6 sessions: Thursdays, November 10-December 29 (no session Nov. 24 & Dec. 22), 7-9pm

Now in its second iteration, the FilmNorth Inclusive and Socially Conscious Filmmaking Lab is a free virtual six-week course designed to help filmmakers in any stage of their career practice greater inclusive and socially responsible filmmaking and become leaders of change in our field.

Gathering leading industry professionals throughout America, including NYC, LA, and the Twin Cities as guest speakers and mentors, the Lab focuses on the entire filmmaking process, from conception to finding an audience. Throughout the Lab, questions of representation are asked of each filmmaker. What are the stories we see or don’t see on screen? Who is telling them and why? What impact do they have?               

Recognizing there is no “one size fits all” solution in changing our industries and communities, each participant will utilize a personal project to model a more comprehensive approach in their filmmaking. In addition, for the first time, each participant will conclude their Lab experience by being paired with an industry professional for a 1-on-1 mentorship session tailored to their interests and work.              

Whether you’re a director, cinematographer, PA, or anyone else involved in the filmmaking process, we have the individual capacity to change how films and media are made. The FilmNorth Inclusive and Socially Conscious Filmmaking Lab seeks to empower each participant to be a greater force for change.                

Lab Information:                              

• 10 participants are selected from a free, open call.
• Both the Lab and application are free of charge.
• The Lab meets virtually on Zoom for six weekly sessions (no meetings Nov. 24 and Dec. 22).
• All filmmaking practices are encouraged to apply (narrative, documentary, animation, etc.).
• The Lab is open to individuals working in all positions within film and media.

Application Materials:

• Two-sentence description of your background and how it influences your filmmaking.
• One-sentence describing your goal for participating in the lab.
• One-sentence describing your goals for your career and/or filmmaking practice.
• One-sentence synopsis of your current or an upcoming project.

Complete and submit your application here. The application deadline is 11:59pm CST, Friday, October 28, 2022. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance status within one week following the deadline.

LAB LEADERS

Minneapolis-based writer and director Jake Yuzna’s work focuses on presenting expanding identities on screen. Their films have premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, Berlin Film Festival, British Film Institute, New Museum of Contemporary Art, Walker Art Center, as well as been broadcast nationally on PBS and throughout Europe. Yuzna was the first American feature director to win the Teddy Jury Prize, the oldest queer filmmaking award, at the Berlin Film Festival. Their films have garnered additional awards at NewFest: the NYC LGBT Film Festival, OutFest: the Los Angeles Queer Film Festival, the Tel Aviv LGBT Film Festival, Cinema Touching Disability, and IFP. A Guggenheim Fellow in Film/Video, Yuzna has received grants and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, Frameline Foundation, Philanthrofund Foundation, Creative Capital Foundation, McKnight Foundation, FilmNorth, and the Minnesota State Arts Board, among others. In 2017, they were awarded a Richard P. Rogers Spirit of Excellence Award from the American Film Institute. 

Farida Rafique is an impact producer and storyteller who graduated from California State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Media Management.

Farida’s passion for stories is fueled by human rights advocacy and community building. She has produced social impact videos and art installations, including “Love Letters to an Addict” (Recovery and Hope for Opioid Addicts), documentaries for Human Rights Initiative, and co-produced a documentary on the family separation crisis on the Border of Texas and Mexico. She developed and directed a short film, “Ojo,” about a son leaving his family’s hidden history of white supremacy and confronting his old demons upon his mother’s death. 

Farida produced impact campaigns in narrative films with intrepid female writer/directors, served on the board of a community arts organization, and is an active member of the United Nations Association Human Rights Organization. She participated in the FilmNorth’s Inclusive and Socially Conscious Filmmaking Lab (’20) and Women in Media’s Cameraderie Accelerator (’21).