The Blackhouse Foundation

What The Blackhouse Foundation does

The Blackhouse Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2006 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It develops programs and convenes events that expand career opportunities for Black filmmakers, producers, executives, and content creators across film, television, and digital platforms. Its core offerings include the Blackhouse Fellows Program (sponsoring MFA students at Sundance since 2015), the IFP-Blackhouse Multicultural Producers Lab (a year-long cohort program for mid-career producers since 2019, sponsored by HBO), the Blackhouse Portrait Studio (launched 2016), the Blackhouse Festival App for iOS (launched 2019), and the Entrepreneur Series. The organization does not sell products or services to its beneficiaries; participation is free for filmmakers and industry professionals.

The foundation's operating model centers on physical presence at major film festivals, anchored by a 16-year consecutive partnership with the Sundance Institute (initiated 2007) and parallel activations at Tribeca, Toronto, Cannes, AFI, Austin, and Montclair. Annual programming attracts 3,000+ daily visitors at peak festivals and has reportedly created 15,000+ relationships since inception. Revenue is generated entirely through corporate sponsorships (Meta, Netflix, Starz, HBO, Paramount, OWN, Hulu, Lionsgate, Facebook, BET), foundation grants (including Jordan Brand's Black Community Commitment in 2023), and individual donations processed through Every.org. The organization is governed by a board of directors that includes executives from Netflix, Lionsgate, MACRO, DLA Piper, and SAG-AFTRA, and is led by Chairman Brickson Diamond, with Jenean Glover serving as inaugural Executive Director since August 2021.

In 2024, the foundation broadened its fellowship pipeline through two new partnerships: the Netflix Nonfiction Producing Fellowship (announced May 2024) and the Starz #Takethelead Producers' Fellowship (announced April 2024). The foundation explicitly states it is not a production house, distributor, or grant-giving organization, and does not accept unsolicited materials. Its core product is non-commercial career-acceleration infrastructure for underrepresented creators, funded by corporate diversity commitments and distributed through festival-based programming.

Name

The Blackhouse Foundation

Legal name

The Blackhouse Foundation

Website

https://theblackhouse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Blackhouse Foundation is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2006 that expands career opportunities for Black filmmakers, producers, and executives through festival programming, fellowships, and networking events at Sundance, Tribeca, Toronto, and other major film festivals, funded by corporate sponsorships and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Film Industry Diversity Programming

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Film festival programming
• Creative professional fellowships
• Filmmaker education programs
• Nonprofit diversity initiatives
• Entertainment industry networking

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors provide financial support in exchange for brand visibility at key events and across digital platforms. Sponsors include major entertainment companies like Meta, Netflix, Starz, HBO, Paramount, OWN, Hulu, Lionsgate, and others who share the organization's vision of increasing visibility for Black filmmakers.
2. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute through the organization's website (Every.org donation portal) to support programs for Black creative voices and executives in entertainment.
3. Foundation Grants: The organization receives grants from foundations including the Jordan Brand Black Community Commitment initiative, supporting their mission to expand opportunities for Black content creators.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Blackhouse Foundation is a nonprofit organization that runs fellowship programs, educational labs, and film festival activations to create pathways into the entertainment industry for Black filmmakers, producers, and executives. Its core offerings include the Sundance-based Fellows Program for MFA students, the IFP-Blackhouse Multicultural Producers Lab for mid-career producers, the Blackhouse Portrait Studio visibility platform, and the Blackhouse Festival App. All programs are offered free of charge to participants and are funded through corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and individual donations.

Product overview

The Blackhouse Foundation offers a portfolio of programs and services focused on expanding opportunities for Black multi-platform content creators and executives in film, television, and digital platforms. Their core offerings include the Fellows Program for aspiring MFA filmmakers, the IFP-Blackhouse Multicultural Producers Lab for mid-career producers, and the Blackhouse Portrait Studio for industry visibility. They also operate a Blackhouse Festival App for iOS. All offerings are designed to educate, inspire, and support Black creative voices through educational programs, networking events, and partnership initiatives at major film festivals worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fellows Program: A program that sponsors MFA film students to intern during the Sundance Film Festival, providing hands-on experience and networking opportunities.
• IFP-Blackhouse Multicultural Producers Lab
• Blackhouse Portrait Studio
• Entrepreneur Series

