Within the 1,000 student-led organizations at USC, the African American Cinema Society (AACS) has emerged as the only club that caters specifically toward Black filmmakers.
AACS was created 34 years ago by acclaimed alums John Singleton and David L. Watts to provide a community for Black students to create and consume cinema, gain network opportunities, attend special events and workshops, and develop a support system of like-minded individuals.
The current president of AACS, Mikayah Lee, engaged in an exclusive interview with the Sentinel to expound on the organization’s current offerings and future intentions.
“One of the biggest things we do is connect current students with industry professionals. They give them advice, what types of things they should be thinking about right now, what the industry’s like, how to navigate it once you’re out of college,” Mikayah explained.
“College is a safety net, so we want to make sure we are preparing our members with the knowledge and resources that they need to make supported and informed decisions after college.”
Related Stories:
https://lasentinel.net/the-anansi-writers-workshop-is-still-in-good-hands.html
https://lasentinel.net/amy-tatum-can-transform-your-skin.html
Another AACS offering are their workshops and meetings. Tyler Holmes, the graduate advisor of AACS, recently coordinated a workshop on animation, recruiting animator Chevez Sanchez Jr.
“We learned about the process of animation from start to finish. And we also talked about underrepresentation within animation and had a panel on the subject,” Tyler noted.
The general body meetings are described by Mikayah as “…our safe space. That’s where [we] come to talk freely about what’s going on in your life as a creator, to not have to code switch.”
Other benefits of being a member of AACS include attending special guest events with previous speakers being Robert Townsend, Paula Patton, Prentice Penny (executive producer of “Insecure”), and Juel Taylor (writer and director of “They Cloned Tyrone”).
“We had a really memorable event with Paula Patton. She really dove into her spiritual practices and the type of mindset she’s had to have, how that mindset has changed through the course of her role in the industry, and how she’s kept herself grounded,” Mikayah recalled.
“There’s a saying ‘wait and it will come’ and that’s the perspective [Patton] shared with us. If you have a burning passion, focus on the people that will help you get there, focus your energy on the avenues that are available to you. If you don’t know what’s available to you, focus on finding out,” Mikayah advised.
Looking forward, Mikayah and the presidential team are focused on making decisions that will expand the reach of AACS.
“I want to see AACS continue to grow, I want to create an alumni chapter- the previous
president, Isaiah Simon, and I have been discussing this.”
“One thing [the team is] talking about is programming our ‘Below The Line’ series. ‘Above the line’ is considered producer, director, writer, and director of photography. Below the line are all of those crew members in the film who aren’t talked about,” explained Mikayah.
“We want to bring in production designers, script supervisors, visual effects supervisors, gaffers, grips…because everyone wants to be a director. But it’s not realistic for being the one thing that you do for your career starting out, so we’re bringing in these [below the line] people who are in the industry and love what they do and have an amazing lifestyle.”
A new venture for AACS is on the horizon, thanks to a private donor who provided funds for AACS to collaboratively create a 10-15 minute short film.
“We’re in pre-production right now, next semester will be production, and we’ll show it at our student film festival in April.”
While a few of AACS’ events are offered to USC students only, most of them are open to the public and welcome to anyone passionate about cinema. For those who are interested in learning the history of Black filmmaking and representation, Mikayah suggests her personal favorites, “Boyz N the Hood,” “Set it Off,” and “Just Mercy.” The organization runs successfully not only because of the contributions of its predecessors, but also the current presidential board, including Vice President Dovely King, Director of Communications Jaden Bakerr, and Graduate Advisor Tyler Holmes.
The spirit that fuels the success of this group is one of curiosity, Mikayah said. “I think something that’s so special about AACS, when we bring people and have conversation, we really seek to talk about the things that aren’t talked about. We see the product of the film but tell me the moment where you wanted to stop. What made you continue?”
Stay updated on AACS’ future events on Instagram: @uscaacs or email them [email protected]
