02/19/2026
Word is Bond + Cinema Athletica teach young Black men about film making!
Check out these behind the scenes pictures of the GOTE Mentality workshop led by filmmaker Jared Leaf.
“Access changes everything. I wanted these young creatives to see that careers in film and storytelling are real, achievable paths for people like them, and provide them with an experience that’s fun, competitive, and engaging. Sometimes all you need is an entry point.”
Jared is the director of CHURCHY Season 2 on BET+ as well as the writer and director of Spilled Milk, a short film produced under Jordan Peale’s Monkeypaw Productions.
During the workshop, Jared, along with his mentor Vijay Rajan, who flew from Detroit to support the workshop, taught Word is Bond ambassadors all the behind the scenes elements of writing directing a film. The interactive workshop concluded with live filming with a full film crew.
A big thank you to Jared, his company Cinema Atheltica and his crew who volunteered & collaborated on on this event. A special thank you to Joe Bowden for opening his studio Desert Island Studio, for hosting the event.
Special thanks to for photography along with and several others for making the event a huge success.
Word is Bond is 501(c)(3) nonprofit leadership incubator for young Black men based out of Portland, Oregon. Learn more and make a tax-deductible donation at wordisbond.org
Stay tuned for Word is Bond’s next project that opens new opportunities and career paths for young Black men.
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