Macro and Andreessen Horowitz’s Cultural Leadership Fund (CLF) announced the inaugural class for The Epigraph Creator Fellowship, a unique program that pairs filmmakers with frontier AI tools to integrate into their creative process.
The selected fellows are Bianca Lambert, Chazitear Martin, John Burr, Justice Whitaker, Nick Barili, Sulayman Tahir and Tedra Wilson. Their projects have been featured in and recognized by Tribeca, the American Black Film Festival (ABFF), Slamdance, Essence Film Festival, as well as on streaming platforms such as Amazon’s Prime Video, HBO Max, Paramount+ and Netflix.
Macro — the multi-platform entertainment company representing BIPOC voices and perspectives with projects like “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “One of Them Days,” “Gentefied” and “Sorry to Bother You” — partnered with a16z’s Cultural Leadership Fund (CLF) — Silicon Valley’s first venture capital fund consisting exclusively of Black cultural leaders and organizations committed to Black wealth generation — to launch the fellowship program. Its premise, a press release explains, is simple: “Creators who have always defined culture should have direct access to the technology tools helping to shape how stories get told.”
“Storytellers have always led the way, setting the direction and shaping the culture,” said Stacey Walker King, Macro’s chief brand officer, announcing the inaugural class. “The Epigraph Creator Fellowship puts the power of today’s technology directly in their hands so they can expand and build the worlds they envision on their own terms. Technology doesn’t lead creativity. Creators do, and now they have the tools to go even further.”
Judene Small Jean-Louis, partner, a16z Cultural Leadership Fund, added: “An epigraph frames meaning before the story even begins. We built this fellowship because creators and technologists are shaping storytelling in real time — but too often in silos. Epigraph brings them into the same room, creating real exposure on both sides and shifting how technology and culture come together.”
Over eight weeks, the Epigraph Creator fellows will receive hands-on instruction and production resources, culminating in a public showcase of original work at Macro’s Summer House Creator Summit in Los Angeles this summer. Program collaborators OpenAI, ElevenLabs, Gamma, Promise Studios, Descript, Coactive and Curious Refuge will provide fellows with direct access to their platforms and tailored instruction on integrating these tools across the creative process.
For more information on the fellowship, visit the Epigraph’s website.
[Pictured above, top row: Bianca Lambert, Chazitear Martin, John Burr, Justice Whitaker; bottom row: Nick Barili, Sulayman Tahir and Tedra Wilson.]
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