Brown Girls Doc Mafia Launches Directory Of Women & Non-Binary Documentary Filmmakers Of Color
EXCLUSIVE: The documentary advocacy group Brown Girls Doc Mafia (BGDM) is bolstering representation behind the camera with a robust, searchable directory featuring over 200 of its members. The directory launches today and will offer access to women and non-binary people of color in the documentary space.
The platform is a destination for discovering talented women and non-binary filmmakers and executives of color. As part of the effort, the organization is calling upon the documentary industry to make a commitment to dismantling racism and sexism throughout the industry and increased hiring of BGDM members across all roles.
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“Advocacy, community building, and creative and professional development is how Brown Girls Doc Mafia disrupts inequalities, shifts power in the field, and invests in Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) creatives,” said BGDM founder and director Iyabo Boyd. “This platform is one of the tools by which we do that work. We believe women and non-binary people should be encouraged to pursue the careers they truly desire, receive support for their pursuits, and rise into positions of power in the film industry.”
This comes after BGDM started a #GoFundBGDM crowdfunding campaign which, in its second week, has surpassed $120,000 as it moves closer to its total goal of $400,000. This will be invested in the growth of the organization and be used to provide sustainability grants for members.
“We’ve seen clearly over the recent months that our field is not immune to the dual pandemics of racism and COVID-19,” said Boyd. “BGDM and other BIPOC led organizations are refusing to ignore how systemic racism not only impacts the world around us but permeates the documentary film industry as well.”
Boyd continued, “The timing of our directory unveiling on the heels of our crowdfund launch is all part of a coordinated effort to drive our organization and our community toward deeper organizational sustainability and catalyze our ability to support members through grantmaking. The story is ours to tell.”
BGDM is an initiative advocating for over 4,000 women and non-binary people of color working in the documentary film industry around the world. The group’s mission is to amplify the creative and professional success of their community and to challenge the norms of the documentary.
The online member directory is open to the top production companies, networks, studios, showrunners and other key industry leaders and will be available with no fee or registration.
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