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A Guide to her Holdings at the Black Film Center/Archive

Finding aid prepared by Mary Huelsbeck/Hannah Caproon/Gabriel Gardner/Stacey Doyle

Summary Information

Repository
Black Film Center/Archive
1320 East Tenth Street
Herman B Wells Library, Room 044
Bloomington, IN 47405-7000
Phone: 812-855-6041
Fax: 812-856-5832
Email: bfca@indiana.edu
http://www.libraries.iub.edu/~bfca

Creator
Jessie Maple

Title
Jessie Maple Collection, 1971-1992

Collection No.
Special Collection JM

Extent
1.8 cubic feet (4 boxes) and 14 cans of film

Language
Materials are in English

Abstract
Papers and films of independent female African American filmmaker Jessie Maple. The collection includes seven of her films, articles and a book Maple wrote, grant proposals, materials documenting discrimination lawsuits she filed in order to work as a cameraperson along with other material.

Access Restrictions

Films on videocassette may be viewed at the Black Film Center/Archive but copies may not be made or purchased. Access to film elements and prints is restricted; please contact the archivist for more information.

Biographical Note

Jessie Maple was a pioneer for African American women in the film industry. Before becoming a filmmaker, Maple worked as a bacteriologist and as a writer for the New York Courier. After attending the NET Channel 13 Training School and Third World Cinema in New York, she became the first African American woman to become a member of the union of International Photographers of Motion Picture & Television (IATSE) in New York in 1975. Prior to her acceptance into the union, Jessie Maple served as apprentice film editor for two MGM motion pictures: Shaft's Big Score (1972) and The Super Cops (1974).

Maple complied her experiences of breaking into the union and profession in a book entitled How to Become a Union Camerawoman, Film-Videotape , published in 1977. As a member of the union, during the latter half of the 1970s and into the 1980s, Jessie Maple worked as an assistant cameraperson, cameraperson, and assistant film editor for several television stations in New York, including WABC, WCBS, and WNBC.

Jessie Maple and her husband, Leroy Patton, founded LJ Film Productions, Inc. in 1974 and began producing short documentaries. Their first film, Methadone: Evil Spirit or Wonder Drug (1975-1976), explored the effects of distributing methadone to heroin addicts in order to curb their addiction. Following several short documentaries, Maple produced Will (1981), the first feature-length independent film produced by an African American woman. Will won an award at the Athens International Film Festival and was used as an educational film at many New York drug rehabilitation centers. The film was also actress Loretta Devine's first feature film role. Jessie Maple directed her second feature film, Twice as Nice , in 1988.

In 1982, Maple founded 20 West, Home of Black Cinema in Harlem as a showplace for independent black films. This theater served as an outlet for independent filmmakers to show their films to the public throughout the 1980s before its closing in 1992. The motto of 20 West was: "It makes sense to have a choice."

Jessie Maple discussed her career experiences in two recent doumentaries - Sisters in Cinema (2003) and Women Behind Camera (2007).

Scope and Content Note

The Jessie Maple Collection is arranged into 13 series: Films, 1975-1988; Training and Qualifications, 1971-1991; General Correspondence, 1971-1987; Writings, 1969-1977; Script Drafts, n.d.; Film Publicity, 1977-1988; Directing Workshop for Women, 1980-1982; 20 West, 1983-1991; General Clippings, 1975-1991; Photographs, n.d.; Grant Files and Proposals, 1977-1992; Sex Discrimination Lawsuit[s], 1975-1985; and Miscellaneous.

Administrative Information

• Indexing Terms

• The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection. Materials about related topics, persons or places can be found by searching the catalog using these terms.

• • Topics
  • African American motion picture producers and directors
  • African American women motion picture producers and directors
  • Independent filmmakers
  • Motion pictures--Production and Direction
  • Motion pictures--United States

Collection Inventory

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