The Roster HBO Spring Showcase by Ghetto Films School : What Went Down
Ghetto Film School is an award-winning nonprofit that was founded in 2000 to educate, develop and celebrate the next generation of great American storytellers. Their mission is to identify young talent from local communities and provide them with the access, opportunity and resources to pursue creative careers, always free of charge. In 2015, they launched the Ghetto Film School Roster as a way to help young professionals in the film industry network.
On April 17th, I had the opportunity to stop by a showcase of short films they hosted at HBO. The night began with Roster Program Director, Andrew Cassidy providing us with an overview of the featured shorts and some inspirational words about following your craft. It was clear the room was filled with young aspiring filmmakers, directors, and producers who were eager to show off the work they were a part of. And rightfully so.
Below is the list of shorts that were screened during the event:
1. The Daughters of Eve by Jessica Keath
2. Admittance by Diane Jean — Mary
3. Breathe In Breathe Out by Sachin Dharwadker
4. The Reason We’re Still Here by Nicholas Farfan
5. High & Tight by Luis Servera & Naheem Kujenya
6. Sentinel by Juan Del Rio
It was a unique array of shorts varying in language and format. ‘The Reason We’re Still Here’ delved into the community wide debate over the trade-off of water versus jobs in the Rust Belt city of Youngstown, Ohio. While, ‘Breathe In Breathe Out’ was a French short that Sachin Dharwadker shot while studying abroad in France. Each short was thought provoking in it’s own right and it was a really enjoyable night of viewing.
They had a short networking session following the viewing, which I believe really rounded out the night. Ghetto Film School Roster encouraged sticking around and heavily promotes the importance of networking and growing the list of people you can use as resources and partner with in the future. And honestly, who doesn’t love talking to like-minded people about shared passions and upcoming projects?
This was my first interaction with the non-profit, but the sense of community and resources they provide to young talent is incredible. If you are young professional yourself and looking to tap into the resources that Ghetto Film School offers, you can join their roster here: https://www.ghettofilm.org/theroster.
Originally published at Kworq Blog.
