Reel Works wrapped up 2021 by hosting two virtual Mentor Meet & Greets for the 2022 Documentary and Narrative Labs. In a whirlwind of ice breakers, pitch decks, and breakout rooms, students and mentors had the opportunity to get to know each other and decide for themselves who they would most like to work with. A ranking survey was conducted at the end and used by Reel Works staff to make the final mentor-mentee matches.

In late December, Xenia Thomopoulos, a high school Media Arts and English teacher at The Young Women's Leadership School of Astoria, ushered her students through the front doors of Reel Works office in Gowanus, Brooklyn. It was their first time visiting, and with this visit came 21 young women ready to convert their personal Philosophical Treatises into a self-produced Late Night Talk Show format.

The long trip from Astoria, Queens on the subway, in the midst of a pandemic, did not phase them. They arrived excited to learn the ins and outs of their “Talk Show set”- replete with a guest couch, host chair and desk with coffee mugs, as well as professional lighting, sound, and camera equipment.

Reel Works Documentary and Narrative Lab students participated in the ViacomCBS “Season of Giving” online event on December 6th. This volunteer day brought together employees at ViacomCBS who used their expertise to give advice, guidance, and feedback to our young filmmakers.

On Wednesday, Picture Shop Colorist, Alex Durie visited the Reel Works Narrative Lab and shared the impact of color in pre and post-production.

Brooklyn is in the (Broadway) house! Reel Works hosted its first-ever night at the theater with students and friends of the organization for a very special evening.

This season eight black playwrights are on Broadway. Keenan Scott II wrote the new hit, “Thoughts of a Colored Man,” which follows seven black men during a single day in Brooklyn as they discover what it means to live in America together. The performance blends spoken word, slam poetry, rhythm and humor to create a daring new play.

Last month, employers, educators and industry leaders gathered virtually for our last MediaMKRS Advisory Council meeting for 2021. Hosted in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, the theme of the meeting was “Creating Job Access through Collaboration.”