The Art and Culture Center/Hollywood has been awarded a $40,000 Art of Community grant from the Community Foundation of Broward to expand its award-winning Open Dialogues documentary film series with Stories of Allyship. This is the second Art of Community grant awarded to the Center as part of the Community Foundation’s effort to harness the power of the arts to champion social justice in Broward.
Open Dialogues: Stories of Allyship will focus on the critical impact of allyship for LGBTQ and BIPOC individuals, with an emphasis on transgender coming-out and transition narratives. For this production, the Center will partner with the Hollywood LGBTQ+ Council with a targeted release for the film of winter 2023.
This will be the third Open Dialogues documentary film short produced by the Center and funded by the Community Foundation of Broward. Our 2022 release Black Voices | Black Stories was supported by an Art of Community grant. The debut film in this trilogy, 2020’s Stories From the LGBTQ Community, was launched as part of Broward Pride.
“The Center is thrilled to build upon the success of our Open Dialogues films with the continued support of the Community Foundation of Broward,” said Joy Satterlee, the Center’s Executive Director. “Stories of Allyship comes at such a critical time as we continue the important work of building a more inclusive and just community. We look forward to partnering with the Hollywood LGBTQ+ Council and benefiting from the expertise they bring to fostering allyship for Broward’s transgender community.”
Stories of Allyship will be directed, photographed, and edited by Miami-based filmmaker Freddy Rodriguez, who helmed the first two Open Dialogues films. Stories From the LGBTQ Community captures the diverse coming-out narratives of seven Broward residents who shared their stories in on-camera interviews. Black Voices | Black Stories focuses on what social justice looks and feels like for Black Americans, as told through the narratives and performances of eight community leaders in Broward County.
These films may be viewed by request in the Community Gallery at the Center, located at 1650 Harrison Street, and are also available for public screenings and discussions with partnering organizations. For more information, visit www.artandculturecenter.org, or call 954.921.3274.
Support for Open Dialogues: Stories of Allyship has been provided by the following Funds at the Community Foundation of Broward: Helen and Frank Stoykov Charitable Endowment Fund, Frederick W. Jaqua Fund Deinhardt Charitable Fund, Ruth H. Brown Fund for the Arts, and Anna Bloeser Fund.