THE COMMUNITY FILM
WORKSHOP COUNCIL
(A Not-For-Profit Training Affiliate of Drum Television)
Our history:
The Community Film Workshop Council was founded as a not-for-profit organization in 1969 by Sidney Poitier and George Stevens, Jr. with Shirley MacLaine as co-chair "in order to rescue our youth by directing their energies toward effective involvement with media outlets to create an environment of racial harmony." Over a period of fifteen years The CFWC laid the foundation for what became a wave of minority news producers, broadcast journalists, writers, directors and technicians in the motion picture, television and recording industries.
The CFWC's earlier training programs placed more than 1,500 community members in broadcast industry jobs throughout the country. Since The CFWC lost its funding in 1984 (along with many other non-profit groups during the Reagan Administration), it has only functioned sporadically with all-volunteer labor and with no formal training component.
In 1998
the NAACP declared that diversity in
mass media should be the highest priority. This year, the Commissioner of
the FCC Michael Powell (yes, Colin's son --> write
to him in support of this project!) has also begun to address the issue.
But we must be prepared to take advantage of the opportunity when it appears...
HELP US MAKE IT HAPPEN NOW!
Our mission:
African Americans, Caribbean and Hispanic people of African descent have very limited voice in the media in this country. For many years members of our community have complained that the coverage and treatment of the African American community have been biased, unfair or non-existent. The Community Film Workshop Council, Inc. (CFWC) will address this issue by producing original programming through its internship project, providing news, educational and informational programs on local issues that are rarely covered in the mass media. In addition, our trainees will be placed in positions to make the decisions that ultimately affect the way our community is presented to the world.
Join
us in
making it happen once more.
You can send a tax-deductible donation and/or a letter of support to:
CFWC
c/o drumTV
525 West 125th St.-2nd fl.
Harlem, NY 10027
THE COMMUNITY FILM
WORKSHOP COUNCIL
(A Not-For-Profit Training Affiliate of Drum Television)