About
Our Story
The Black Association of Documentary Filmmakers West (BADWest) was formed in July of 2003 by iconic filmmaker St. Clair Bourne as a collective of documentary filmmakers of African descendant working and residing on the West Coast. Since its inception we have continually held monthly general meeting providing industry speakers, information on resources for production, funding sources, festivals and distribution; as well as screening works-in-progress and completed docs for feedback and discussion. Our members are diverse in experience, and range from recent film-school grads to to experience documentary filmmakers with award winning features produced for major broadcast outlets.
2007, unexpectedly became a watershed for the organization, for Decembers marked the sudden, untimely death of our co-founder St. Clair Bourne. As we strive to continue the goals of our mission, we are proud to further the legacy of St. Clair Bourne by living up to our commitment to assist documentarians, and increase the impact of documentary filmmaking within our community.
Our Mission
BADWest champions and further advances the art of Black documentary filmmakers across the Diaspora. We maintain our commitment to promote and increase the impact of documentary filmmaking within Southern California.
BADWest Team
Joyce Guy
Chair
is a filmmaker, actress, playwright, and choreographer. Joyce is a founding member, and an officer and treasurer of the Black Association of Documentary Filmmakers West (BADWest) in Los Angeles She is director / producer / writer of the documentary film Dancing Like Home. She is the creator / writer / performer and co-producer of the digital series, Racism Never Sleeps: Kitchen Series and Kitchen Conversation. Joyce was nominated for an Ovation, Stage Raw and NAACP Award for choreographing Lorraine Hansberry’s Les Blancs at Rogue Machine Theatre and won the NAACP award for Best Choreographer in 2019. She won an L.A. Drama Critics Circle and L.A. Theatre Bite Award in 2023 for Distinguished Achievement in Choreography for Much Ado About Nothing at Noise Within. She has choreographed A Raisin in the Sun, Gem of the Ocean, Seven Guitars, Joe Turner's Come and Gone and Much Ado About Nothing at A Noise Within in Pasadena, Choir Boy at Dezart Performs in Palm Springs, CA and Movement Consultant, Top Dog/Under Dog at the Pasadena Playhouse.
Ife Olatunji
Admin Coordinator
Ife Olatunji is an independent filmmaker, writer, and visual anthropologist with over 15 years of experience in documentary production. From 2022–2024, Ife served as a physical production manager for Participant Media’s documentary feature team, contributing to the production and release of films including Descendant, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (Academy Award–nominated), Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power, and Food Inc. 2.
Trained as an ethnographic filmmaker, Ife completed an MA in documentary at the University of Manchester, conducting fieldwork in Rajasthan, India. Their work explores culture, gender, and social justice through both documentary and narrative storytelling. Ife’s films and installations have been recognized by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, and the New York International Film & Video Festival, where they won Best Experimental Documentary.
Now based in Los Angeles, Ife develops narrative and documentary films that bring real-world histories and contemporary social issues to the screen.
Terry P. Scott
Curator, 4th Tuesday Community Screening Series
Terry has spent his life at the intersection of cultural production and social justice—yet, unlike bluesman Robert Johnson, he never had to sell his soul to the devil to do it. A recent cofounder of Leimert Park Village, Inc., he is deeply committed to Creative PlaceKeeping, advancing arts, heritage, and economic development in one of Los Angeles’ most culturally significant neighborhoods.
With more than two decades of experience navigating the Nonprofit Arts Industrial Complex, Terry brings a rare versatility to his work as an independent cultural organizer, producer, and consultant. His career reflects a deep commitment to artists, communities, and the power of storytelling. He has led and supported organizations across the country, including serving as: Board Chair, Lesole’s Dance Project (Washington, DC), Research Fellow, Provisions Library for Art & Social Change, George Mason University and Managing Director, Junebug Productions Theater Company (New Orleans)
During his tenure as Director of Producer Services and Tech at Black Public Media (NYC), Terry guided BPM-funded filmmakers from development to broadcast, helping bring their stories to PBS and other major platforms. Later, as Senior Producer at StoryCorps, he managed a national mobile recording tour, collecting the voices and experiences of everyday people for NPR’s Morning Edition. These experiences have shaped his belief that meaningful storytelling is measured not by commercial metrics, but by cultural impact and community resonance.
Terry is currently developing a documentary inspired by Isabel Wilkerson’s Pulitzer Prize–winning book The Warmth of Other Suns, focusing on the Louisiana-to-Los Angeles migration that reshaped Black life in Southern California.