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FESTIVAL NEWS
Media That Matters & The Black Documentary Collective screening at Harlem Stage
Join us at Harlem Stage on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 for a screening of the MTM short A Loud Color. Directed by Brent Joseph the film follows New Orleans native Louis Harding as he revisits the contributions of notable African Americans in his post-Katrina neighborhood.
The film will screen along Shukree Tilghman’s feature More Than A Month. With More Than a Month, filmmaker Shukree Tilghman challenges the establishment by campaigning to end Black History Month! This often comedic cross-country documentary offers a candid look at race and power in “post-racial” America.
The screening will begin at 7:30 p.m.
For more information and to purchase tickets please visit: harlemstage.org
Published on February 7, 2012
Upcoming Screenings of Media That Matters!
January 16 - The Apollos (MTM 7)
JCC Manhattan Presents Artists Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Monday, January 16th
6:30 - 9:30 p.m.
2537 Broadway at 95th Street
http://www.jccmanhattan.org/performances?page=cat-content&progid=25056
January 28 - MTM 11 Collection
Saturday, January 28th
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Providence Inner City Arts
Roots Cultural Center
276 Westminster St. Providence, RI.
http://www.rootscafeprovidence.com/
Published on January 13, 2012
Working Films Seeks Media Makers Addressing Aging and Elder Rights
REEL AGING: REAL CHANGE
March 23 - 27, 2012
Working Films, with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, announces Reel Aging: Real Change, an initiative that will tie compelling documentary films and transmedia projects that explore aging to ongoing policy work and grassroots campaigns supporting older populations globally. Applications are due by January 6, 2012. Reel Aging: Real Change will begin on March 23, 2012 with a four-day residency where eight to ten media teams will sharpen their strategies for audience and community engagement. On Tuesday, March 27, the teams will present their projects to regional, national and global NGOs, funders, government agencies, activists, and policy makers – all leaders in the field of aging who have a track record of supporting elder rights, respect and health. The goal: to embed the film and media projects into on-the-ground efforts by the advocates in the room. Hosted in Washington, DC in collaboration with the Center for Social Media at American University, this day-long, strategic convening will launch a collaborative campaign between the participating media makers and the NGOs.
We are seeking applications from media makers for participation in Reel Aging: Real Change. All nonfiction projects that explore the aging experience are eligible to apply, and applicants may be at any stage of production or distribution, from new and completed projects to works-in-progress.
Application Deadline: January 6, 2012.
Registration Fee: NONE. This residency includes lodging, meals, and materials. Participants are responsible for covering their own travel; limited stipends are available.
Submission: Please complete application form online at workingfilms.org/reelaging
Please Help Spread the Word: Please forward this announcement to friends and colleagues and share www.workingfilms.org/reelaging on Facebook and Twitter.
Published on November 21, 2011
Upcoming MTM 11 Screenings
Don’t miss your chance to see the 11th annual Media That Matters collection on the big screen.
November 12, 2011
3 p.m.
Teaneck International Film Festival
Davis, Saperstein & Salomon
375 Cedar Lane, Teaneck, NJ 07666
November 17, 2011
7:30 p.m.
Dayton Access Television / Neon Movies
280 Leo St. Dayton, Ohio 45404
Published on November 11, 2011
MTM 11 Panels & Workshops Available Online Now!
If you weren’t able to make it out to our Impact and Women & Girls Matter panels and workshops, there is no need to worry!
You can view them here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/media-that-matters-2010
Please contact us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with any suggestions or comments of future panels you would like to see.
Published on October 31, 2011
Watch MTM 11 Online Now!!!
Media That Matters™ 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.
All thirteen films from the collection are currently available for online streaming at www.mediathatmattersfest.org/watch/11. This unique interactive experience will give viewers the opportunity to comment on their favorite films, connect with fellow fans of Media That Matters, and, for the first time, customize their own playlists of favorite films from the eleventh annual collection and years past.
From Director of Technology David Wright: “This year we will be incorporating a new feature called the Issue Builder that will allow you to make a playlist of your favorite films from the Media That Matters collection. Host an inspiring custom screening with your favorite films, share your playlist on popular social media sites or build a curriculum around specific issues and stream it online.”
Join us today and be one of the first to experience the newest way to watch all your favorite Media That Matters films!
Published on October 31, 2011
Media That Matters Presents Women & Girls Matter
We have heard the unnerving statistics: In commercial film, only 7 percent of directors, 6 percent of directors of photography, and 20 percent of producers are female. Women fare slightly better in documentary, where they make up 28% of directors and 11% of directors of photography. Still, the figures are dismal. Women and Girls Matter, a day of panels and workshops at Media That Matters™, is designed to look at the obstacles and opportunities for women and girls in filmmaking and new media, highlighting the values women bring to their work, and open up a dialogue for ways to create new spaces for female voices in the field.
While the day focuses on the needs of women in film, we hope to conclude the day with concrete actions for participants to take to help bring the voices of women and girls out of the margins and into the mainstream. Arts Engine is hoping in the next year to sponsor more events focusing on women & girls in film and new media. The dialogue generated at the event will help shape the direction of those activities.
Since this event is designed to be a series of intimate conversations, space is extremely limited. While we are able to offer these conversations at no cost to participants, you MUST register in advance. Registration will open on Friday, September 30th. You can register online at womenandgirlsmatter.eventbrite.com
Opening Doors and Windows: Access and Gender in Documentary Filmmaking
9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
The making of a successful documentary film depends on access to the film’s subject(s). This includes building a relationship of trust to establish intimate access, as well as having the ability to go everywhere your subject goes in order to have physical access.
To what extent does gender play a role in the ability to follow a subject? What are the obstacles and opportunities for female filmmakers in establishing access? How do these obstacles and opportunities shape choices, from choosing a topic through the logistical planning of shoots, crafting interview questions and capturing the most intimate moments? How does gender play a role in creating boundaries and in the relationship between the subject and the filmmaker?
Join established filmmakers as they share their personal experiences with the ways in which their gender has played a role in the creation of their films. The session will allow ample time for questions and dialogue.
Panelists:
Kirsten Johnson, Director of Photography: The Oath, Pray the Devil Back to Hell, Co-Director: Deadline
Yoruba Richen, Producer/Director: Promised Land
Lisa F. Jackson, Producer/Director: The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo, Sex Crimes Unit
Moderator: Michelle Materre, Independent Distribution and Marketing Consultant and Professor of Media Studies, New School
Breaking and Entering: A Young Women’s Guide to Starting a Career in Film
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
The younger generation has great access to audiences; filmmaking and editing technology is cheaper than ever and web-based distribution platforms are open to all. What is the current climate for young women and girls breaking into filmmaking? What resources are available, and what is lacking? Are roles behind the camera gendered?
Hear the story straight from girl media makers and their mentors. We’ll discuss opportunities for advancement as well as obstacles they faced and lessons learned along the way.
Panelists: youth female filmmakers from Maysles Institute, ReelWorks
Moderator: Kathleen Sweeney, Media Studies Faculty, The New School for Public Engagement, author of Maiden USA: Girl Icons Come of Age
Throwing Open the House: What Next for Women and Girls in Film and New Media?
2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Even as women have continued to make significant headway in other industries, the film business has remained a heavily male-dominated shop. Despite this reality, women filmmakers have not only persevered, but in recent years have been the driving force behind some of the industry’s most powerful feature and documentary films.
In what ways can female leadership impact gender norms in the film industry? How are the values that women bring to the table informing not only what media we create but how we create it? What can gatekeepers do to open doors and bring more women into the circle? What are the steps to engaging the interest and cultivating the talents of the next generation of girls?
Join a panel of changemakers as they evaluate the shifting landscape and explore solutions to breaking down more barriers for women and girls in filmmaking.
Panelists:
Beth Davenport, Women’s Institute Online Program Manager, Omega Institute for Holistic Studies; Director: Pushing The Elephant
Mallika Dutt, President & CEO, Breakthrough
Aina Abiodun, Film Futurist; Founder, Aina Media, Inc.
Moderator: Teresa Basilio, Director of Media In Action, Global Action Project
Building a Community: A New Media Audience Engagement Workshop
4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
New Media platforms have become essential for filmmakers to reach audiences and engender action. Technology has the power to transform human behavior, shift culture, and shape institutions.
Join us as we watch Burning Barriers (Jasmine Fox, Matteo Mobilio, Laura Weisbord, and Brithney Williams), a youth-directed Media That Matters film about women firefighters. A facilitator will guide us through the New Media/Film landscape, sharing some extraordinary projects emerging at the intersection of these two worlds.
Small facilitated groups will have the opportunity to brainstorm their own New Media projects based Burning Barriers, each group planning a website, a game, a social media plan, or an online distribution strategy. Each group will also come up with a list of actions (new media or conventionally based) to take following the workshop to help promote the roles of women and girls in film.
No prior experience or technological skills are necessary.
Moderator: Judith Helfand, Chicken & Egg Pictures
*we will continue to update you as additional panelist and moderators are added.
For more information please .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) us!
Women & Girls Matter is a joint project of Arts Engine, Inc. and The Center for Social Media.
Published on October 29, 2011
Media That Matters: IMPACT
On October 28th the day after the NYC premiere of the eleventh annual Media That Matters collection, Arts Engine will host a free day-long series of conversations for filmmakers, activists and educators.
The day will be organized into three interactive 90-minute sessions. You can sign up for one or for all three. Since this event is designed to be a series of intimate conversations, space is extremely limited. While we are able to offer these conversations at no cost to participants, you MUST register in advance. Registration will open on Friday, September 30th. You can register online at mtm11impact.eventbrite.com
Fair Use Workshop for Youth Filmmakers
12:00 – 1:30 p.m.
What is “fair use”? Can I use my favorite song or a clip from a film/tv show in my project? Can I get sued for copyright infringement if I’m under 18? If you’re a youth filmmaker and you’ve asked yourself these questions, this is the workshop for you. Patricia Aufderheide, Director of the Center for Social Media, in Washington, DC., and one of the nation’s leading experts in fair use, will guide you through an interactive workshop covering everything you wanted to know about fair use but didn’t know who to ask. All ages are encouraged to attend this workshop!
Show Me The Money: Using Grassroots Fundraising Strategies To Finance Your Film
2:00-3:30 p.m.
Despite the myriad resources now available, filmmakers will eventually face the reality that maxing out their credit cards may be not enough to finish their projects. For the very few, it will be easier to successfully navigate the grant system of fundraising; for everyone else—first-time and/or inexperienced filmmakers, those not “well-connected,” or belonging to an underrepresented community—this path can be endlessly frustrating. In this panel, we explore alternatives to the “foundation-industrial complex,” and focus on how filmmakers can use individual donors, fiscal sponsorship, and private family foundations to help finance their films.
Panelist: Marilyn Ness (Director, Bad Blood) Eleanor Whitney, New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA)
Moderator: Felix Endara, Filmmaker Services Manager, Arts Engine, Inc.
Beyond The Screen: Incorporating Media Into Your Lesson Plan
4:00-5:30 p.m.
In a multidimensional classroom, media is one of the most effective ways to engage students in learning. But we can go beyond simply screening a film in the classroom by incorporating it more fully into the curriculum. Using a film from our eleventh annual collection as a case study, our panelists will develop strategies to turn this work into a lesson plan.
Panelists: MTM 11 filmmaker, Rhys Daunic, Board Member the National Association of Media Literacy and co-founder/ Program Director of The Media Spot
Moderator:TBD
*we will continue to update you as additional panelist and moderators are added.
For more information please .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)us!
Media That Matters: IMPACT is a joint project of Arts Engine, Inc. and The Center for Social Media.
Published on October 28, 2011
MTM 11- Call for Volunteers!
MTM 11- Call for Volunteers!
We’re looking for a few good volunteers to help with some of our events and spread the word on our 11th Annual MTM premiere. Volunteers are expected to work at least one four hour shift. Most volunteers will be scheduled for our Premiere (October 27th), Impact Panels (October 28th), and Women & Girls Matter panels and workshops (October 29th). There will be additional volunteer opportunities throughout the month of October. In return you’ll get admission to our World Premiere, a guaranteed seat at the panel of your choice, and an MTM DVD.
If interested please send your contact information and short paragraph detailing why Media That Matters™ matters to you to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Published on October 3, 2011
Media That Matters™ Tickets on Sale Friday, September 30, 2011
You’re invited to the World Premiere of the 11th Annual Media That Matters™ collection. Be among the first to see the 13 new inspiring short films selected this year by our jury of 7 incredible educators, activists and media makers.
The premiere will take place Thursday, October 27, 2011, 7 p.m. at the SVA Theatre (333 West 23rd St., NYC). General admission tickets are $13.00*. We are pleased to offer discounted $10.00* tickets for educators** and free entry for students!
*Processing fee of $1.71 will apply to all purchased tickets
Tickets will be available for purchase online at mediathatmatters11.eventbrite.com
You can also register to attend our IMPACT, and Women & Girls Matter panels and workshops on Friday.
**If you would like to purchase discounted tickets please email us at.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to get your discount codes.
If you have any questions please .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) us!
Published on September 30, 2011
Media That Matters 11- Tickets On Sale Now!!
Published on September 30, 2011
MTM 11 Poster
Check out the official 11th Annual Media That Matters™ poster designed by Part & Parcel NYC!
Please .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) us, if you would like a small poster to help advertise the upcoming festival!
Continue to check mediathatmattersfest.org for more updates, we’ll be posting detailed panel and ticket information shortly.
Published on September 20, 2011
Meet Our Partners!
Each year Media That Matters™ partners with organizations committed to providing the world with quality media, that matters. Meet our 11th annual partners and check out the exciting events and projects they are working on.
BAVC
The Bay Area Video Coalition, or BAVC (pronounced “bay-vac”), is a nonprofit media arts center founded in 1976 by a coalition of media makers and activists who wanted to find alternative, civic-minded applications for a new technology - PortaPak video. BAVC’s continuing mission is to inspire social change by enabling the sharing of diverse stories through art, education and technology. BAVC does this by annually serving 5,000 independent media artists, including low-income_students, adults in the industry, social issue documentary filmmakers, San Francisco cable access producers, and 600 community members.
