By Emily Barnes
ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR
“I will be the first African American woman to win an Oscar for directing,” Raven Cordice vehemently stated without any room for hesitation. “I would like to create work that really makes you think.”
As the president of Hofstra’s NAACP Chapter and now Film Forward, Cordice, a senior television and film production major, sought to create an organization where students of color feel welcome while creating and perfecting their crafts.
The foundation for the organization took root as Cordice observed a lack of students that looked like her in a film club on campus as well as within her field of study.
“Granted, that is the norm for the business I want to go into,” Cordice said about this perceived absence of diversity. “But at the same time, [on campus] that doesn’t have to be a thing.”
Film Forward focuses on equipping students with the tools necessary to build a well-versed portfolio to carry out into the real world. Students will work alongside a team to be able to produce, direct and act in their own projects, including short films and web series. “The more experience the better,” Cordice said.
The framework for this organization, as Cordice emphasized, is to promote networking amongst people with a common interest in film. “I want to have big name directors of color – Black, Hispanic, Asian – coming to speak to our organization because often times we’re overlooked on this campus,” she said. “We don’t get those opportunities to network and meet people in the industry and learn their stories as motivation to say, ‘Okay, here’s what I’m doing now. Here’s how I can go where they are.’”
Hofstra’s unique Bachelor of Science program encourages multifaceted students interested in exploring the technicalities supporting television and film production to pursue both realms. For Cordice, this two-in-one opportunity was a major deciding factor in choosing to attend school away from her home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“Hofstra offers me the education that I know I’m not going to get anywhere else,” Cordice said. “Not many schools will offer TV and film together because there’s so much that goes into both.”
Restructuring the way people of color are portrayed on screen begins with first diversifying the individuals operating behind the scenes, writing, producing and directing. Over the summer while working as a production assistant on a Lifetime movie filmed in Pittsburgh, Cordice saw a first-hand account of the impact of a limited production crew. “I want to change [that lack of color on set] … I want my set to be predominately people of color. When you go on set, you see yourself.”
Upon graduating in the spring, Cordice is preparing to establish a solid footing for Film Forward that will allow the organization to offer as much hands-on experience as possible.
“There are a ton of teenagers out there who are already in the industry, so there’s no excuse as to why we can’t [be doing the same things]” she said, emphasizing the need to be experienced with a wide range of professional skills.
Social injustice is an overarching topic that Cordice has always been passionate about, especially when it comes to her relationship with television and film. “I would love to change the world with my work,” she said.
Cordice hopes to transmit the message of education through creative outlets to students taking part in Film Forward.
