When Jasmine Barnes got her start as a Detroit film producer 12 years ago, she had the task of juggling the logistics of everything, from setting filming schedules to securing hair and makeup artists.

“You didn’t have Tubi back then, so you were trying to figure out how to get it (the movie) out,” she told BridgeDetroit. “We were doing premieres at the Star Theatre and people were bootlegging it and putting it on YouTube.” 

These days, as director of Detroit’s Media Services Department, Barnes is having a full-circle moment as a facilitator for Film Detroit, a new initiative that aims to bring together local actors, directors and screenwriters to network and navigate the city’s film permitting process. Participating filmmakers also get opportunities to have their content broadcast on Detroit’s cable channels. 

Film Detroit launched in September with an outreach event at AB Ford Community Center that attracted between 300 to 500 people, Barnes said. 

“We had got a lot of good feedback online, but I was surprised, especially seeing a lot of our local producers and filmmakers come out,” she said of the event’s massive turnout. “It showed how much of a need there was for that gathering space.” 

Film Detroit followed the outreach event with a teen Halloween party in October and a harvest event in November. Now, they’re gearing up for December’s event, which will cater to college students, Barnes said. The meetup will take place Dec. 22 from 5-8 p.m. at Northwest Activities Center and include a panel discussion on creating movie and TV trailers and teasers. 

“We’re filling a gap with film and creator culture that’s being pushed by the city and we definitely wanted to have an event for when college students come home,” Barnes said. “Our resources for December are making sure that they are geared toward assisting our college students with finding employment, supporting their businesses, as well as identifying internship opportunities for them as they move through their college career.” 

Film Detroit will continue to host monthly events in 2026 so people can network, submit film permits to the city, or submit their work to be considered for one of the city’s cable channels. 

The program comes as the city’s independent film scene is booming, 10 years after Michigan ended its tax incentives program that brought big productions to Detroit and across the state. Tubi has become an avenue for local filmmakers to showcase their films and TV shows, with titles like “CornerStore, “McGraw Ave” and “The Dirty D.” 

Barnes said Film Detroit wants to be here to support the film community. 

“Just like the government comes to pick up your trash and provide you Motor City Match dollars…we’re providing a service when it comes to creation and filmmaking,” she said. “I’m excited to provide this new type of service to our residents.” 

Get out and film

Film submissions are open to not only Detroiters, but filmmakers across metro Detroit, said Film Detroit coordinator Chantal Cook. The form is available to fill out on the city’s website, with the program accepting various mediums, such as animation, short films, documentaries, music videos and podcasts. However, the content cannot contain profanity, nudity, drug use, or violence, Cook said. Filmmakers do not get compensation for their submissions 

“Also, we need closed captioning for our films, so that we stay within FCC (Federal Communications Commission) regulations and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) laws,” Cook said. 

Filmmakers do not get compensation for their submissions, but Film Detroit will distribute and market their content for free, said Detroit Deputy Media Relations Director Alexis Ware. 

Barnes said Film Detroit has received around 50 submissions so far, with 18 of them ready for broadcast.  When asked when the content will air, Cook said “very soon.” 

“We just want to make sure we’re marketing each one and giving it (the projects) it’s due on our social media pages,” she said. “My director and deputy director are working on a strategy.” 

Filmmakers can also fill out a filming permit application online if they want to shoot their projects in a particular location. Some of the more popular places people request are Belle Isle, the RiverWalk and Campus Martius Park, Cook said. 

For those who still believe that they need to move to New York, Los Angeles, or Atlanta to pursue film, Cook said the opportunities in Detroit are growing more than ever, thanks to Tubi and festivals like the Detroit Black Film Festival. 

The Detroit Film Office received 126 film permits this year, with 105 of them issued. And a collective of Detroit filmmakers came together earlier this year to open a film studio in Southfield. 

“Film Detroit is also trying to do its best to keep that momentum going,” Cook said. “There’s filmmakers out there trying to be on other platforms outside of Tubi and are doing it. There’s so many opportunities. I would say, people just got to stay strong, be hungry and get out there and film something.” 

Bringing cable access channels into the streaming era 

Film Detroit was created to give filmmakers exposure and to help the city’s four public access channels make the shift from cable to digital, Barnes said. 

“It just came from thinking about the future of our cable channels, the future of our department, as well as the future of the film community,” she said. 

While cable access channels might seem like a relic of the 1990s and early 2000s, cities across the country are keeping their channels on the air as a way to keep residents informed about what’s happening with their local government and upcoming community events. And as more people move away from cable to streaming, some access channels are available to watch online. 

In September, West Hollywood relaunched its public access channel following a five-year hiatus due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the construction of a new studio space. Earlier this year in Wilmington, Delaware, the city reaffirmed its commitment to its public access channel, despite facing financial challenges. And, in 2023, the city council in Springfield, Massachusetts, approved a 10-year agreement to continue operating its access channel on cable and streaming. 

In Detroit, there’s Channel 10, where people can watch City Council meetings and outgoing Mayor Mike Duggan’s community meetings. Channel 21, called The Neighborhoods, is dedicated to providing news and features about interesting people and places around Detroit. Channel 22 focuses on educational programming, and Channel 68 showcases programming from residents. 

For people who don’t have cable or live outside Detroit, the channels can be viewed on the city’s website or on the Detroit Connected app. 

A network for local filmmakers

One of the filmmakers looking to network at the recent Film Detroit harvest event was Lisa Labella, a Detroit actress, entertainer and educator. She has been part of the city’s film scene for 20 years, doing background work for local films and appearing in stage plays like “Perilous Times,” written and directed by native Detroiter TJ Hemphill and “Church Girl,” from Detroit playwright Angela Barrow-Dunlap. 

Labella said her first role was as an extra in the 2002 Eminem film, “8 Mile.” 

“It was the rap battle scene, so after Eminem came out of the club, he did a rap battle with Papa Doc (played by Anthony Mackie),” she said. “Eminem came out of the club and I actually tapped him on the back.” 

Labella heard about Film Detroit through social media and attended the launch event in September. She’s looking to build relationships with others in the film community in hopes of adapting her stage play, “The Phat Girl” into a film. The production, which Labella wrote, directed and produced, premiered in June at Living Waters Church in Redford. Labella said the play revolves around mental health awareness, including suicide prevention and anti-bullying. 

Labella started performing in theater when she was a child and the art has been an outlet for her throughout the years, she said. 

“I utilize theater to help to tell other stories as well as my own, and this is why I’m here today–to make those connections, to spread a positive message in the form of a film, in the form of stage play production,” Labella said. “I want to connect with other opportunities, other organizations that can help bring those stories to life for the benefit of our children.” 

Bin Userkaf attended Film Detroit’s September event and is excited to connect with other creatives like himself. He’s been developing his own TV series called “Itchikan,” which is based on a 2015 young adult dystopian novel Userkaf wrote. The show and book are about a 17-year-old Black girl who decides to take a stand when the queen ruling over her town implements an experiment that could cause the end of the world. 

“It’s light-hearted, but also very grounded,” Userkaf said. “There’s female friendships and how to navigate friendships and relationships, especially when you are a teenager who also has to save the world.” 

Userkaf said the show is in post-production right now, but he eventually wants to show the series on one of Detroit’s public access channels. Itchikan features a majority Black cast, including some Detroiters, so he would love for the community to see it, Userkaf said. 

“I want to see opportunities to hone my craft,” he said. “I want workshop opportunities. I’m always trying to share my nerdy love for film with other people in Detroit. I hope that the sky is the limit as far as the resources we’ll be able to share.”