Memorial Day brought the news that anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan is retiring from the movement. In her interview with Amy Goodman on Democracy Now!, Cindy explains the numerous reasons why she’s shutting down Camp Casey for the time being.

When I heard the news I was sad, of course, but also inspired to take my efforts up a notch. If this war is ever going to end, we all need to do our part. Looking for inspiration? Check out Staging War on Gothamist. The documentary short captures a series of street performances staged by members of Iraq Veterans Against the War to raise awareness about what it means to be at war. There are also some strong shorts about war and peace in the newly launched seventh annual Media That Matters Film Festival: Power Up and By-Standing: The Beginning of an American Lifetime.

Filmmakers, organizations, and Arts Engine staff got to know one another over brunch at the Pourhouse.

Seven days ago we were gearing up for a week of seventh annual Media That Matters Film Festival launch activities. This year, filmmakers came from literally across the world to see their short films on the big screen, and to celebrate the launch of a year when their media will matter.

We kicked off the celebration with the Filmmakers Brunch on Wednesday, May 29th, courtesy of the Pourhouse in the East Village. Our friends over at Lazy Limabean co-hosted the event and brought seasoned filmmakers, editors, producers, animators and people from the industry to chat and network with Media That Matters Fest winners. Filmmakers got an opportunity to mingle, talk about their projects and get to know Arts Engine staff and volunteers. For us, it is always gratifying to see what faces and talent are behind these powerful films.

Karen Lin animatedly discusses her film, By Standing: The Beginning of an American Lifetime

Over pancakes, coffee and bacon I learned about what inspired Karen Lin to make a film featuring the powerful performer Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai. She told me that By Standing: The Beginning of an American Lifetime was all shot in one day in different parts of Brooklyn and the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Karen said using miniDV gave her freedom in a way that film couldn’t because it allowed her to let the camera roll for hours on end. In the edit room they were faced with nine hours of footage from only one day.

Andres Tabares, Manuel Renoso, and Libia Tattay came all the way from Colombia to represent Rapping at Fear.

Andres Tabarés and Manuel Renoso, the directors of Rapping at Fear, came all the way from Bogota to accept their award and share their thoughts on the situation in Colombia. Accompanying them was their producer from Listen Up!, Austin Haeberle, who is also a friend of Arts Engine. Libia Tattay from the organization Polimorfo also deserves enormous credit in helping bring this short, powerful film beyond the borders of Bogotá.

Jazmin Jones from The Apollos got every detail on tape while Sam Kauffman told us about his inspiration in making Massacre at Murambi.

Young filmmaker Jazmin Jones, co-director of The Apollos, had her camera by her side thoughout the week.

Sverre Fredriksen, creator of Power Up, got a chance to talk with fellow animator Kathleen Hulka, the animator and director of Grace. They spoke about both the challenges and freedom that animation can have in sharing a message.

Naiquan Greene, director of Superstar was so excited about finding new ways to use and share media that he spent a good time picking the brain of our multi-talented Director of Technology and Programs, Jean Seok.

Lazy Limabean creator Daron Jenkins and Arts Engine’s Jean Seok discuss new media technologies.

It was thrilling to see the directors and producers from Rights on the Line: Vigilantes at the Border engaged in conversation about the pressing topic of immigration and how it can be taken from the screen to direct-action.

Stay tuned for insiders on the premiere at IFC, the Awards Ceremony at HBO and our workshop on using media as a tool for social change at ICTE.

Here are some more great shots of our Filmmakers Brunch, co-hosted by Daron Jenkins from Lazy Limabean and SCENE Magazine.

Programs Manager Diana Lee prepares for the Filmmakers’ Brunch on May 29.

Power Up’s Sverre Fredriksen hangs out with Arts Engine’s Kathy Yen.

Superstar’s Naiquan Greene and Grace’s Kathleen Hulka talk over brunch.

Director of Rapping at Fear, Andres Tabarés and Libia Tattay from Poliformo that helped produce the film pose with Programs Associate Anayansi Diaz-Cortes and Programs Manager, Diana Lee.

Programs Associate Leah Sapin sits down to enjoy some chow with Molly Abrams, one of our fabulous Arts Engine interns.

Arts Engine’s Molly Abrams, Jennifer Gallardo and Sarah Flanagan are all about Media That Matters.

If you’ve watched Sam Kauffmann’s haunting short Massacre at Murambi from the seventh annual Media That Matters Film Festival, then you know what’s at stake if the world doesn’t open its eyes to the genocide taking place today in the Darfur region of Sudan. To this end Amnesty International just launched a new website called Eyes on Darfur that enables visitors to literally watch over at risk villages via satellite images posted to the site. It’s a powerful campaign that will hopefully spur more concrete action by individuals and governments, especially those meeting this week at the G-8 summit in Germany.

In other news, Ms. Gertrude might be Still Standing, but many of her New Orleans neighbors are dying, nearly two years after Hurricane Katrina struck their communities. A recent article by Mary Foster of the Associated Press outlines how more and more people are dying from the long-term health and emotional impacts of the storm:

In other words, people in New Orleans still need our help. So take action now!

