Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Film Independent and Netflix Put Black Directors in the Spotlight

23/02/2021

Back to All News

Film Independent and Netflix Put Black Directors in the SpotlightLisa Hasko

Director of Artist Development, Film Independent

Rachel Samuels

Manager, Netflix Film Club

Play Video

Play Video

Social Impact

22 February 2021

United States

Last year, Netflix Film Club launched as a YouTube channel offering behind-the-scenes videos, celebrity interviews and more, for cinephiles new and old. As the channel's community grew, so did its ambition to highlight underrepresented voices.

So we're excited about a new partnership between Film Independent and the Netflix Film Club. Together we were able to develop a program to fund short films from five promising independent Black filmmakers that are premiering on Netflix Film Club.

This grew out of the partnership Netflix and Film Independent have had for years. Through it, Film Independent introduced Netflix to Project Involve, which supports filmmakers from diverse backgrounds through mentorships, workshops, short film creation, and networking events. In July of 2020, 45 nominated fellows from Film Independent's Artist Development Labs and Project Involve program were invited to submit pitches for the Netflix Film Club under the banner of Vision 2020. Our goal was to inspire and empower filmmakers to tell their stories amidst a pandemic and social unrest. Five were selected to make their shorts, each receiving a $10,000 grant.

After months of writing, directing and editing, the films begin rolling out today, starting with Black Prom by Nijla Mu'min - with a new short premiering every day this week. All five will be available to watch on both Netflix Film Club and Strong Black Lead to help mark Black History Month. Among them: a biopic about Black aviatrix Bessie Coleman, a documentary on a mother's journey with her son getting Covid in prison, a horror story about a family's move to the suburbs, a drama following a Black teenager's unconventional prom night, and a documentary hybrid examining the complicated relationship between artist and muse.

We invite you to check them all out and discuss these with your fellow film fans.

Find out more on the five filmmakers below and click here for stills from the five shorts.

Sheldon Candis ( Queen Bess )

Baltimore native Sheldon Candis is a graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Candis' feature directorial debut LUV was an official selection in the 2012 Sundance Film Festival Dramatic Competition. Candis directed the feature length documentary Baltimore Boys for the ESPN Films banner, and Who Will Survive America for the Sundance Now Doc Club original series Take 5: Justice in America. Recently, Candis wrapped production on When the Lights are the Brightest, the next chapter of the video game series NBA 2K.

Jarrett Lee Conaway ( My Brother Jesus )

Jarrett Lee Conaway holds an MFA in Film Production from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. His feature directing debut, the teen comedy Mono, was released on Netflix in 2016. Conaway directed the horror comedy web series Bite Me, which earned three Streamy Award nominations and was viewed over 35 million times.

Ellie Foumbi ( Home )

Originally from Cameroon, Ellie Foumbi holds an MFA from Columbia University's School of the Arts in Directing. Foumbi made her TV directorial debut on BET's Tales. She was a finalist of the 2019/2020 Venice Biennale Cinema College with her first feature, Our Father, the Devil, which will be presented at the 78th Venice International Film Festival and will participate in IFP's 2020 project Forum.

Nijla Mu'min ( Black Prom )

Nijla Mumin is an Easy Bay Area native and a 2013 graduate of CalArts MFA Film Directing and Creative Writing programs. Her debut feature film, Jinn, won the Special Jury Recognition Award for Screenwriting at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival. She has directed episodes of Queen Sugar and Insecure, and recently wrote for the upcoming series Swagger. She is currently developing her second feature film, Mosswood Park.

