We Are Parable: Experience over Everything

Industry is at the heart of everything we do here at Screen and Film School Manchester, and we are absolutely delighted to welcome We Are Parable to our family of industry partners.

We Are Parable is a husband-and-wife team who decided one day to start screening Black cinema from Black audiences in their local cinema. When we say screenings, we mean a full immersive experience that incorporates every sense of the word. These events started to make a name for the duo and got them noticed by non-other than Spike Lee.

From their beginnings in 2013 they have gone from strength to strength and have now announced a new partnership with Channel 4. The two companies have joined forces to deliver a brand-new initiative – MOMENTUM 2022 – The Movement Continues. They describe it as a “nationwide mentoring, training and mental health programme for Black Filmmakers and Content Creators.”

Anyone can apply for this scheme which will be rolled out for 60 filmmakers across six cities. Lucky for the Screen and Film School, Manchester and Birmingham are on the list.

At an event at HOME Manchester, the Film School went to see We Are Parable’s latest film screening – Who We Are. Our students and staff watched a specially selected group of films made by POC, followed with a Q&A and then networking in the bar.

One of the founders, Anthony Andrews, said of their relationship with Screen and Film School Manchester – “We’re thrilled to be working with the Screen and Film School. We feel that our shared objectives in equipping the next generation of filmmakers they need to navigate their careers is one that will undoubtedly lead to a productive and long-term relationship.”

Screen and Film School Manchester are set to welcome We are Parable to our school for an in-person screening and Q&A in March 2022. The films that will be screened are a series of films in collaboration with Film4 called FORESIGHT. This is a selection of Science Fiction films that have been made by Black filmmakers, and are designed to make audiences think about a well-loved genre in a slightly different angle.

The newly appointed Access and Participation Co-ordinator, at the Screen and Film School Manchester, Clara Thomas said of her meeting We Are Parable, “The FORESIGHT screening reconstructs genre conventions and was a great chance for Screen and Film School students to reflect on the importance of understanding unconscious bias as the next generation of filmmakers and encourage real change in the industry. Working with Teanne, Anthony, and the We Are Parable team is just the beginning of this.”

One of the first opportunity’s that We Are Parable have offered our students is a new partnership with an online streaming platform called MUBI. We Are Parable have released a new series called Cut to Black, Celebrating Black Cinema. This deal is available to any Screen and Film School student at all 3 of our campuses. To redeem visit: www.mubi.com/weareparable

We are so excited about this partnership and we look forward to welcoming Anthony and Teanne to Screen and Film School Manchester in March 2022. Watch this space for more exciting news from We Are Parable!

---