The Shoreline Film Office is pleased to share the first of three short videos highlighting local BIPOC-owned small businesses!
Presented by Alma Mía Productions
The Shoreline Film Office is pleased to share with you the now completed Local Business BIPOC Film Project! This project was spearheaded by the City of Shoreline, ShoreLake Arts, and Shoreline Community College, with major support from the Port of Seattle back in early June of 2021.
The goal of this initiative is to promote content that celebrates diversity within the Shoreline business community and help support the local growing media production industry. Other project goals include:
Support filmmakers getting back to work with an emphasis on those additionally disadvantaged by discrimination and unconscious bias.
Identify lessons learned and recommendations for the Shoreline Film Office to center BIPOC filmmakers in growing its media production industry.
- Now let’s meet our first local business! -
We’re very excited to spotlight Black Coffee Northwest in the first video release from this series! Owners Darnesha and Erwin Weary opened their business in Shoreline in October of 2020.
About Black Coffee Northwest: Black Coffee Northwest is about energy and creativity, and we exist to inspire and energize our community alike. We start with the best coffee and the best baristas around, add amazing local art, and bring you the most interesting publications from the world over.
Defining the space between your home and everywhere else. Black Coffee Northwest is a meeting place rooted in current culture. Our coffee bar has its own personality reflective of those in our community. Black Coffee Northwest is a place where people meet, cultivate relationships, and develop ideas. It's a place for people to step back from the daily hustle and enjoy an exceptional beverage.
“This is a space that is clearly and definitely needed in this area, and community. Watching our [interns] launch and grow to be these amazing leaders is so great for us, and that's what we wanted, my husband and I. That's another reason why we started this business. Also, as a model to show that our youth can lead, and we wanted to show that Black people can do it too.”
- Darnesha Weary
Shoreline Location Address: 16743 Aurora Ave North, Shoreline WA 98133
- A word from Director Sandra Garcia-Arceo -
“Black Coffee Northwest is heavily investing in cultivating a community for the youth and small owned businesses, so it is extremely exciting to be able to shed a light on just a small portion of their work.
We will be releasing videos for Black Coffee Northwest, Plaza Latina and Teriyaki Plus which are all BIPOC-owned, and women-owned Shoreline businesses. These businesses all focus on creating a community, whether that means creating a hub for youth, access to food from an array of countries, or bringing a piece of home and comfort through food. Being able to tell their stories was very touching because we were able to see how each owner has fostered a family with their colleagues and community.”
- Sandra Garcia-Arceo
The Shoreline Film Office would like to thank the participating businesses in this project for allowing Alma Mía Productions to interview and spend time filming in their workspace. We also want to thank Sandra Garcia-Arceo for taking the lead on this production and directing three wonderful videos in our first year. And of course a big thank you to the entire crew!
Director: Sandra Garcia-Arceo
Cinematographer: Avery Johnson
1st AC: Brandon Ramirez
Gaffer: Khalil Diop
Grip: Brandon Harano
Swing: Nikke Kwok
Sound Mixer: Daniel Tran
Boom Op: Serg Demircan
CCO: Sierra Jones PA: Mar Trevino
Editor: Brandon Harano
Colorist: T.K. Johnson
Music Composer: Jeff Chambers
Made possible by contributions from: Port of Seattle
ShoreLake Arts
City of Shoreline
Shoreline Community College
Shoreline Film Office
Many thanks to the Port of Seattle for your support and help to make this project a reality!