BAVC’s Next Gen programs empowers teens by providing access and training in audio, video and new media in order so the next generation gain industry standard skills, become confident storytellers, gain college readiness skills, engage with their community and social justice practices, and increase opportunities for their future career goals. Check out the following web native shorts BAVC Next Gen has recently produced:
Cultivating Community
Inspire USA
History In These Streets
Creative Growth
Center for Social Media
The Center for Social Media showcases and analyzes media for public knowledge and action—media made by, for, and with publics to address the problems that they share. We pay particular attention to the evolution of documentary film and video in a digital era, as well as promotion of best practices in fair use for creative communities. Save the date February 10 and 11, 2012 for our seventh annual Media That Matters conference in Washington, D.C., co-presented by Arts Engine. Visit the Center’s website to see video from past conferences and read our Pull Focus series for insights from world-renowned social documentary filmmakers.
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a not-for-profit organization, founded in 2001, that promotes the creative re-use of intellectual and artistic works, whether owned or in the public domain. Through its free copyright licenses, Creative Commons offers authors, artists, scientists, and
educators the choice of a flexible range of protections and freedoms that build upon the “all rights reserved” concept of traditional copyright to enable a voluntary “some rights reserved” approach. Creative Commons was built with and is sustained by the generous
support of organizations including the Center for the Public Domain, Omidyar Network, The Rockefeller Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as members of the public.
For more information, visit Creative Commons.
For three days from 16-18 September 2011, the Creative Commons Global
Summit, Powering an Open Future, will bring together the CC community
in Warsaw, Poland, to engage strategically on the future of our shared
commons, to renew and further build CC’s vital community, to
collaborate on mutual projects and initiatives, and to celebrate our
successes as we head towards the end of our first decade together. For
more information, visit
http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Global_Summit_2011 and follow
#ccsummit2011 on social media.
Docurama Films
Docurama Films is dedicated to making critically acclaimed and cutting-edge documentaries available digitally and on home video. In 1999, New Video launched Docurama Films with the release of the first feature documentary on DVD, D.A. Pennebaker’s Bob Dylan: Don’t Look Back. Over a decade later and a line of over 250 award-winning and highly acclaimed documentary titles, Docurama continues its mission to unearth and release the great classic documentaries of the last fifty years while spreading the word about filmmakers who are taking the form to new heights. The Docurama catalog features a wide span of titles from varying genres including the arts, history/politics, environmental, ethnic interest, LGBT, music, and socio-cultural as well as theatrical fan-favorites like The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hilland Andy Goldsworthy: Rivers and Tides. Highly anticipated releases in 2010 include the screwball comedy The Yes Men Fix the World, the empowering music celebration Soundtrack for a Revolution and the crowd-pleasing Yoo-Hoo Mrs. Goldberg.
For more information, visit Docurama Films
Human Rights Watch Film Festival
Human Rights Watch is one of the world’s leading organizations dedicated to defending a protecting Human Rights. Through the Human Rights Watch Film Festival we bear witness to human rights violations and create a forum for courageous individuals on both sides of the lens to empower audiences with the knowledge that personal commitment can make a difference. The film festival brings to life human rights abuses through storytelling in a way that challenges each individual to empathize and demand justice for all people.
The Human Rights Watch Film Festival takes place in New York, London and in over 40 other sites across North America and beyond through our Traveling Film Festival. To bring the Human Rights Watch Film Festival to your town, please visit: http://www.hrw.org/iff/traveling-festival
We are currently accepting film submissions for our New York (June 2012) and London (March 2012) festivals. Our deadline is December 10, 2011. To submit your feature length film, please visit: http://www.hrw.org/iff/submissions
The National Association for Media Literacy Education
The National Association for Media Literacy Education is a nonprofit membership organization whose mission is to expand and improve the practice of media literacy education in the United States. NAMLE has drafted the Core Principles of Media Literacy Education, a blueprint for media literacy education and implications for practice, as a first step in the development of measurable outcomes and benchmarks for U.S. schools and publishes the Journal for Media Literacy Education.
For more information, visit www.NAMLE.net.
Ninth Street
Ninth Street Independent Film Center is a San Francisco nonprofit media arts center designed to support media arts projects—from world-renowned international film festivals to individual media artists. Providing below market rent, and shared resources, Ninth Street also creates collaborative program opportunities through exhibitions and youth media education. Sharing resources to save on costs, programming has been designed to meet the needs of our partners, thus providing better services to our respective communities.
For more information, visit Ninth Street
The Paley Center
“The Paley Center for Media, with locations in New York and Los Angeles, leads the discussion about the cultural, creative, and social significance of television, radio, and emerging platforms for the professional community and media-interested public. Drawing upon its curatorial expertise, an international collection, and close relationships with the leaders of the media community, the Paley Center examines the intersections between media and society. The general public can access the collection of nearly 150,000 programs covering almost 100 years of television and radio history, including news, public affairs programs and documentaries, performing arts programs, children’s programming, sports, comedy and variety shows, and commercial advertising. and participate in programs that explore and celebrate the creativity, the innovations, the personalities, and the leaders who are shaping media. Previously known as The Museum of Television & Radio, the Paley Center was founded in 1975 by William S. Paley, a pioneering innovator in the industry.”
On Thursday, October 20, 2011 The Paley Center’s Education Department will present Docu-Jam 2011 with DCTV.
Come see outstanding documentaries produced by young people across the country.
The eleventh Annual Docu-Jam is a unique youth documentary showcase presented by The Paley Center for Media, in association with Downtown Community Television Center in New York, as part of its PALEYDOCFEST2011. Selected short documentaries are screened at PALEYDOCFEST2011, and will become part of the Center’s permanent collection. The screenings will be followed by an informal Q&A.
Free to Members; included with general admission.
In association with Downtown Community Television New York
For more information, visit The Paley Center
POV
Produced by American Documentary, POV is American television’s longest-running showcase for independent documentary storytelling, premiering 14-16 films each year on PBS. Since 1988, POV has brought more than 300 acclaimed documentaries to public television audiences across the country.
POV films are known for their intimacy, their unforgettable storytelling and their timeliness, putting a human face on contemporary social issues. POV films have won every major film and broadcasting award including 23 Emmys, 13 George Foster Peabody Awards, 10 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Broadcast Journalism Awards, three Academy Awards and
the Prix-Italia
Each year, POV’s Community Engagement Department produces over 500 community screenings of POV films in all 50 states. If you’re interested in organizing a POV screening join our Community Network at www.pbs.org/pov/outreach/.
This year, POV piloted Project VoiceScape a partnership with Adobe Youth Voices, PBS Foundation and POV a program to mentor today’s best young documentary filmmakers. The young filmmakers who won production grants are now competing for the 2011 Project VoiceScape Audience Award. Watch the films and vote for your favorite before 9/30! http://www.pbs.org/pov/voicescape
Rooftop Films
Rooftop Films is a non-profit organization whose mission is to engage and inspire diverse communities by showing movies in outdoor locations, producing new films, teaching filmmaking to young people, and renting low-cost equipment to artists and non-profits. At Rooftop Films, we bring underground movies outdoors
But Rooftop Films is more than a film festival. We are a community. We are a collective collaboration between filmmakers and festivals, between audience members and artists, between venues and neighborhoods. Our goal is to nurture a vibrant independent filmmaking community not only by exhibiting the work of low-budget filmmakers but also by providing essential support systems for those who otherwise have none. Rooftop Films is keeping this vital mode of filmmaking alive and well in New York City and beyond.
For more information, visit Rooftop Films
Shooting People
Founded by filmmakers for 60 filmmaker friends, Shooting People started in the belief that the best way to get independent films made and out into the world was to learn from others doing it themselves. And to share ideas, collaborators, knowledge picked up from shoots and other film experiences back in return. Now, 13 years on, with 38,000 members and over 200 new crew and cast joining every week, this core principal remains the same and as important as ever.
Independent filmmaking can be a pretty tough business. But it’s also a pretty exciting business right now. And Shooters are doing great things; creating distinctive bold films that are breaking out, defying old paradigms to find new audiences, trying out fresh-fangled cameras and aesthetics, creating alternate models for funding and exploring different ideas to create sustainable careers.
For more information, visit Shooting People
SOCDOC
The MFA program in Social Documentary Film at the School of VISUAL ARTS provides a solid foundation in the fundamentals of non-fiction filmmaking, as well as an immersion into the critical and analytical
processes necessary to conceptualize and develop film projects with content of significant social relevance. This program represents the convergence of journalism, social activism and the art of filmmaking.
For more information, visit SOCDOC
Tribeca Film Institute Youth Programs
Since 2005, TFI has utilized the power of film to help harness and direct the energy, vision and promise of New York City’s middle and high school students. Through a broad range of programming, students have the opportunity learn more about film and to use film to think about their own lives, stories, communities and careers. Program offerings include the Tribeca Film Fellows, Summer Arts Institute, and Tribeca Youth Screening Series programs.
For more information, visit Tribeca Film Institute Youth Programs
World Savvy
World Savvy prepares the next generation of leaders to thrive as responsible global citizens in the 21st century. We are a national leader and model for promoting and developing global competency in K-12 teaching and learning, through the provision of high quality global education programs and services. We support systemic change in K-12 education to provide every student in every classroom with the content knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to be leaders and changemakers in their diverse communities, locally and globally. The services we provide include: 1) Youth Engagement: World Affairs ChallengeTM and Media & Arts Program offer dynamic academic and media & art programming for middle and high school youth; 2) Professional Development for educators; 3) Customized Consulting for schools and educational/cultural institutions; and 4) Educational Resources for educators across disciplines.
Upcoming events:
Sustainable Communities Professional Development Institute for Educators
Join World Savvy for our Sustainable Communities Institute to explore the political, environmental, economic, social and cultural dimensions of sustainability from a local to a global level. This two day workshop will model a variety of interactive teaching and learning strategies to connect with Common Core Standards and engage diverse students in an examination of issues such as sustainable development, energy, food, water, transport and design on a local, national and global scale. We invite middle and high school social studies, science, math, language and creative arts teachers, school administrators, non-profit leaders working with youth, and graduate students interested in global education to join us. All attendees qualify for FREE participation in our Media & Arts Program or World Savvy Challenge.
New York City – October 11-12
San Francisco Bay Area – October 17-18
Minneapolis-St. Paul – October 20-21
Working Films
Linking nonfiction film to cutting edge activism. Working Films brings the persuasive, provocative and personal narratives in independent documentary films – vividly illustrating the struggles and triumphs of our lives – to long-term community organizing and activism. Our services include comprehensive social-issue documentary campaign management, intensive and grounded residencies for filmmakers on engagement and non-traditional distribution, strategy meetings with leading NGOs and activists that tie their commitment to your film, and consultation on social media and websites delivering authentic “take actions” for audiences. We are a unique link between independent media makers, community organizers and the audiences who need to see your movie.
Now in our eleventh year, we remain committed to using film to support a less cynical, less toxic, more equitable and joyous world. Working Films is headquartered in Wilmington, NC with satellite offices in New York and London.
For more information, visit Working Films
Upcoming related Working Films events:
Good Pitch San Francisco
Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation, in partnership with the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program
September 27
San Francisco, CA
Meet & Greet with Gen Silent filmmaker Stu Maddux
September 29 at 7pm
Wilmington, NC
Story Leads to Action at the 92Y Tribeca
Co-hosted with Chicken & Egg Pictures
Semper Fi: Always Faithful with Tony Hardmon and Rachel Libert
October 20 at 7pm
200 Hudson Street, New York City
Good Pitch Europe
Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation, in partnership with the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program
October 25
London, United Kingdom
DOC NYC Documentary Film Festival
What Happens When the Tea Party Joins Your Party?
Panel discussion centered on The Greater Good
November 4 at 2:30pm
IFC Center, New York City
Reel Food: Residential Workshop
Co-hosted with Chicken & Egg Pictures and the Fledgling Fund
November 5 – 9
Oakland, CA
.
Published on September 16, 2011
MTM 11 News and Updates!
Our eleventh annual collection celebrates twelve jury selected shorts, each under twelve minutes, tackling a broad range of social issues with humor, humanity, and honesty.
Covering a vast array of topics from religious tolerance, Autism awareness, biased-based bullying and much more, this year’s collection will have its debut in New York City on October 27, 2011 at SVA Theatre on West 23rd Street. Following the New York premiere the collection will be available online, and distributed via DVD and screened at events all over the country.
Arts Engine will also present two days of panels and workshops in New York City at the School of Visual Arts MFA Social Documentary Film campus on Friday, October 28 & Saturday, October 29. The events are geared towards filmmakers, activists and educators and will be free and open to the public.
Friday’s events will focus on grassroots fundraising, fair use, as well as tips and tools for educators to incorporate media into the classroom.
On Saturday we are pleased to present Women and Girls Matter, a new Media That Matters™ initiative dedicated towards the empowerment of women and girls. The day will focus on obstacles and opportunities for women and girls in filmmaking and new media, highlight the values they bring their work, and open up a dialogue for ways to create new spaces for female voices in the field.
Each week leading up to the premiere we’ll be releasing information on the 11th Media That Matters™.
Continue to check mediathatmattersfest.org, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates!
Questions?
Send us an .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)!
Published on September 7, 2011
11th Annual Festival Jury
Angelica Das
Angelica Das is the Associate Director at the Center for Social Media. Angelica comes to the Center with a background in nonprofit management. She managed operations and established the D.C. office for the nonprofit Machik, which works to strengthen communities on the Tibetan plateau. As Program Officer for the National Geographic Society’s Expedition Council, she managed applications, grant awards and media for premiere explorers and adventurers. She holds a Masters in Arts from the School of Communication and School of International Service’s International Media program, where she developed a map of hyperlocal media in Washington, D.C. that serves as a resource for students, NGOs and the local community. Angelica holds a B.A. in History and Political Science from the University of Rochester and a post-baccalaureate certificate in Polish language and culture.
