Big Picture Alliance

As we head into 2024 and our 30th anniversary, we want to thank our entire community for the collective impact we made this year!  In 2024, Big Picture Alliance's pathway of school, summer, and workforce programs served 300 youth through over 1000 hours of programming - providing mentorship from script-to-screen and from curiosity-to-careers. 98% of youth graduated, 92% passed digital literacy assessments, 82% said the program improved their self confidence and mental health, and 100% of workforce program alumni were placed at paid industry apprenticeships across Philadelphia.  Our youth filmmakers produced 50 films that engaged an audience of over 650,000 through 10 screenings, 6 broadcasts, and 4 social media campaigns. Many of these films uplifted community voices around themes of social justice, environmental justice, gender justice, disability rights, and anti-violence initiatives - including our Emmy-Award winning film “A Hope That Lights The Way” produced in partnership with @obmephl. Interested in supporting BPA? Click the link below to either donate or join our “Film Fam” monthly giving program! Your monthly recurring donation is a simple way to help us sustain and expand our after-school, summer, and workforce programs all through 2024! https://bit.ly/3Uul03X

Last week we had the pleasure of celebrating the holiday season with our community of student and staff. We also used the space to preview some behind the scenes content of Queer Memoirs an upcoming project from 10:01 Media and celebrate production wrapping up. From our family to yours, we want to wish everyone a Happy Holidays. We want to shout out and thank our amazing community for an awesome year. We are so grateful for the opportunities, equipment, and experiences we get to share with Philly youth, so they can develop their artistic practice in film & media. Together we can provide more opportunities for Philadelphia youth and continue celebrating the awesome work of our community.

We’re so excited about Las Cosas Que Brillan and partnering with Sotomayor Productions on this amazing project and fellowship. Las Cosas Que Brillan follows Marisol, a young Trans Latina mermaid, as she embarks on a powerful journey of self-discovery, resilience, and hope against the backdrop of environmental struggle. This film highlights the beauty and strength of Trans Latinx and LGBTQ+ voices, blending magical realism with a vibrant visual style inspired by cinematic classics.⁠ This project was made possible by BlackStar through its Philadelphia Filmmaker Lab, in partnership with Xfinity, Independence Public Media Foundation, and The William Penn Foundation. But we still need some help finishing the project! Your support would help us fund the completion of this unique film and share Marisol’s journey with the world. Click here to help fund this project! https://bit.ly/3Dhubit

“With Big Picture Alliance, being an apprentice here right now, it allows me to take the initiative of my own voice and my own work.” - Eldric Laron Big Picture Alliance’s pathway of school, summer and workforce programs empower hundreds of youth every year to define their own narrative. Eldric is a Philadelphia-based filmmaker who specializes in sound production and video editing. He’s excelled in programs like the Film & Media Futures program with Big Picture Alliance, where he did sound design for the short film, Let’s Take a Trip, and worked on a documentary for the Philly People's Kitchen. We couldn’t be more proud of Eldric and his journey as a creative. If you want to support youth like Eldric, become a sustainer or donate to help grow our pathway of youth filmmaking programs across Philadelphia. Every year, these programs provide hundreds of Philly youth with FREE access to digital media tools, professional mentorship and creative community. Click here to support our work! https://bit.ly/3Uul03X

Recently, our Cinemaniacs program, led by Bettina Escauriza took a field trip to the Penn Museum formerly known as The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, an archaeology and anthropology museum at the University of Pennsylvania. Students learned about the photochrome process and got to check out some of the museums extensive collection of digitized archival films and born-digital videos on topics related to archaeology, history, anthropology, and more. Cinemaniacs is an after-school program where youth explore the role of cinema in their lives and society through watching and analyzing a diverse selection of historical and contemporary films. Youth develop a deeper understanding of the evolution and craft of filmmaking through screenings, discussions, activities and conversations with guest filmmakers. Interested in supporting programs like Cinemaniacs? Join our mailing list to stay in the know about upcoming events and programming: https://bit.ly/4hmVLdQ

“Big Picture Alliance changed my life. It’s been such an amazing opportunity to be part of a creative community that looks like me, feels like me and is for me. -Demi We believe in the power of storytelling to ignite change. Through hands-on digital media training, we empower young adults in Philadelphia to share their unique voices, build confidence, and pursue their passions in the creative industries. This year, we aim to raise $30,000 to expand our programs and provide even more youth with the tools and opportunities they need to succeed. Click here to help us reach our goal! https://bit.ly/3Uul03X

And that’s a wrap for our Film Futures Big Pitch 2024 from @groundfloorstudios! We want to give a huge shoutout to our industry panelists for offering their time, wisdom, and mentorship and an even bigger shoutout to our Film Futures cohort. They did an amazing job pitching their film concepts! Stay tuned for updates as one film will be "greenlit" for production in the spring and will then premiere at our annual Big Picture Film Fest this summer! Film Futures is a paid fellowship where youth produce an original narrative film from script-to-screen under the mentorship of professionals. Interested in supporting programs like Film Futures? Click here for ways to give: https://bit.ly/3Uul03X

We’re back at One Art Community Center.! We recently kicked off our Fall 2024 Afterschool program and we couldn’t be more excited to get back to work with a group of excellent students. Students were introduced to the filmmaking process and the structure that the preproduction process typically takes. They were also partnered up to start developing their personal stories and encouraged to explore the amazing space to begin identifying locations for interviews. Our After School Filmmaking programs empower youth to produce original films from script-to-screen under the mentorship of professionals. Youth learn the fundamentals of screenwriting, cinematography, audio, acting, directing, and editing through collaboratively producing films that explore their perspectives, life experience and imagination. Interested in supporting BPA programs? Click here for ways to support: https://bit.ly/3Uul03X

“BPA’s Media Futures program helped me build my digital media skills, access professional development, and gain work experience doing what I love.” -Iliana Big Picture Alliance’s pathway of school, summer and workforce programs empower hundreds of youth every year to define their own narrative. Iliana Pineda is an aspiring multimedia producer of stories from the lens of the queer-latinx experience, showcasing the stories of marginalized groups so they are heard and seen. We are super proud of Iliana and excited to see more of our youth pursue their dreams. If you want to support youth like Iliana, become a sustainer or donate to help grow our pathway of youth filmmaking programs across Philadelphia. Every year, these programs provide hundreds of Philly youth with FREE access to digital media tools, professional mentorship and creative community.  Click here support! https://bit.ly/3Uul03X

Upcoming Weekend Workshop! Register today for our Acting & Directing weekend workshop happening on 12/14! In this workshop, we will explore the basics of Acting and Directing and the key relationship between the two in telling an effective story.  . BPA’s Weekend Workshops are monthly crash course introductory workshops where youth (ages 14-24) learn the fundamentals of a particular aspect of filmmaking under the mentorship of professionals. Interested in registering for this program? Space is limited so please make sure to apply as soon as possible! Register here: https://bit.ly/4g5h5Dm