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FESTIVAL NEWS
June 27: Narkolepsy Film Festival, Grenoble, France; 9:00PM - 12:00AM
Sixth annual Media That Matters Film Festival winner A Girl Like Me will be shown at the fifth annual Narkolepsy International short Film Festival held on June 27th at 9PM at Square of the Grenoble's Museum Place Lavallette, Grenoble FRANCE Check out their upcoming schedule of short films and register now!Published on June 27, 2008
June 27: National HIV Testing Day
June 27, 2008: National HIV Testing DayNational HIV Testing Day is an annual event that aims to communicate the importance of knowing one's HIV status and to encourage at-risk individuals to get tested. The Eighth Annual Media That Matters Film Festival's award-winning documentary short, Diana, highlights both the liberating quality of awareness and the unfortunate lack of adequate discussion, especially among youths, on the topic of HIV/AIDS. Likewise, the Seventh Annual Media That Matters Film Festival's documentary short Ashray, the Third Annual Media That Matters Film Festival's documentary short Luv Me Latex, and the Fourth Annual Media That Matters Film Festival's documentary short Ithemba, deal with similar themes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that, of the approximately one million HIV positive Americans, roughly 25,000 are unaware that they are infected. National HIV Testing Day encourages all individuals who feel that they may be at risk of infection to seek testing at any of their state and local health departments, health fairs, community-based HIV service providers, or HIV testing sites. Such testing provides people who test negative with pertinent information to help them remain uninfected and instructs people who test positive on the steps that they can take to protect the health of their loved ones and themselves. On June 27th, National HIV Testing Day organizers throughout the United States will also reach out to and strive to educate specific demographic groups which are most statistically affected by HIV/AIDS.
By, Christina Capatides
Published on June 27, 2008
June-July: Just Focus, New Zealand presents the Media That Matters Film Festival
Just Focus, a New Zealand-based group dedicated to youth activism, is celebrating their own annual version of the Media That Matters Film Festival. In cities around New Zealand in June and July, Just Focus organizers and youth participants will be screening select Media That Matters shorts in conglomeration with speakers and other events. If you're a Media That Matters Festival supporter who lives in Wellington, Christchurch, Auckland or Dunedin, NZ, and are looking to get involved with a social issue film festival, email Will at will@globaled.org.nz to find out more and register your interest. The screenings are as follows: Christchurch - June 26, 6.30PM. Unlimited School, 263 High St. Wellington - June 27, 6:00PM. The NZ Film Archive, 84 Taranaki St. Auckland - July 7, 8:00PM. Academy Theatre (under the Auckland Public Library), 44 - 46 Lorne St. by Christina CapatidesPublished on June 26, 2008
Iowa Flooding Reveals Outdated Levee Systems
From USA Today:At least 18 more levees on the already flooded Mississippi River are at high risk of being overwhelmed this weekend, endangering small communities and farmland where decades-old flood protections are far below modern-day guidelines.
At least half of the 31 levees already breached or topped between southern Iowa and St. Louis were not built to handle a flood of such historic proportions, according to a USA TODAY review of data from the Army Corps of Engineers. Many of those were built at least 30 years ago, and some date to the 1940s.
As riverside development has boomed, "levees built 50 years ago for agricultural purposes are often now asked to do the work of a residential or urban levee," says Eric Halpin, a corps special assistant for dam and levee safety. The floods "show a need for more robust and resilient levee systems."To read more about this development visit USA Today.
Published on June 23, 2008
June 20 & June 21: The Countdown screens with Youth Producing Change at Human Rights Watch International Film Festival
Check out Rene Dongo's The Countdown as part of Adobe's Youth Producing Change screening at the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival on Friday, June 20 and Saturday, June 21. The Human Rights Watch International Film Festival has become a leading venue for distinguished fiction, documentary and animated films with a distinctive human rights theme. This year, the festival runs from June 13 to 26. On June 20 at 6:30pm and June 21 at 1:30pm, the Youth Producing Change program will be screened at the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center. Both screenings will be followed by discussion with youth filmmakers and a reception. As a special offer, youth groups of three or more can buy discounted tickets at five dollars each (use code DUO online during checkout). For more information, contact nedbalj@hrw.org. Check out The Countdown on the Media That Matters Film Festival website, where you can watch it as well as find links to take action!Published on June 20, 2008
June 20: Every Third Bite screening, Nantucket Film Festival, 9:00AM-10:00AM
Check out the Meerkat Media Collective's Every Third Bite at the Nantucket Film Festival on June 20th at 9 AM. Every Third Bite is a winner of the eighth annual Media That Matters Film Festival. To watch it along with the other winners from this year and find take action links for each film, go to the Media That Matters website!Published on June 20, 2008
Media That Matters director honored with prestigious fellowship
Joshua Holst, director of third annual Media That Matters Film Festival winner Esmeraldas: Petroleum and Poverty, was recently awarded with a National Science Foundation fellowship. This Graduate Research Fellowship provides $90,000 over a three-year period. Josh has worked with communities in conflict with the mining industry. His current research is on "grassroots Vietnamese resistance to petroleum activity", continuing the theme of his short film, which addressed refinery issues in Texas. For more information about the fellowships, check out this article. Watch the Media That Matters awards winning film here, and find links on how to take action!Published on June 19, 2008
Meerkat Media Collective’s new film to screen in Arts Engine’s Work-in-Progress screening!
