3rd Annual BedStuy Film Festival: Showcasing Diverse Films Virtually
I have a confession: it’s hard for me to stay awake for a two-hour movie. Yes, even the Grammy nominated ones! So, needless to say I don’t go to the movies often, nor is throwing on a movie my favorite Friday night/weekend pastime. Do I love the arts? Yes! Do I enjoy a good movie? Yes! Not only that, I have always wanted to attend a film festival. There has always been something intriguing about small independent films that very much interest me. I absolutely appreciate the true-to-life themes and passion that shine through the films I’ve had an opportunity to see.
I did a quick Google search and my mind was blown to learn that there are 3,000~ film festivals world-wide! Then, I immediately became that much more proud of the BedStuy Film Festival that I attended at the end of last month. Supporting black, woman-owned projects, business, and the like is high on my to-do list per the usual. With this at the forefront, I registered for this year’s Film Festival not truly knowing what to expect. Representation in every aspect of our culture matters and this Film Festival has committed to creating a space for minority films. It’s exciting for me to add that The virtual film festival is also being hosted on a Black-owned digital platform.
I promise not to have any spoilers, but I will say that each film creatively brought to light topics within our community that have the ability to increase awareness and empathy. Short film is an understatement because all seven films run a total of 115 minutes allowing viewers to easily binge watch in one seating. All seven films are available to watch until Nov. 25th, 2020.
Original schedule and list of film titles.
From the website: Established in 2017, the BedStuy Film Festival (“BSFF”) showcases films from diverse perspectives. Founded by Nickie Robinson, this nonprofit organization not only seeks to increase the exposure of filmmakers from diverse backgrounds, but also is committed to spotlighting new voices and views, especially local ones, from a variety of cultural, gender, racial, and age perspectives.
Congratulations on year three of this EXTRAordinary Film Festival!
After you watch the short films, come back and share your thoughts and critiques here with us.
Nickie E. Robinson is the founder of GoodGirlPR. She received her B.A. in Economics from New York University and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver. Nickie worked in the financial services industry for four years before embarking on a successful public relations career. Nickie’s passion for PR developed long before her compliance and financial services career. During college and law school, Nickie organized regional events for Universal Records, the Denver Broncos, the Denver Nuggets, NY Giants, and Kanye West.
Nickie has extensive experience in beauty, fashion, entertainment, event planning, music, sports publicity, corporate branding, and crisis management. She has spearheaded PR campaigns for more than 300 events in various industries. Additionally, Nickie is an expert in Internet PR and social media – developing strategic social media platforms for a clientele host. Nickie has also established herself as a business consultant, providing advice from its startup through the lifespan.
Nickie has been featured in numerous publications, including Inc., Forbes, Crain’s New York, Black Enterprise, Ebony Magazine, Wall Street Journal, and Essence.