FESTIVAL NEWS
What Matters Made the Media in 2004?
This year was a socially, politically and economically tumultuous year and as it draws to a close, it is time to reflect on the issues that made the headlines and question which issues that did not receive their due attention. The 16 films of our festival tackle social issues that were prevalent last year and will continue be at the fore in 2005. As we begin the New Year, all of us here at MediaRights hope that you continue to question, investigate, speak out, film and act on the matters you are most passionate about. Here is to a peaceful and happy new year! See you in 2005!Published on December 30, 2004
How You Can Help The Relief Efforts in Asia and East Africa
Take Action to help those ravaged by the deadly earthquake and tsunamis that struck the shorelines of Asia and East Africa. Below is a list of agencies that are accepting donations: Action Against Hunger 247 West 37th Street New York, NY 10018 212-967-7800 American Red Cross Disaster Relief American Red Cross International Response Fund 2025 E St. NW Washington, DC 20006 800-HELP-NOW US Fund for UNICEF General Emergency Fund 333 E. 38th Street New York, NY 10016 800-4-UNICEF For more comprehensive list of organizations, visit the New York Times "How You Can Help" sitePublished on December 29, 2004
Mad Cow Continues to Madden
A recent article on Alternet is an alarming reminder that Mad Cow Disease is still a problem in the United States. According to Diane Farsetta, the USDA and FDA have failed to implement strategies to bring much needed reform to the factory farm industry. Perhaps if the USDA took the red pill from Moopheus they would realize the error of their ways. You can urge these government agencies to start moving in the right direction through the Global Resource Action Center for the Environment. And check out what young people are doing to push for agricultural reform!Published on December 27, 2004
All We Want for the Holidays is…
Media That Matters! Do you have a short social-issue film? Send it our way! Do you want to enjoy short social-issue films? Watch the Media That Matters film festival online and on DVD! From all of us here at the MediaRights family, we want to wish you a creative, informative and peaceful holiday season!
Published on December 22, 2004
Food Security = National Security
The Meatrix and Seeds of Hope: South Africa underscore the importance of local, sustainable agriculture for community food security. In Think Globally, Eat Locally, a recent op-ed piece in the New York Times, Jennifer Wilkins makes an argument that the same strategies would also create a more protected food supply, less vulnerable to terrorist attack. Wilkins writes: The combination of cheap food from overseas and the consolidation of domestic production compromises America's ability to feed itself. A food system in which control of the critical elements is concentrated in few hands can and will fall victim to terrorism or accidents. The solution to these insecurities is to establish community-based food systems that include many small farmers and a diversity of products. Such systems make large-scale contamination impossible, even for determined bioterrorists. Far more people have contact with the Mexican lettuce at the supermarket, for example, than with the locally grown lettuce at the farmers' market. Read the full article. Watch The Meatrix. Watch Seeds of Hope: South Africa. Join the fight against factory farms through the Global Resource Action Center for the Environment. Find local organic alternatives through Local Harvest. Submit your social-issue short on food security to the fifth annual Media That Matters Film Festival. Deadline: January 19, 2005.Published on December 21, 2004
The Right to Education
In the film Books Not Bars, students campaign for a the re-allocation of funds from incarceration to education. But what about the transition from a detention center back to school? A year and a half ago, a Brooklyn student discharged from a detention center was turned away in his in his attempt to return to high-school and he subsequently missed over 51 days of classes. Seven students have since emerged, saying they encountered similar experiences of being deprived the basic rights to adequate education. These students have joined forces with the non-profit group Advocates for Children, the Legal Aid Society and the Manhattan law firm of Dewey Ballantine to file a 43 page lawsuit against the city and state departmetns of education in the Federal District Court in Brooklyn. Reporting on this story, The New York Times explains that two-thirds of the 5,200 students released from court-ordered detention each year do not return to school, primarily because of administrative roadblocks. This law suit is fighting for the implementation of re-enrollment services that better explain the procedure of returning to school along with other systems that will track and monitor the progress of the students. Given the seemingly insurmountable hurdels teens face from the time they are sent to detention centers to their release, it is nothing short of an offense to impede them from having a second chance at new beginning. READ Susan Saulny's the article from The New York Times READ about other crinimal justice documentaries listed on MediaRigths.org and LEARN more about Big Mouth Productions' film Innocent Until Proven Guilty.Published on December 21, 2004