Alice Elliott
Alice Elliott is an Academy Award nominated director, a writer, producer, cinematographer, university level teacher, advocate for the disabled, and a member of New Day Films, an educational distribution cooperative. Her short documentary, The Collector of Bedford Street, was nominated for an Academy Award and was the recipient of the Jewish Image Award, the TASH Image Award and more than twelve additional festival honors including the Henry Hampton Award given by the Council on Foundations. The Collector of Bedford Street aired on HBO/Cinemax and has screened at over 75 film festivals around the world. Alice Elliott was the director, co-producer, and the principal verite cinematographer on her latest film, BODY & SOUL: DIANA & KATHY, which aired on PBS for National Disability Awareness Month. Currently she is directing three projects including Miracle on 42nd Street about a thirty year old affordable housing project for performing artist that transformed the West Side of Manhattan. Alice has been producing documentaries for almost twenty years. She runs the boutique documentary film company, Welcome Change Productions, whose mission is to lead social change by revealing the big stories hidden in the human heart.
Annalise Littman
Annalise Littman is a 19-year-old student at Tufts University in Massachusetts, where she studies biopsychology and child development and is a Public Health Coordinator for a Tufts affiliated free health care clinic. In high school, Annalise attended the Fast Forward teen media program at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. While in the program, Annalise was inspired to make Aquafinito, a documentary about the environmental and human rights problems associated with bottled water after hearing a presentation about Corporate Accountability International’s Think Outside the Bottle campaign. Annalise was the winner of the Youth Sustainability Award in the Tenth Annual Media that Matters film festival for Aquafinito, which was also part of Human Rights Watch International Film Festival’s Youth Producing Change traveling film program in 2009-2010.
Sarah Masters
Sarah Masters is the Managing Director of the Hartley Film Foundation, located in Westport, CT. Hartley is a non-profit organization dedicated to the cultivation and support of documentaries that focus on world religions and spirituality. Prior to joining Hartley in 2004 under the direction of then Director Macky Alston, a filmmaker and seminarian, Sarah was co-founder and Executive Editor of a news organization for physicians. Her news team covered medical journals, conferences, research in development and the business of health. The news organization was eventually purchased by Reuters. Before establishing that online medical news service, Sarah worked as Executive Editor of Lifetime Medical Television, which was a division of Lifetime that produced more than 100 half-hour shows annually for physicians. Sarah went to Lifetime from Physicians Radio Network, where she served as Editor-in-Chief. Her career in journalism followed clinical training and stints at the Reproductive Biology Research Foundation in St. Louis, MO, and Rockefeller University here in New York.
George J. Orwel
George J. Orwel is a 20-year veteran journalist, award-winning author, and an adjunct professor of modern African history at the City University of New York. He founded the Media Institute in Nairobi 15 years ago and is now at work on a book about African literary history. He has a BA (Honors) in Linguistics and Literature from the University of Nairobi, a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, a JD degree from Brooklyn Law School and a certificate in media law & policy from Oxford University, England.
Gordon Quinn
Artistic Director and founder of Kartemquin Films, a 2007 recipient of the MacArthur award for Creative and Effective Institutions, Gordon Quinn’s 45 years of documentary work include Home For Life, Taylor Chain, Golub, Hoop Dreams, Vietnam, Long Time Coming, and The New Americans. Other Executive Producer credits include Five Girls, In The Family, Typeface, Milking The Rhino, At The Death House Door, and No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson. Recently he directed Prisoner of Her Past, and A Good Man (about Bill T. Jones for American Masters), and Executive Produced The Interrupters (for Frontline).
Gordon Quinn is a longtime supporter of public and community media and has served on several boards including The Illinois Humanities Council, The Chicago Public Access Corporation, and The Public Square Advisory Committee, The Illinois Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. He was a lead filmmaker in creating the Documentary Filmmakers Statement of Best Practices in Fair Use and frequently speaks to the media, legal, and educational communities about this fundamental right.
Chi-hui Yang
Chi-hui Yang is a film programmer, lecturer and writer based in New York. As a guest curator, Yang has presented film and video series at film festivals and events internationally, including the 2011 MOMA Documentary Fortnight, the 2008 Robert Flaherty Film Seminar (“The Age of Migration”), the Seattle International Film Festival, the Washington D.C. International Film Festival and the Barcelona Asian Film Festival. From 2000-2010 he was the Director and Programmer of the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, the largest showcase of its kind in the US. Yang is also the programmer of “Cinema Asian America,” a new On-Demand service offered by Comcast. He is also currently a Visiting Scholar at NYU’s Center for Media, Culture and History.
Published on August 31, 2011
Media That Matters Screening in Burlington, Vermont!
Join us for a special, free screening of four tremendously moving, inspiring, and thought-provoking short films on Tuesday, August 16, at 7PM. The evening kicks off with “After the Harvest,” a 20-minute film narrated by Susan Sarandon about hunger in the coffee-growing
communities of Central America. Rick Peyser of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters will be on hand to discuss los meses flacos, or “the thin months” when coffee farmers are forced to eat less, eat less nutritious foods, or borrow against their future earnings. Coffee Talk magazine says the film is “a masterpiece of visual and emotional documentary that brings forth this crucial issue with absolute clarity. If you care about coffee, you must see this film.”
Following Rick’s Q&A we will screen “Lessons from a Tailor,” “No One Bothered” and “The Last Town;” from the tenth annual Media That Matters™ collection. Please join us for film, coffee, and conversation on Tuesday, August 16 at 7pm. The screenings will be held at Main Street Landing’s Film House Space, 60 Lake Street, in Burlington. For more information contact us at
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)t.
Published on August 9, 2011
Shades of the Border screening in Philadelphia!
Please visit Scribe Video Center for more information.
Published on August 9, 2011
Media That Matters Announces 11TH Annual Premiere Dates, and Venue!
The 11th Annual Media That Matters collection will premiere Thursday, October 27th at SVA Theatre, 333 West 23 Street, New York NY 10011.
Following the premiere on October 28th we will have a day of panels and workshops at SOCDOC (School of Visual Arts MFA Social Documentary Film program) 136 West 21st St., 1st Floor, New York, NY 10011.
We hope to see you there!!!
Continue to check our website, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get all the latest news on MTM11!
Questions?
Send us an .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)!
Published on June 30, 2011
Working Films launches IMPACT series
Media That Matters™ partner, Working Films has recently launched IMPACT. IMPACT is a series of online videos created by Working Films and The Fledgling Fund focused on film campaigns that ignite social change. Previous segments include “Deep Down: Make it Local,” “No Impact Man: Activating Your Audience” and “IMPACT: A Funder’s Perspective”
The latest film in the series “Including Samuel: The Power of Youth” brings us behind the scenes of a youth summit where kids create an audience engagement campaign that is teen focused and teen led. What materializes is “I am Norm”, a campaign for the full social and educational inclusion of people with disabilities. This national initiative, launched in 2010, has extended the reach of the documentary film Including Samuel, empowering youth in a way that is truly participatory and meaningful.
Please click here to learn more about the series and Working Films.
Published on June 13, 2011
11th Annual Media That Matters Submission Deadline Extended
The submission deadline for Media That Matters 11 has been extended to Wednesday, May 11th.
Please be aware that there is a fee increase of $5. No waivers will be granted.
Extended Deadline postmarked by: May 11, 2011
* Individual Filmmaker: $30 / each film submission; Max: 2 submissions
* Student Filmmaker (18+): $15 w/ Student ID; Max: 2 submissions
* Youth Filmmaker (18 & under): FREE w/ proof of age; Max: 2 submissions
* Non-profit / Youth Media Organization: FREE; Max: 5 submissions
Please visit our SUBMIT page for more information!
Thanks
- MTM
Published on May 11, 2011
Call for Entries: Media That Matters 11
Now in it’s ELEVENTH season, Media That Matters™ offers you the opportunity to empower communities working towards social change.
Media That Matters™ – the premier showcase for short films with big messages – connects you with hundreds of thousands of people across the globe, including educators, activists, and nonprofits. Through a multi-platform campaign combining online streaming with personalized screenings, your film can be a tool that opens hearts and minds about the collective struggle for a more socially conscious world. Join us by submitting your film now!
Short Films: Films must be ten minutes MAXIMUM; the ideal length is around eight minutes.
All Styles: We accept documentaries, narratives, animations, music videos, public service announcements, dramas, comedies, hybrids, or a style of your own creation! Creativity is always encouraged. The only guideline is that your project must focus on a social issue.
All Issues: Any and all issues will be considered. This year we are particularly interested in films focusing on Disability Rights, Interfaith Dialogue and Religious Tolerance, Bias-based Bullying, Gender Equality and Youth Activism.
All Ages: Youth-produced media is strongly encouraged!
Deadline: May 1, 2011 (the festival will take place in the Fall of 2011)
Please Note: Your film MUST be cleared for NONEXCLUSIVE home video, educational, online, broadcast and theatrical distribution.
For more details and to submit your film online, visit www.mediathatmattersfest.org/submit
Questions? Send us an email! festival@artsengine.net
Published on March 23, 2011
2011 Media That Matters™ Call For Entries Opening March 1st!
The 2011 Media That Matters™ Film Festival Call For Entries will be open for submissions on March 1st! Mark your calendars.
Published on January 31, 2011
January 7: Media That Matters 10 Winners at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts at 6:30pm
MTM10 Winners at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
This month VMFA presents recently made, eloquent documentaries on topics that connect to VMFA special exhibitions on display in its galleries.
MTM10 selections will be screened with Little White Feather and the Hunter (2008) by Anna Lucas.
Friday, January 7, 6:30 p.m.
Leslie Cheek Theater
Published on January 3, 2011
Media That Matters: On the Road Again with a Southern Tour!
This month, Media That Matters takes to the open road again with a southern tour, commencing Saturday, November 20!
The tour will take Director Jolene Pinder through the Southeast, screening MTM films in high school classrooms from South Florida to New Orleans.
We kicked off the tour at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) in Tampa, Florida. Media That Matters teamed up with MOSI for a special two-hour screening for the museum’s YES! Team (Youth Enriched by Science) and a screening for the general public during the Elementary Science Olympics. The program is a career and educational enrichment program designed to help at-risk youth, between the ages of 13 and 17, develop and progress in a supportive peer-group environment while motivating them to pursue science both as a career and as an essential element of their total education.
From there, Media That Matters will travel to high schools and local theatres in West Palm Beach, Tallahassee, New Orleans, Birmingham and Houston. Last stop: a screening at the Aurora Picture Show in Houston, Texas, on Friday, December 3rd. Shades of the Border filmmaker Patrick Smith and MTM Director Jolene Pinder will be in attendance.
Published on November 23, 2010
Media That Matters In The Teaneck International Film Festival, New Jersey.
Media That Matters 10th Film Festival 2010 has been included in the Teaneck International Film Festival
According to TIFF executive director Jeremy Lentz, “This ties in perfectly with our theme, Activism: Making Change, by engaging diverse audiences and inspiring them to take action.”
From gay rights to global warming, the collection represents the work of a diverse group of independent filmmakers.
The films will be shown Nov. 20, 3:30 p.m., at Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, 375 Cedar Lane, New Jersey.
Arts Engine Executive Director Steve Mendelsohn and Talking Eyes Media Associate Producer Carol DeVoe (“Denied”) will be on hand for a Q+A after the screening.
Below is a list of the Films included:
* Aquafinito
* Day Job
* Denied
* I Am Sean Bell
* I’m Just Anneke
* Justice Denied: Voices from Guantánamo
* Lessons from a Tailor
* My Hotness is Pasted on Yey!
* No One Bothered
* Shades of the Border
* The Last Town
* Uninsured in the Mississippi Delta
Published on November 4, 2010
Gotham Awards Nomination for Media That Matters Documentary
MTM8’s A Nomad’s Life, which has since become a longer film (Summer Pasture), has received a Gotham Award Nomination under the “Best Film Not Playing At A Theater Near You.”
The film, directed and produced by Lynn True and Nelson Walker and co-produced by Tsering Perlo and Keefe Murren, will play at the Museum Of Modern Art in New York City on Monday, November 29.
Published on October 20, 2010
Possible Oscar Nomination for Media That Matters Documentary
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the eight Documentary Short Subject contenders for the 83rd Academy Awards. The selection includes MTM9’s The Next Wave which has since become a longer film, Sun Come Up.
Sun Come Up is produced and directed by Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger, and earlier this year the film was selected by the International Documentary Association (IDA) for their annual DocuWeeks lineup, which means it is automatically considered for Oscar nomination.
The Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 25, 2011, at 5:30 a.m. (P.T.). Congratulations to everyone involved.
Published on October 20, 2010
October 14: Media That Matters at the HandsOn Reel Service in Richmond, VA
As part of GiveRichmond Week The James River Film Society and HandsOn Greater Richmond HandsOn Greater Richmond will be screening two Media That Matters documentaries:
A Loud Color dir. Brent Joseph
Lessons From A Tailor dir. Galen Summer
The screening will take place at the Leslie Cheek Theatre in the Virginia Museum Of Fine Arts from 6.30 - 8pm and promises to be a socially-conscious as well as social event featuring finalists from the Get HandsOn PSA Contest as well as the Media That Matters shorts.
Published on October 6, 2010
Immersion Director Richard Levien Wants You To Take Action.
Take action now to change the future of English Language Learners in California.
From Immersion Director Richard Levien:
“Hi there,
Exciting news! Governor Schwarzenegger has a good bill on his desk (SB 930 (Ducheny)) that could greatly improve some of the testing issues for English Language Learners raised in our film “Immersion”.
If you don’t live in California, thanks for your help and support - some of the sponsors of this very bill watched “Immersion” at the State Capitol, and thanked us for making the film.
If you DO live in California, please take a moment to call, email or fax the governor’s office, and ask him to please sign SB 930 (Ducheny). Here are the contact details.
* Email: http://www.gov.ca.gov/interact. Please note under “Subject” put “Governor” and copy/paste the letter as your email message. This is necessary because attachments ARE NOT ACCEPTED as part of the email.
* Fax Number: 916-558-3160
* Phone: Capitol Office: 916-445-2841
Thanks so much for your help, as always!
Regards,
Richard”
Published on September 16, 2010
AUGUST 26: MEDIA THAT MATTERS in PHILADELPHIA
Join us for a screening of the tenth annual Media That Matters collection, hosted by Scribe Video Center.
WHERE:
Thursday, August 26th
7:00 p.m.
