences from all backgrounds to connect and discover new independent movies and experience unique cultural events.
About B&H Photo:
B&H began as a "mom and pop" shop in 1973. After wife-and-husband partners (Blimie and Herman, respectively) opened the doors in Tribeca with one employee, their trademark dedication to candid selling and quality merchandise quickly attracted a loyal following of photo, video and audio professionals. At a time when shysters abounded, we developed a reputation for honesty and ethical business practices, and the word spread.
Today, as the USA's largest non-chain specialty electronics retailer, we deliver that same pioneering integrity via specialized showrooms, classes and tutorials, and as always, unparalleled inventory and service on a daily basis. We continue to expand to meet your needs with showrooms, classes, helpful educational and social media content, serving customers worldwide from our highly rated website, award-winning mobile Apps, catalogs and our 34th Street "SuperStore."
About Canon:
Canon U.S.A., Inc. is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States and to Latin America and the Caribbean markets. In the spirit of our corporate philosophy of Kyosei-all people, regardless of race, religion or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future-Canon is committed to an approach to business that is socially responsible and economically logical. Canon seeks to be a truly excellent global corporation. For our customers, we offer the best products possible. Simultaneously, we strive to improve our relationships with local communities and to increase our respect for the environment as we contribute to the prosperity of the world and the happiness of its people.
About Bushwick Film Festival Founder, CEO Kweighbaye Kotee
Kweighbaye Kotee is the founder of the Bushwick Film Festival (BFF). Hailed as one of Brooklyn's most celebrated events, BFF is recognized for its contribution to the borough's artistic and economic growth. Dedicated to her community and the arts, Kotee serves on The Bushwick Community Board and is co-chair of its Arts & Culture committee. In addition, in 2016 she founded MCCG, an M/WBE community affairs company that helps developers positively engage with communities to create empowering opportunities for local residents and organizations. To date, her company has helped facilitate the distribution of over $400,000 in grants to local organizations and artists.
Born in Liberia, she and her family immigrated to the U.S. at the brink of the Liberian Civil war. She attended public school in Newark, NJ where she was awarded a scholarship from the Wight Foundation to attend Blair Academy, a private boarding high school. She moved on to receive her B.S in Media, Culture, and Communications from New York University.
She has been featured on NBC, Fox News, Huffington Post, POPSUGAR, Delta Air Lines, Brooklyn Magazine, Indiewire, Tribeca Film and lives in Brooklyn.
