Wednesday 4 November, 2026
Mr. Jesús López-Jensen, Executive Director
Bronx Council on the Arts
2700 E Tremont Ave. Bronx, NY 10461
In Re: Protest Against a Bronx Council on the Arts “Policy” That Could Unjustly Disqualify Bronx World Film Application for 2026 Community Engagement Grants
Page 1 of 2
Dear Jesús López-Jensen:
I write you today as one who has for over three decades called The Bronx home and served its communities as artist, non-profit executive and founder of its pioneer art house film presenter Bronx World Film, now in its fifteenth year. My work is built on the same values as Bronx Council on the Arts’ in advocating for cultural equity, building strong connections in and beyond the Bronx and nurturing a diverse array of artists and arts.
In that context, I write to register my protest over the fact that based on the e-mail response Bronx Council on the Arts sent me last week to questions about the 2026 Community Engagement Grant, the application Bronx World Film submitted Friday, October 30th would be disqualified on the grounds that our fiscal sponsor is not Bronx-based as part of Bronx Council on the Arts’ long-standing policy.
Nowhere is this so-called policy stated clearly in the application guidelines, which I studied for a month while drafting the proposal. I only happened to stumble upon it last week on the BCA website because the online application presented confusion and I was seeking the appropriate e-mail to send questions to about that. It shocked me to uncover this so-called “policy” buried deep in the website, not stated upfront, and so late in the application process. It was equally shocking to read the response confirming that it would disqualify the application. The other questions were answered only partially, and in closing I was informed that they had all been addressed at BCA presentations in person and online.
Had this policy been presented clearly in the application, I would have protested immediately. On its face, it is an affront to those of us who bring high-quality programming to underserved Bronx communities at great personal cost, often without resources and support and traversing a path riddled with stumblingblocks, particularly for smaller entities. Bronx World Film has done that for sixteen years, driven mostly by volunteer labor, my own expenditures and the assistance of a few trusted allies.
We have been aided immensely in this process by our fiscal sponsor, Manhattan-based The Field (now re-named Counterpart), a respected institution that we found almost ten years ago after repeated and fruitless attempts in previous years to locate a Bronx arts
Wednesday 4 November, 2026
Letter to Mr. Jesús López-Jensen
Executive Director
Bronx Council on the Arts
In Re: Protest Against a Bronx Council on the Arts “Policy” That Could Unjustly Disqualify Bronx World Film Application for 2026 Community Engagement Grants
Page 2 of 2
institution or advocacy entity to sponsor us. We found none then and have no intention of abandoning a valuable alliance to seek what may or may not exist in The Bronx. In the other boroughs, organizations can use the fiscal sponsor of their choice. The time has come to do away with the antiquated paradigm in The Bronx.
Given the above, we expect Bronx Council on the Arts to accord Bronx World Film the respect that it has earned with a long record of service and achievements out of all proportion to its small size and budget. We expect the same for The Bronx’s talented filmmakers who deserve better for doing so much to enhance quality of life here and for raising the borough’s profile internationally despite the many adversities they face.
In short, we expect Bronx Council on the Arts to receive and process, fairly, equitably and without discrimination in accordance with its own stated values, Bronx World Film’s 2026 Community Engagement Grant so that we may compete on a level playing field with all grant applicants. We will not accept exclusion from this process.
Thank you and I look forward to your timely response.
Cordially,
Walter Krochmal
[SIGNATURE]
c.c. Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, 14th District of New York
c.c. Zohran Mamdani, Mayor of the City of New York
c.c. Erika Mallin, Executive Director, New York State Council on the Arts
c.c. Diya Vij, Commissioner, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs
c.c. Rafael Espinal, Commissioner, Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment
c.c. Council Member Shirley Aldebol, District 13
c.c. Assemblymember John Zaccaro, District 80
c.c. Bronx Elected Officials
c.c. International News Media
c.c. Bronx Community
c.c. New York Civil Liberties Union