FFG by Mike David T

Join us for the opening of FFG by Mike David T

Mana Contemporary Chicago

2233 S. Throop St. Chicago IL 60608

9th fl.

 

Mike David T – Filmmaker, Photographer, Cultural Curator

Mike David T is a Haitian-American, award-winning filmmaker and cinematographer whose work bridges storytelling across film, fashion, music, and dance. With a career rooted in intentional narrative building, his work has been recognized by the 2023 Oprah Winfrey Leaders Scholars Program, earned “Special Mention” at the 2023 Chicago International Film Festival for Chronicle of a Summer Day, and received accolades including a 2021 Webby Award, Tribeca X, and a People’s Telly Award for the film series Black Owned. In 2020, he was nominated for the Roger Ebert Sundance Institute Fellowship.

Currently, Mike is producing and directing For Future Generations (FFG)—a future-focused anthology of films, photographs, and conversations inspired by intergenerational storytelling. This ongoing project reimagines how families connect, document, and preserve their legacies through intentional visual storytelling.

Founded by a millennial Black father of Haitian descent, FFG was born from a deep desire to pass on the richness of cultural heritage to the next generation. With two living grandparents (ages 88 and 95) and a new generation rising, his daughter, niece, and nephew all under the age of 4, Mike stands at a meaningful intersection, using his lens to hold space for memory, migration, and legacy.

Since 2018, MDT has used this blend of oral history and visual culture to inspire intergenerational engagement around family preservation, highlighting Black and Afro-Caribbean communities. Each story weaving together personal interviews, photographic portraiture, and community archiving.

Since 2021, MDT has digitized and curated the stories of three distinct families:

– One whose journey north continues to shape their legacy.

– Another redefining the meaning of home after loss.

– And one driven to preserve a legacy after losing their sole support system in the U.S.

FFG’s goal is to set a blueprint for other family members who find themselves the trusted bridge between generations in their families, to recognize their roles as cultural stewards, behind the camera or not. Through community-based archiving, workshops, and exhibitions, the project will build trust within families, encouraging them to share their archives and stories—reminding everyone that history isn’t just what’s written, it’s what’s remembered and passed on.

 

Document the joys, the struggles, your rituals, your families, for the generations yet to come. Let’s continue documenting our world together.

 

The Exhibition

For Future Generations is a call to gather, remember, and reimagine. It centers the home as the first archive, the first museum, and the first classroom. This exhibition invites us to reflect on the question: How do we preserve what matters most?

Through five photographed portraits of his grandmére, mére, and fille, MDT invites audiences to explore the threads that connect generations—offering a deeply personal yet universally resonant meditation on family, memory, and legacy.

There will also be a collaborative questionnaire developed in partnership with architect and researcher Sarina Shane, aimed at engaging community members who have experienced housing abuse or insecurity—and who may also serve as stewards of their own family histories.

 

Engage With Us:

A Single Photo

Bring a meaningful photo with you. Let it guide your conversations and serve as an entry point to deeper storytelling.

 

Family Archive Questionnaire

A 2-minute survey designed to help families understand their preservation needs—ensuring that albums, letters, and heirlooms stay protected for generations to come.

 

Family Heirlooms Collection:

• Coloring Book / Photo Album

A dual-purpose interactive book for toddlers and their families. It grows with the child and sparks conversations about identity, legacy, and culture through writing and photography.

 

• Sweatshirts

Simple, bold, 100% cotton black logo sweatshirts. Wearable affirmations recognizing yourself as a living thread in your family’s story.

 

• Heavy Jackets memory.

Premium leather and suede logo jackets that embody the weight and warmth of memory.

 

• FFG x TFDC Collab Tees

Designed in partnership with The Formula Don’t Change—celebrating the young archivist inside you.

 

For Future Generations is produced by Film Tour Studio LLC in association with the narrative-driven brand The Formula Don’t Change.