Facilitated by Brittany Franklin from Minorities in Film.

Learn how to create a compelling, accessible visual strategy for your film. We’ll cover the essential parts of a film deck, ways to shape your project’s story and design, and how to adapt your deck for audiences such as funders and collaborators.

FWD-Doc members who attend the live session may be eligible to request a one-on-one office hour with Brittany Franklin at a later date to ask questions and get feedback on materials they’ve developed using what they learned in the webinar.

Members can RSVP via the registration link in the FB Group and Google Group. 

Accessibility: ASL interpretation, live captions, and transcription will be available. The registration form includes a line to share additional access needs. Please give us at least three business days’ notice so we can assist you.

About Brittany Franklin

Brittany Franklin is an award-recognized director, producer, and cultural strategist building the future of storytelling at the intersection of film, community, and brand power. She is the Founder of Cerebral Entertainment Studios, a creative studio known for turning bold ideas into culturally intelligent, audience-driven narratives — helping creators and production teams position their work for real-world impact and long-term value.

Her leadership and work have been recognized through the Warner Brothers Discovery Media Access Bootcamp, Sundance Uprising Grant, Carl Zydney Grant, The One Club's Gold Pencil for Creativity, and as one of The Gotham's Branded Storytellers to Watch, with additional recognition as a Shondaland x SeriesFest Women Directors finalist and Soho House Fellow.

As a Hard of Hearing artist, Brittany's creative lens is rooted in deep observation — emotional subtext, human behavior, and the invisible dynamics that shape identity and belonging in a hyper-connected world.

She is also the Founder of Minorities in Film (MiFiLM), a global collective amplifying BIPOC and disabled filmmakers through programming and cultural convenings across the U.S. and Berlin. Brittany is currently producing NATIVES (in production) and developing a psychological thriller about the consequences of being offline.

Across every room she enters — industry, community, or stage — Brittany is known for one thing: making people feel seen, and turning that truth into stories that move culture forward.

Follow Brittany’s work:

minoritiesinfilm.com  | cerebralentertainmentstudios.com

Substack @brittfranklin | Instagram @bybrittfranklin

Film Works for All is a webinar series that combines learning with practical application and experimentation. Participants will develop or refine storytelling skills from a disability perspective. Later, they can schedule one-on-one office hours with disabled filmmakers and industry professionals to ask questions, practice scenarios, or receive feedback on materials they worked on during the webinar.

Crip Connect is a space exclusively for FWD-Doc members who live with a disability or are still exploring their disability identity.

Join us to connect, share experiences, and build relationships with other disabled filmmakers and film industry professionals.

Please note that this is 1 of 2 sessions to choose from in order to reach different regions around the world. The registration form should automatically reflect your local time zone.

Members can RSVP via the registration link in the FB Group and Google Group. 

Accessibility: ASL interpretation, live captions, and transcription will be available. The registration form includes a line to share additional access needs. Please give us at least three business days’ notice so we can assist you.

Crip Connect is a space exclusively for FWD-Doc members who live with a disability or are still exploring their disability identity.

Join us to connect, share experiences, and build relationships with other disabled filmmakers and film industry professionals.

Please note that this is 1 of 2 sessions to choose from in order to reach different regions around the world. The registration form should automatically reflect your local time zone.

Members can RSVP via the registration link in the FB Group and Google Group. 

Accessibility: ASL interpretation, live captions, and transcription will be available. The registration form includes a line to share additional access needs. Please give us at least three business days’ notice so we can assist you.

Facilitated by Meier Galblum Haigh from Disability Culture Lab.

Build confidence talking about your film and creative practice in interviews, panels, and other public conversations. You’ll clarify your campaign’s purpose and key messages, develop a concise introduction, and practice interview techniques using templates and storytelling examples.

FWD-Doc members who attend the live session may also join a peer-to-peer practice session at a later date to apply what they learned.

Members can RSVP via the registration link in the FB Group and Google Group. 

Accessibility: ASL interpretation, live captions, and transcription will be available. The registration form includes a line to share additional access needs. Please give us at least three business days’ notice so we can assist you.

Film Works for All is a webinar series that combines learning with practical application and experimentation. Participants will develop or refine storytelling skills from a disability perspective. Later, they can schedule one-on-one office hours with disabled filmmakers and industry professionals to ask questions, practice scenarios, or receive feedback on materials they worked on during the webinar.

Facilitated by Naomi Middleton from AXS Film Fund.

Learn how to write a clear, persuasive grant application that reflects your project’s goals and disability perspective. We’ll explore how to interpret application guidelines, communicate your project’s story and impact, align your creative approach and budget with funder priorities, and address access needs in your application.

FWD-Doc members who attend the live session may be eligible to request a one-on-one office hour with Naomi Middleton at a later date to ask questions and get feedback on materials they’ve developed using what they learned in the webinar.

Members can RSVP via the registration link in the FB Group and Google Group. 

Accessibility: ASL interpretation, live captions, and transcription will be available. The registration form includes a line to share additional access needs. Please give us at least three business days’ notice so we can assist you.

About Naomi Middleton

Naomi Middleton is an independent filmmaker who is interested in stories that paint portraits of humanity in conversation with larger issues of human rights and social justice. Her short film HELO (Home, Education, Love, Opportunity) (2019), was an official judge’s selection and opened the Bennington Alumni Film & Creativity Festival in 2019. In 2021 she produced the short, Predicting My MS, for NOVA, which broadcast on PBS/NOVA in February 2022. She was an Associate Producer for Byron Hurt’s NOVA film, Lee & Liza’s Family Tree (2023). 

Naomi has worked with AXS Lab, a nonprofit media, technology, and disability rights advocacy organization for almost 10 years. She worked closely with AXS Lab's founder and president, on developing and securing funding for AXS Film Fund, to support documentary filmmakers and nonfiction new media creators who identify as being part of the BIPOC and Disability community. She currently serves as the program's director. Naomi is passionate about the intersection of art, social justice, and human rights, and is committed to fostering meaningful dialogues through creative work in the nonprofit and film sectors.

Watch Predicting My MS, a short film produced by Naomi.

Film Works for All is a webinar series that combines learning with practical application and experimentation. Participants will develop or refine storytelling skills from a disability perspective. Later, they can schedule one-on-one office hours with disabled filmmakers and industry professionals to ask questions, practice scenarios, or receive feedback on materials they worked on during the webinar.