Written by Becca Wolfe, Image by Becca Wolfe
Elon Joi Washington is a creative producer, screenwriter and the CEO and founder of Black Film Allegiance based in Los Angeles. When Washington is not working on her nonprofit or creating for herself, she is working in development for film and TV, a subject she studied in SCAD’s M.F.A. program in 2014-2015. She is currently employed at WBTV, having previously worked with production companies including Monkey Paw Productions.
Washington said she started the Black Film Allegiance as a source of collaboration among Black filmmakers. When she originally started, she would host parties or events, which helped her form a community of aspiring creators. Over time the company has outgrown L.A. and can now be seen internationally.
Washington explained that the main goal of the Black Film Allegiance is to create accessibility for people of color and a platform for their work. The company collects information and distributes it to other artists via Instagram and their website. Some forms of content they showcase are the Black filmmaker directory, podcasts, videos and, coming soon, industry mentorships.
One huge aspect of her company is that they provide a place for artists who may not be able to afford or can not obtain a place to showcase their work for potential job opportunities. Most recently the company has introduced a podcast where they give advice for future filmmakers in the industry.
Washington stated the turning point for her was that she did not want to get caught up in a cycle of being misunderstood, as many of us do. While she said she appreciates her education, she also knows that the diversity in these spaces was not set to a high enough standard. This became an obstacle when she was in search of feedback on topics that her professor or classmates had little to no experience in.
SCAD created a sense of hope within Washington when she was able to have professors that not only looked like her, but also were able to give her the level of feedback she’d been craving. “Use [your time at SCAD] to make mistakes, use that time to take risks and figure out what you might be into,” said Washington, “Take classes that maybe aren’t in line with your major, just to see what it’s like. I think it’s important to create a tribe of people from different disciplines. Creating that lane of people that can support one another, that’s how you make the business.”
When she relocated to L.A. to attend the New York Film Academy, however, Washington said it was a big change of pace compared to SCAD. “There were a lot of awkward moments at table reads where you just don’t even want classmates saying certain things,” said Washington.
Washington said that feeling a need for a space for artists of color to feel like they belonged led to her creating a community outside of her education. This community has now grown into the Black Film Allegiance.
