A Conversation with Effie T. Brown

Join Effie T. Brown for a conversation with Lisa Cortés about her work as a producer and advocate for diversity and inclusion within the film industry. A producer of the NYFF60 Closing Night film The Inspection, Brown is CEO of Gamechanger Films, which produces, develops, and finances content by and about women, POC, LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities. Prior to joining Gamechanger, Brown produced Real Women Have Curves, Dear White People, HBO’s Project Greenlight, and executive produced Lee Daniels’ Star on FOX and Disney Channel’s Zombies.  Most recently, Effie’s Gamechanger Films co-financed Netflix’s Passing, directed by Rebecca Hall, a NYFF59 selection. Currently, Effie is showrunning A Fashion Tale, a four-part Disney+/VICE docu series to be hosted by Gwen Stefani.  As an active member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Brown serves as the Chair of the Academy Museum Inclusion Advisory Committee and is also a Board Member for the Museum.

Moderator Lisa Cortés is an Academy Award® nominated and Emmy-winning producer and director, renowned for creating challenging, visionary stories and empowering diverse voices. Her upcoming film credits include Little Richard: I Am Everything and The Empire of Ebony;  she is co-director of All In: The Fight For Democracy (Amazon Studios) and producer of the Emmy-nominated HBO documentary The Apollo. She was executive producer of the Academy Award-winning film Precious, and her film productions have received over 70 international awards and nominations. Lisa launched her early career as a music executive at the iconic Def Jam label and Rush Artist Management. Cortés has a first look deal with Blue Ant Studios with projects in development including a docuseries adaptation of Clover Hope’s The Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip Hop and scripted projects No Retreat and Little Apple. She is on the Board of Directors of Film at Lincoln Center.