The Meerkat Media Collective, directors of eighth annual Media That Matters Film Festival winner Every Third Bite, will be screening their most recent work-in-progress, Stages, in DocuClub's Work in Progress Screening at Silverdocs on Tuesday June 17, at 4:30pm. Docuclub, an Arts Engine program, is a screening series of works-in-progress documentaries that offers constructive feedback on current projects. By Adrienne ZakPublished on June 18, 2008
May 12, 2008: New USDA/Agricultural Research Service study shows that Colony Collapse Disorder is worse than ever
On May 12, 2008, Science Daily reported that the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the Apiary Inspectors of America had released findings from a survey in which the two organizations combined to analyze how well-managed colonies survived the winter of 2007-2008. The combined survey investigated approximately 19 percent of the United States' 2.44 million colonies. The surveyed beekeepers reported a total loss of about 36 percent of their honey bee colonies, including some colonies in which all adult honey bees disappeared. This marks a 13.5 percent increase from last winter's losses. Jeff Pettis, the leader of research for the ARS Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., insists that the losses highlighted by this survey (particularly, the lost colonies in which all adult bees disappeared) demonstrate primary symptoms of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).
While the Agricultural Research Service is heartily investigating the cause(s) of CCD, their research is hindered by the fact that samples have thus far only been taken from colonies in which CCD incidents have already occurred. Consequently, ARS researchers are unable to study changes in affected colonies preceding collapse. To combat these research complications, Pettis and a team of university cooperators began taking samples from volunteer migratory beekeepers every six weeks. Some of these apiaries have suffered from CCD in the past. ARS hopes that the samples obtained from this study will provide researchers with more direction in their search for the cause(s) of CCD.
By, Christina Capatides
Published on June 18, 2008
Beekeepers going out of business?
Lately, beekeepers have been having more and more issues making money, or just breaking even, on their bee colonies. Crop owners pay to have bee colonies pollinate their crops, and the honey that the bees create can be sold, but profit margins are decreasing. As bees disappear due to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), it becomes necessary for beekeepers to use their small profits to restock their colonies. Afterwards, they must use more money for general expenses such as labor, boxes, transportation, and medicine. Essentially, according to the Daily Green, the necessary worry at this point is increasing food prices due to Colony Collapse Disorder, as well as the eventual disappearance of beekeepers due to the fact that it is almost impossible to maintain a life and make a profit on keeping bees at this point. Watch eighth annual Media that Matters Film Festival's Every Third Bite to learn more about the current state of bees in the United States, and leave a comment or question on our forum. By Adrienne ZakPublished on June 16, 2008
June 13: Perversion of Justice screening at Chapel of Christ the King, Charlotte, NC; 7:00 PM
Eighth annual Media That Matters Film Festival winner Perversion of Justice will be screened at 7 p.m. this Friday June 13th, at Chapel of Christ the King, 425 E. 17th St in Director Melissa Mummert's hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. Chapel of Christ the King 425 E. 17th St Charlotte, NC The version screening this Friday is the full-length version of the eight minute short included in the eighth annual Media that Matters Film Festival. Watch the short film Perversion of Justice and find more ways to take action here! By Adrienne ZakPublished on June 13, 2008
June 13: Movies on a Big Screen, West Sacramento, CA; 7:00PM-9:00PM
Movies on a Big Screen presents the entire eighth annual Media That Matters Film Festival collection on June 13, 2008 at 7:00 PM. This will be the first screening on the west coast of the new collection of short films that premiered on May 28th in NYC. For more info on the venue, check out the website To find out more about the eighth annual collection of films, click here!Published on June 13, 2008
April: Presentation of Still Standing before the Maxine Greene Foundation
In April, two of the youth filmmakers responsible for Still Standing, the winner of the Seventh Annual Media That Matters' Jury Award, addressed world renowned philosopher Dr. Maxine Greene's salon. They presented their documentary to a room full of educators and participated in a discussion about teaching injustice with a tone of hope and possibility. The film seeks to highlight the different challenges facing evacuees and New Orleans citizens in the months following Hurricane Katrina. It does so by intimately portraying and contrasting the experiences of survivors still living in New Orleans with those living in temporary housing in Queens, New York. In the process, Still Standing discusses broader issues which have plagued urban American communities for many years. These issues include: the neglect of poor and minority neighborhoods, the inadequacy of public assistance to provide long-term solutions, and the struggles necessary to spark positive change. This event, which occurred in the face of recent reports that American schools are yet again failing low income students of color, provides a piece of positive news about the youth of EVC and offers a consequent degree of hope. These filmmakers, graduates of the Educational Video Center's Youth Organizer's Television Program (YO-TV), have been extremely active since the Seventh Annual Media That Matters Film Festival. In particular, Ines Morales has joined Arts Engine in talking to youth about Still Standing and the work that she has done since. She was also a member of the Jury for this year's Eighth Annual Media That Matters Film Festival.
