L.A. Rebellion: A Cinematic Movement

[get these nets]

Artbound
Oct 2023

L.A. Rebellion: A Cinematic Movement​

Season 14 Episode 3

Following the Watts Uprising, UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television enacted affirmative action policies to increase enrollment of students of color in its film program — a group historically underrepresented in the student population. The “ethno-communications” initiative to recruit students from Black, Asian, Chicano and Native American communities became a movement known as "LA Rebellion

 

[2Quik4UHoes]

I work for one of those filmmakers.

Very important movement in cinema and naturally Black Hollywood dropped the ball on supporting them and white Hollywood made sure of that.

 

[get these nets]

I work for one of those filmmakers.

Very important movement in cinema and naturally Black Hollywood dropped the ball on supporting them and white Hollywood made sure of that.

Peace to HG. The first director in that collective that I knew of was Jama Fanaka. The framing of this documentary was funny to me because until today, had never seen/read that the L.A. Rebellion tag was used for non-Black filmmakers.


But on top of the obvious hurdles of challenging the establishment, this movement had the additional problem of launching towards the end of the Blaxploitation era.
Audiences had reacted well to cheaply made action films, and even after Hollywood pulled the plug, that's what the demand was for in Black films.From Black and white audiences.

They had two problems to overcome. Trying to find and develop the audience for serious films and finding funding from sources other than the establishment.

Black Hollywood players were scrambling for footing at the time, still adjusting to the faucet being turned off after years of so many projects being released.