Local Dallas filmmaker, Monika Watkins, is featured in Panavision’s Voice X Vision social series. The video went live Friday, March 26, 2021 and showcases her upcoming animated film, “Dabney: From Selma to New York.” The animated film is a true coming-of-age story about civil rights activist and Tuskegee Airman, Dabney Montgomery.
Panavision, the world-class provider of end-to-end solutions that power the creative vision of filmmakers, is partnering with Denton Black Film Festival Institute (DBFFI) on the Voice X Vision social series. The series is building on the commitment that Panavision has made to uplift and support the Black community.
DBFF Institute exists to address under-representation in film and media by giving Black stories an audience and Black creatives a platform. Sharing culture and building community are its goals.
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“Over the course of 2021, our focus will be on content dedicated to educating and inspiring current and aspiring content-creators,” the DBFF notes on its website. “We will begin by implementing two initiatives: a franchise of social videos highlighting Black stories and a series of virtual/in-person workshops for Black filmmakers.”
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The Denton Black Film Festival is the brainchild of Harry Eaddy, festival director, and is presented by the Denton African American Scholarship Foundation. In 2014, Harry Eaddy approached two staples of the Denton community – Cheylon Brown and Mesha George – with a unique idea to bring an event focused on Black cinema to the region. Together, the trio began dreaming up an event that would evolve into the festival thousands enjoy today.
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Not long after Eaddy and his fellow founding organizers began collaborating, the Denton African American Scholarship Foundation came onboard as the festival’s founding sponsor.
Filmmaker, Monika Watkins, has produced award-winning documentaries focusing on Black history that have screened in film festivals across the country. She earned a B.A. in TV & Film from UNT and is currently a film instructor at Media Tech Institute and on the Board of Women in Film Dallas. www.monikawatkins.com.
