Be sure to check out tonight’s virtual screening at 8:00 PM EDT of the film NEVER WILL BE FORGOTTEN: Oscar Grant Tribute, which looks at the police shooting of Oakland teenager Oscar Grant in early 2009 and two teens who decided to use music to express their frustration. Working with Youth Movement Records, an Oakland-based youth media organization that teaches youth to create hip-hop music, the young producers crafted a song for Grant and showcase their song, its production process and thoughts on the incident. Following the screening, join a live Q&A with the filmmaker.

Launched in November 2008 by NBPC, ITVS and the help of national partners, the Masculinity Project is an interactive multimedia and community engagement initiative. The initiative delves beyond stereotypes to reveal what it means to be a black man in America through an online mix of new and re-released works from emerging and veteran filmmakers, focusing on the areas of community, justice, culture and family.

Watch NEVER WILL BE FORGOTTEN at 8:00 PM EDT tonight and join the discussion >>

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The National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC) and Independent Television Service (ITVS) recently launched a web-based “virtual screening” series, which showcases some of the latest short documentaries from the Masculinity Project.

Be sure to check out tonight’s virtual screening at 8:00 PM EDT of the film REMIX: Outside Looking in, which looks at filmmaker Phil Bertelsen’s personal exploration into his layered heritage through his own trans-racial adoption. Following the screening, join a live Q&A with the filmmaker.

Launched in November 2008 by NBPC, ITVS and the help of national partners, the Masculinity Project is an interactive multimedia and community engagement initiative. The initiative delves beyond stereotypes to reveal what it means to be a black man in America through an online mix of new and re-released works from emerging and veteran filmmakers, focusing on the areas of community, justice, culture and family.

Watch REMIX: Outside Looking in at 8:00 PM EDT tonight and join the discussion >>

Learn more about the Masculinity Project >>

Filmmaker Anthony Marshall’s interest in making films is driven by his interest in capturing real people do great things. In his short film KARL CARTER (MY LIFE, MY HUSTLE), Marshall looks at the life of Karl Carter, CEO of GTM, Inc., a Los Angeles- and Atlanta-based marketing company responsible for some of the biggest brands in the United States including Sprite, Burger King, Nissan and Current TV. The film looks at how this independent entrepreneur hits successful strides through his determination––presenting an inspiring articulation of drive and a multi-cultural portrait of a man open to new energy.

“My goals were to show African American men in a responsible light. Breaking the stereotypes that exist through today’s media,” he said. “My hope is that people walk away with that experience.”

Karl Carter, the film’s main subject, and Marshall have been long-time friends. Both men thought they knew each other well; however, it wasn’t until filming began that Marshall learned about how hard his friend worked to get to where he is today.

“I realized how much trauma he had experienced as a child. Capturing that moment was an intense surprise,” Marshall said.

Marshall learned about the Masculinity Project through the National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC) and submitted a proposal outlining what he envisioned––and the rest was history.

Marshall believes that one of the most important things filmmakers should remember when breaking into filmmaking is that the business of film should be separated from the art form.

“Never start a project with money in mind. It tends to have a serious affect on the final project. You have to have a clear understanding of the business and how it works. Don’t just put Paris Hilton in your movie because you think it will sell,” he said.

Watch KARL CARTER (MY LIFE, MY HUSTLE) tonight at 8:00 PM EDT and join the discussion >>

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Shortly after being approached to take part of the Masculinity Project, David Barclay Moore believed it was essential to explore masculinity through a female’s perspective.

“Masculinity is not relegated to the realm of biological men,” Moore said. “Masculinity is a fluid construct, which each of us adapts to our own lives. With modern science, it’s easier nowadays to mold our outward appearance to fit our inner being, but there are still consequences to that and the journey of transformation is not an easy one.”

Filming the subject was no small task. Moore was in charge of nearly everything involved in the film’s production. According to him, the longest and most challenging part of the process was the research phase of pre-production.

“During this period, I was teaching myself about transgenderism and trying to find a subject who fit. This pre-production took a while, but it made the resulting production run more smoothly,” he said.

Moore spent months researching the topic and meeting with a wide range of women including masculine heterosexual women, Black lesbians and a former woman who transitioned to male and is raising a son. He eventually selected his main subject, Tika, not only because of her willingness to participate, but because she and her girlfriend Nicki had a powerful and compelling story. Moore’s film lets the audience in on Tika’s transition and ultimately asks the difficult question: Are black men coddled by traditional structures of family and relationships?

Watch REALNESS tonight and join the discussion >>

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In addition to tonight’s virtual screening, REALNESS will run the film festival circuit. Colleges, groups and other institutions may also schedule screenings and lectures. Find out how >>

The National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC) and ITVS recently launched a weekly, web-based “virtual screening” series, which showcases some of the latest short documentaries from the Masculinity Project. Each screening will be followed by a Q&A and give audience members worldwide the opportunity to engage with the filmmaker. Find out what inspired filmmaker Rebecca Cerese to make FEBRUARY ONE, which will have a virtual screening at 8:00 PM EDT on Thursday, July 2.

Ever since childhood, filmmaker Rebecca Cerese has been enthralled by the stories of the American Civil Rights Movement.

“The patience and tenacity of the year-long boycott of the Montgomery Bus system, the selfless bravery of Mamie Till showing the world what racism had done to her son Emmitt, the strength and determination of nine brave teenagers as they marched to get an education in Little Rock, the unbelievable courage of the children that stood up against police dogs and fire hoses in Birmingham… These stories still fill me with hope for a better day in America,” she said.

In her short film FEBRUARY ONE, Cerese looks at the Greensboro Four—a group of African American men who began a sit-in at a Woolworth’s lunch counter in North Carolina, an event that became one of the pivotal moments in the American Civil Rights Movement.

“When I received the opportunity to tell the story of the Greensboro civil rights sit-ins, I jumped at the chance,” Cerese said. “In a society drenched in violence, how often do we get to share a story about the power of non-violence and all it can accomplish?”

Cerese was contacted about participating in the Masculinity Project after the film had its national PBS broadcast on Independent Lens in 2005. She was honored and excited to be included in such an important project. According to Cerese, the Greensboro Four represent an alternative to the traditional definition of masculinity, which is often tied up with aggression and violence. The film shows how segregation and racism had a very emasculating and dehumanizing effect on these four men and the thousands of others who experienced this unfair treatment.

“My hope is that people will begin to challenge the idea that violence equals strength and begin to look for new, more peaceful ways to deal with conflict,” she said. “The strength and power of nonviolence is what Dr. King preached, and it is a lesson that our country is in desperate need of today.”

Watch FEBRUARY ONE on Thursday and join the discussion >>

Learn more about the Masculinity Project >>

The National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC)

Launched in November 2008 by NBPC, ITVS and the help of national partners, The Masculinity Project is an interactive multimedia and community engagement initiative. The initiative delves beyond stereotypes to reveal what it means to be a black man in America through an online mix of new and re-released works from emerging and veteran filmmakers, focusing on the areas of community, justice, culture and family.

The first “virtual screening” will be tonight at 8:00 PM EDT and feature the film ANDREW (INVISIBLE MEN), by Angela Tucker, which looks into the lives of two former homeless men in New York City.

Watch ANDREW (INVISIBLE MEN) tonight and join the discussion >>

Learn more about The Masculinity Project >>