Essential Knowledge For
Filmmakers
Of Colors
Michelle Parkerson, co-director of A LITANY FOR SURVIVAL is a writer, independent filmmaker, university lecturer, and performance artist from Washington, D.C.
Behind The Lens: The Journey Of
Michelle Parkerson
Michelle Parkerson, co-director of A LITANY FOR SURVIVAL is a writer, independent filmmaker, university lecturer, and performance artist from Washington, D.C. She has served on the faculties of Temple University, the University of Delaware, Howard University, and Northwestern University. Her films include But Then She's Betty Carter and Gotta Make This Journey: Sweet Honey in the Rock (both seen on PBS). In 1992, she received a Rockefeller Foundation Film/Video Fellowship. As a member of the American Film Institute's Directing Workshop for Women, she wrote and directed Odds and Ends, a science-fiction short about Black Amazon warriors. Among her recent short documentaries are Fierceness Served! The ENIKAlley Coffeehouse, archiving a 1980s DC Black LGBTQ+ cultural hub, and Camille A. Brown: GIANT STEPS for PBS American Masters/Firelight Media (Co-directed with Shellée Haynesworth) which was nominated for a 2025 NAACP Image Award.
Through The Lens: A Glimpse Into
Michelle Parkerson
's
World
Voices Of Impact: Celebrating
Michelle Parkerson
's
Vision
When I first joined a twn workshop, I was an aspiring filmmaker with a vision but uncertain how to bring it to life. twn didn't just offer me tools and training; they provided a community that believed in my story.
When I first joined a twn workshop, I was an aspiring filmmaker with a vision but uncertain how to bring it to life. twn didn't just offer me tools and training; they provided a community that believed in my story. The mentors and peers I met there have become lifelong collaborators and friends. Today, I'm proud to say my documentary, which highlights the struggles and triumphs of Indigenous communities, has not only been made but has received acclaim in film festivals. This journey of empowerment and creation began with twn, and for that, I am eternally grateful.
When I first joined a twn workshop, I was an aspiring filmmaker with a vision but uncertain how to bring it to life. twn didn't just offer me tools and training; they provided a community that believed in my story. The mentors and peers I met there have become lifelong collaborators and friends. Today, I'm proud to say my documentary, which highlights the struggles and triumphs of Indigenous communities, has not only been made but has received acclaim in film festivals. This journey of empowerment and creation began with twn, and for that, I am eternally grateful.
When I first joined a twn workshop, I was an aspiring filmmaker with a vision but uncertain how to bring it to life. twn didn't just offer me tools and training; they provided a community that believed in my story. The mentors and peers I met there have become lifelong collaborators and friends. Today, I'm proud to say my documentary, which highlights the struggles and triumphs of Indigenous communities, has not only been made but has received acclaim in film festivals. This journey of empowerment and creation began with twn, and for that, I am eternally grateful.
"...pure movement and expression of catharsis...”
“It wasn’t until I took a film workshop at TWN that I actually believed that I could make a film.”
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“Technique for us is secondary. The people themselves have a rich life experience, a knowledge of history and their culture and community organization. And these people are far more qualified to make films than people who have learned their skills in a school."
“I learned to shoot and edit on video, but the most important thing I learned was how to collaborate with people on the stories that mattered to us.”
“TWN Production Program serves as a gateway for emerging makers to move forward – several have managed with their workshop film projects to then enter the elite film schools, others have gone straight into the field, including colleagues that I work with in the industry now.”
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“It was a great experience that I continue to cherish."
“I learned so much both technically and artistically and now feel connected to a community of people who share my values as a filmmaker.”
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“I always felt supported by the facilitators Chrystian Rodriguez, Danny Kim and JT Takagi. They helped me develop my proposal further and taught me the technical aspects to bring it to life.”
“The strength and value of TWN’s production program continues to impact other filmmakers like me, in finding community, mentorship, resources, and education in filmmaking.”
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“I made lifelong collaborators and found a rich filmmaking community through the fellowship cohort. I am so grateful for my experience with TWN for helping me find my creative voice and a BIPOC queer filmmaking community.”
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“It was refreshing and inspiring to be around other value-driven, community-oriented, and social-justice-oriented filmmakers.”
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