Rockefeller Drug Laws Reformed
Many battles for social change are long fought. Activists and advocates can commit themselves to a cause years without seeing results, but this type of perseverance often eventually brings concrete change. Back in the second annual Media That Matters Film Festival, we celebrated Nina Rosenblum's Unintended Consequences, which tells the story of the devastating impact of New York State's Rockefeller Mandatory Minimum Drug Laws on families and communities. The film underscores the injustice of the laws -- activists insist that they are racist and ineffective. Unintended Consequences and other films about the criminal justice system like WITNESS's Books Not Bars, Gabriel London's No Escape, Prison Rape and Big Mouth Production's Deadline have been instrumental in educating the public and galvanizing activists around these issues. This month finally brought some changes in the oppressive laws -- the maximum sentence for criminal drug possession was changed from 25-years-to-life to eight-to-20-years! This was seen as a great triumph for long time activists like Randy Credico; however, reformers insist that there is still a lot of work to be done before the laws are truly just. You can take action now through Drop the Rock!Published on December 20, 2004
Developments in HIV/AIDS
If you've watched I Promise Africa and iThemba then you are keenly aware of the severity of the AIDS epidemic in Africa and the need for solutions. If you are trying to make sense of how we have reached the current global AIDS crisis, you may find this resource helpful: The Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic: A Timeline of Key Milestones. Produced by the Kaiser Family Foundation the interactive timeline provides a succinct overview of important events and developments. Part of the problem in meeting the needs of HIV positive inidividuals in Africa is limited access to antiretroviral drugs. Another issue is that some drugs that are made available may have adverse affects on patients. In the news this week is the drug nevirapine, which is used to help prevent the mother to-child transmission of HIV. The problem is that this drug may have severe health implications for the mother a few years down the line, including kidney failure. As an article on allAfrica.com explains, "The African National Congress accused the AIDS lobby group Treatment Action Campaign of fronting for drug companies and of being indifferent to the lives of Ugandans who were involved in a study of nevirapine." Now is a key time to take action for drug access and reform: Send a letter to the President demanding that funds be sent to Africa through Keep a Child Alive. Get the facts through Artists Against AIDS Worldwide. Join the DATA (Debt AIDS Trade Africa) action network. Endorse equal access to HIV/AIDS medication through Health GAP. Lend your voice to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative. Show your support for the AIDSVote platform.Published on December 20, 2004
Finding Media That Matters: Updates on Our Call for Entries!
This just in: SUBMISSION DEADLINE EXTENDED UNTIL JANUARY 19, 2005 Hello! My name is Wendy, and I am the outreach coordinator and a festival programmer here at MediaRights and I wanted to share some Festival news, updates and progress. In a meeting in late September, a seemingly simple question came my way: "How would you feel about helping orchestrate the film tracking for the upcoming Festival?" Never one to pass up a challenge or a task that is was replete with movie watching, I excitedly began the hunt for the best short social-issue films with online postings, postcard mailings, mass emails and good old-fashion word of mouth. As we embark on the fifth year of this festival, the response to our pursuit has been nothing short of wonderful. To date we have over 75 films submissions that tackle issues of parental pressure, bullying, same sex marriage rights, racial justice, sustainable agriculture and animal rights. The range of formats are as wide as the themes covered-from animation and music videos to PSAs and drama. We are particularly excited to announce a $1,000 award for short films on Sustainable Agriculture, Food Politics and Sustainable Development (sponsored by the W.K. Kelllogg Foundation). If you have made a film or know of a film that falls in this category please let me know! Our amazing jury will soon have the arduous task of choosing the official selections but before they convene, we are still looking for the best media that matters. What makes it to the jury's eyes? Here is how the programming works: We select the top 40 films from all of the submissions (last year we had over 250) and then screen them before the jury who ultimately decide on the most relevant, creative, original and inspiring 16 films. It is our mission to bring films to new audiences and we want these films to raise awareness in a fresh manner; films that will galvanize our viewiers and help begin a dialogue that results in action. If you have any questions, suggestions, ideas or feedback feel free to email me at any time! Looking for the submission guildelines or application form? You can find them HERE. We look forward to receiving your submissions! Warmest wishes in this holiday season and have a happy and healthy New Year!Published on December 20, 2004
Internet Accessible: Is Broadband Access A Necessity or Luxary?
