|| the MISSION ||
To create a new model for financing, producing, and distributing creative works of film and television that center Black, Brown, and marginalized creators as owners and stewards of our own work.
A New Model
Our work is not niche. Our audiences are not imaginary. We believe the industry needs to change; that there are enough resources for everyone to thrive, and that wealth must be shared, decentralized, and rooted in community.The System Isn't Broken
It's Working As Designed
|| the VISION ||
Traditional gatekeepers hoard resources. Development pipelines erase risk-taking. Distribution systems prioritize profit over impact. We are no longer waiting for an invitation.
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Stories have the power to shape our reality and reimagine the future. We believe we have the right to tell our stories and be the stewards of that journey.
Our work is not niche. Our audiences are not imaginary.
We believe the industry needs to change. There are enough resources for everyone to thrive, and the wealth must be shared, decentralized, and rooted in community.
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Traditional gatekeepers hoard resources while claiming diversity
Independent creators are pushed into unsustainable hustle economies
Development pipelines erase risk‑taking, and favor mediocrity
Distribution systems prioritize profit over impact
We are no longer adopting the systems that benefit from our exhaustion to support us
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Showcase works from filmmakers and creators local and national
Partner with grassroots organizations, educators, and activists
Share and explore new resources for sustainable and ethical industry practices
Screen work in community spaces, theaters and cultural institutions
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Every convening is an opportunity to expand minds and create new avenues for education
We exchange knowledge through curated events:
Cultural workshops on topics addressed through film
Support communities in mental and emotional wellness through art and education
Workshops on reimagining film financing and ownership
Exploring marketing and new forms of distribution
Invite educators to conduct salons on cultural history and legacies
Spaces for social and emotional support
Provide mental health education and resources
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Mutual accountability, shared leadership, ongoing reflection and critique. We build structures that can outlive us.
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Underrepresented creators control their work and its afterlife. Local communities see themselves reflected with dignity and complexity.
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We commit to:
Fair pay and humane working conditions
Clear expectations and shared leadership
Accessibility and safety for all bodies
Respect for cultural specificity and lived experience
We believe how a story is made matters as much as what ends up on screen.
||the PLAN||
real. Borderless. Connected.
No borders. No controlling market. Our collective convenes across cities and regions historically overlooked by the industry — each location becomes a temporary hub of cultural production, political education, healing, and collective imagination.
Community Action
Created by Collective member Julian Waddell, filminalabama.com is a centralized hub of local film resources, created by and for Southern creators.
His vision extends further. T.R.U.'s decentralized circuit is more than a touring model — it's an economic engine. Every city activated, every filmmaker platformed, is a direct investment in regional ecosystems the industry has long overlooked.
The circuit validates what local creators already know. It strengthens foundations. State by state.
We're Not in Harlem Anymore
A story about displacement, identity, and the neighborhoods that raised us. Back this project on Kickstarter and help us get it made, on our terms.
[Back the Film on Kickstarter]
Help!
A film by Sequence 8 Films. Dark, sharp, and unapologetically human. Watch it. Talk about it. Pass it on.
[Watch Help!]
Sleep
Another Sequence 8 Films production. Quiet, tense, and deeply felt. The kind of story that doesn't get greenlit — until we greenlight it ourselves.[Watch Sleep]