“We are screaming for stories about us.” Where have we heard that before? Think about the last time you saw a film that focused on the experiences of Black and deaf individuals and their families…
If you’re having trouble recalling, that is precisely why award-winning indie filmmaker Ann Marie “Jade” Bryan has launched a campaign to support the start of the American Sign Language (ASL) Black Cinema.
Though Black independent films have reached a wider audience in 2013, there’s plenty of room for more diverse storylines.
“We are still being overlooked, marginalized,” says Jade. The campaign will fund four original projects that will “address issues and topics regarding diversity and multicultural perspectives within the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.”
Watch a teaser of a 40-minute short titled The Shattered Mind , which “explores a Black deaf family’s journey while their daughter, Zhane Rain struggles to overcome adversity, a traumatic childhood past and hearing loss.” Jade aims to debut the film at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival.
Jade is also working on two new TV-oriented pilots for 2014 and a feature film. Learn more about this campaign and show support at indiegogo.com .