MediaRights’ Just Media Project highlights the dangers of having a media landscape governed by 7 conglomerates. Moving from the TV screen to the computer screen, internet access is also in the hands of a few large, private companies that are excluding poorer members of the population from enjoying high-speed access. High-speed internet access is not only more convenient but it has become an necessity and for millions of Americans it is an affordable luxury. But what about those who cannot enjoy it? Local municipalities across the country are investigating ways to bring affordable broadband to their areas however private organizations are opposing this public access. As the debate ensues, the heart of the issue is a new Pennsylvania law the restricts cities and states from providing internet access. This law is heavily backed by Verizon and phone and cable companies that are attempting to restrict what municipalities can provide. Alternet posted a transcript of an interview where Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! interviews Jeffrey Chester of the Center for Digital Democracy and Steven Titch of senior fellow for information technology and telecom policy at the Heartland Institute, a Chicago-based think tank about the internet access debate. READ the entrie Interview!Published on December 17, 2004
Sustainability Now
If you've watched The Meatrix and Seeds of Hope then you know about the US and global food security crisis. You also know that sustainability is a key part of the solution. One of the big problems facing the American agriculture industry is that creative young people are leaving small family farms to make it in the big city. As a recent article by Chris Frasier explains, these are the individuals who would be most likely to implement environmentally-responsible, sustainable strategies in agriculture. But in a climate dominated by factory farms, young creatives are more likely to flea than farm. At MediaRights we believe that part of the equation for reversing the the negative trends in agribusiness is sharing success stories through cutting-edge media. The Meatrix and Seeds of Hope do just that and we're looking for more creative shorts that will inspire consumers and community leaders. Now is the time to submit your short film or video to the fifth annual Media That Matters Film Festival. If accepted, your work will reach millions and you may even win a $1,000 outreach grant sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation -- apply today!Published on December 15, 2004
Latino Media Activism
The United States has experienced rapidly changing demographics in the past decade. With an explosion in the Latino population, America is becoming an increasingly diverse and bilingual country and Latino Americans are becoming more and more involved in activism, advocacy and community development. Last year's Media That Matters Film Is My Neighbor Latino?by Jorge Aguirre is a creative look at the stereotypes facing Latino Americans and a call for breaking down barriers. This year's The Sixth Section by Alex Rivera is an inspiring story of self-determination in which a community of Mexican immigrants living in upstate New York reinvigorate their hometown by raising funds and sending them to Mexico for various public works projects. Liz Miller's Novela, Novela introduces American audiences to the media activism movement south of the border. In Nicaragua feminists have coopted the telenovela (soap opera) format to broadcast important narratives about how young women can protect themselves from domestic violence. A recent article on Alternet, "The Fire This Time", highlights the work of Richard Moore, a Puerto Rican American and award-winning environmental justice activist. Moore and others are calling attention to the fact that Latinos bear the brunt of environmental health threats in the U.S. and are glavanizing activists around this pressing crisis. Now is your chance to add to the dialogue -- submit your short addressing Latino rights and identity to the fifth annual Media That Matters Film Festival today!Published on December 14, 2004
Going Hungry in the Richest Country on Earth
Struggling to Survive elucidates the minimum wage crisis facing so many Americans: minimum wage is not a living wage. A recent article from Alternet titled, "Going Hungry in America," outlines and expands upon the staggering statistics that 35 million Americans are food insecure and that at least 4 out of 10 Americans between the ages of 4 and 25 rely upon food stamps. The food safety-net program that was designed to help the food insecure population is now subject to funding cuts which means that in this holiday season, even more families will be unable to fulfill basic dietary needs. An estimated 13 million children will likely require skipping meals: How can 1 out of 4 children continue to go hungry in the richest country in the world? The Festival film Seeds of Hope: South Africa explains how creative solutions to hunger can be found, perhaps sustainable agriculture methods have to be visited in North America! Read the article from Alternet Submit your film on food politics and food security to the fifth annual Media That Matters Film Festival call for entries!Published on December 13, 2004
Be a Reel Grrl!
