Social Impact
18 October 2024
Link copied to clipboardIndustry Standard announced the 2024/25 Experience Residencies cohort: Carmen Bartolome, Honesty Taszhé, Wesley Harris, Ihunmehai “Ihums” Isaac, and Dave Kalema. Experience Residencies, the first initiative from Industry Standard, places emerging post-production professionals within top-tier entertainment environments across film, television, advertising, branded content and gaming.
Experience Residents will join renowned production companies including Campfire Studios, Library Films, RadicalMedia, Story Syndicate and Union Editorial for a nine-month residency, where they will contribute to high-profile projects. Selected through a rigorous process from hundreds of qualified applicants, Experience Residents will take on roles in archival producing, editorial, and post-producing. Supported by the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity, the program is designed to increase access, opportunities and growth in the creative industries with a focus on mentorship, career development and navigation.
Campfire Studios welcomes resident Wesley Harris in the archival producing track. Harris joins the residency having gained experience on projects for The New York Times and Al Jazeera English, and as an associate producer for Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power. Harris's interests include the use of ephemeral digital material in archives, media restoration, and political ecology.
Campfire Studios, known for its diverse slate of scripted and nonfiction content, is the studio behind some of the most-viewed programming today, including Netflix’s American Murder: Laci Peterson, America’s Sweethearts:The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and Hulu’s Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer. Campfire’s most recent releases, The Money Game: LSU and The Menendez Brothers, are currently streaming on Prime Video and Netflix, respectively.
Library Films, helmed by filmmaker Chris Smith, welcomes Dave Kalema as a resident in the editorial track. Kalema, a Ugandan-American documentary filmmaker and editor, focuses on stories of belonging, identity, and transformation. Kalema is a documentary filmmaker and two-time StorySLAM Champion, and he has appeared on NPR’s The Pulse. Kalema recently completed the Handy Foundation's Assistant Editor Training Program.
Kalema said: "Put simply, being selected as a resident is the highlight of my career. Growing up as a first-generation Ugandan-American, I didn’t get opportunities to dream of a career in entertainment. The chance to contribute to premium documentaries with the support of Industry Standard, Library Films, and Netflix offers the privilege of developing my craft with mentorship from filmmakers and editors whose work I deeply admire."
Chris Smith’s projects include the Emmy-nominated documentaries Jim & Andy, FYRE, Tiger King, and Emmy-winning 100 Foot Wave. Chris's latest feature, Devo, premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Recent Library Films releases include Mr. McMahon, a documentary series for Netflix, chronicling the rise and fall of WWE founder Vince McMahon.
RadicalMedia welcomes Ihunmehai “Ihums” Isaac as a resident in the editorial track. Ihums is an editor from Edo State, Nigeria, with a master's degree in Media Management from The New School. Isaac’s portfolio includes collaborations with MTV, BBC, MOMA, and Victoria's Secret, and lead assistant editor at Dakoit Pictures, contributing to the Sundance documentary TikTok Boom. Ms. Isaac is passionate about impactful storytelling, particularly in mental health and sustainability.
Isaac shared: "Being selected as a resident is not just a milestone; it’s the beginning of a transformative journey. I am excited to embrace the challenges ahead, learn from inspiring mentors, and contribute to meaningful work.”
RadicalMedia is a creative company working across every medium and genre of entertainment, including film, television, advertising, design, digital content, and immersive experiences. Radical's documentary work has won Academy Awards® for Summer of Soul and The Fog of War, and was nominated for Netflix's What Happened, Miss Simone? and Paradise Lost. At this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, Radical premiered Hollywood Black, a documentary series directed by Justin Simien, starring Issa Rae and Lena Waithe, which tells the epic story of the actors, writers, directors, and producers who fought for their place in the entertainment industry. Upcoming projects include Questlove’s Earth Wind and Fire documentary feature and a film of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Merrily We Roll Along.
Story Syndicate welcomes Honesty Taszhé as a resident in the post-production track. A Kansas City native, Taszhé is a producer, writer, and director whose work explores the identity, love, and loss struggles of Black women and girls. Her 2019 short film Post Miseriam won the Missouri Broadcast Educators Association Award, and her short JEN won Best Heartland Short at the Kansas City FilmFest International 2024. As a Black disabled woman, Taszhé is committed to amplifying the voices of those from marginalized communities.
Taszhé notes: “Being selected as an Industry Standard resident feels like a dream come true. As a Kansas City native, I’ve been working diligently within the Midwest bubble to grow in my creative practice and make profound connections, so receiving this opportunity feels not only like a big break but also reminds me how much hard work and passion do pay off.”
Story Syndicate, founded in 2019 by Academy Award and Emmy® Award winners Liz Garbus and Dan Cogan, specializes in premium nonfiction and scripted content, fostering innovative storytelling in a rapidly evolving media landscape. Upcoming releases from Story Syndicate include a Billie Jean King documentary co-directed by Liz Garbus and Elizabeth Wolff for ESPN; the double feature Number One on the Call Sheet chronicling the stories of Black actors and actresses in Hollywood with producers Jamie Foxx, Kevin Hart, Angela Bassett, and Halle Berry for Apple; Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara directed by Erin Lee Carr for Hulu; as well as upcoming series with Netflix and Amazon.
Union Editorial welcomes Carmen Bartolome as an editorial resident focusing on long-form content. A graduate of LA Film School, Bartolome grew up in Guatemala, where storytelling was integral to her life. Her passion for editing developed as she discovered how her innate sense of rhythm aligned with her creative vision.
Bartolome stated: "Being selected as a resident is a dream come true. It's a chance to dream bigger, learn from the best, and contribute to the storytelling world I’ve always admired. I’m excited to embrace this journey and see what’s next."
Union Editorial, with offices in Los Angeles, New York, Austin, and London (in alliance with Marshall Street Editors), is renowned for its commercial and brand editorial work. Union’s work in original content includes Netflix's Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival; The Easy Kind, an indie narrative directed by Katy Chevigny; and a Netflix documentary series in collaboration with Vox Media and Nomadica Films to be released in 2025.
Contact Information:
For more information, please contact: Bedonna@industrystandard.work