On April 12, 2024, Reel Works, in collaboration with Paramount Global, hosted the inaugural MediaMKRS Summit in the vibrant city of New York. It was a momentous occasion where over 150 individuals from various sectors - including education, industry, government, and alumni - convened to address the pressing issues within the media and entertainment industry.

Nina Simone Moore is the Office Coordinator at Reel Works, where she plays a pivotal role in ensuring the seamless operation of day-to-day activities. In a recent conversation, Simone shared her journey from Atlanta, Georgia to Brooklyn, New York, the impact of her work at Reel Works, and her future project that seeks to honor her grandmother's legacy through multimodal storytelling.

Reel Works is thrilled to share that we’ve been selected to receive $2 million as an awardee of the Yield Giving Open Call!

Reel Works and Harbor Picture Company hosted a special screening in honor of Black History Month! The event highlighted the remarkable talents and perspectives of young Black filmmakers within our community. Unveiling an array of compelling narratives to thought-provoking documentaries, the evening served as a powerful celebration of Black voices in cinema.

Reel Works’ inaugural class of Media Career Pathways (MCP) has come to a close. This incredible program was born out of our decades-long commitment to reaching underrepresented populations. Working with out-of-school out-of-work students, MCP increases industry access and empowers a new generation of students.

This January, Reel Works took a break from the cold and headed to Los Angeles to host in-person events to serve our growing west-coast alumni community. We were welcomed with open arms by local industry professionals and our partners at companies such as Warner Bros. Discovery and Harbor Picture Company. The week was a beautiful showcase of community, creativity, and collaboration.

Mariam’s journey as Program Coordinator began in February 2023. She started through CUNY’s Internship to Employment program and joined the team full time in September 2023. Mariam brings an abundance of passion and care to this role. She supports after-school students, guiding them through their journey at Reel Works.

Reel Works Doc Lab mentor Jalyssa Jimenez joined our Film School Friday for an impactful screening of “The Next Stop,” a documentary-narrative inspired by real-life events. This courageous project confronts the often untold stories of sexual harassment women face on New York City’s transit system. “The Next Stop” won the Best Youth award at BlackStar Film Festival and was nominated for Tribeca Film Festival.

Reel Works Media Career Pathways students participated in an enriching marketing 101 workshop led by Jenni Loo, Producer of Internal Productions, and Marisa Iovino, Communications Associate. The afternoon was lively with insights, interactive activities, and a shared passion for learning. Here’s more about the afternoon!

Film enthusiasts and community supporters joined to enjoy films from the next generation of storytellers. This was our biggest film festival, with 42 films screened and over 300 people attending. We opened the festival to global filmmakers for the first time, allowing people worldwide to submit their work. This is not just a festival; it’s an international celebration of creativity and connection.

Reel Works hosted a Halloween-inspired 48 Hour Filmmaking Challenge in October. Yasmin who worked on the short film Finding Willow reflects on the exhilarating weekend in our latest blog post.

On July 12, 2023, NYC Mayor Eric Adams, Deputy Mayor Ana Almanzar, and Commissioner Keith Howard visited Reel Works to celebrate 60 years of the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), which connects NYC Youth with quality summer jobs. Over 40 SYEP students, from Bronx Lab and Bronx International High School, joined to commemorate the program's success!

The Reel Works College Panel and Grad Party was a success! Reflecting on its impact months later reminds us how valuable the initiative is to our community. Coming together to prepare students for their college experience is unique and inspiring.

This year the Reel Works community celebrated Valentine’s Day with none other than comedian, writer, producer, and actress, Phoebe Robinson! The Reel Works Ambassadors decorated the classroom space with hearts, a cookie-decorating station, a photobooth, and snack station for a watch party and virtual Master Class with Phoebe Robinson. We had over 30 students in-person, and another 35 tuned in virtually from Reel Works, MediaMKRS programs, and beyond.

Last month, the Reel Works community partnered with the Black Employee Network of NBCUniversal to host an incredible Career Panel featuring four inspiring Black industry professionals. The event was attended by a diverse group of people, all eager to hear about the journeys of Sakeena Irish, Ryan Jones, Seth Saint Pierre, and Raelyn Johnson.

This morning, Good Morning America surprised Reel Works’ own Charles Reynoso to honor his tireless dedication to inspiring, teaching and mentoring young filmmakers at ABC News’ Oscars after-party.

The Documentary Fellows is a new program where students who’ve previously made documentaries come together in teams consisting of producers, editors, and cinematographers, to create something greater than the sum of its parts. Nine students were accepted and three teams were formed. Over the course of the program cinematography students learn lighting, and the ins and outs of how a documentary camera works, while editors learn to tell stories on the video timeline and cut together the story. Story producers learn research, development, and interviewing skills. Students practice their pitches at Part2 Pictures - one of the first steps to many accomplishments to come.

The Reel Works in Schools and Communities program is currently serving 5th-grade students at Park Slope Elementary. The students are learning how to create their very own stop-motion animation short films. In preparation, students have created characters, storyboards, and short animations of their names, and now - they are bringing characters to life with claymation.

In the Fall of 2022, Reel Works partnered with I.A.T.S.E. Local 764 to launch the Inaugural I.A.T.S.E Entertainment Industry Wardrobe Training - a training designed to give access to careers in the Wardrobe Department to talented New Yorkers. On Saturdays, the trainees met with various members of Local 764 and were educated on topics ranging from How to fill out start paperwork and time cards to Quick Changes to Beading. Each week trainees were given wardrobe kit essentials to help build their kit and alleviate the financial barrier of building one on their own.