WHERE:
Scribe Video Center
4212 Chestnut Street 3rd Floor
Philadelphia, PA, 19104
See Google maps.
Admission: $5
FREE to Scribe members
Media That Matters Director Jolene Pinder will be in attendance for Q+A after the screening.
Published on August 25, 2010
Summer Pasture and Sun Come Up selected for IDA’s DocuWeeks lineup
Two MTM shorts (MTM8’s A Nomad’s Life and MTM9’s The Next Wave) that have since become longer films (Summer Pasture and Sun Come Up, respectively) will hit the big screen with theatrical premieres in NYC and LA this summer. Both films were selected by the International Documentary Association (IDA) for their annual DocuWeeks lineup. DocuWeeks, a three week exhibition of documentary films in Los Angeles and New York will screen seventeen feature films and five shorts from July 30 to August 19. The Los Angeles screenings will take place at the ArcLight Hollywood, and the New York screenings will take place at the IFC Center. A film that screens at DocuWeeks is automatically qualified for consideration for next year’s Oscars.
Summer Pasture
Los Angeles
ArcLight Hollywood
August 6 - August 12
New York City
IFC Center
July 30 - August 5
Sun Come Up
New York
IFC Center
July 30 - August 5
Published on July 15, 2010
July 22: GOOD FOOD Screening at Exit Art
Exit Art has invited Media That Matters to screen GOOD FOOD, a collection of short films and animations about food and sustainability, along with the film “Every Third Bite” from MTM8. This special screening is part of the exhibition Consume at Exit Art.
Consume, a project of SEA (Social Environmental Aesthetics) , investigates the world’s systems of food production, distribution, consumption and waste. With fuel prices fluctuating and climate change causing monumental shifts in weather patterns, we have been forced to rethink our methods of food production and distribution. Natural disasters have wiped out entire crop cycles (the rice supply in Burma and the wheat harvest in Australia) and experts are saying that a global food shortage is imminent. The prices for wheat, corn, rice and other grains have steadily increased since 2005, causing food riots and hoarding from Morocco to Yemen to Hong Kong. The New York Times recently reported an estimate that Americans waste 27% of the food available for consumption. What are some possible solutions to these mammoth problems?
Q and A to follow with a representative of Media That Matters. $5 suggested donation. Cash bar.
Curated by Papo Colo, Jeanette Ingberman, Lauren Rosati and Herb Tam.
THURSDAY, JULY 22 / 7-9pm
LOCATION:
Exit Art
475 Tenth Avenue at 36th Street
New York, NY 10018
T: 212.966.7745
A, C, E to 34th St / Penn Station
www.exitart.org
Published on July 8, 2010
JULY 8: MEDIA THAT MATTERS 10 in PORTLAND, OR
This years MEDIA THAT MATTERS FILM FESITVAL is co-presented with Film Action Oregon.
WHEN:
Thursday, July 8th
7:00 p.m.
WHERE:
Hollywood Theatre
4122 NE Sandy Blvd.
Portland, OR 97212
Published on July 8, 2010
Tenth Annual Media That Matters on Ustream!
Always more than a film festival, Media That Matters is Arts Engine’s pioneering curatorial project of the world’s best short films on social issues. Using multiple technologies – such as Ustream, Twitter and Flip cameras – Media That Matters broadcast its New York City events live for the first time in its ten-year history.
Now, audiences anywhere at anytime can visit our Media That Matters Ustream page to view the live taping of our World Premiere events including the MTM10 Premiere (with Filmmaker Q&A) at SVA Theatre on June 2 and the Filmmakers’ Awards Ceremony on June 3. Additionally, our MTM:IMPACT is also available for viewing! Our workshop featured a series of three interactive conversations with panelists who offered provocative dialogue and practical strategies for how mediamakers, activists, educators and everyone else can make impact.
Visit Ustream - Media That Matters 2010 now to relive the MTM10 Premiere events, catch up on some of the latest conversation on social issue media, and experience how short films are changing the world!
Published on June 30, 2010
MTM10 “I’m Just Anneke” screens at SilverDocs (MD), Outfest (L.A.) and Tokyo Int’l Lesbian & Gay Film Festival (Tokyo)
Congratulations to MTM10 Filmmaker Jonathan Skurnik and his film “I’m Just Anneke” which has been selected to screen at SilverDocs, Outfest, and Tokyo International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival!
“I’m Just Anneke” screens at:
SILVERDOCS
Friday, June 25 at 6:15 PM
Discovery HD Theater
Sunday, June 27 at 11:15 AM
AFI Silver Theater 2
Silver Springs, MD
OUTFEST
Sunday, July 11 at 12:00 PM
Laemmle Sunset 5
Los Angeles, CA
TOKYO INTERNATIONAL LESBIAN & GAY FILM FESTIVAL
Friday, July 16 at 4:45 PM
Sunday, July 18 at 5:00 PM
Spiral Hall
Tokyo, Japan
Visit our MTM Take Action Links for “I’m Just Anneke” and learn how you can support transgender and gender nonconforming youth!
Published on June 30, 2010
JUNE 26: MEDIA THAT MATTERS in EVANSTON, IL
This year´s MEDIA THAT MATTERS FILM FESTIVAL in Evanston is co-presented with Evanston Arts Depot.
WHEN:
Saturday, June 26
7:00 p.m.
WHERE:
Evanston Arts Depot
600 Main Street
Evanston, IL 60202
Published on June 26, 2010
JUNE 25: MEDIA THAT MATTERS 10 in SANTA FE, NM
This years MEDIA THAT MATTERS FILM FESTIVAL in Santa Fe, NM is co-presented with Warehouse 21!
WHERE:
Friday, June 25
7:00 p.m.
WHERE:
Warehouse 21
1614 Paseo de Peralta
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
Media That Matters Director Jolene Pinder will be in attendance for Q+A after the screening.
Published on June 25, 2010
JUNE 22: MEDIA THAT MATTERS 10 in WASHINGTON, D.C.
The 10th MEDIA THAT MATTERS FILM FESTIVAL in Washington, D.C. is co-presented with Campus Progress.
WHEN:
Tuesday, June 22
7:00 p.m.
WHERE:
E Street Cinema
555 11th Street NW
Washington, DC 20004
(entrance on E Street between 10th and 11th Street)
FREE Screening.
Director Jonathan Skurnik (of MTM film “I’m Just Anneke”) and Media That Matters Director Jolene Pinder will be in attendance for Q+A after the screening.
**
Published on June 22, 2010
JUNE 18: MEDIA THAT MATTERS 10 in SAN FRANCISCO, CA
This years´s MEDIA THAT MATTERS FILM FESTIVAL in San Francisco is co-presented with BAVC, Ninth Street Independent Film Center and Creative Commons
WHEN:
Friday, June 18
8:00 p.m.
WHERE:
Ninth Street Independent Film Center
145 Ninth Street, Suite 101
San Francisco, CA 94103
FREE Screening
Director Joel Engardio (of MTM film “Justice Denied: Voices from Guantanamo”) will be in attendance for Q+A after the screening.
Published on June 18, 2010
JUNE 16: MEDIA THAT MATTERS 10 in MIAMI, FL
This years´s MEDIA THAT MATTERS FILM FESTIVAL is co-presented with Phonograph Films!
WHEN:
Wednesday, June 16
8:00 p.m.
WHERE:
Miami Beach Cinematheque
512 Española Way
Miami Beach, FL 33139
After the screening, Phonograph Films Founder Juan Carlos Zaldîvar will moderate a discussion with Miami New Times reporter Tim Elfrink, Media That Matters Director Jolene Pinder and a representative from Dade County’s GLBTQ Alliance for Youth.
$10.00 General Admission
$8.00 Seniors (62+) and Students (with current ID)
$7.00 MBC and MIFF Members
You can purchase advance tickets here .
Published on June 16, 2010
JUNE 15: MEDIA THAT MATTERS 10 in GAINESVILLE, FL
This year´s MEDIA THAT MATTERS FILM FESTIVAL is co-presented with the Civic Media Center
WHEN:
Tuesday, June 15
7:30 p.m.
WHERE:
Hippodrome Theatre
25 S.E. 2nd Place
Gainesville, FL 32601
Free Screening. $7-10 Suggested Donation.
Media That Matters Director Jolene Pinder will be in attendance for Q+A after the screening.
Published on June 15, 2010
JUNE 12: MEDIA THAT MATTERS 10 in DENVER, CO
Watch the 10th annual MEDIA THAT MATTERS FILM FESTIVAL in partnership with the Denver Film Society!
WHEN:
Saturday, June 12
7:00 p.m.
WHERE:
Starz Film Center
900 Auraria Parkway
Denver, CO 80204
$9.75 General Admission
$7.25 Senior or Student
$7.00 Denver Film Society member
Director Yan Chun Su (of MTM film “The Last Town”) will be in attendance for Q+A after the screening.
You can purchase advance tickets here
Published on June 12, 2010
MEDIA THAT MATTERS launches a 10-CITY TOUR in June!
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Media That Matters, we’re hitting the road with a 10-city tour of tenth annual Media That Matters collection in the month of June.
10 years
10 cities
10 screenings
We launched the tour with simultaneous premieres in NYC and Minneapolis last week. Over 400 people attended our NYC premiere on June 2 and audience members in Minneapolis were able to ask questions of MTM filmmakers (via Facebook and Twitter) and then watch the Q+A (via UStream). Two days later, Media That Matters hopped the pond for a London premiere, presented by our partners Working Films and Shooting People , for a sold-out screening at the Frontline Club.
Read on to see if Media That Matters is coming to a city near you!
***
DENVER
Saturday, June 12
7:00 p.m.
in partnership with the Denver Film Society
Starz FilmCenter
900 Auraria Parkway
Denver, CO 80204
$9.75 General Admission
$7.25 Senior or Student
$7.00 Denver Film Society member
Director Yan Chun Su (of MTM film “The Last Town”) will be in attendance for Q+A after the screening. You can purchase advance tickets here.
***
GAINESVILLE, FL
Tuesday, June 15
7:30 p.m.
co-presented with the Civic Media Center
Hippodrome Theatre
25 S.E. 2nd Place
Gainesville, FL 32601
FREE Screening. $7-10 Suggested Donation.
Media That Matters Director Jolene Pinder will be in attendance for Q+A after the screening.
***
MIAMI
Wednesday, June 16
8:00 p.m.
co-presented with Phonograph Films
Miami Beach Cinematheque
512 Española Way
Miami Beach, FL 33139
After the screening, Phonograph Films Founder Juan Carlos Zaldîvar will moderate a discussion with Miami New Times reporter Tim Elfrink, Media That Matters Director Jolene Pinder and representatives from Dade County’s GLBTQ Alliance for Youth and Human Services Coalition.
$10.00 General Admission
$8.00 Seniors (62+) and Students (with current ID)
$7.00 MBC and MIFF Members
You can purchase advance tickets here.
***
SAN FRANCISCO
Friday, June 18
8:00 p.m.
co-presented with BAVC, Ninth Street Independent Film Center and Creative Commons
Ninth Street Independent Film Center
145 Ninth Street, Suite 101
San Francisco, CA 94103
FREE Screening.
Director Joel Engardio (of MTM film “Justice Denied: Voices from Guantanamo”) will be in attendance for Q+A after the screening.
***
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Tuesday, June 22
6:30 p.m.
co-presented with Campus Progress and Women in Film and Video
E Street Cinema
555 11th Street NW
Washington, DC 20004
(entrance on E Street between 10th and 11th Street)
FREE Screening.
Director Jonathan Skurnik (of MTM film “I’m Just Anneke”) and Media That Matters Director Jolene Pinder will be in attendance for Q+A after the screening.
***
SANTA FE
Friday, June 25
7:00 p.m.
co-presented with Warehouse 21
Warehouse 21
1614 Paseo de Peralta
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
Media That Matters Director Jolene Pinder will be in attendance for Q+A after the screening.
***
EVANSTON, IL
Saturday, June 26
7:00 p.m.
co-presented with Evanston Arts Depot
Evanston Arts Depot
600 Main Street
Evanston, IL 60202
***
PORTLAND, OR
Tuesday, June 29
7:00 p.m.
co-presented with Film Action Oregon
Hollywood Theatre
4122 NE Sandy Blvd.
Portland, OR 97212
Published on June 10, 2010
June 5: The Fiscal Times covers DENIED & Filmmaker Julie Winokur from MTM10
Blaire Briody of The Fiscal Times writes about the shortfalls of health care documented by MTM10 filmmaker Julie Winokur’s film DENIED, this year’s Jury Winner.
“Cost, of course, remains a major concern. The American Cancer Society calculated the costs of early-stage breast cancer treatments over a year and a half to be $111,000. Wessenberg’s doctors estimated that they spent over $250,000 in the attempt to save her life (including estimated costs of their donated labor and treatments), and that number rises every year. Many people are unsure whether there will be enough federal money to pay for the new bill. Some states are aggressively fighting the health care bill, and at least 14 have filed suit against the federal government. Starting in 2014, insurance agencies will no longer be allowed to deny coverage to someone with a pre-existing condition, but will they be able to cope with a $250,000 tab for the number of people who may need care?”
Read here for full article.
Published on June 7, 2010
June 3: MTM:Impact, a series of conversations
MTM: IMPACT
Make. Activate. Educate.
June 3, 2010
11:00 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Ten years of Media That Matters. Time to celebrate. Ready to innovate.
On June 3, the day after the NYC premiere of the tenth annual Media That Matters collection, Arts Engine will host a free, day-long series of conversations for filmmakers, activists and educators who are working to harness the power of media to enact change.
Join Arts Engine staff, Pat Aufderheide, Abigail Disney, MTM filmmakers past and present and many more for an exciting day of provocative conversation and practical strategies for impact.
This won’t be a re-hashing of the same old tips (set up a Twitter account!) and laments (documentary distribution is in crisis!).
Instead, we’ll take up targeted questions about the state of social issue media like: What are the advantages and drawbacks of short films vs. long format media in spurring audiences to action? What does it mean to be a fast-acting filmmaker when it comes to social change media? Do you sacrifice craft to effect change quickly? And how do you inspire students to connect media to their own lives and realize their potential as changemakers?