I started my internship here in early February and it’s been a wild ride! I’m originally from California and will be returning in about a week to continue my college career at the University of San Francisco.

The past two years, while here in New York, I’ve enjoyed playing a little comparison game with my experiences on each coast. Personally, the difference in pace in New York City has been the most shocking. Seeing well-dressed businessmen curse because the subway doors closed before they stepped inside and then continue to swear that same train until the next came, was a new experience for me. I’m not saying the population of Northern California is the most patient or calm but New York City is a different level. The New York I’ve come to know and love screams: HURRY UP!

It is a valuable phrase and has become almost a mantra for me these two years. I came to New York to study theatre, a practical interest of mine. It was in New York that I discovered that my strongest passions-the environment and social justice movements-could realistically provide a wide range of career paths. Each day at Arts Engine, I am reminded of the range of social justice issues that there are to get involved in. This high-speed city has pushed me to not waste time and to pursue my passions right now.

Interning here has given me the chance to see the difference between both coasts in terms of social justice media. Yesterday I was in a small video shop with Sverre, director of Power Up, a Media That Matters Film Festival winner this year. We were looking through the documentary section pointing out which we enjoyed and felt were successful. We pulled out The Corporation and immediately agreed that the film was reputable. Maybe it’s because we’ve been engulfed in action inspiring film this past week, but we quickly rethought our statements of glory. We realized that while the film infuriated us about the corporate giants we run into on a daily basis, neither of us left the film ready to take action or make change.

I think that the main difference in social media on either coast is, visibility. Seeing The Corporation in Northern California had me looking into the smaller, independent shops in the area and seeing who and what they stand for. I did my research and then was able to follow through because there were tools everywhere I looked. There were communities of like-minded people to join, examples of inspiration, and success stories left and right.

This next paragraph would be completely different if written four months ago but of interaction and work with Arts Engine and The Media That Matters Film Festival have changed my perception of New York’s “visibility”. Festivals and movements similar to MTM are all over and changing minds constantly.

I believe that we are seeing the beginning of a wave of empathetic youth that will significantly change the direction of our society for the better! I look forward to being a part of this wave and I have groups like and especially Arts Engine to thank. I strongly encourage anyone with the desire to see change to explore this organization and get involved!

Peace out,
Sarah

As my time as an intern here draws to a close, I thought it was time to reflect a bit about my experiences here, and contribute a special little entry to Engine Feed.

The number one best thing about working at Arts Engine is the people. And I don’t just say this because I want them to like me. (But I do!) And I also don’t say this merely because they treat us lowly interns as valid, valuable people, which is an extremely unique and outrageous notion—particularly in New York City. (And they really do!).

No, I confidently assert the greatness of these individuals based on their merits as good human beings. And that is one of the very great delights of working at a non-profit. Everybody has a cause and a strong social conscience, and one can be proud to work alongside them. Seriously.

And here are numbers 2 through 7 best things about working at Arts Engine:

2. No dress code.

3. Getting in shape from walking up 4 flights of stairs.

4. Guessing what tattoo Diana will get next.

5. Becoming very well versed in Fair Use in three easy months.

6. The tuna salad at Six and Twelve (even if it gives you bad breath all day)

7. All-chocolate cake intern parties…

P.S. I’m super psyched for my intern party. It better be awesome.

May 30th marked the world premiere of the seventh annual Media That Matters Film Festival. The premiere of 16 social justice shorts were screened to a packed and overflowing house at the IFC in Manhattan. Filmmakers responded intelligently and with humor at the post screening Q&A. Those of us of age continued the dialogue at the local watering hole, discussing everything from race, gender, responsibility to starting a media that don’t matter film festival.

The next day, May 31st, we applauded, acknowledged and thanked the fierce voices and fresh visions of our filmmakers with an award ceremony at HBO’s midtown headquarters. Filmmakers were presented an award in their categories, along with a $1,000 check. Byron Hurt, Al Maysles, Ira Glass, Irina Pantaeva to name a few, were on hand to help present and celebrate with us. The evening was made even more fun and exciting with the humorous commentaries of our MC Baratunde Thurston. Kelly Tsai of BY STANDING, a slam poet and powerhouse Asian American performance artist, closed out the night with two passionate poems that uplifted and empowered us to continue on with the good fight in furthering social justice through media, through activism, through art, through consciousness, through collaboration. Keep on, keepin on!

The Media As A Tool For Social Change workshop at the International Center for Tolerance Education on June 1st allowed educators, filmmakers, organizers/organizations to connect and learn how each of us are connected and can leverage our knowledge, tools, voices and visions to further our endeavors. We realized, walking away, so much still needs to be done. But we also walked away knowing we have the resources, support and tools. We just need to put them to good use. The ICTE has been a valuable community organization by providing their space and resources to community organizations and organizers. Thanks to Veronique Graham and her colleagues for their continual support in our workshops and Arts Engine’s endeavors.

