You can find inspiration anywhere -- if your intention is to seek it. Just a few blocks away from my converted piano factory loft-hipsterfied digs in the South Bronx is Ghetto Film School HQ. Their mission is to educate, develop and celebrate the next generation of great American storytellers and are supported by a wide network of corporate sponsors, government agencies, and filmmaking professionals. I'm super psyched that GFS is taking their services to the next level. The upcoming MasterClass Series and Google+ Hangouts integration should be a must-follow event for all film students and DIY filmmakers. Starting January 31, aspiring (and established) filmmakers of color will have the opportunity to engage with leading POC filmmakers and industry allies to discuss their craft and to build community. From the release:

GFS MasterClass brings creative education to a global scale, connecting professional film directors with young storytellers around the world in a new Google+ Hangout series.

With "Pariah" garnering so many accolades and several Latino-directed films generating buzz at the 2012 Sundance fest, this series is perfect timing for those looking to be inspired and to learn more about the resources available to tell their own stories. The first MasterClass, which is set to launch live 6PM EST Tuesday, January 31st at Ghetto Film School’s South Bronx Post House (SBPH), features acclaimed filmmaker Lee Daniels, who will be joined by 8 young filmmakers from around the world (Venezuela, Rwanda, Ukraine, Israel, Belfast, Haiti, Sweden and Los Angeles) , as well as series moderator (and GFS Fellows Program graduate) Gloria Alvarez. “I’ve been with Ghetto Film School from the early days, their students interned at my Harlem brownstone office, and I’m thrilled now to bring the invaluable GFS experience to young filmmakers all over the world,” said Lee Daniels. More from the release:

GFS MasterClass is a monthly series hosted on Google+ Hangouts throughout the year. Sessions will stream live in hour-long segments on Google+, and will be available for viewing as 15-minute modules on YouTube. Each episode features a top director leading a discussion about a specific topic (e.g. “Working with Actors,” “The Core of the Story”), with series moderator Gloria Alvarez (GFS Fellows Program graduate) and 8 young filmmakers from around the world. Participants for each episode are given creative assignments to complete and then share on Google+ and YouTube.

MasterClass takes place in a virtual environment, with directors filmed on location at various sites throughout the US, including the South Bronx Post House (Bronx, NY), the Film Society of Lincoln Center (New York, NY) and the Googleplex (Mountainview, CA). Other directors involved include Spike Jonze, (Where the Wild Things Are), David O. Russell (The Fighter), Jim Jarmusch (The Limits of Control), Tamra Davis (Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child), Ed Burns (Newlyweds), Peter Sollett (Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist), Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight), Paola Mendoza (Entre Nos), Barry Jenkins (Remigration), David Robert Mitchell (Myth of the American Sleepover), John Singleton (Abduction) and Jason Reitman (Up in the Air). To join the MasterClass, be sure to follow Ghetto Film School on Google+.