Nicole Sobottke's Dedicated to My Family is an amazing personal short about one woman's struggle to stay strong and find community despite being homeless. Nicole's story is truly inspiring, and equally impressive is the fact that she wrote and directed the film as a teenager. As a participant in the Reel Grrls program in Seattle, Washington, Nicole joined other young women in making videos about their lives from their own perspectives. Now's your chance to participate in the Reel Grrls program! They are currently seeking applications for the spring program: ----------------------------------- Seeking twenty teenage grrls to work with professional media artists to create videos about images of young women in the mainstream media. The Reel Grrls will create work that reflects their lives in the new millenium and deconstruct the images of women in film, music videos, fashion magazines and TV. YOU WILL... Work hard from February to April 2005. Get experience behind the scenes and in front of the camera. Make new and lasting friendships. Learn from female role models and mentors. Boost your self-esteem. INTERESTED? Be a Grrl between the ages of 14 and 18. Have the time to attend the weekend and after-school workshops and do the WORK.* Fill out the application form and answer the questions. The application deadline is December 17, 2004. Pick up an application at the Metrocenter YMCA or download the application online. CONTACT: Lucia Ramirez Metrocenter YMCA 206.382.5332 lucia@reelgrrl.org www.reelgrrls.org Reel Grrls is been made possible with the generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts, The Time Warner Foundation, and The Seattle Office of Arts and Culture. *We will be meeting at the Metrocenter YMCA in downtown Seattle. Schedule: Program Kick Off January 29, 2005; Wednesdays �4:00 � 6:30 p.m. from February to April, and Monday-Friday during Spring Break (April 11-15, 2005).Published on December 6, 2004
Get Your Media Reform Activist Toolkit!
After seeing the Just Media Project, you may be wondering "But what can I do? How Can I Spread The Word?" To help, Free Press has compiled a Media Reform Activist Toolkit that provides information, ideas, and resources for taking concrete actions for media reform. These are ways to put your knowledge and energy to work. They will mail you a toolkit free of charge—as long as you promise to use it! The Toolkit includes: -Media Policy 101 booklet -Media Reform Action Guide booklet -"10 Things Big Media Don't Want You to Know" brochure -"10 Questions about Media to Ask Every Candidate and Elected Official" brochure -Static-cling media reform 'Warning' stickers for newspaper boxes, -TVs, radios, bus stop ads and wherever your imagination takes you ***Bonus: The first 5,000 orders include a copy of our Mobilizing Media Reform DVD. We hope these resources will help you bring your activism to the next level. Order your free toolkit today.Published on December 3, 2004
News or Propaganda
How do you stay aware about global and domestic issues today? Is the mainstream news media your sole source of information? How do you know what your reading is not laced with extreme bias? Due to human nature, it is utterly impossible to receive news from a source that is not biased. However, in the literally meaning of mainstream media, one would expect mainstream news. This is not the case. As our country continues to become drastically divided, our news creeps closer to the right end of the political spectrum. The news is how we educate ourselves on international politics and war. The news is how we educated ourselves on presidential candidates. If the news is biased, are our opinions then based on a poor excuse for reality? If you have seen Spring in Awe, you understand the superficiality of the news. The film beautifully renders what is seen during a brief walk through Time Square. Is it news or is it propaganda we learn from? Read Frank Rich's witty article The Nascar Nightly News: Anchorman Get Your Gun to get a different perspective on today's news media.Published on December 2, 2004
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