The District of Columbia Office of Motion Picture and Television Development is pleased to honor Ada M. Babino, founder of Jezebel Filmworks and BlackFilmMakers.net, as the June 2011 Filmmaker of the Month.
Ada Babino is a producer, director and writer with more than twenty years’ experience in video and film production. She founded Jezebel Filmworks, a production service company that served as the impetus for her independently produced half-hour docu-drama entitled Middle Passage -N- Roots. The video, which explores the diverse opinions, identity concerns, and styles of black hair, was selected as part of Showtime Network’s 1998 Black Filmmaker’s showcase.
She has worked in a variety of roles over the years as a freelance video technician, production manager, assistant director, field producer, publicist and events planner. As a producer-for-hire, she has produced videos for a number of local production companies and organizations such as: Paul Wagner Productions, Rubicon Productions, US Customs, New Millennium Studios, The Women’s Bar Association, the Fannie Mae Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health. Through Jezebel Filmworks, she was commissioned to produce two specials, Blues & Dreams and Romare Bearden: The Main Ingredients, which aired on Black Entertainment Television in 2003. She also worked as a special projects producer at Black Entertainment Television’s cable jazz channel, BET On Jazz from 1997-2001. Her independent film experience began in the mid-eighties working through the ranks as a production coordinator to the line roducer for the highly acclaimed film, Sankofa and publicist during its 1994-95 national limited commercial release.
Ada is the founder of BlackFilmMakers.net, a website designed to connect independent filmmakers and fans worldwide, and expose audiences to workshops, film programming and exhibition outlets. She programmed a film exhibition series entitled Griot Cinema, which presented independent showcases in the heart of Washington, DC. Her booking agency, Nommo Speaker’s Bureau, books a range of Black independent filmmakers for speaking engagements at educational institutions around the world. Notable veteran clients include: Haile Gerima, Charles Burnett, Euzhan Palcy and Raoul Peck.
The DC Film Office launched the Filmmaker of the Month initiative to feature a District-based filmmaker who exemplifies the vast amount of talent and creativity based here in the nation’s capital. The Filmmaker of the Month initiative is part of its mission to elevate the national and international profile of the city’s most talented filmmakers. Previous filmmakers honored include Money Matters director Ryan Richmond and The West Wing producer Jonathan Zurer.
You can visit the June Filmmaker of the Month section to learn more about Ada.