theGrio proudly announces an annual initiative aimed at providing a platform for Black filmmakers to share their compelling narratives with a global audience.

LOS ANGELES, CA, USA, February 7, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — In honor of Black History Month, the Allen Media Group platform theGrio proudly announces the launch of its inaugural Emerging Filmmaker Fellowship — an annual initiative aimed at providing a platform for Black filmmakers to share their compelling narratives with a global audience. This fellowship offers a distribution award and also includes a finishing stipend for a distinguished project centered on the Black experience.

TheGrio’s Emerging Filmmaker Fellowship is a pioneering opportunity for Black creatives to showcase their unique stories on a global stage. The fellowship, designed to empower Black filmmakers, provides resources, mentorship, and exposure for their creative endeavors. Open to short films, documentaries, or narrative features, the fellowship aims to uncover and amplify Black stories that deserve to be seen.

The first recipient of theGrio’s Emerging Filmmaker Fellowship is Adrian Burrell, director of the captivating short film NOW & THEN. The film chronicles the reflections of sharecroppers across the Mississippi Delta, offering a poignant exploration of their history of working on plantations during the era when cotton was king. With a total runtime of over 7 minutes, NOW AND THEN is set to be released on February 26, 2024. A trailer is available HERE.

“The launch of this fellowship is created to help make an everlasting impact in the Black filmmaking community,” said Byron Allen, Founder/Chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group. “This fellowship allows us to foster a new wave of diverse storytelling, and to demonstrate our comittment to celebrating the multi-faceted richness and diversity of the Black experience.”

“I am thrilled and deeply honored to be the first recipient of this prestigious fellowship from theGrio,” said interdisciplinary artist Adrian L. Burrell. “It is a significant moment in my life, and I am grateful to have the support of such an important platform. I look forward to continuing my journey as a storyteller and creating works that inspire and create connections on a global scale.”

About theGrio

TheGrio is a digital, video-centric news community devoted to giving voice to trusted figures on the front lines who inspire us every day, and to bringing fresh perspectives that buck convention because there’s more than one way to be Black. We are the largest Black newsroom in America devoted to satisfying the need to stay connected. We believe a well-informed community best determines its own interests. And so, theGrio’s editorial mandate is to focus on news and events that have a pronounced impact on a Black global audience. We unabashedly explore culture and entertainment, health and lifestyle, politics and policy, business and empowerment, food and fitness, science and climate, tech and innovation, and everything in between that matters to the Black community.

Recently nominated for 3 NAACP Image Awards, theGrio has also been recently honored with several other awards, including 2 Silver Signal Awards, a Gold Lovie Award, and a Shorty Impact Award for Best Podcast. These honors highlight the platform’s dedication to delivering exceptional content that resonates with a diverse audience.

In 2016, Allen Media Group purchased theGrio, which features aggregated and original video packages, news articles, and opinion pieces on topics that include breaking news, politics, health, business, and entertainment. The digital platform remains focused on curating exciting digital content and has more than 100 million annual visitors. TheGrio Television Network is available nationwide via Comcast, Charter/Spectrum, Cox, DISH, Sling, Verizon Fios, DirecTV, and DirecTV Stream as well as via mobile apps Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and AppleTV.

Mitch Messinger
MARC Global Communications
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