Mediamaker
MediaMakers at the 29th Camden International Film Festival
The 2023 MediaMaker cohort made it to midcoast Maine for the 29th Camden International Film Festival last month despite heavy rainfall that delayed flights. It was quite an eventful weekend, tinged with some Hurricane Lee disruption in the form of a blackout at the Camden Opera House right as the Pitch was about to begin. The cohort had 1:1 industry meetings, watched thought-provoking films, met documentary filmmakers from around the world, and were joined by wonderful special guests at our dinner and lobster brunch. BAVC Media received a lot of love from other fellowships and industry friends. We hope to [...]
Q&A with BLACK BARBIE Filmmaker Lagueria Davis
Still from Black Barbie: A Documentary We recently caught up with 2019 MediaMaker Fellow and filmmaker Lagueria Davis! Lagueria directed and produced the film Black Barbie: A Documentary, which is part of a broader movement to increase understanding of the importance of representation for Black women. It premiered at SXSW and screened at HotDocs. Through intimate access to a charismatic Mattel insider, Beulah Mae Mitchell, Black Barbie delves into the cross-section of merchandise and representation as Black women struggle to elevate their own voices and stories, refusing to be invisible. Black Barbie: A Documentary is screening as part of the [...]
Announcing the 2023 MediaMaker Fellows
The BAVC Media MediaMaker Fellowship is one of the longest standing programs in the US for investing in diverse emerging documentary filmmakers. We're celebrating 7 New Fellows for 2023! BAVC Media is honored to introduce its new cohort of BAVC MediaMaker Fellows for 2023. Each participant will receive $10,000 in unrestricted funding, mentorship, industry access, feedback sessions, and workshops during an immersive 9-month experience. 2023 MediaMakers This year’s fellows are Paige Bethmann (Remaining Native), Aurora Brachman (Dear You), ilana coleman (The Inventory), Tommy Franklin (You Don’t Know My Name), Cyrus Moussavi (Somebody’s Gone), Hannah Myers (Daddy) and tashi tamate weiss [...]
Meet the 2023 MediaMaker Fellows
BAVC Media is honored to introduce a new cohort of seven new BAVC MediaMaker Fellows for 2023! The MediaMaker fellowship is one of the longest standing programs in the US for investing in diverse emerging documentary filmmakers. This year’s fellows are Paige Bethmann (Remaining Native), Aurora Brachman (Dear You), ilana coleman (The Inventory), Tommy Franklin (You Don’t Know My Name), Cyrus Moussavi (Somebody’s Gone), Hannah Myers (Daddy) and tashi tamate weiss (Kizuna). Learn more about the fellows and each of their projects below.  Paige Bethmann Paige Bethmann is a Haudenosaunee director and producer based in Reno, Nevada. Over the last 10 years, [...]
An inspiring Pitch from the 2022 BAVC MediaMaker Fellows!
2022 MediaMakers: Pitch Event Photo Credit: reflect light Photography On Tuesday, December 6, the exceptional cohort of 2022 BAVC MediaMaker Fellows were gathered for one final time in San Francisco where they presented their works in progress to an intimate audience of friends, peers, industry supporters, and potential funders at the KQED Headquarters. Executive Director Paula Smith Arrigoni welcomed us in and introduced Fellowship Co-Director’s, Dawn Valadez and Rodrigo Reyes who hosted the show. They began the night by talking bout the power and importance of mentorship. Each fellow then shared a new sample and pitched their project to [...]
