We believe everyone has a story to tell, especially you!
Kashif Incubator invites you to participate in our storytelling workshop, The Brownsville Initiative. BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, gender non-conforming, and disabled persons are encouraged to apply.
The Brownsville Initiative is a 4-week, community-based filmmaking program for local residents in and around Brownsville, Brooklyn, who are interested in exploring visual storytelling. All experience levels welcome! Over the 4-week period, we will host 8 workshops plus a production day led by a team of professional writers and filmmakers with sessions structured around screenwriting, directing, camera work, production, and editing with the goal of participants completing a collaborative short film. At the end of the workshop sessions, we will hold a celebratory screening for all participants, partners, facilitators and invited members of the community.
Residents ages 18 and older are eligible. See below for details and accessibility offerings (childcare, for example).
Check out the incredible work from last year!
Learn more about Kashif
Kashif designs original pathways into filmmaking through a practice in equity-access, which dismantles historic barriers placed on storytellers and fosters new approaches driven by inclusivity and co-creation. We are place-based content creators with a lens focused on incubating, developing, financing, and producing stories with BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, gender non-conforming, and disabled filmmakers.
We are back in Brownsville! Founder Chanelle Elaine, along with founding partners Veronica Nickel and Kristie Lutz are the producers of First Match (NETFLIX), a movie filmed in Brownsville, Brooklyn. Before we brought our production to Brownsville, we connected with various organizations, had our production offices in the Greg Jackson Center, and employed local residents for the production of the film. Since 2016, first with the film production and now with Kashif Incubator, our objective is to honor the people of Brownsville for their creativity and tenacity and to uplift the community for its resilience in the face of redlining and inadequate resources.
The Brownsville Initiative program details
The program dates are:
- WEEK 1: Tues 7/18 & Thurs 7/20
- WEEK 2: Tues 7/25 & Thurs 7/27
- WEEK 3: Tues 8/1 & Thurs 8/3 & Sat 8/5*
- WEEK 4: Tues 8/8 & Thurs 8/10
- Celebratory screening: Friday, August 18
Timeframe for each session is 6pm to 9pm.
*Filming day! - Saturday August 5 (likely 6- 8 hours time commitment)
The Brownsville Initiative will provide:
- Transportational support
- Food/Snacks
- Childcare
- Tools and Materials
- Disability Services- as needed
Applications are currently closed, thank you for your interest in The Brownsville Initiative!
If you are curious about other programs from Kashif Incubator, please check out our website.