Historians at the Women’s Film Pioneer Project at Columbia University have researched early African American women filmmakers in pursuit of the question “Who was the first?” Like most early Black filmmakers, the films and their archives are much more difficult to track down than the more mainstream films of the silent era. Many films have been lost, and so scholars look for evidence elsewhere - in advertisements and in newspapers, looking for any mention of Black women and their work.

Tressie Souders and Maria P. Williams, both of Kansas City, Missouri, were mentioned as “firsts” in their local paper, Souders with her film A Woman’s Error (1922). 

A Thousand and One - Review

I got the chance to catch A.V. Rockwell’s poignant film A Thousand and One through Sundance online this year after it won the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize. The film stars Teyana Taylor as a struggling Harlem mother in the 90s who kidnaps her son from foster care and chronicles their life over the course of his childhood.

It was a very moving portrait of a mother-son relationship with heartfelt, authentic performances. The city of New York was its own character as it both felt like home but also biting as it turned its back on the family that Inez (Taylor) was desperately trying to create and maintain. The harsh realities of trying to survive as gentrification takes hold in NYC, and keeping a secret from everyone including her son, creates a sense of impending doom as Inez makes her way through life…yet she is always striving, fighting, and confident, trying to do what’s best for herself and her son. The father-son dynamic between Lucky, Inez’ boyfriend (William Catlett) and Terry, Inez’ son (played by three actors Aaron Adetola, Aven Courtney, Josiah Cross over time) also starts rough around the edges but develops into unexpectedly touching and heartbreaking. 

With a final unexpected twist at the end, the film elevates itself, enabling the audience to understand an even deeper level of harsh reality yet empathy emanating from its heroine.

The film comes out in theatres at the end of March. Check it out!

A Thousand and One Official Site

-by Nil Unerdem

Great articles to check out:

• Celebrating Six African American Filmmakers for Black History Month

• EXCLUSIVE: Keke Palmer, Leslie Odom Jr. Explain Juneteenth In The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Season 2 Clip

• 6 Women-Directed Films You Need to See This Awards Season | Vogue

• Oscars 2023: Turning Red Director on Diversity Among Animation Nominees – The Hollywood Reporter

• Oscar Shakeup: Mandy Walker Is Now the Cinematography Frontrunner. She'd Be the First Woman to Win

• For the First Time Ever, I’m Optimistic About Women in the Movie World

New Secretary Announcement

WIFSFBA is happy to announce that Nil Unerdem has been appointed as the new Secretary in the coming 2023-2026 term. Preparations are underway for a thorough transition of the organization between the outgoing Secretary, Amy Harrison, and Nil, through Q1 of 2023. 

The WIFSFBA Board of Directors gives praise to Amy Harrison for her leadership. Since her election as Secretary in 2019, Amy has positioned WIFSFBA as an upstanding, influential, and educational organization and community that supports women in film. During her tenure, the organization has become a strong, diverse organization with a powerful and inclusive board of directors and we are forever grateful. Amy will remain a WIFSFBA member. 

Conversations and Connections March Event - Standing in Power Positions

We’re lucky to have Joslyn Rose Lyons and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf join us in our next Conversations and Connections online event on March 23rd. Stay tuned for more details!

East Bay director Joslyn Rose Lyons' film Stand, a new sports documentary about former NBA player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, is now streaming on Showtime Sports, with a global release!  STAND (trailer)

“Joslyn Rose Lyons’ film Stand is a raw and unflinching examination of the courageous life of basketball star and social justice activist Mahous Abdul-Rauf.  Born Chris Jackson, he overcame tremendous adversity to reach the NBA and found his true calling when he converted to Islam.  His decision not to stand for the national anthem, however, turned him from prodigy to pariah.  Told candidly by Abdul-Rauf himself more than 20 years later, it’s the remarkable story of one man who kept the faith and paved the way for a social justice movement.”  (courtesy Showtime)

If you do not already have access to  Showtime, you can sign up for a free 30 day trial!

‘Stand’ Director Talks Bay Area Roots, Career, and Women in Film (3 minutes NBC News)

When: February 2-12, 2023

Where: Roxie Theater, 3117 16th Street, San Francisco, CA

The San Francisco Independent Film Festival, known as IndieFest, is an annual film festival, held in January or February, that recognizes contemporary independent film. It is run by SF IndieFest, a nonprofit organization, and based at the Roxie Theater in the Mission District.  

MORE INFO: 2023 San Francisco IndieFest

Extended Deadline: February 22, 2023

A platform for independent filmmaking, creative expression and immersive entertainment, Tribeca is accepting short films (under 40 minutes) -- narrative, documentary, animated, experimental films, and music videos that have not screened publicly in the New York region prior to the 2023 Tribeca Festival. Submitted films cannot have had ANY public screening, broadcast, distribution, or exhibition before January 1, 2022.

MORE INFO: 2023 Festival Submissions Overview | Tribeca

Submission Period: November 30, 2022 - March 13, 2023

BFF is a festival for and by independent filmmakers. The organizers bring to this annual event 25 years of festival experience. BFF accepts submissions in six categories: Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, Short Narrative, Short Documentary, Experimental, and Animation.

MORE INFO: Brooklyn Film Festival - FilmFreeway