National Mediamaker Program

The truth is, I was about ready to give up on the project when I was accepted to the BAVC Mediamaker Fellowship program. I had spent the previous year and a half submitting to funder after funder and the seemingly endless stream of "No's" was taking it's toll on me.  Three days before the applications were due I got home from a job that had run into overtime, opened my computer to the half completed application and thought to myself “why bother?  It’s just going to be another no.” I knew that I was going to be on a shoot [...]

I applied for BAVC Media’s MediaMaker Fellowship full of doubts that I would ever be picked. I had previously applied for grants and fellowships and had been rejected by all of them. I thought it might have something to do with my ethnicity: I’m Filipino. But I continued to apply. Navigating the filmmaking process is a very daunting and isolating experience. I really needed support, whether it was through funding or mentorship. I didn't have anyone to talk to about my film. I didn't have the necessary critical feedback that could bring my skills to the next level. I found [...]

Almost by definition, we documentary filmmakers work in siloes of our own making. In making a film, we may only be meaningfully involved with a handful of other people – subject/s, a few crew members perhaps and maybe an editor. But to stay within the silo is the kiss of death; total immersion can be wildly distorting. There’s a numbness that can set in as you wrestle with moments on film again and again and again. As artists and storytellers, we must reach outside our siloes if we are to maintain a healthy, creative perspective on our work. This need [...]