FRIDAY, OCT. 27 @ HATTILOO THEATRE

9:00 am // LOBBY
❂ Continental breakfast / check-in ❂

Get checked in and settled in for the symposium day! Continental breakfast-style items will be provided, along with coffee and juice.

10:00 am // MAIN THEATER
❂ WELCOME ❂

We’ll run through some highlights and ground rules of the day and welcome each other to the in-person Symposium!

10:00 AM // BLACK BOX THEATRE
❂ Restorative Yoga with Miss Jackie ❂

Join us with Jackie O for a beautifully grounding experience! Restorative Yoga encourages physical, mental, and emotional relaxation. Appropriate for all levels, restorative yoga is practiced at a slow pace, focusing on long holds, stillness, and deep breathing.

Advanced registration is required for this session and will be limited to 30 attendees. Please register for this session here, and we recommend bringing a yoga mat and whatever else you need to feel comfortable in the space!

10:30 AM // MAIN THEATER
❂ First Features: Documentary Filmmaking ❂

We’re honored to be the World Premiere of two incredible debut features by filmmakers Jessica Chaney (I AM), and Alicia Ester (Spirit of Memphis), respectively. In this session, we’ll explore the experience of making your first documentary feature, working thoughtfully with participants, and what they’ve learned in the process.

11:00 AM // BLACK BOX THEATRE
❂ Festival Strategy ❂

Hear from festival programmers Robyn Citizen (Toronto International Film Festival) and Nia Hampton (The Black Femme Supremacy Film Fest) about the benefits and challenges of submitting your films to festivals big and small, and how to focus and get the most out of your film’s festival experience.

12:00 PM // BLACK BOX THEATRE
❂ Navigating Intimacy with Confidence ❂
Collaborating with Intimacy Coordinators

In this workshop, Sherronda Johnson, Intimacy Coordinator and co-founder of 901 Intimacy Design Collective, will discuss and explore the role of intimacy coordinator on sets and how intimacy coordinators can and should be a part of the filmmaking process from pre to post-production. This session will be interactive! 

If you are interested in this session, Sherronda would love to know more about the projects you’re working on and your particular questions about the role and benefits of working with an Intimacy Coordinator. Please fill out this form by Thursday if you plan to attend!

12:00 PM // MAIN THEATER
❂ Against Respectability ❂

Filmmakers Cousin Shy and Qing Qi (Donna and Ally) and Zaire Love (Etto, Slice) will talk about respectability politics in life and especially film, how their work actively pushes back against them, and why that’s important.

1:30 PM // LOBBY
❂ LUNCH ❂

2:30 PM // MAIN THEATER
❂ Larger Productions & Building a Team ❂

Are you looking to break into working on larger productions? Need tips on building a team for a successful film crew? Check out this panel of industry professionals who do just that for a living! Chloe Jackson, Lillian Land, and Sharrika Evans give their insights on making a living in the film space.

2:30 PM // BLACK BOX THEATRE
❂ Music Supervision for Film ❂

Music is a vital part of the cinematic experience, but how do you navigate wanting to use music that’s not your own in your film? Or do you make incredible playlists and wonder if the job of music supervision is one for you?  Music Supervisor Morgan Rhodes, whose credits include films and TV shows such as the upcoming The Color Purple adaptation, Selma, Queen Sugar, Run the World, and Dear White People will discuss her journey to this role, the challenges and joys of music supervision, and advice for emerging filmmakers for their films.

4:00 PM // MAIN STAGE
❂ Unbothered ❂

How does one deal with subtle and not so subtle disrespect, micro and macro, in the film world? Do you push back or lean away? How do you handle it professionally and emotionally? How can one move comfortably through a world that often devalues Black people, women, and especially Black women. Filmmaker Xenia Matthews and filmmaker and film professional Jeanelle Augustin discuss.

Suggested reading: 

An Affirmation...for Black people navigating toxic spaces...

Former Oscars diversity chief on ‘micro- and macro-aggressions’ that led to exit

4:00 PM // BLACK BOX THEATRE
❂ Ask Anything: Kyle Brett ❂

Kyle Brett is a Los Angeles-based entertainment lawyer, working as the Director of Business and Legal Affairs at Blumhouse. He joins us for the fourth year to address questions about contracts and other legal issues.

4:00 - 6:00 PM // LOBBY
❂ BCF Shop small ❂

We’re honored to have a few wonderful Black vendors for you to peruse towards the end of the day and leading into the cocktail hour! Visit with Cxffeeblack, Cafe Noir, and Just Luminous!

5:00- 6:30 PM // LOBBY
❂ COCKTAIL HOUR ❂

What a wonderful day! Have a drink and connect more before we head over to the BCF Party!

BCF Party @ Century House
(151 Vance Ave)
8:00-10:30 PM