Micheaux Film Festival

We are longtime champions of inclusionary hiring and content in the entertainment industry, and obviously inclusionary showcases for the work of diverse creators are essential. So the Micheaux Film Festival is essential, and now, officially awesome. It’s a multicultural showcase celebrating a rainbow of representation in the entertainment landscape, founded by Emmy-nominated creators of color, Noel Braham and Courtney L. Branch.

Did the name of the festival give you a clue about its roots? Oscar Micheaux is known to students of Black history as well as film historians. As a pioneering producer-director-writer in Hollywood, Micheaux made over 40 films and is widely recognized as the most important Black filmmaker in the first half of the 20^th Century.

The Micheaux Film Festival is an equal opportunity environment for content creators and their works, highlighting diverse representation both in front of and behind the camera. In other years, the in-person festival has provided a curated space for artists to build relationships with future collaborators in the television, film, and digital spheres. They partner with several organizations we’ve supported, including Film Fatales, Women Make Movies, and Film Independent.

Now, in the age of Covid, the festival is trying to meet the challenge of offering a platform for the community to learn, celebrate and support artists regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

They’re still hoping to have a safely socially distanced festival at the Regal Cinemas in Los Angeles in 2021, and our Awesome grant will help with the venue costs, marketing, and most importantly, Covid safety compliance.

Learn more about the festival (and how to apply) here and get a taste of past parties and participants here.