ABOUT

Tenth Annual Sponsors and Partners

The 10th annual Media That Matters™ Collection was made possible by the following supporters:

Sponsors:

Abigail Disney and Pierre Hauser from the Daphne Foundation

New York City Culture NYSCA Green Mountain Foundation

Raw Ice Cream HBO

Peppermint Magazine

Partners:

YouTubeHuman Rights Watch FoundationCine Institute

Center for Social MediaCreative CommonsDocurama

Ninth Street Independent Film CenterMiroThe Paley CenterPOVReel WorksRooftop FilmsShooting PeopleMFA Social Documentary FilmSchool of Visual ArtsTribeca Film InstituteWorking FilmsWorld Savvy

Media That Matters and Arts Engine

“We no longer have to rely on major corporations for things to be seen—we have Media that Matters to distribute new material and new voices and new points of view.”
                              -Tim Robbins, Actor

The Media That Matters Film Festival is the premiere showcase for short films on the most important topics of the day. Local and global, online and in communities around the world, Media That Matters engages diverse audiences and inspires them to take action.

From gay rights to global warming, the jury-selected collection represents the work of a diverse group of independent filmmakers, many of whom are under 21. The films are equally diverse in style and content, with documentaries, music videos, animations, experimental work and everything else in between. What all the films have in common is that they spark debate and action in 12 minutes or less.

Every June, Media That Matters presents a new collection of twelve shorts. The festival launches in New York City with a World Premiere at the IFC Center and an Awards Ceremony at HBO where every filmmaker is honored and many receive cash awards sponsored by major foundations and corporations. Previous presenters include Tim Robbins, Al Franken, David Cross, Woody Harrelson, Barbara Kopple and Peter Yarrow.  The festival launch also includes the Media as a Tool for Social Change Workshop, a unique convening of filmmakers, educators, activists, nonprofits and youth.

The June launch events are just the beginning of a jam-packed year of Media That Matters. The films stream online in their entirety, broadcast nationally and are distributed on DVD to educators and activists. Media That Matters reaches thousands through community screenings around the country. From classrooms to board rooms, movie theatres to home theatres, hundreds of events take place throughout the year. Arts Engine staff produce and attend many screenings, while many more are organized by individuals committed to change. We provide everything you need to host your own event, and we invite you to contact us for support in bringing Media That Matters to your neck of the woods.

An image captures a feeling,
A story shares a message,
A movie becomes a movement.

Media That Matters FOCUS

Media That Matters FOCUS is a new series of curated collections that center on particular issues. Our first FOCUS release (October 2006) is Media That Matters: Good Food, a collection of shorts on food and sustainability. Following the model of our annual festival, the films stream online, screen around the country and are distributed on DVD. Stay tuned for new FOCUS collections on LGBT Rights, Criminal Justice and more in years to come.

Arts Engine

Arts Engine supports, produces and distributes independent media of consequence and promotes the use of independent media by advocates, educators and the general public. By fostering the production and use of independent film, video and new media, Arts Engine connects media makers and active audiences in order to spur critical consideration of pressing social issues. Learn more at www.artsengine.net.

Staff & Contact

The Media That Matters Film Festival is produced by Arts Engine staff.

Arts Engine
104 W. 14th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10011
P: 646-230-6368
F: 646-230-6388

If you want to host a screening or if you have questions about submitting your film, contact Beth Davenport.

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with the site, contact David Wright.

For press inquiries or If you want to become a festival sponsor, contact Steve Mendelsohn.

If you are interested in broadcasting or redistributing the festival, contact Beth Davenport.

For all other inquiries, contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Meet the Jury

Every year, Media That Matters convenes a prestigious jury of filmmakers, educators, writers, nonprofit leaders, film programmers, activists and youth to choose the sixteen official selections. With an eye for originality and a commitment to social change, the jury members strive to curate collections that are diverse, timely and entertaining - meet them:

Media That Matters™ 11 Jury

Tenth Annual Festival Jury

Ninth Annual Festival Jury

Eighth Annual Festival Jury

Seventh Annual Festival Jury

Sixth Annual Festival Jury

Fifth Annual Festival Jury

Fourth Annual Festival Jury

Third Annual Festival Jury

FOCUS Sponsors and Partners

Media That Matters: Good Food, the first FOCUS release—a collection of shorts on food and sustainability—is made possible by the following supporters:

Supported by:

Partners Include:

DONATE

DONATE

Join Arts Engine’s Fundraising Campaign and help us get the Media That Matters™ collection into schools and community centers, both in the U.S. and around the world!
Eleventh Annual Collection image

BROWSE FILMS BY ISSUE

“Media That Matters offers DVD circulation and the Internet streaming. Usually with a festival, if you miss the screening then you don’t see the film.”
— Martina Radwan, Director of Spring in Awe

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