By Christina Capatides
Published on June 12, 2008
Canadian prime minister apologizes for schools intended to “kill the Indian in the child”
On June 11, the Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, apologized for the existence of the Indian residential schools, which had deep and lasting harm on many Canadians and has been passed down to younger generations since. According to CNN, hundred of former students attended this apology, which was referred to as "nothing less than an achievement of the impossible" by Phil Fontaine, chief of Canada's Assembly of First Nations. The article also references a similar apology earlier this year from the new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to the Aboriginal community of Australia, where similar stories of abuse and attempts to destroy a culture have haunted a nation. Watch the eighth annual winner Something's Moving, and read more about the story of the U.S. Native American Boarding Schools.Published on June 12, 2008
June 9: Behind the Groove: Discussion on Careers in the Music Industry, Apollo Theater, NY; 6:30PM
Ben Herson, director of the Eighth Annual Media That Matters Film Festival's short film African Underground: Hip Hop in Senegal, will be participating in a panel discussion at the world famous Apollo Theater on professions in a constantly changing Music Industry. The panel discussion will be in celebration of Black Music Month and will aim to inform listeners about the ways in which changes in the Industry have affected both career paths and approaches to business. This information is pertinent to artists, managers, executives, producers, and listeners alike. The event is free and seating will be assigned on a first come, first served basis.Published on June 9, 2008
June 7: GOOD Farmer’s Fair, New York, NY; 5:00PM-10:00PM
We will be screening some of our Good Food Collection and Every Third Bite from this year's new collection. They will all be projected on the back wall of the tent and we will have a listening station at our table.
Please come and check us out, as well as some of the other great vendors around at the Choose GOOD Farmers' Fair on Saturday, June 7, 2008 at 5-10pm (DOORS at 5pm)
This will all take place at
Solar One
24-20 FDR Drive, Service Road East
New York, NY 10010
(23rd Street & the East River south of the Gulf Gas Station)
Published on June 7, 2008
June 6: MTM short films A Loud Color and Vision Test featured in the Rooftop Films Summer Series Shorts Program
Every summer for twelve years, the Rooftop Films Summer Series screens new, independent films in outdoor settings throughout New York City. Rooftop films is considered one of the finest venues for underground shorts and feature films. This summer, two of the sixteen shorts in the Rooftop Films 2008 Summer Series' "This Is What We Mean By Shorts" Shorts Program are Media That Matters Film Festival shorts. This Shorts Program marks the opening night of the Rooftop Films 2008 Summer Series. It will take place on Friday June 6 on the Open Road Rooftop in the Lower East Side, Manhattan.
Due to the Independent Film Center's status as a presenter of this year's Rooftop Films Summer Series, these two MTM films, A Loud Color from the Eighth Annual Media That Matters Film Festival and Vision Test from the Third Annual Media That Matters Film Festival, are featured on the IFC website.
The IFC website also includes a new blog on the Rooftop Films Shorts which introduces each film with a complete description, opportunity for online audience members to post questions for the filmmakers or comments, and statements or interviews with each of the filmmakers. This summer's Rooftop Film Series will hold screenings every weekend from May 31-September 27. These screenings include premieres of both bold new feature films and award-winning shorts in stimulating themed programs. Live music and after-parties with free drinks are also included in most screenings. Tickets are $9 at the door, but tickets for select shows are available for $6 online in advance.
By, Christina Capatides
Published on June 6, 2008
Cluster Bomb Ban Treaty Approved
From BBC News:More than 100 nations have reached an agreement on a treaty which would ban current designs of cluster bombs. Diplomats meeting in Dublin agreed to back an international ban on the use of the controversial weapons following 10 days of talks. But some of the world's main producers and stockpilers - including the US, Russia and China - oppose the move. Prime Minister Gordon Brown called it a "big step forward to make the world a safer place". He announced earlier that Britain would be taking cluster bombs out of service. The final draft of the treaty went before delegates from a total of 109 countries on Wednesday afternoon.To read more about this development visit BBC News.
Published on June 2, 2008
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