The day will be organized into three interactive 75-minute sessions. You can sign up for one or for all three. Since this event is designed to be a series of intimate conversations, space is extremely limited. While we are able to offer these conversations at no cost to participants, you must register in advance. Register here!
MAKE.
Impact: In the Eye of the Beholder
11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Join Pat Aufderheide, the Director of the Center for
Social Media, as she moderates a lively panel of filmmakers who have
shifted tactics or broken new ground to have a meaningful impact with
their filmmaking. This lively conversation will offer a multifaceted
debate on the variety of approaches served by short vs. long form films,
working with provocative subject matter, and challenging audiences to
take action.
Ronit Avni, producer of Budrus, and
executive director of Just
Vision
Abigail Disney, producer of Pray the Devil Back to Hell
Lynn True, co-director of “A Nomad’s Life” (MTM 8
film) and Summer Pasture (recent premiere at Full Frame)
ACTVATE.
Change-on-the-Go: React + Release Social Issue Media1:30 - 2:45 p.m.
What does it mean to be a fast-acting filmmaker when it comes to social change media? Do you sacrifice craft to enact change quickly? And how do you mobilize resources to capture a story before it’s too late? Join Lina Srivistava (Principal of Lina Srivastava Consulting, LLC, former ED of Kids with Cameras) for an interactive discussion about the challenges and benefits of 1) creating fast and furious media campaigns and 2) reacting quickly to stories then produced as longitudinal documentaries. Zach Niles, a visiting faculty member from Haiti’s Ciné Institute, will share lessons learned from the organization’s recent experience of creating documentary content in response to the earthquake. We’ll also tackle the question of how to provide opportunities for quick and substantive action for audiences.
Sean Gardner, League of Young Voters
Zach Niles, Ciné Institute and co-director of Sierre Leone Refugee All-Stars
Jennifer Redfearn, director of “The Next
Wave” (MTM 9 Jury Winner) and “Sun Come Up”
(recent premiere at Full
Frame)
Nancy Schwartzman, director of The Line
EDUCATE.
Making Media Matter in the Classroom
3:00 - 4:15 p.m.
Lalitha Vasudevan (Assistant Professor of Technology and Education, Teachers College, Columbia University) leads a conversation with four educators about how they’ve successfully incorporated Media That Matters films into their curriculum—as an introduction to issues of social justice, a means for inspiring change and a pedagogical tool for teachers. The second half of the workshop will be a working session. After viewing one film from this year’s collection, educators will break into groups and brainstorm strategies to incorporate the film into their classrooms, sketch out possible lesson plans and offer ideas for discussion questions.
Kim Allen, Middle School Teacher
Melanie Forstrom, Program Director at Brooklyn Bridge Academy
Britt Hamre, Curriculum and Teaching
Lecturer, Teachers College, Columbia University
Maria Hantzopoulos, Assistant Professor of Education at Vassar College
We hope to see you there!
This event is made possible by the Fledgling Fund.
Published on June 3, 2010
June 3: About.com’s Jennifer Merin covers MTM10 Premiere
Jennifer Merin from About.com: Documentaries (who is also moderating the June 9 Docuclub for the film “Building Bridges”) writes coverage for the launch of the tenth annual Media That Matters.
The filmmakers are young—Annalise Littman, for example, produced and directed her film, Aquafinito, tackling issues arising from privatization of fresh water, when she was a junior in high school. And, they’re already developing their unique voices and styles—for example, Yan Chun Su takes us on an un-narrated cinematic tour of The Last Town in her brooding film about the 2000-year-old city that will disappear under water when China’s Three Gorges Dam is constructed, while Gus Andrews uses two amusing puppets to deliver deliver insights about how the media manipulates images to create unattainable standards of beauty in My Hotness is Pasted on Yey!.
To gauge how talented these young filmmakers are, compare their films to those made by seasoned documentarians about similar issues—for example, you might want to compare The Last Town with Up the Yangtze, and see how America The Beautiful and American Teen treat the subject of standards of beauty and self esteem. Then, too, there are some mighty powerful unlawful military detainment documentaries to watch—including Taxi To The Dark Side, Standard Operating Procedure and Laura Poitras’ soon-to-be-released The Oath—in order to expand your understanding about how this pressing issue is presented in feature length documentaries.
For the complete article, you can find it
Published on June 3, 2010
May 20: MTM screens at Facing History School, NYC, to prepare Juniors for the Senior Social Issue Projects
As the juniors at Facing History School in Manhattan start their transition to the senior year, MTM brings them films to inspire ideas for their social issue projects in the upcoming year. The films screened are:
Immersion (MTM9)
Will I Be Next? (MTM9)
America for Dummies (MTM8)
Published on May 20, 2010
May 12, 13, 17, & 18: MTM Workshops “Media for Social Change” at Bushwick School for Social Justice’s Freshmen Advisory
Bushwick School of Social Justice and “Make the Road New York” host MTM’s workshop on “How To Use Media For Social Change.” The workshop—which may evolve into a Fall 2010 senior class social justice seminar—is catered to freshmen currently involved in their social action projects. AE Programs will screen the following films:
Permission (MTM6)
Exiled in America (MTM9)
Book ‘Em: Undereducated, Overincarcerated (MTM6)
Copwatch (MTM3)
Profit Cola (MTMGF)
Food Justice (MTMGF)
(Hate) Machine (MTM6)
Locusts (MTM9)
Published on May 10, 2010
World Premiere of the Tenth Annual Media That Matters!
You’re invited!
10 Years. More than 10 million viewers. 156 shorts.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Join us in NYC for the World Premiere of the tenth annual Media That Matters collection!
6:00 pm - Doors Open
Arrive early to take part in the impACT salon with some of our presenting partners for Take Action opportunities and a chance to meet the festival filmmakers.
7:00 - 9:00 pm - Screening of tenth annual Media That Matters collection
Be among the first to see the 12 new inspiring short films selected this year by our jury of eight incredible activists and media makers.
School of Visual Arts (SVA)
Visual Arts Theatre
333 West 23rd Street
New York, NY
See map
The theater is accessible by wheelchair.
Buy your tickets today before they sell out!: http://mediathatmatters.eventbrite.com
Calling all filmmakers, activists, educators: this year, Media That Matters will host a day-long workshop, MTM: IMPACT, on June 3. Stay tuned for more details about the day’s schedule and how to reserve your spot!
Media That Matters: MORE THAN A FESTIVAL
SCREEN the collection of jury-selected films.
ACT now to make a change.
IMPACT your community by using short films with on-the-ground activism.
Following the official launch on June 2, we invite you to Screen. Act. Impact.
Be among the first to see the new additions to Media That Matters, which reached more than 3 million viewers in 2009.
We will have the DVD collection available for you to purchase online directly following the Premiere. Check out the store to see how you can pre-order the DVD now and then learn how to host your own screening.
We are finalizing international screening locations now. Add yours to the map! Prep for the next semester and integrate film into your curriculum!
As we reach out to get the message about this launch to a wide international audience, the opportunity to share this information with your friends / fans / members / community is invaluable to us. If you have space for a short announcement to post on your blog, on your profile, in your upcoming newsletter, or in an email blast it would be a great help to us!
Read more about joining our street team (and receiving a complimentary MTM10 DVD and tickets to the premiere).
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get all the latest news on MTM10!
WE’LL SEE YOU THERE!
Send us an email!
Thank you!
Published on April 30, 2010
Join the Media That Matters Street Team!
Is “Screen. Act. Impact.” your mantra? Do those three magic letters M-T-M make your heart go pitter-patter?
Then we need you for the Media That Matters Street Team (technically, no streets will be involved—just the highways and byways of Twitter, Facebook and the less-specific blogosphere). If you’ve been following MTM for years or if you’ve just discovered this premiere showcase for short social issue film, we want you! This year marks the 10th anniversary of MTM and we’re excited to spread the good word about the power of media to spark change. To celebrate, we’ll be screening this year’s collection on the second largest screen in Manhattan at the SVA Theater, a venue that holds over 450 people.
That’s where you come in. Join the MTM Street Team and here’s what you’ll need to do (and what’s in it for you!):
Post a minimum of two announcements about Media That Matters (posts can be publicizing the NYC premiere on June 2 or driving traffic to watch the new collection of films at the MTM site) via Facebook, Twitter or any other social networking site and you’ll receive a free copy of the MTM10 DVD.
Do the above AND blog about the festival and you’ll receive an MTM10 DVD and two tickets to our premiere at the SVA Theater in NYC on June 2.
If you’d like to join up, send an email with your name, Twitter and link to your FB page to festival@artsengine.net.
We’ll be selecting Street Team members by May 7.
Published on April 22, 2010
April 21: MTM & the Mayor’s Office present Immigrant Heritage Week 2010 Screening at Maysles Institute
In partnership with the Mayor’s Office of NYC, MTM is proud to celebrate the official 2010 Immigrant Heritage Week (April 15-21) with a screening at Maysles Institute Cinema on Wednesday evening of April 21. The screening features themes on immigration, identity and social issue media for immigration reform, as well as discussions and opportunities to “Take Action” immediately.
Films to be Screened:
BY-STANDING: THE BEGINNING OF AN AMERICAN LIFETIME (MTM7)
VISION TEST (MTM3)
IMMERSION (MTM9)
EXILED IN AMERICA (MTM9)
THE SIXTH SECTION (MTM4)
SLIP OF THE TONGUE (MTM6)
A NOMAD’S LIFE (MTM8)
AFRICAN UNDERGROUND: HIP HOP IN SENEGAL (MTM8)
WHY DO WHITE PEOPLE HAVE BLACK SPOTS? (MTM9)
THE NEXT WAVE (MTM9)
The screening will take place on Wednesday, April 21st from 7:30-10:30pm.
The Maysles Institute Cinema is located in Harlem at 343 Malcolm X Blvd /Lenox Ave (Between 127th & 128th St). Visit their website for more information and upcoming events: http://www.mayslesinstitute.org/cinema/index.html
Published on April 21, 2010
April 15: Hostos Community College celebrates Immigrant Heritage Week 2010 with MTM Screening
In celebration of Immigrant Heritage Week 2010, Hostos Community College—under the coordination of Professors Phillips Rupert and Lizette Colon—is hosting a Media That Matters screening with films about immigration, urban youth and the environment.
The event also includes a Voter’s Registration Drive and Naturalization Information Fair and a lecture by guest speaker Professor Gerald Meyer entitled “Americans All: Immigrants & Native Born & the Struggle for a Better America/Todos somos Americanos:Luchando por una Mejor América.” The MTM screening and discussion will be facilitated by programs staff. The following films will be screened:
Inch By Inch (MTMGF)
The Farm Sanctuary (MTMGF)
Recycle (MTM7)
Fast and Reliable (MTM5)
Is Your Neighbor Latino? (MTM3)
Published on April 14, 2010
April 11: SUMMER PASTURE (a.ka. A Nomad’s Life) receives Honorable Mention for Inspiration Award at Full Frame Doc Fest
Congratulations to filmmakers Lynn True and Nelson Walker for their Honorable Mention at Full Frame Documentary Festival for the film SUMMER PASTURE, a feature-length of MTM8’s A Nomad’s Life! The film was short-listed for Full Frame Inspiration Award, which is presented to the film that best exemplifies the value and relevance of world religions and spirituality.
Watch the original short A NOMAD’s LIFE from the eight annual Media That Matters here: A Nomad’s Life
Visit the SUMMER PASTURE website and their fan page on Facebook: Summer Pasture - Kham Film Project
Published on April 12, 2010
April 10: SUMMER PASTURE (feature-length of MTM8’s A Nomad’s Life) short-listed for Jury Prize at Full Frame Doc Fest
SUMMER PASTURE, by filmmakers Lynn True, Nelson Walker & Tsering Perlo, has been selected to premiere at the Full Frame Documentary Festival in North Carolina on April 10th at 1:30pm.
(For more info on the premiere, visit: http://www.fullframefest.org/more_film_info.php?id=1923)
The film is the feature-length version of A Nomad’s Life from the eighth annual Media That Matters and has been short-listed as one of 16 films of 51 competing for the prestigious Grand Jury Prize at Full Frame. Support SUMMER PASTURE and explore the challenges living a nomad’s life.
Visit their website to help spread the word: Summer Pasture Film
Published on March 31, 2010
April 8: SUN COME UP (feature-length version of MTM9’s The Next Wave) selected to premiere at Full Frame Doc Fest
Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger’s SUN COME UP, originally The Next Wave short from MTM9, has been selected as one of 60 films from 1200 submissions to premiere at the Full Frame Documentary Festival in North Carolina on April 8th, 2010.
(For information on the festival and premiere, visit: http://www.fullframefest.org/more_film_info.php?id=1924)
Help the filmmakers spread the word about SUN COME UP and climate refugees on Facebook, Twitter, etc! Visit their website for more ways to get involved: Sun Come Up Film
Published on March 29, 2010
March 23: Kansas Youth Conference (UMC) screens MTM films on “Economic Justice” at the Church Center, United Nations
The General Board of Global Ministries is the global mission agency of The United Methodist Church, its annual conferences, missionary conferences, and local congregations: http://new.gbgm-umc.org/
Selected MTM films on Economic Justice will screen at the Kansas East Youth Conference, hosted by Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church. Following the screening at the Church Center for the United Nations, a discussion will be led by staff at Arts Engine, with a focus on “Arts for Social Change”.
Films include:
Struggling to Survive (MTM4)
Broken Limbs (GF)
A Nomad’s Life (MTM8)
All That I Can Be (MTM5)
Published on March 22, 2010
March 15: Ninth Annual Media That Matters Filmmaker Interviews & Behind-The-Scenes Awards Ceremony Footage now online!
Check out MTM9’s Award Ceremony Footage and Filmmaker Interviews now available on the film watch pages under “Extras.”
Watch the filmmakers’ award acceptance speeches, learn the inspiration behind their films and hear their aspirations to make impact.
Published on March 15, 2010
March 12: MTM9’s Immersion screening at California Association for Bilingual Education Conference in San Jose, CA
MTM9 filmmaker Richard Levien will be presenting his film Immersion at the annual conference for the California Association for Bilingual Education on Friday, March 12 in San Jose, California.
