How did the Chicago Media Coalition begin?

The impact of COVID-19 and the growing national awareness of the effects of systematic racism heightened during the summer of 2020 brought four BIPOC-founded and-led Chicago based media organizations together to advocate for new methods to sustain their organizations that specifically support BIPOC filmmakers in Chicago. 

In August 2021, Mezcla Media Collective, Sisters in Cinema, Full Spectrum Features, and OTV | Open Television took part in a 2-day virtual convening in order to strategize how to utilize their collective power to elevate communities of color working in the local Chicago film industry. 

What happened at the August 2021 Convening? 

Working with facilitator Autumn Foster from Quire Consulting, the organizations delved into their shared missions, assets and resources, then ideated potential concepts for shifting the power structures in the film landscape. From these concepts, the organizations collectively agreed to focus on one which would radically transform both their organizations’ capacities, as well as exponentially grow their already existing vital work to support historically underrepresented filmmakers of color. 

How was the convening funded?

The convening was made possible with support from The Art Works Fund and Black Public Media, through their Storytelling Summit program. Additional support for the Chicago Media Coalition has been provided by the Field Foundation and MSI Forefront. 

What was the outcome of the convening?

In the Chicago spirit of collaboration and solidarity, the newly formed Chicago Media Coalition is launching the BIPOC Media Fund to support general operations and strategic partnerships as a development & management commons. The Fund leverages the strengths of the Coalition, individually and collectively, to catalyze the most innovative investment towards a new media infrastructure that is representative of our country’s diversity. 

The Fund functions as a collectively run endowment with a fundraising goal of $50 million, where the interest on the fund will support operational grants to each organization annually. Only the interest on the endowment will be spent and disbursed as grants to the organizations in the coalition. Organizations will have complete discretion over how funds are spent. The Fund will also cover a full-time staff person trained in development who can manage disbursements and fundraise to keep the endowment growing. 

What has the Chicago Media Coalition done since the convening?

The planning phase has included Coalition strategy meetings with Jessyca Dudley, Founder + CEO of Bold Ventures. Her extensive experience in both the philanthropic and racial equity spaces helped to guide us with next steps. These include potential vehicles for the fund, key roles and skills needed for its implementation, and fundraising strategy. 

Coalition members have also met with key Chicago based funders, industry leaders and others aligned with our mission to assist with guiding us as we move forward with developing the $50 million fund. In these discussions, we have brainstormed potential advocacy to support, as well as viable funding sources. 

Coalition members meet monthly to advance the project. 

How is the Coalition managed?

Colette Ghunim, Executive Director of Mezcla Media Collective, serves as the Project Manager overseeing all planning meetings and ensuring next steps towards stated goals.  Naeema Jamilah Torres, Grant Coordinator of Mezcla Media Collective, serves as the Media Coalition’s Grant Writer, in order to support our efforts in raising funding. 

The other members of the Coalition assist with grants, research, planning, and project development. 

Who are the founding organizations in the Chicago Media Coalition?

Mezcla Media Collective supports over 700 women and non-binary filmmakers of color in Chicago. Mezcla’s mission is to provide resources to ensure that their constituents realize their full potential as storytellers and agents of change at a local level. Founded as an informal collective in 2017 by two women filmmakers of color who saw a need for a centralized community, the organization currently has three types of resources offered: hyper-local connection, knowledge transfer, and career advancement.

Full Spectrum Features is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to increasing diversity in the independent film industry by producing, exhibiting, and supporting the work of women, LGBTQ, and minority filmmakers. We also aim to educate the public about important social and cultural issues, utilizing the power of cinema to foster understanding in our communities. FSF's goal is to transform the entire media landscape—from the actors on screen, to the crew behind the camera, to the people in the audience. Our mission is embodied not only in our work, but our staff and board as well. We are an ALAANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, Native American) organization founded and led by people of color, women, and LGBTQ filmmakers.

OTV | Open Television is an Emmy-nominated nonprofit platform for intersectional television, with artists and their creative visions at the center. In 2015, this non-profit distribution platform that supports artists and communities marginalized by their race, gender, sexuality, class, religion, disability or nationality began as part of an ongoing research project at Northwestern University. In addition to providing a network of care to foster the entire trajectory of a creative project from inception to release, OTV also offers connectivity, financing and consultation throughout. This is all to bring the stories of our time that are often underrepresented or missing from TV, to the public.

Sisters in Cinema was founded in 1997 as an online resource for and about African American women media makers. Today we are a Chicago based 501(c)3 non-profit with an inclusive mission to center and celebrate Black girls, women, and gender non- conforming media makers, providing programs designed to educate, raise visibility, and support and serve our communities.

How do I support and/or learn more about the Chicago Media Coalition?

For additional information, funding opportunities and partnerships contact: info@chicagomediacoalition.org