Frederick Thornton ( Injustice System )

Frederick Thornton is a Spirit Award nominated and Gotham Award-winning Black filmmaker. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Thornton is a graduate of Chapman University, where he completed a BA in Psychology. His latest produced feature, Go Back To China, premiered at SXSW in 2019. He is currently in pre-production on his narrative directorial debut short film, October Mourning.
LINK: https://about.netflix.com/en/news/film-independent-and-netflix-put-bla...
See more stories from netflix

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

03/03/2026

Iyuno Taps Dante AV to Sync Audio and Video Content

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/03/2026

HBO Max and Paramount+ Streamers to Merge

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/03/2026

Survey: 70% of CTV Advertisers Plan to Boost Spending in 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/03/2026

XGN Global, X1 Mobile Show New 5G Broadcast Smartphone

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/03/2026

Scripps Completes Sale of WFTX to Sun Broadcasting

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/03/2026

HbbTV Association Formally Integrates DRM into Core Specification

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/03/2026

NBC Sports Selected Imaginary Forces to Create Cinematic Main Title Sequence for Primetime In Milan

NBC Sports selected Imaginary Forces to create the main title sequence for the M...

02/03/2026

NFL Launches Draft-Inspired Innovation Challenge to Advance Future of Fan and Event Technology

The NFL announces the launch of the NFL Draft Innovation Challenge, a new crowds...

02/03/2026

DataMiner SatOps Named Finalist for 2026 Teleport Technology of the Year

The World Teleport Association (WTA) has named Skyline Communications' DataMiner SatOps solution as a finalist for the 2026 Teleport Technology of the Year ...

02/03/2026

Ventum Tech Partners with Pixotope to Expand Virtual Production Capabilities Across the GCC

Ventum Tech announces a strategic partnership with Pixotope, a real-time graphic...

02/03/2026

Victory+ Launches NWSL Content Hub, Taps Top Creators to Redefine How Fans Connect with League

Victory , a free, ad-supported sports streaming service, announces the launch of...

02/03/2026

Global powerhouse Delta Goodrem to represent Australia at this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria

Global powerhouse Delta Goodrem to represent Australia at this year's Eurovi...

02/03/2026

SBS brings together prominent voices to discuss rising social division and seek solutions for a more inclusive country

SBS brings together prominent voices to discuss rising social division and seek ...

02/03/2026

NITV Unveils Wednesday Night Sport Night

NITV Unveils Wednesday Night Sport Night Media releases A Midweek Hub for Blak Sport Flagship NRL program Over The Black Dot moves to Wednesdays at 9:30pm ...

02/03/2026

Rohde & Schwarz demonstrates FR1-FR3 carrier aggregation, advancing 6G readiness

Rohde & Schwarz demonstrates FR1-FR3 carrier aggregation, advancing 6G readiness Rohde & Schwarz and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. have reached another pivotal ...

02/03/2026

L3Harris Appoints Ken Sharp Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Ken Bedingfield President of Missile Solutions

MELBOURNE, Fla., March 2, 2026 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) today announc...

02/03/2026

Nielsen reveals New Zealand's top ad spenders and categories for 2025

Harvey Norman tops New Zealand's biggest ad spenders as retail leads and telcos and beverages sure Auckland March 3, 2026 - Nielsen's New Zealand'...

02/03/2026

aconnic and Arqit join forces to present the first quantum-safe industrial OT security gateway firewall at Mobile World Congress 2026

aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, and Arqit Quantum Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQQ, A...

02/03/2026

Advanced Systems Group Promotes Jody Boatwright to Chief...

Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, has appointed Jody Boatwright as Chief Strategy Of...

02/03/2026

Lightware TPN ecosystem powers smarter networks and strea...

Lightware, an industry leader in signal management, is reinforcing its commitment to simplifying complex AV environments with the continued evolution of its TPN...

02/03/2026

ZEISS Cinema Hosts First US Aatma Lens Demo Event in LA

ZEISS Cinema opens its doors to an exclusive screening, filmmakers Q&A and hands-on showcase of the new ZEISS Aatma lens family on Tuesday, March 10, 6:00-9:00 ...

02/03/2026

DoPchoice Introduces SNAPBAG Round for the New Astera Qui...

To expand the creative potential of the compact Astera QuikBeam, DoPchoice introduces the SNAPBAG Round. The new light-shaping accessory transforms the powerfu...

02/03/2026

Douglas Dubler Master of Light - Five Decades Shooting w...

Douglas Dubler On a rooftop in New York City, veteran photographer Douglas Dubler watched the sun's angle shift across the urban landscape, his internal cl...