The California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) is a non-profit organization incorporated in 1976 to promote bilingual education and quality educational experiences for all students in California. CABE has 5,000 members with over 60 chapters/affiliates, all working to promote equity and student achievement for students with diverse cultural, racial, and linguistic backgrounds. CABE recognizes and honors the fact that we live in a rich multicultural, global society and that respect for diversity makes us a stronger state and nation.
March 10-13, 2010
San Jose McEnery Convention Center
San Jose, CA
Click here to register for the conference.
Published on March 12, 2010
March 2 - 3: 2010 MOSAIC Film Festival screens select films from Media That Matters in Bloomington, IN
Diversity Theatre, a program of the City of Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department, presents the 3rd MOSAIC Film Festival.
MOSAIC will begin on Saturday, February 27 at the Monroe County Public Library, and continue throughout the week at various locations through Saturday, March 6. MOSAIC features short films for adults highlighting poverty and homelessness, and films for children focusing on disability and accepting differences. All MOSAIC events are free and open to the public!
Select films from the Media That Matters collection will screen on Tuesday, March 2 at Rhino’s All Age Music Club at 7 p.m. and on Wednesday, March 3 at Rachael’s Cafe at 7 p.m.:
Struggling to Survive
Fast and Reliable
Dedicated to My Family
Recycle
Participants will have the opportunity to discuss the movies and issues with some of the filmmakers and with representatives of local agencies which are co-sponsoring MOSAIC and provide services in the areas of poverty, homelessness and disability.
Published on March 3, 2010
Tenth Annual Festival Jury
John Biaggi
John Biaggi has worked at the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival for the past thirteen years, starting as deputy director. He became director in 2008. John works on every aspect of the festival’s many projects which include the two flagship festivals in New York and London, as well as festivals in Munich, Toronto, San Francisco and a traveling festival that reaches over 40 sites in the United States and Canada. He screens upwards of 200 films each year at festivals worldwide, including the festival’s extensive submissions. John also helps organize the many co-presentations the festival presents with other festivals and organizations worldwide.
Prior to his work at Human Rights Watch, John was a festival coordinator for the Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. He also enjoyed a successful career as a director and producer of independent films and as a director of photography on numerous films and videos for television. John graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology/Archaeology from Stanford University in 1985. He lives in Irvington, NY.
Moni’ca Brown
Moni’ca Brown grew up listening to underground Hip Hop in Seattle, Washington, which makes her a Hip Hop snob. Nonetheless, this enriching youth experience prepared her for the pursuit of her greatest passion: using the arts to engage and educate underprivileged teens who have been left out of the running for the opportunities she was given. Everything that makes her who she is came from those who saw potential in her. When she applied to the League of Young Voters in the summer of 2009, she wanted to make an impact on the lives of all the young, smart people she saw left out of the major debates that were deciding their future. Endlessly inspired by the power and magic of nonprofits everywhere, the League in particular has become synonymous with sharing her most personal dreams. She is currently pursuing her undergraduate degree in Creative Writing at the New School.
Dan Cogan
Dan Cogan is the co-founder and executive director of Impact Partners, a fund and advisory service for investors and philanthropists who seek to promote social change through film. Since its inception two years ago, Impact Partners has been involved in the financing of over 25 films including: Freeheld, which won the 2008 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film; The Garden, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2009; and The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, which won an Emmy in 2007 for Best Documentary Special. Mr. Cogan received his B.A. from Harvard University magna cum laude and attended the Film Division at Columbia University’s Graduate School of the Arts.
Daphne Farganis
Daphne Farganis is director of Educational Initiatives for Freemind Ventures/The Black List Project, where she has developed national educational initiatives for both K-12 and universities across the country. Daphne specializes in bringing together partners within the arts, cultural, educational and business communities to find common ground through education oriented projects. Based primarily in New York, Daphne has more than ten years of experience in forging strong, and sometimes surprising, collaborations among a wide range of individuals and groups. Her most recent projects includes designing and implementing special initiatives for: the Hip Hop Theater Festival, The Kennedy Center, DC Commission on Arts and Humanity, New York University, The People’s Speak/Howard Zinn, Brave New Voices/HBO, Brooklyn Community Arts and Media High School.
Prior to this, Daphne was the founding director of the Institute for Urban Education at New School University, an innovative program supporting high school students in their transition to higher education. In addition, she held post of project director at the International Education Center (Denmark) where she designed curriculum on global issues. There she worked with a number of globally recognized figures, including Cornell West and the late Sekou Sundiata. She is graduate of Vassar College and holds a master’s degree from the Bank Street School of Education. She joined Freemind Ventures/The Black List Project in 2009.
Catherine Gund
Catherine Gund, the founder of Aubin Pictures, is an Emmy Award-nominated producer, director, writer and organizer. She is the director of the award-winning film “What’s On Your Plate?”, which aired on Discovery’s Planet Green in February and is in educational and community-based screenings now. The home video will be available in September. Catherine’s media work, which focuses on arts and culture, HIV/AIDS and reproductive health and other social justice issues, has screened around the world in festivals and theaters, on PBS and the Sundance Channel, and at universities and museums.
As a filmmaker who has worked in all aspects of production for 20 years, her interest lies in telling stories and finding the details that educate and inspire. Gund’s productions include Motherland Afghanistan (AFI Fest Official Selection; PBS broadcast), A Touch of Greatness (Best Documentary Award, Hamptons Film Festival, Ohio Film Festival, and Denver International Film Festival; PBS broadcast; Emmy nomination), Making Grace (theatrical release), On Hostile Ground (Sundance Channel broadcast), Hallelujah! Ron Athey: A Story of Deliverance (Best Documentary Award, Chicago Underground Film Festival), When Democracy Works, Positive: Life with HIV and Keep Your Laws Off My Body, as well as work with the collectives DIVA TV (co-founder) and Paper Tiger Television. She co-founded the Third Wave Foundation and was on the founding board of Working Films. She has served on the advisory council for MediaRights.org and as a consultant for the Robeson Fund.
Cynthia Lopez
Cynthia Lopez is the vice president of the award-winning P.O.V. documentary series. Under her previous leadership as communications director, national media coverage of P.O.V. programs have more than tripled. She has forged strategic partnerships with Harpo Studios, Netflix, ABC News’ Nightline, WNYC New York Public Radio, Pentagram, Inc., Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) and Ms. Magazine, among many others. The promotional campaign Lopez spearheaded for the P.O.V. film, Farmingville, won the prestigious EPPSilon Award.
Before joining P.O.V., Lopez spent four years at Libraries for the Future as Advocacy Director, developing innovative strategies to serve some of the nations poorest libraries. She is also a founding board member of NALIP (National Association of Latino Independent Producers) and is an advisor to REEL New York (Thirteen/WNET New York). She has been a presenter at a variety of venues including: Medimed (Spain), Prague Eastern European International Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Hot Docs (Canada), SilverDocs, Independent Feature Project, White House Conference on Libraries, United Nations Women’s Conference, Channels for Change (Scotland) Center for Democratic Communications (South Africa) and Videazimut (Peru), among others.
Nancy Schwartzman
Nancy Schwartzman is a filmmaker, writer and activist working for over thirteen years to create community solutions to combat sexual violence and promote public debate. She recently completed the 24-minute documentary The Line, a personal film that explores consent from a sex-positive point of view. With an emphasis on interactivity, new media and dialogue, she launched THE LINE Campaign and group blog WhereIsYourLine.org to continue the discussion. Her work has been profiled in Time Out New York, Feministing.com, Think.MTV.com, Ms. Magazine, Bust Magazine and more.
Nancy is the founder of NYC-Safestreets.org an online initiative noted by The New York Times, Gawker, The Village Voice and The Daily News to engage community organizations and businesses to create safer routes for pedestrians, especially women. From 2002 to 2005 she was a founding editor and creative director of HEEB Magazine. For six years Nancy was the program officer at the Fund for Jewish Documentary Film. She has curated short film festivals at the Pioneer Theater, Berlin, London and Tel Aviv. Her essays have been featured in The Independent, HEEB, Sh’ma and Plenty Magazine, and the upcoming anthology “Pleasure and Peril: Moving Past the Sex Wars.”
Melinda Tenezapf
Melinda Tenenzapf is a 19-year-old student of film and political science at Marlboro College in Vermont. Melinda hails from Brooklyn, New York, where she was raised by her Jewish father and Jamaican nanny. Growing up in a diverse family, with regular visits to the Jamaican countryside, her unique childhood inspired her to make her first documentary, Jewmaican, at age 15.
While continuing to explore her own background, Melinda aspires to tackle the issues of globalization and inequality through her films, as she already does through her studies. She is currently an intern with Nomadic Wax global Hip Hop label & production company in Brooklyn, working as an assistant editor on the upcoming documentary, Democracy in Paris.
View past festival jury members
Edited by Daniel Cassady and Austra Zubkovs
Published on March 1, 2010
February 27: Democracy in Dakar Screens in the Black History Month Film Program at Lafayette College, PA
MTM8 filmmakers Ben Herson and Magee McIlvaine, as well as their producer Chris Moore, will attend a symposium focusing on their most recent film Democracy in Dakar. The film screening will be followed by a panel with the filmmakers and Moussa Sall, a Senegalese rapper featured in the film. Herson and McIlaine won the MTM8 Roots & Rhymes Award for their film African Underground: Hip Hop in Senegal, which inspired them to start Nomadic Wax – the successful Hip Hop record label and film/events production company.
Saturday February 27th
12-4PM
FREE
Lafayette College
Kirby Hall of Civil Rights room 104
317 Hamilton Street
Easton, PA
Lafayette College will be celebrating Black History Month throughout the month of February with lectures, an art exhibit, films, discussions, workshops, and performances.
For the complete listing of events, visit the college’s website.
For more information about the College’s Black History Month celebration, contact Amina DeBurst, assistant director of intercultural development at debursta@lafayette.edu.
Published on February 27, 2010
February 20: Selected Media That Matters Films and Filmmaker Q&A at Brooklyn Museum at 2:00 – 4:00 P.M
Highlights from Media That Matters at The Brooklyn Museum.
Selections highlighting Black History Month and feminist issues from the Media That Matters Film Festival will be screened, followed by a Q&A session with some of the films’ directors and staff from Arts Engine.
Saturday, February 20, 2–4 p.m.
Elizabeth Sackler Center for Feminist Art, 4th Floor
Films include:
Diana (MTM8)
Perversion of Justice (MTM8)
Locusts (MTM9)
Knock Knock (MTM9)
I’m Not a Boy (MTM8)
Why Do White People Have Black Spots? (MTM9)
A Girl Like Me (MTM6)
Published on February 20, 2010
February 12: Africa Underground to screen at The Pan African Film and Arts Festival in L.A.
The feature-length film of MTM8’s Africa Underground: Hip Hop in Senegal, entitled Democracy in Dakar by Filmmakers Magee McIlvaine, Ben Herson and Chris Moore, will screen at The 18th Annual Pan African Film and Arts Festival in Los Angeles on February 12th at 9:15pm.
Bridging the gap between hip-hop activism and video journalism, this groundbreaking documentary explores the role of youth and musical activism on the political process during recent presidential elections in Senegal.
Published on February 12, 2010
February 6: African Underground to screen in Portland, OR at the Cascade Festival of African Films
African Underground: Democracy in Dakar - the longer feature of MTM8’s Hip Hop in Senegal—will be screened as part of the 20th Cascade Festival of African Films in Portland, Oregon on Saturday, February 6 at 2:30 PM.
The Cascade Festival of African Films honors the art and craft of filmmaking from that continent. The movies imported for the festival draw capacity crowds every year and are shown Thursdays through Sundays at various North Portland locations through February and early March. It’s a film festival with one of the largest collections of African films in the Northwest and its dedicated legion of volunteers are set to celebrate its 20th year by bringing acclaimed Ethiopian film director Haile Gerima to Portland.
The festival honoring Black History Month runs from Feb. 5 through March 6 at the Cascade Campus’s Moriarty Auditorium (705 N. Killingsworth St.), McMenamins Kennedy School Theatre (5736 N.E. 33rd Ave.) and the Hollywood Theatre (4122 N.E. Sandy Blvd.). The Cascade Festival of African Films is free and open to the public. It features a wide range of films and special matinee days and feature nights. They include StudentFest Matinee on Feb. 18, Family Film Day on Feb. 20 and ends with Women’s Filmmakers Week.
African Underground: Democracy in Dakar
Saturday Documentary Matinee
Saturday, February 6th 2010, 2:30 PM,
Moriarty Arts and Humanities Building, Room 104
Sponsored by Columbia River Peace Corps Association
All films are free and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.
Published on February 6, 2010
MTM8 Argentina: Turning Around’s dvd now available on the McNabb Connolly’s online film catalogue
MTM8 awarded Argentina: Turning Around and Argentina: Hope in Hard Times by filmmakers Melissa Young and Mark Dworkin are now available on dvd via the Canadian McNabb Connolly Foundation’s online film catalogue. Each dvd includes extra resources and both Spanish and English versions of the films.
Visit their website for more information.
Published on February 4, 2010
January 23: MTM Awarded INFORM unveils a new video from its Secret Life Series in New York, NY
INFORM, whose directors produced the MTM9 The Secret Life of Paper, is currently working on a new short video for its Secret Life Series. The Secret Life of Beef will preview at the Generation INFORMed night in New York on Saturday January 23rd.
Along with the video, the event will include cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, Eco Hustler MC, free gift bags, and raffle prizes. In addition, the first 100 people to buy tickets will receive Lucid Food Cooking for an Ecoconcious Life by Louisa Shafia.
INFORM is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to using new media to build environmental literacy in the general public. Their new video, The Secret Life of Beef, addresses the environmental impact of livestock production and consumption.
The $40 tickets include unlimited cocktails and hors d’oeuvres…
A night not to be missed!
Saturday, January 23rd
8:00 to 11:00 PM
$40 in advance ($50 at the door)
Environment Furniture Store
18th & Broadway
New York
Click official invite and directions.
