|
This past election signaled challenges to all our futures. From the threat of mass deportations to continued anti-diversity trends and new threats to BIPOC communities, women, LGBTQIA+ people, public health, climate, and anyone who speaks out, we expect difficult times. However, people and groups fought for many years for civil rights and community empowerment, against repression and state violence, including organizations like TWN, established to create media depicting and building those struggles. From our start in 1968, the period of the Vietnam War and other national liberation efforts, the birth of the Black Panther and Young Lords parties, women’s rights movement, and more, our work continues today to support social justice media by and about diverse communities and to help nurture a new generation of activist filmmakers. We expect to be in community with you as we all face the next series of challenges. Palante!
We lost two good friends recently – Ann Bennett and Claudette Furlonge. Ann Bennett was an award-winning filmmaker, multimedia producer and archive expert – as well as a constant advocate for the indie doc field, especially for BIPOC filmmakers and our communities. The TWN team knew Ann both from working in production and with TWN. Committed to social justice and storytelling, she was a TWN supporter and led many TWN seminars on budgeting and producing for our filmmakers, and earlier this year, she spoke with her latest film project, "Razing Liberty Square" (a film directed by Katja Esson). Generous with her time and knowledge, all of us learned so much from Ann, had so much fun with her, and we will miss her very much. Our condolences to her family for this terrible loss.
Claudette Furlonge was an activist and organizer, writer, an accounting worker, a runner and a great dancer. From helping to organize protests and speaking at rallies in the 70s, to coediting “Azalea: A Magazine Third World Lesbians” Claudette was active in politics and culture. While freelancing in accounting work with law firms and entrepreneurs, Claudette also worked at Women Make Movies and TWN. She had been fighting cancer for several years, but continued to work till just this past spring. She worked with TWN for over a decade, always helping out, ready to socialize, and bringing gifts. We will miss her greatly. A celebration of her life will be held December 13, 2024 at 11 AM.
Finally, we also have news about our workshop graduates and filmmakers. TWN Workshop Graduate Vi Tuong Bi premiered "Thời Thơ Ấu (Childhood)" on PBS as part of the POV Shorts series on Tuesday, November 26, 2024. Filmmaker and former TWN staff member Coco Fusco exhibited her new art project, "Everyone who lives here is a New Yorker." Yoruba Richen's new documentary film "American Coup: Wilmington 1898" premiered on PBS. Documentary filmmaker Dawn Porter (Gideon's Army) received a National Humanities Media and was honored with the Career Achievement Award by IDA. Finally, veteran filmmaker Tony Cokes received the MacArthur Fellowship. Congratulations to all!
Keep reading for more on our last evening seminar of the season, an upcoming film exhibition at Anthology Film Archives and a list of resources for filmmakers.
Don't forget to stay connected with us. Follow us on social media for updates on upcoming film exhibitions, workshops, and news from the TWN community.
| 
