Mission Statement
The Bronx Independent Cinema Center (BICC) unites filmmakers from diverse backgrounds with a shared passion for learning and thriving in our communities.
Established in 2022, we’re a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. EIN #: 92-0975367
History
Founder and filmmaker Gregory Hernandez is a co-founder of Bronx Film 48, a community-based organization launched in 2019. A Bronx native, he’s experienced in video production, post-production, nonprofit management, consulting, copywriting, fundraising, and creative writing. Gregory graduated from Binghamton University with a Bachelors’ Degree in English and Theatre and created BICC to address the needs of our cinematic community.
Vision
We envision BICC as a refuge for movie lovers and filmmakers in various phases of development while also building on the needs of uptown New York City. We’re committed to nurturing a robust filmmaking community and talent pipeline to and from the Bronx while increasing tourism, creating jobs, and stimulating our local economy.
Community storytellers will be needed more than ever as the city rebuilds, reimagines, and reinvents itself to be better than ever. They’ll be critical to communicating these narratives in positive and authentic ways so that all our communities are represented in the New York City of the future, those of immigrants and people of color most of all.
BICC Timeline
Year One (2023) - Through partnerships with the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, NYC Parks Departments, Department of Transportation and the New York Public Library we will host outdoor screenings throughout the Spring and Summer (parks and drive-ins) to ensure we are the number one brand for showcasing indie cinema in the borough. We expect to make a marketing and media splash by raising awareness of our mission statement and goals by reaching our first fundraising goal of $250,000.
Year Three (2025) - Exceed the main fundraising goal of $3,000,000. Host a grand opening of our Bronx Independent Cinema Center. Launch the Bronx Independent Film Festival. Hold our first fellowship cohort of 5 narrative feature filmmakers and 5 short documentary filmmakers. Host rooftop, park and drive-in screenings in The Bronx. Hold our very first award ceremony for our film festival and provide awards. Conduct our first film festival trips to Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island. Screen the 10 films from our fellowship program.
Year Five (2028) - Host a film summit to bring a greater amount of resources to filmmakers in our program. Establish a strong coalition between the Ghetto Film School, Bronx Documentary Center, Cinema School and the colleges/universities in The Bronx. Host a career day at York and Silvercup Studios. Put the Bronx Independent Film Festival on the map as the #1 festival in the Bronx. Achieve a fundraising goal of $2.5 million to create the Bronx to Hollywood program. Increase the fellowship program to 20 filmmakers.
Year Seven (2030) - Complete construction of second movie theater space in The Bronx. Reach an annual budget of $6,000,000. Increase the organization size to 75. Expand the Bronx Independent Film Festival from a weekend to a week long festival. Expand the annual fellowship program to 25 filmmakers (10 features, 10 shorts, 5 series).
Contact Us.
For General Inquiries: bronxindiecinemacenter@gmail.com
For Events/Programs: admin@bronxindependentcinemacenter.com
For Partnership Opportunities: info@bronxindependentcinemacenter.com