Published on January 23, 2010
Jan 22: MTM8’ Every Third Bite screens as part of The Night of Foodie Flicks in Chattanooga, TN
The Meerkat Media Collective’s film Every Third Bite, winner of MTM8’ Good Food Award, will be screening Friday January 22th at 7:30pm as part of The Night of Foodie Flicks along with other short and feature length food related films in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The screening will be held immediately following the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group’s (SSAWG) annual conference, Practical Tools and Solutions for Sustaining Family Farms. Held in Chattanooga for the second year in a row, the conference draws 1100+ attendees from across the region. This event aims to create a dialogue between this group and the Chattanooga public.
Friday January 22th
7:30 –9:00 PM
FREE
CreateHere
55 E Main Street, Suite 105
Chattanooga, TN
For the schedule in whole and directions, please visit this website.
For more information, contact Veronique Bergeron via e-mail at veronique@createhere.org, or by calling 423.648.2195
Published on January 22, 2010
January 22: MTM9 Screening at Minnesota State University Moorhead
Join the Film Studies Department at Minnesota State University Moorhead for a free screening of the ninth annual Media That Matters collection.
Date: Friday, January 22, 2010
Start Time: 7:00 pm (Time Zone: US/Central)
Location: Weld 106 (Glasrud Auditorium)
MSUM - Moorhead 56563
Questions?: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Published on January 22, 2010
January 22: MTM8’s Every Third Bite screens at Green Spaces and CreateHere in Chattanooga, TN
MTM8 film, Every Third Bite, is among the foodie flicks being screened at two venues immediately following the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group’s (SSAWG) annual conference, Practical Tools and Solutions for Sustaining Family Farms. Held in Chattanooga for the second year in a row, the conference draws 1100+ attendees from across the region.
Screening includes feature length and short films:
Buttermilk: It Can Help | Hush Hoggies Hush | Greenhorns | The Adventures of the Big Bad Chef | Every Third Bite | Smoke & Ears | Mutton: The Movie | Home Grown
7:30 pm to 9:00 pm at both:
CreateHere, 55 E Main Street, Suite 105 and
green|spaces, 63 E Main Street
More details here, also contact Veronique Bergeron via e-mail at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), or by calling 423.648.2195
Published on January 22, 2010
Tenth Annual Media That Matters Call for Entries - Extended Deadline - January 29!
ALERT: We are extending the call for entries for a late deadline.
Complete submissions must be submitted online / mailed with a postmark no later than January 29, 2010.
Please be aware that there is a fee increase of $5 from midnight, January 22nd. No waivers will be granted.
Extended Deadline postmarked by: January 29th 2010
* Individual Filmmaker: $30 / each film submission; Max: 2 submissions
* Student Filmmaker (18+): $15 w/ Student ID; Max: 2 submissions
* Youth Filmmaker (18 & under): FREE w/ proof of age; Max: 2 submissions
* Non-profit / Youth Media Organization: FREE; Max: 5 submissions
Please visit our SUBMIT page for more information!
www.mediathatmattersfest.org/submit
Thanks
- MTM
Published on January 21, 2010
January 18 - 20: MTM9 Screening at Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center in New Orleans, LA
The ninth annual Media That Matters collection will be screening for 3 days from January 18-20th at the Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center
1618 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard
New Orleans, LA 70113
January 18-20 at 5:30 PM
Published on January 18, 2010
January 13: Garbage Dreams from MTM Filmmaker Mai Iskander screens in Colorado Springs, CO
The Independent Film Society of Colorado will screen Garbage Dreams from MTM Filmmaker Mai Iskander, as part of its January 2010 Film Series. The short-length version of Garbage Dreams, IFSOC website
Published on January 13, 2010
January 6-12: Garbage Dreams from MTM7 Filmmaker Mai Iskander screens at the IFC Center in New York, NY
Garbage Dreams, the feature-length version of MTM7’ We are the Zaballeen, will be screening at the IFC Center in New York City from Wednesday January 6th to Tuesday January 12th. We are the Zaballeen had won MTM7’ Sustainability Award . Director Mai Iskander will appear in person at the 6:30pm shows nightly from Wednesday, January 6 through Sunday, January 10.
To attend one of the shows (6 per day), call (212) 924-7771 or click here for schedules, ticket info and directions.
Published on January 12, 2010
December 28: Argentina Turning Around screens at Modern Times Bookstore in San Francisco, CA
MTM8 Labor Award winner Argentina Turning Around will be screening at Modern Times Bookstore in San Francisco on Monday December 28th as part of the Left Turn Magazine‘s Left Turn Movie Nights. The Film, from Director Melissa Young, provides an intimate and unique view of a new community development model growing in Buenos Aires, in the context of the new economic democracy underway in Argentina.
Monday, December 28th
7:00 PM
Modern Times Bookstore
888 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA
94110
Fore more information, please visit this website www.moderntimesbookstore.com
Published on December 28, 2009
Support The Next Wave Filmmakers and Pre-Order Feature-Length DVD Today!
Support Filmmakers Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger as they finish up their feature length version of MTM9 Jury Award winner The Next Wave entitled Sun Come Up.
You can now pre-order the film on DVD and at the same time help the filmmakers to finish up their film. Read the note below for more information.
As we approach the end of this journey, we would love your help in finishing the film. Our plan is to pre-sell 560 DVDs for $25 (for a total of $14,000) to cover our editing for two more months. (Please note that we will send the DVDs when they are available for release. This could take up to several months after the project is completed). Of course, larger donations will help us meet our goal faster and are greatly appreciated! We would be most grateful if you would help to support our project and to spread the word.
We will post regular media and updates on the film and the campaign. Please check back often.
With heartfelt thanks,Jennifer & Tim
A tax-deductible contribution to the project can also be made through our fiscal sponsor Women Make Movies.
Published on December 15, 2009
MTM Filmmaker Lynn True Featured in New York Times 1 in 8 Million
Filmmaker Lynn True of MTM8’s A Nomad’s Life and MTM6’s In Transit is featured in the most recent New York Times 1 in 8 Million Piece.
It’s a great portrayal of Lynn’s love of sports in gorgeous black and white photography. A filmmaker’s life outside of film? Who knew!
Published on December 15, 2009
MTM7 Film African Underground: Hip Hop in Senegal’s Feature Artist to Speak at National Geographic in DC
Nomadic Wax artist Waterflow, from the Wageble crew featured in the feature film Democracy in Dakar and its shorter MTM7 awarded version African Underground: Hip Hop in Senegal, will be speaking on the Distant Relatives panel with Damian Marley and Nas (and many more) at National Geographic Live in DC on Saturday December 12th. The conversation, on the Deep-Rooted Connections and Evolution of Reggae and Hip-Hop will be moderated by MTV VJ Sway.
Nomadic Wax produced the MTM7’ Roots & Rhymes awarded film African Underground: Hip Hop in Senegal, in which Waterflow and others embody and speak about the transformative role of Hip Hop on politics in Senegal.
The panel can be watched live here.
For more information, please contact Ben Herson, Executive Director and Producer at Nomadic Wax:
www.nomadicwax.com
Published on December 12, 2009
December 10: MTM Filmmakers screening Argentina: Hope in Hard Times in Seattle, WA
MTM8 Filmmakers Mark Dworkin and Melissa Young‘s film Argentina : Hope in hard Times (2004) will be screening Thursday December 10th at Henry Art Gallery in Seattle, WA.
Melissa Young and Mark Dworkin won the MTM8 Labor Award for Argentina Turning Around, also showing the efforts and the new development model to rebuild communities in the aftermath of the 2001 economic collapse in Argentina.
The event will mark the 10th anniversary of the WTO protests in Seattle. On that occasion, the two local filmmakers, with a deep history of social-issue filmmaking, will also screen raw footage of the WTO protests and attend a post-screening Q&A.
Thursday, December 10th
7:00 PM
$5 General (Free to Members and Students w/ID)
Henry Art Gallery
4100 15th Ave. N.E.
(University of Washington Campus)
Seattle, WA
98195
For more information on the event and directions, please visit this website or contact Henry Art Gallery: 543-2280.
Published on December 10, 2009
Meerkat Media Filmmakers Collective of MTM6 and MTM8 Fame Win 2009 Brooklyn Film Race
Meerkat Media Collective recently participated in the Brooklyn Film Race 2009 and won several awards for their short film The Wants. One of its filmmakers, Jay Sterrenberg and many more, took up the challenge to write, shoot and edit an original short film in just 24 hours.
Meerkat Media Arts Collective has produced dozens of short films featured in various festivals across the country and Jay Sterrenberg is a longtime educator and filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY. He was part of the Meerkat Media collective of filmmakers who won an award in MTM8 for the short documentary film Every Third Bite and the MTM6 film How Wal-Mart Came to Haslett .
Meerkat Media Collective’s new film premiere The Wants was screened on Thursday October 22nd at Brooklyn Heights Cinema in Brooklyn, NY. You can watch the competition version, and their edited and improved version on their website.
Published on December 9, 2009
MTM8 Filmmaker Mai Iskander wins an IDA Award for her film Garbage Dreams
Garbage Dreams, from MTM Filmmaker Mai Iskander, was awarded the new Humanitas Award at the International Documentary Association’s 2009 competition on Friday December 4th.
Mai Iskander’s short version of Garbage Dreams, entitled We are the Zaballeen, won the MTM7 Sustainability Award. Her film depicts Egyptian entrepreneurial garbage collectors’ efforts to evolve their trade in the modern world.
Congratulations to Mai!
To check out the 2009 IDA Documentary Awards in full, please visit this website.
Published on December 9, 2009
MTM Filmmaker Emile Bokaer interviewed on Merging Arts’s Spoiler Alert Radio
MTM9 Filmmaker Emile Bokaer was recently interviewed on the Spoiler Alert Online Radio program, produced by Merging Arts. The interview was conducted by Toni Pennacchia, director of the Merging Arts Short Short Story Film Festival and mainly focused on the filmmaker’s background and the story behind Looking Back. The full interview in podcast is available here.
Published on December 2, 2009
MTM Producer Karen Chien nominated for a Spirit Award
MTM7’s Producer Karen Chien was nominated today for a Spirit Award for her work on the independent feature films The Exploding Girl (2009 Berlin International Film Festival) and Santa Mesa (2008 San Diego Asian Film Festival Jury Award).
Karen Chien also produced By-standing: The beginning of an American Lifetime, showing a collective of women of color of different ages who use spoken word to express their view of a society based on justice.
The Indie Film Spirit Awards’ 25th ceremony will air live and uncut in Los Angeles on on Friday, March 5, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. PST/11:00 p.m. EST on IFC. Early nominees for the Spirit Awards include Spike Lee, the Coen Brothers, Jim Jarmush and others.
Check their website to browse the 2010 nominations in full.
Published on December 1, 2009
November 21 and 28: Looking Back Screens at 2009 MergingArts Short Short Story Film Festival in NYC and Providence, RI
Emile Bokaer’s film Looking Back from MTM9 will screen at the 2009 MergingArts Short Short Story Film Festival as part of the “Heartstrings” program.
There are a couple of screenings and locations so make sure you catch it and make a donation!
Saturday, November 21st
7:00 pm FREE
Think Coffee
248 Mercer Street (@West 3rd)
New York, New York USA
Saturday, November 28th
Cable Car Cinema & Cafe
204 South Main Street
Providence, Rhode Island USA
1:00 PM - Heartstrings Program $7
7:00 PM - Heartstrings Program $9 ($7 students/seniors)
Link to schedule on MergingArts website:
http://www.mergingartsproductions.com/Film/SSS/2009/FestivalMain.aspx
Published on November 28, 2009
MTM8’s Film The Countdown to be added into Culture Unplugged Film Festival’s special collection
MTM8’s Film The Countdown, by filmmaker Rene Dongo in collaboration with spoken word artist Sofia Snow, has recently been added to the Culture Unplugged online film festival’s special collection. The Countdown won Link TV’s “Best Youth Film (18 and Under)” at the 2008 Culture Unplugged Festival, which awards best short films and documentaries with an outlook on prevalent social issues.
Published on November 24, 2009
Garbage Dreams Shortlisted for 2009 Oscar® for Documentary Feature!
Congratulations to MTM7’s Mai Iskander who’s film GARBAGE DREAMS has just been announced on the shortlist for Best Documentary Feature for the 82nd Academy Awards®
The short version of GARBAGE DREAMS, entitled WE ARE THE ZABALLEEN can be purchased on our seventh annual Media That Matters DVD.
Let us know what you think about this film and where you plan on hosting a screening! Remember that all public screening costs are included with the purchase of the DVD.
And the free downloadable Discussion Guide can be the perfect accompaniment for when you watch the longer version too.
Here are all 15 shortlisted films:
* “The Beaches of Agnes,” Agnès Varda, director (Cine-Tamaris)
* “Burma VJ,” Anders Østergaard, director (Magic Hour Films)
* “The Cove,” Louie Psihoyos, director (Oceanic Preservation Society)
* “Every Little Step,” James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo, directors (Endgame Entertainment)
* “Facing Ali,” Pete McCormack, director (Network Films Inc.)
* “Food, Inc.,” Robert Kenner, director (Robert Kenner Films)
* “Garbage Dreams,” Mai Iskander, director (Iskander Films, Inc.)
* “Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders,” Mark N. Hopkins, director (Red Floor Pictures LLC)
* “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers,” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith, directors (Kovno Communications)
* “Mugabe and the White African,” Andrew Thompson and Lucy Bailey, directors (Arturi Films Limited)
* “Sergio,” Greg Barker, director (Passion Pictures and Silverbridge Productions)
* “Soundtrack for a Revolution,” Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman, directors (Freedom Song Productions)
* “Under Our Skin,” Andy Abrahams Wilson, director (Open Eye Pictures)
* “Valentino The Last Emperor,” Matt Tyrnauer, director (Acolyte Films)
* “Which Way Home,” Rebecca Cammisa, director (Mr. Mudd)
Published on November 19, 2009
MTM Filmmaker Melissa Mummert interviewed about her new film Life Without
Melissa Mummert, filmmaker of MTM8’s Perversion of Justice, was recently interviewed in the Charlotte Observer on the issue of incarcerated parents and their children, an issue covered in both Perversion of Justice and her new autobiography film Life Without, which premieres Thursday Nov. 19 at The Light Factory in Charlotte, NC.
Read the full article here and learn about the stories behind Mummert’s documentary projects and work with kids whose parents are incarcerated.
