Today we’d like to introduce you to Bobbi Broome.
Hi Bobbi, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I began as a baby filmmaker in middle school creating shorts with my friends. We came up with silly little short scripts, filmed them, and posted them to our joint YouTube channel. We had lots of fun together just being creative and dwelling in it together. By the time I got to high school, I became caught up in the whirlwind that is adolescence. I left filmmaking in the dust to focus on boybands, Twilight, the Hunger Games, and keeping up my Tumblr account. I went on to undergrad at Kent State University and studied psychology with my goal to be a forensic psychologist for the FBI, then a family counselor, and eventually a therapist for middle school girls. However, I never felt 100% certain about these prospects. In my sophomore year of undergrad, I took my first Pan-African studies class that completely changed my life. My entire identity as a Black American woman seemed to click together at last. So much of my inner turmoil was being unwound within a single semester. This was so transformative that I figured the masses needed to know about this information I was learning. I could not be the only person feeling this way. I thought the best way to do this would be through mass media and film. So, on I went and I changed my minor to Digital Media Production with the intent to work as a cinematographer in the film industry. I had always been interested in photography and cameras so this was the obvious choice. Within six months I changed my minor, wrote and directed a short film titled Make My Divine with a rag-tag group of friends, submitted it to ConnectHER Film Festival (then Girls Impact The World Film Festival), and was accepted as a finalist. I could not believe the success I had in such a short amount of time. I was so excited to go to my first-ever film festival. The glitz, the glam, the flashing lights, Hollywood. I felt it all. I did not win, but I was simply honored to even be a finalist.
I finished my final semester at Kent State and decided to apply for film school. A minor in Digital Media Production simply was not going to cut it. So, I went for the best of the best. I applied for the University of Southern California’s MFA degree in Film and TV Production. While I waited to hear back, I moved to Los Angeles and immediately hit the ground running. I reached out to hundreds of people asking to PA on their sets. One person replied and got me a job. All it takes is one person to take a chance on you. I then worked on sets for Issa Rae Productions, VH1, Netflix, and NBCUniversal. Unfortunately, COVID hit and everything halted. I spent my free days practicing new hobbies. Embroidery, roller skating, relearning how to play the flute. I watched countless TV shows until one day, I heard back from USC. I had got in. I was accepted into one of the best film schools in the world. I could barely believe it. I had one solid film under my belt, and I could see my entire future on the horizon.
Starting film school during a pandemic is not for the weak. It was tough. Long days and nights on Zoom, writing and directing films 100% virtually, I grew gray hairs and my skin broke out horribly from stress. But I continued. Eventually, school opened up for in-person learning, and I progressed in my degree. It was incredibly tough. I struggled and didn’t make as many connections as I thought I would within my cohort. People grouped up, I felt left out. I didn’t seem to carry the same spark that they all did. Something was not gelling for me, and I was so frustrated and upset with myself for not “trusting the process.” Everything changed for me when in December of 2021, I landed a job at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. I was obsessed. For context, I grew up in the DC metropolitan area. Those of us from there fondly call it the DMV. I spent the majority of my adolescence walking around the city spending time in the city’s free Smithsonian museums. I had always wanted to work in a museum, but I had never put two and two together that I could. I didn’t know anyone who worked at one and it always just seemed like a far-off dream until I got the perfect job. Working at a film museum. This job changed the entire course of my life and career.
I discovered what film curation is. Eventually, I discovered film festival programming. This heavily sparked my interest. I dove into research and began to pick up internships that would be beneficial to someday working as a film festival programmer. This entire time, I battled with internal guilt. I’m going to school at one of the most prestigious and highly sought-after film schools while pursuing something not related to film production. It made me feel like I was not even trying. I beat myself up about it day in and day out. Every time I told someone what I wanted to do, I would cry. Eventually, I had to stand in my truth and admit to myself that the idea of being a full-time programmer was more appealing to me than working on and creating narrative films. I specify narrative films because my last semester of grad school at USC, I had the opportunity I had been waiting for my entire time there. I was the cinematographer for a documentary called A Proper Education. I have always been a huge fan of non-fiction content. I grew up watching nothing but TLC, Animal Planet, and MTV. The film that I used to submit to USC was a documentary for crying out loud. My entire experience shooting this doc gave me a whirlwind romance of documentary filmmaking and what it means to be a filmmaker.
