Black Girl Film School provides a 100% online curriculum, including “Film Foundation” courses that allow students to learn from industry professionals. (Photo courtesy of BGFS Facebook page)
Filling the Gap for Young Women
During Women’s History Month, the NBA Foundation spotlights organizations working to open doors for young women to grow and succeed in their chosen fields. Based in Los Angeles, Black Girl Film School has spent the past 10 years supporting women as they matriculate and redefine what it means to make a profound impact in the film industry.
Founder and Executive Director of BGFS, Jayda Imanlihen, said, “The gap I was hoping to fill with Black Girl Film School is to improve academic outcomes and opportunities to elevate Black female leadership, including teachers and professors, and to invite technology into the conversation.”
Programs, Opportunities and NBA Foundation Support
BGFS provides free 12-week online film production and digital literacy programs for girls aged 13-17, focusing on behind-the-camera roles in TV, film and animation. The organization offers a curriculum in screenwriting, directing and cinematography, using mentoring to prepare students for college and careers in media.
In partnership with the NBA Foundation and partnering organizations, including the Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers, BGFS has expanded not only its offerings but also its community. When BGFS became a Los Angeles Youth Foundation grantee, they launched their 12-week flagship Film Foundations Program.
From Student to Senior: A Lasting Impact
With 2026 being BGFS’s 10-year anniversary, Imanlihen has been able to reflect on her past students and see where they are now.
“We’re starting to see where those girls who started with us are landing post-college,” Imanlihen exclaimed. “So for me, I think that’s extremely exciting to see what the pipeline is doing, and what they’ll do next.”
Rachel Smith, who started with the organization in 2020 as a high school sophomore, is now in her senior year on a full scholarship to Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism and Media. Imanlihen said she is preparing to return to California this summer for an internship, focusing on storytelling and data analytics.
Building the Next Decade
As it enters its second decade, Imanlihen said BGFS aims to expand in-person programming. While virtual classes will remain, she believes additional physical locations will help build a stronger community for students and their families.
“We’ve seen our impact when we are able to reach one girl, we’re also able to reach her family and community just by serving that girl,” said Imanlihen. “Having physical STEAM labs within the community and partnering with libraries that work with schools and afterschool programs, solidifies our presence in the communities we serve and gives us an opportunity to evolve what we offer.”
Imanlihen also said BGFS is looking to dive deeper into data analytics, focusing on “understanding what key performance indicators are and how to determine what those same people who are financing films and financing campaigns look at to inform storytelling.”
