The Inaugural
Artist Fellowship
What is it?
The BNA Artist Fellowship is a new short film program for Black creatives in animation. This professional-level incubator is designed to put bold, original voices at center stage, with creative and financial support. This fellowship will support 3-5 teams with stipends, mentorship, and creative resources to develop an animated short over the course of several months. Rooted in community and artistic freedom, the program culminates in a public screening celebrating the power of storytelling — by artists, for artists.
What you get
Stipends*
Creative Mentorship
Your Story on Screen
Production Support
Artistic Freedom
*depending on funding
What it is not
A fully-scaled animation residency
A replacement for paid job placement
A student-level film program
An open call for series pitches
Bold, brilliant, and Black—this is the kind of talent reshaping the industry.
BNA Artist Credit (left to right): Alexis Page, Austin Faber, and Stephanie Snider
Experience is cool. Passion is better.
Why this fellowship matters:
Black artists are still vastly underrepresented in animation—especially when it comes to telling our own stories. Access to mentorship, funding, and industry connections is often gatekept. We’re changing that. By donating, you’re funding unapologetic, original Black-led storytelling and investing in the future of the animation industry—one where we write the script.
This is not just a Fellowship - it’s a movement for narrative equity in animation.