I graduated from USC in May 2023 and this entire summer, I programmed for the DTLA Film Festival, the Los Angeles Diversity Festival, Cinequest, and most recently, the Pan-African Film Festival. Whenever I get the chance to review a documentary, I am giddy. Recently, I accepted a job offer from the Sundance Institute as their Festival Coordinator, Programming. It is very overwhelming how quickly things have fallen into place for me. But, I did not get here easily. It took tears, frustration, hard work, diligence, sacrifices. I know this seems like I have just jumped from one to the other at the drop of the hat however, I have worked for every opportunity I have been given. Research, preparation, planning, execution, and then finally, I reap the benefits of my hard work.
I am so grateful for everyone I have met along the way who has spoken with me and mentored me. In the future, my goal is to be a full-time film programmer. Working with big names such as Sundance, Canne, Tribeca, TIFF, etc. Maybe even getting an invite to the Oscars! I would love to focus on feature-length and short-film documentaries. Everything I have done as far as filmmaking is concerned has been motivated by the idea of representation. All of our stories matter and we all deserve to be heard. As a Black American woman, I prioritize creating stories related to the Black American experience; however, I am not naive to the various intersections of those around me. As a programmer, representation is also crucial to me. The films that are seen and heard have to be meaningful and impactful to the audiences who will be watching them. This is how as a culture, we move and grow forward. There is no time for regression. Together as a film industry, we must be diligent, march forward, take notes from those who come before us, and always keep in mind those who will come after us. And most importantly, keep the love of filmmaking forever in our hearts.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a film festival programmer and a documentary filmmaker. A film festival programmer is someone who judges films and picks the ones best suited for a festival. While the quality of films definitely comes into play, the theme of that years festival and which films will work best with each other is also essential. It is like putting together a puzzle of which will go where and why. Right now, I have been programming narrative and documentary films however, in the future, I would love to work exclusively with documentaries and also be the head of programming for a big name festival such as Sundance, Canne, TIFF, Tribeca, etc. I am most proud of recently landing a job with Sundance as their Festival Coordinator, Programming for the upcoming festival circuit.
I have worked tirelessly and often, for free to get this position. I am passionate about films and festivals and believe this is the route that I am meant to take. I am set apart from others because I lead objectively but also with the idea of inclusivity in mind. We all have our personal biases, and judging something as subjective as an art form can be tough. However, I have years of experience in making films and being critiqued myself so I know what it takes. With the technical and creative knowledge I carry, I can program from that perspective but also in the back of my head, think about which films are most meaningful and impactful in this current moment. What will make a big splash with current audiences? What is something we have not yet seen that will progress our festival forward?
As a filmmaker, I am automatically set apart because no one has my exact personal and emotional experiences. No one is me. We all carry our own signature. I specialize in creating art that is personal and unique to me and my life. Stories relating to women, children, Blackness, and Black womanhood hold a special place in my heart and are things that I do not take lightly. Documentary filmmaking is tough. Sometimes you’re on the ground running and other times you are in the editing room for years and years. I have plenty of ideas ready to come to the surface. It is all about timing, dedication, and when to make a move.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
COVID taught me it is okay to slow down. As a notorious busybody, being forced to not work was the toughest thing for me to handle. I have the undying need to constantly be creating, working, and thinking about the next move. It gets tiring after a while but I simply have no other way to operate. But then, COVID. And I HAD to stop working. The first few days it was fun. By week two, I was in shambles. I immediately started making to-do lists, hobbies I would pick up, things I would write, and businesses I would create. I had overwhelmed myself to the point of having nowhere to start. It got to the point where I had to just sit down and realize that it was okay to give myself some time to rest. So, for about one month straight, it was me and Netflix.
In month two, I started trying new things. Embroidery, roller skating, taking walks around the neighborhood. Really sitting with myself and allowing fun and leisurely activities instead of highly intense and stressful activities like to-do lists and beating myself up for both getting enough done. Since COVID, I set personal boundaries for myself. After 8 p.m., I close my laptop and do not answer business-related emails and calls unless it is highly urgent. I have a reasonable schedule that has times set in for meal breaks and leisure. I allow myself to relax and no longer feel guilty about it. That is the best thing COVID has given me a space to give myself grace.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bobbibroome.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/bobbi.broome
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbi-broome-42976a129/
Image Credits
Dante Bailey
