{"id":77508,"date":"2016-11-02T03:18:20","date_gmt":"2016-11-02T03:18:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/0de2709a84.nxcli.net\/0-kjasnb\/2016\/11\/02\/black-women-producers-sweep-pitch-black-prizes-nbpc\/"},"modified":"2018-12-18T02:45:33","modified_gmt":"2018-12-18T02:45:33","slug":"black-women-producers-sweep-pitch-black-prizes-nbpc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/black-women-producers-sweep-pitch-black-prizes-nbpc\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Women Producers Sweep Pitch Black Prizes At NBPC"},"content":{"rendered":"

Black Women Producers Sweep Pitch Black Prizes At NBPC<\/strong>Posted by Wilson Morales<\/p>\n

November 2, 2016<\/p>\n

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Black women won all three prizes in the second annual National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC)<\/a><\/strong> Pitch Black Forum, a pitching session in front of panels of industry executives. The winners, who personify #BlackGirlMagic, will each receive between $50,000 and $100,000 from NBPC\u2019s 360 Incubator + Fund to develop their television, web and transmedia series, were announced Friday at a reception in Manhattan at the program\u2019s lead partner, WNET\/Thirteen\u2019s Tisch Studios at Lincoln Center. With this program, NBPC, the nation\u2019s only nonprofit dedicated solely to media content about the Black experience, is also helping advance projects by female producers.<\/p>\n

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Hosted by veteran public television executive and producer Donald Thoms<\/strong>, Pitch Black was the culmination of 360\u2019s intensive, six-week boot camp and incubator. Held Thursday at the Jerome L. Greene Performance Space in Manhattan, the event drew public television representatives from CPB, PBS, WNET\/Thirteen, POV, SCETV and UNC-TV; executives from Cinereach, Tidal, BET and Third World Newsreel; and representatives from MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation and Tribeca Institute.<\/p>\n

Seven teams competed in the interactive pitching session. Proving that #BlackGirlsRock<\/strong>, winners include:<\/p>\n

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\u201cSaltbox,\u201d<\/strong> a broadcast series by Shirlette Ammons<\/strong>, was awarded $100,000. The show is a hybrid cooking\/reality series following former \u201cIron Chef\u201d contestant Ricky Moore, who moves his wife and two kids from the big city of Washington, D.C., back to his home state of North Carolina. There he turns the gems of his rural raising into an urban culinary enterprise in Durham.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo Young, So Pretty, So White,\u201d<\/strong> a broadcast series by Chanelle Aponte Pearson and Christiana Mbakwe<\/strong>, received $75,000. The show is a window into the often-secret world of skin bleaching, unmasking what drives people to lighten their skin. The series delves into the lives of those who adhere to the practice\u2014the lure of lighter skin and the challenges to sustain it transcend national borders\u2014and exposes multinational corporations who exploit regional discrimination against people with darker skin tones.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeyond the Book,\u201d<\/strong> a web series by Dominique Taylor and Stephanie Fields<\/strong>, was awarded $50,000. The project blends entertainment and education for adults to continue a love for reading beyond our formative years. This imaginative, intellectual series encourages mature audiences to share the gift of reading with each other.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIn recent years, we have seen a number of Black women emerge as producers of highly successful films. With Black women taking the top spots in the 360 Incubator + Fund this year\u2014not by design but by sheer talent\u2014we are excited to be part of this growing movement of Black female voices. That notwithstanding, the jurors still had the very difficult task of selecting the winning projects as they all were amazing,\u201d<\/strong> said NBPC Director of Programs and Acquisitions Kay Shaw. \u201cAlthough, only three will immediately move forward to the pilot stage, NBPC will continue to work closely with the remaining four deserving projects to find funding and a media home to ensure that these projects also find their way into the marketplace.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n