Products and services

• Fellows Program A fellowship program for graduate film students (MFA) from film schools across the country, providing hands-on internship experience during the Sundance Film Festival. Fellows gain understanding of the film business, interact with experienced filmmakers, learn about festival submission and distribution processes, and collaborate with future industry leaders.
• IFP-Blackhouse Multicultural Producers Lab A year-long collaborative program bringing together a cohort of five producers of innovative fiction and non-fiction projects across film, television, and digital media. The lab is designed to expand multicultural production companies, increase the content pipeline, and support sustainability of mid-career independent producers and their projects.
• Blackhouse Portrait Studio A pop-up portrait studio at the Sundance Film Festival featuring industry leaders who embody leadership, courage, and innovation. The studio increases diverse representation in imagery portraying Black excellence and creates lasting visuals of Black creative professionals.
• Blackhouse Festival App An iOS mobile application providing festival attendees with access to Blackhouse programming, event information, schedules, and networking capabilities during film festivals.
• Netflix Nonfiction Producing Fellowship A fellowship program developed in partnership with Netflix to support nonfiction filmmaking by Black creators, addressing the underrepresentation of Black nonfiction producers in the entertainment industry.
• Starz #Takethelead Producers' Fellowship A producers' fellowship program developed in partnership with Starz #Takethelead initiative to support emerging producers through structured training and mentorship.
• Teaching to Produce Mastery An educational initiative within the Blackhouse Foundation's programming focused on developing future filmmakers, producers, and behind-the-scenes professionals through hands-on training and mentorship. It is part of the foundation's Producer's Program suite.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15,000+ relationships created for Black filmmakers and producers since inception
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NetflixcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 May 2024Netflix and The Blackhouse Foundation partnered to create a Nonfiction Producing Fellowship announced in May 2024, expanding opportunities for Black nonfiction filmmakers.
• StarzcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 April 2024The Blackhouse Foundation partnered with Starz #Takethelead initiative to set five producers for a new Producers' Fellowship announced in April 2024.
• Bad RobotminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 February 2022Bad Robot partnered with The Black List and The Blackhouse Foundation to bolster underrepresented writers through a new partnership.
• MetacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Meta serves as Presenting Sponsor for The Blackhouse Foundation's Sundance Film Festival programming, supporting initiatives like the SEEN Black Filmmakers program.
• HBOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019HBO Corporate Social Responsibility Department sponsored the IFP-Blackhouse Multicultural Producers Lab, a year-long collaborative program for multicultural producers.
• IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019In 2019, The Blackhouse Foundation teamed with IFP to launch the IFP-Blackhouse Multicultural Producers Lab, bringing together five producers of innovative fiction and non-fiction projects.
• AT&T Dream in BlackminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019AT&T's Dream in Black initiative partnered with The Blackhouse Portrait Studio in 2019 to further the goal of increasing diverse representation in imagery.
• BET NetworkscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 December 2018BET Networks partnered with The Blackhouse Foundation to announce the BET-Blackhouse Fellowship Program for graduate film students.
• OWN NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 December 2018Oprah Winfrey's OWN Network partnered with The Blackhouse Foundation for Sundance programming, including panel discussions and networking events.
• FacebookcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 January 2018Facebook's SEEN Program partnered with The Blackhouse Foundation to help connect underrepresented filmmakers with audiences through panel programming at Sundance.
• BET NetworkscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017BET Networks generously sponsored The Blackhouse Fellows Program in 2017 and 2018, supporting MFA students attending Sundance Film Festival.
• Sundance InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007The Blackhouse Foundation has been an official partner of the Sundance Institute since 2007, hosting panels, roundtable discussions, and networking events at the iconic Sundance Film Festival.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ARRAY: Ava DuVernay's nonprofit distribution and advocacy collective dedicated to amplifying films by people of color and women filmmakers. Direct peer in the racial equity in film space.
• Film Independent: Nonprofit organization that supports independent filmmakers through festivals (Los Angeles Film Festival), education, labs, and fiscal sponsorship — closely paralleling Blackhouse's fellowship, lab, and festival activation model.
• IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project): Nonprofit that runs the Gotham Week film market and co-founded the IFP-Blackhouse Multicultural Producers Lab with The Blackhouse. Comparable in mission around supporting independent filmmakers through programs and festivals.
• National Hispanic Media Coalition: Nonprofit advocating for Latino representation in media, with industry partnerships and pipeline programs paralleling Blackhouse's structure.
• The Asian American Film Lab (AAFILM): Nonprofit organization that supports Asian American filmmakers through festivals, labs, and networking — analogous community-led model for a different underrepresented filmmaker community.

Broad incumbents

• SAG-AFTRA Foundation: Nonprofit arm of the performers union providing educational programs, scholarships, and emergency assistance to entertainment industry professionals — closely aligned mission around supporting working entertainment professionals.
• NAACP: Civil rights organization with the NAACP Image Awards and entertainment industry advocacy programs that similarly advance Black representation in film and television.
• Sundance Institute: The nonprofit that runs the Sundance Film Festival and supporting filmmaker programs. It is a direct strategic partner of The Blackhouse Foundation (since 2007) and shares the mission of supporting independent filmmakers through festivals and labs.

Emerging players

• Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media: Nonprofit focused on improving gender and diversity representation in media. Comparable as a research-and-advocacy nonprofit that partners with studios on inclusion initiatives.
• Color of Change: Racial justice advocacy organization that has run entertainment industry campaigns on Black representation. Comparable in DEI-focused nonprofit advocacy in media.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/the_blackhouse
• Facebookfacebook.com/blackhousefoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/the_blackhouse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Blackhouse Foundation