02/03/2026

ZEISS Expands Otus ML Lineup with the New 1435

ZEISS is expanding its Otus ML lens family with the introduction of the new ZEISS Otus ML 1.4/35. This manual-focus lens is designed for photographers who live ...

02/03/2026

Matthews Intros White FlexiMount and Phone Mount Kit by D...

Matthews Studio Equipment now offers the new Dinkum Systems White FlexiMount and Phone Mount Kit, a compact, highly adaptable setup for mobile content creation...

02/03/2026

SES and Africa Mobile Network Reach Milestone: Connecting 5.8 Million in DRC, Expanding Rural Coverage

Luxembourg, February 26, 2026 - SES and Africa Mobile Network (AMN) have expande...

02/03/2026

Ausfilm and Screen Australia launch joint UK market initiative

02 03 2026 - Media release Ausfilm and Screen Australia launch joint UK market initiative Ausfilm and Screen Australia have announced Partner with Australia (...

02/03/2026

Saturday Night Live UK announces writing team

Monday 2 March 2026 Saturday Night Live UK announces writing team L-R: Jonno Johnson; Charlie Skelton; Celya AB; Omar Badawy; Gr inne Maguire; Laura Claxton; ...

02/03/2026

Netflix Unveils the Trailer for '53 Sundays', the New Film by Cesc Gay

Back to All News Netflix Unveils the Trailer for 53 Sundays, the New Film by Cesc Gay Entertainment 02 March 2026 GlobalSpain Link copied to clipboard Dis...

28/02/2026

FOX Sports Waves Green Flag on 2026 IndyCar Season With Driver's Eye, Heads Up Display, Live Drones

With two features seen in Formula 1 coverage, the broadcaster aims to bring view...

28/02/2026

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth Visits L3Harris Solid Rocket Motor Site

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth addresses a crowd of approximately 1,500 L3Harris employees in Camden, Arkansas, as part of his Arsenal of Freedom tour....

28/02/2026

2026 NAB Show Expands Sports Summit to Four Days

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

28/02/2026

Three TV5Monde FAST Channels Launch on Plex

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

28/02/2026

Nielsen Introduces 200+ New Advanced Audience Segments

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

28/02/2026

SBE Launches Annual Membership Drive

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

28/02/2026

Gray's Fox 12 Inks Deal for Portland Fire And Portland Thorns Games

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

28/02/2026

Berklee Presents Mambo Mania: Eguie Castrillo and the Berklee All-Stars Big Band's Tribute to Eddie Palmieri

Berklee Presents Mambo Mania: Eguie Castrillo and the Berklee All-Stars Big Band...

28/02/2026

Berklee Announces Two New Summer Programs in Los Angeles

Berklee Announces Two New Summer Programs in Los Angeles The Berklee Music Business Program and Electronic Music Production and Sound Design Workshop bring imme...

28/02/2026

NVIDIA and Partners Show That Software-Defined AI-RAN Is the Next Wireless Generation

AI-RAN is moving from lab to field, showing that a software-defined approach is ...

28/02/2026

NVIDIA Advances Autonomous Networks With Agentic AI Blueprints and Telco Reasoning Models

Autonomous networks - intelligent, self-managing telecommunications operations -...

28/02/2026

Final Trailer for BEASTARS Final Season Part 2' Roars Toward the Series' Emotional Conclusion

Back to All News Final Trailer for BEASTARS Final Season Part 2' Roars Tow...

28/02/2026

February 27, 2026

New way to intentionally discover molecular glues could expand drug discovery Scripps Research scientists and colleagues show how drugs that eliminate certain d...

27/02/2026

Scripps Appoints Oliver Gray as Vice President, Network Sports and Client Partnerships

The E.W. Scripps Company names Oliver Gray as Vice President, Network Sports and...

27/02/2026

Gotham Sports App Now Available for Purchase Through Prime Video

The Gotham Sports App, the exclusive direct-to-consumer streaming home of MSG Networks and the YES Network, is now available for purchase through Prime Video fo...