Find out more about criminal justice issues by browsing our MTM related film selection.
Published on November 19, 2009
November 19 and 21: Looking Back screens at the 2009 Starz Denver Film Festival
Emile Bokaer’s film Looking Back from MTM9 will screen on November 19th and 21st at the this page for all information on the screenings, schedules and locations!
Published on November 19, 2009
November 18: Good Food Screening at Casket Cinema in Minneapolis, Minnesota at 8:00PM
Minneapolis, Minnesota screening of Media That Matters: Good Food
Wednesday, November 18 2009 08:00 PM
FREE, RSVP required
To celebrate Thanksgiving, Casket Cinema is a having a special November screening of GOOD FOOD, 12 short films on food and sustainability with special guest, organic farmer Dave of “Hogsback farms” on Wednesday, 11/18 at 8pm. Farmer Dave Van Eeckhout will be on hand to engage the audience on the wonders of natural farming, csa and his take on our food situation. So please save the date of 11/18 at 8pm!
your $5 donation, after film costs will go to a food charity TBD.
Casket Cinema is located in the art studio of Mark Wojahn & Tobin Russell
Doors will be at 7:30pm, film at 8pm.
You can join the Casket Cinema facebook group at;
http://www.facebook.com/group
for more info on Farmer Dave please visit his website at: http://www.hogsbackfarm.com/
HOSTED BY: Mark Wojahn, Hogsback Farm’s David Van Eeckhout.
WHERE: Casket Cinema at Studio 145
681 17th Ave NE #145
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55413
DIRECTIONS: BYOB and enter in the NE loading dock door and under the big red arrow.
CONTACT: Mark Wojahn for more details.
RSVP at bravenewtheaters.com!
Published on November 18, 2009
We Are The Zaballeen NGO Wins $1 Million Grant From The Gates Foundation
Great news in the social-issue documentary world, as award winning filmmaker Mai Iskander successfully shines a light on a progressive but struggling NGO in Egypt. The Gates Foundation recently awarded a $1 million grant to The Spirit of Youth Association, the NGO profiled in MTM7’s We Are The Zaballeen and the feature documentary version, entitled Garbage Dreams.
The boys featured in MTM7’s We Are The Zaballeen are members of the NGO, which teaches the processes and theories of recycling.
Good luck and congratulations to everyone involved!
Looking forward to hearing updates.
Find out how you can get involved in recycling practices in your neighborhood.
Published on November 17, 2009
November 11-15: Bits & Pieces Screens at Cucalorus Film Festival in Wilmington, NC
MTM9’s Bits & Pieces has been selected to screen as part of the 15th Annual Cucalorus Film Festival in Wilmington, NC on Nov 11-15.
Here is some more about the event!
Cucalorus, named one of the “Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals” by Moviemaker Magazine, is celebrating its 15th anniversary as an international film festival located in the historic, port city of Wilmington, NC. The festival is non-competitive to create a laid-back atmosphere and to foster open dialogue where filmmakers and audience feel free to share stories and socialize. Cucalorus provides a forum where film becomes a player in the social and political arena and offers a new voice for the South. Over 10,000 tickets were sold in 2008 and over 130 films will screen this November 11th-15th, 2009.
Published on November 11, 2009
November 7: MTM8 Hammoudi to be screened at the United Nations Association Film Festival in Houston, TX
The Houston local chapter of the United Nations Association Film Festival (UNAFF) will be showing MTM8 Filmmaker Anwar Saab‘s film Hammoudi as part of its 1st Traveling Exhibition, a selection of the UNAFF12 films chosen to be hosted by local UNA chapters across the nation and the world throughout the year.
The UNAFF screens documentaries by international filmmakers dealing with topics such as human rights, environmental survival, women’s issues, children, refugee protection, and more. Hammoudi deals with the impact of arm conflicts on innocent civilians in a moving and unique portrait of Lebanese Mohammad in his post-war life. The film has won the MTM Jury Award in 2008.
Hammoudi will be screening Saturday November 7th in Houston, Texas.
For the UNAFF schedule in full and directions, please visit this website.
Published on November 7, 2009
November 7: MTM Co-Presents Screening of Lone Wolf and The Yes Men Fix The World in San Francisco, CA at 9pm
Join MTM for a special screening of Lone Wolf along with new film The Yes Men Fix The World at Roxie Theater in San Francisco, CA on November 7 at 9pm.
Lone Wolf filmmaker Jason Sussberg will be present for a Q&A following the film.
http://theyesmenfixtheworld.com/screenings.htm
Roxie Theater, San Francisco CA
3117 16th Street
http://www.roxie.com/
LONE WOLF
The rights of an independent journalist are compromised by the government’s attempts to control media content.
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.
THE YES MEN FIX THE WORLD is a screwball true story about two gonzo political activists who, posing as top executives of giant corporations, lie their way into big business conferences and pull off the world’s most outrageous pranks. From New Orleans to India to New York City, armed with little more than cheap thrift-store suits, the Yes Men squeeze raucous comedy out of all the ways that corporate greed is destroying the planet. Bruno meets Michael Moore in this gut-busting wake-up call that proves how far a little imagination can go towards vanquishing the Cult of Greed. Who knew fixing the world could be so much fun?
Advance Praise for THE YES MEN FIX THE WORLD
Winner - Audience Award - Berlin International Film Festival
“It shines with raw wit and originality.” - Newsweek
“Hilarious, therapeutic, inspiring. The Yes Men are geniuses.” - Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine and No Logo
“Funnier and more useful than Sacha Baron Cohen’s Bruno.” - The Observer
“Comedic vigilante justice… Media-savvy pie-to-the-face.” - USA Today
“This is the year’s top documentary film.” - New Scientist
“This movie is a hoot, and a pertinent one at that.” - Hollywood Reporter
Oh, and our favorites:
“We think it is a serious matter when people willingly misrepresent themselves.” - Exxon
“It’s really a sick, twisted - I don’t even want to refer to it as a joke.” - US Department of Housing and Urban Development
BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW! http://theyesmenfixtheworld.com/screenings.htm
Published on November 7, 2009
November 5 - 9: Arts Engine in Jerusalem with b(art) and Al-Quds University
Arts Engine and the Media That Matters Film Festival Director of Festival and Outreach Maia Ermita will be joining a global collective of filmmakers and festival programmers in conjunction with the b(art) organization to examine the place of independent film in entertainment, advocacy, and social change throughout a series of screenings at Jerusalem Cinematheque.
The visit will conclude with a day-long symposium with students from The Honors College at Al-Quds Univeristy—a liberal arts program developed in collaboration with Bard College that offers the region’s first four-year, American-Palestinian dual-degree undergraduate program—focusing on developing tools for media education in the classroom.
b(independent)?
November 5-7, 2009 | Jerusalem
b(art) invites film fans and artists to join together for a celebration of purposeful filmmaking and to explore the role of independent film as an agent of discovery and change.
Aspen Film| Cook County | Adela | Media That Matter | Clear Films
Documentary and drama, short and feature-length, film is a leading vehicle for providing new and challenging perspectives.
“Independent Film” is a term often used, but increasingly difficult to define. What is the set of values and practical realities that lie behind an assertion of independence? Can one be fully “independent” and still have an impact?
Over the course of three days, b(art) will examine the place of independent film in entertainment, advocacy, and social change with intimate film screenings, a photographic exhibition, gallery talks, and an interactive panel discussion with accomplished filmmakers and industry professionals.
Please join us for this behind-the-scenes look into independent film.
Guests:
George Eldred - Program Director, Aspen Film
David Pomes - Writer & Director, Cook County
Danielle Bernstein - Filmmaker and Producer, Clear Films
Adolfo B. Alix Jr. - Director, Adela
Maia Ermita - Festival and Outreach Director, Media That Matters / Arts Engine
Published on November 5, 2009
November 4: Something’s Moving Screens at Colorado State University, CO
MTM8 Unspoken Truth Award winner Something’s Moving will be presented as part of a lecture given by a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Walter Littlemoon this Wednesday November 4th at the Colorado State University campus. His book, They Called Me Uncivilized, The Memoir of an Everyday Lakota Man from Wounded Knee, reflects his experience of living through sanctioned prejudice and institutionalization and the impact federal Indian policies have had on his family history.
In Something’s Moving, Filmmaker Randy Vasquez explores, in a similar manner, the reality and legacy of American Indian boarding schools through the voices and stories of survivors, and follows their courageous attempts at healing themselves, their families, and their communities from this little-known and seminal 20th century trauma.
Wednesday, November 4th
6 pm, FREE
Eddy Room 10
Colorado State University campus
Fort Collins, CO 80521
For more information about the lecture, please contact:
Kimberly Sorensen
970.491.0757
Kimberly.Sorensen@ColoState.EDU
or visit this website.
Published on November 4, 2009
November 4 - 8: Arts Engine at Sheffield Doc/Fest in Sheffield, England
Media That Matters Festival & Outreach Manager Leah Sapin will be at Sheffield Doc/Fest this year. Check out their listing of events, screenings and speakers and check back for blog posts covering the festival!
Sheffield Doc/Fest brings the international documentary family together to celebrate the art and business of documentary making for five intense days in November. Doc/Fest is a film festival, industry session programme and marketplace, offering pitching opportunities, controversial discussion panels and in-depth filmmaker masterclasses, as well as a wealth of inspirational documentary films from across the globe.
Media That Matters will be at the following sessions:
DocDay - Wednesday 04 November 2009, 9:30AM, HUBS C
DFG Newcomers Day Session 3 - My Way: Taking the Indie Route - Thursday 05 November 2009, 2:00PM, Site 1
Newsflash! - Saturday 07 November 2009, 12:15PM, HUBS B
Published on November 4, 2009
November 4: MTM Co-Presents Screening of Looking Back and The Yes Men Fix The World in San Francisco, CA at 9pm
Join MTM for a special screening of Looking Back along with new film The Yes Men Fix The World at Roxie Theater in San Francisco, CA on November 4 at 9pm.
Emile Bokaer will be present for a Q&A following the film.
http://theyesmenfixtheworld.com/screenings.htm
Roxie Theater, San Francisco CA
3117 16th Street
http://www.roxie.com/
LOOKING BACK
Homeless Veteran Albert Lewis photographs his life and sheds light on the support of his community.
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.
THE YES MEN FIX THE WORLD is a screwball true story about two gonzo political activists who, posing as top executives of giant corporations, lie their way into big business conferences and pull off the world’s most outrageous pranks. From New Orleans to India to New York City, armed with little more than cheap thrift-store suits, the Yes Men squeeze raucous comedy out of all the ways that corporate greed is destroying the planet. Bruno meets Michael Moore in this gut-busting wake-up call that proves how far a little imagination can go towards vanquishing the Cult of Greed. Who knew fixing the world could be so much fun?
Advance Praise for THE YES MEN FIX THE WORLD
Winner - Audience Award - Berlin International Film Festival
“It shines with raw wit and originality.” - Newsweek
“Hilarious, therapeutic, inspiring. The Yes Men are geniuses.” - Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine and No Logo
“Funnier and more useful than Sacha Baron Cohen’s Bruno.” - The Observer
“Comedic vigilante justice… Media-savvy pie-to-the-face.” - USA Today
“This is the year’s top documentary film.” - New Scientist
“This movie is a hoot, and a pertinent one at that.” - Hollywood Reporter
Oh, and our favorites:
“We think it is a serious matter when people willingly misrepresent themselves.” - Exxon
“It’s really a sick, twisted - I don’t even want to refer to it as a joke.” - US Department of Housing and Urban Development
BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW! http://theyesmenfixtheworld.com/screenings.htm
Published on November 4, 2009
October 26: MTM8 Filmmaker Melissa Young screens Good Food at Stanwood High School Performing Arts Center, in WA
Melissa Young, who co-directed MTM8 Labor Awarded Film Argentina Turning Around with Mark Dworkin, will be screening her feature-length documentary, Good Food, which looks at the development of a sustainable food system in the Northwest. Melissa Young will be in attendance to provide an introduction to the screening of the film to be held this Monday October 26th, at 7pm, at the Stanwood High School Performing Arts Center, in WA.
For more information on the event, check this page or call the local library at 360-629-3132.
Published on October 26, 2009
The Next Wave Filmmaker Interviewed in Treehugger about Carteret Islands
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), filmmaker of MTM9’s Jury Award winning The Next Wave was recently interviewed in Treehugger.com about the fate of the Carteret Islanders; a story covered in The Next Wave and the upcoming feature-length version of the documentary entitled Sun Come Up.
Read more about it here and find out how you can get involved.
There are more tips about how you can become involved in the fight to curb climate change in a recent Tips From The T List article covering the Carteret Islands.
Published on October 22, 2009
October 18: Screening of Every Third Bite at 15 Short Film Festival in Charlotte, NC at 6:30PM
MTM8’s Every Third Bite was selected to be a part of Charlotte, NC’s annual 15 Short Film Festival.
The fall collection screens at THE EVENING MUSE at 6:30PM.
5 Short Film Festival showcases a wide range of short films (the “15” in the title means that no work can exceed 15 minutes in length), with the winning pieces coming from 15 different countries. The categories are DRAMA, COMEDY, ANIMATION, EXPERIMENTAL, and DOCUMENTARY. There will be a fall festival (October 18, 2009) and a spring festival (April 2010)
Published on October 18, 2009
October 17: MTM Filmmaker Rene Dongo’s film Dear Mr President Screens at NEMPAC festival in Boston, MA
The North End Music and Performing Arts Center (NEMPAC) will screen MTM Filmmaker Rene Dongo‘s most recent film Dear Mr President as part of its first annual Short Film Festival’s official film selection.
Rene Dongo won the MTM8 Emerging Artist Award for his film The Countdown, a documentary featuring spoken word artist Sofia Snow on the subject of 9/11 events.
Thursday, October 22
7:00pm - 11:00pm, $10
Hard Rock Cafe Boston
22-24 Clinton Street
Boston, MA
To view the NEMPAC 2009 Film Selection in full, check this website.
For more information, please contact NEMPAC’s director, Jonathan Sproul:
Phone: 6175193106
Email: jonathansproul@gmail.com
Published on October 17, 2009
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