An encore screening of the 16 films at the Queens Museum allowed us to reach a newer and younger audience. Youth groups like Make the Road by Walking and college students who are in media studies programs came and witnessed the power of the media. Afterwards Sverre Fredriksen of POWER UP, M.J. Watkins of FARM SANCTUARY, Ambika Samarthya of ASHRAY, Naiquan Green of SUPERSTAR and Esther Nieves of American Friends Services Committee who helped produced RIGHTS ON THE LINE were on hand to answer thoughtful and engaging questions post screening. Thanks to Prerana Reddy and the Queens Museum for their amazing hospitality, support and generosity with their time and space. Through this partnership we were able to introduce our films to the Queens community and connect with some young up and coming filmmakers.

The last four days felt like a span of a month, not because time went by too slow but because within a short four days we’ve accomplished so much, met so many amazing people, watched inspiring films and connected with people that will take these films and reach a wider audience. We know there’s still a lot to be done. Next up we embark on the distribution, touring and outreach of the festival. Social justice work is never ending and the journey continues…

First, thanks for all of the emails I have gotten about thoughts/information about Web 2.0. I am preparing for a panel for Silverdocs and have used this as an opportunity to learn more about the web and the jargon … I mean, the language … created around the new platforms that exist. Getting up to speed on this has taught me that I knew a lot more than I thought. I was a bit nervous because although I have a personal blog and am a pretty internet savvy person, I was not sure that I was ready to speak publicly about these things. Also, I was unsure how to discuss Arts Engine’s role in the whole 2.0 revolution.

I have a much better grasp on the whole thing and will not give up too many of the things I have learned because, well, let’s save the five minutes of information I have for the Silverdocs audience members. I will pass along the definition of web 2.0 because many of my friends have emailed me and said that though they would like to help me in my quest for more information, they have no clue what the heck web 2.0 is. This article gives as a great definition and has some great diagrams. An easy analogy is that web 1.0 is the Encyclopedia Britannica and web 2.0 is wikipedia. Wikipedia allows anyone and everyone to update information. Encyclopedia Britannica simply provides information. A true oversimplification is that, for the reader, web 1.0 is more passive and web 2.0 is more active.

A few days ago, The Brian Lehrer Show featured Andrew Keen, a former Silicon Valley entrepreneur who has written a new book, The Cult of the Amateur: How today’s Internet is killing our culture. Keen believes that blogs, wikis and other web 2.0 phenomena cause a great deal of harm. Listening to him on the show, I was surprised at how pedestrian his arguments were. Haven’t we heard these arguments a hundred times:
• Bloggers aren’t “real” journalists.
• Filmmakers on YouTube are not “real” filmmakers.
• Wikis like wikipedia spread misinformation.

Maybe it was Keen’s glib tone but I thought that he would inspire some new debate.

When Lehrer spoke about some blogs that are deemed “legitimate”, written by living and breathing journalists, he referred to The Huffington Post. Keen then, completely contradicted himself and said that HuffPo is different. It functions more as an online newspaper than a blog because real journalists write it. So if “respected people” write online their work is called online newspapers but the college student, because he or she is an unknown entity, writes on this sub par format known as a blog. This is just more elitist jargon. Writing about what you had for breakfast may not necessarily be news but if there is an audience for it, I argue that maybe it is. I know people would read about what George Clooney had for breakfast if he had a blog. (Is he an eggs and bacon man or a fruit and yogurt kind of guy? These are questions I want answers to. I won’t lie.)

As an entrepreneur, Keen did push the idea that many of the artists making videos on YouTube or the musicians putting their music on MySpace for free were not making smart financial decisions. Sure, their work was getting out there but they were making next to nothing financially. Plus (and this was implied) their work was not being seen in a platform that people necessarily respected. People tend to respect work that has to be vetted in some way.

As a filmmaker, I think about how I want to put my work out into the world. I have short films that I have made in film school and they are just sitting on my hard drive taking up space. At first, I did not put them up on YouTube because I want people to see them in a “proper” setting, in a film festival or on some distributors DVD that I can actually make some money off of. The problem with that idea is well, the films are too old to be in any more festivals and only a small handful of distributors take shorts (other than online ones which I have had varied success with). I can huff and puff about other filmmaker friends having their films in [insert fancy film festival here] or being distributed by [insert big name distributor here] but my films still remain on my hard drive.

I finally gave in a year ago and put my third year film school short on YouTube. After a year of doing absolutely nothing to drive traffic to it, 398 people have watched it. It’s not thousands but I could have 398 people watch my film or I could sit around and wait for some outside entity to legitimize my work. You be the judge. No I won’t get rich from this. But people outside of my inner circle will see my work. This can and has lead to success for other artists.

Again, these arguments are not new but because I was provoked to write such a long entry about it, it is clear that it is still a provocative subject. You can read more about Andrew Keen on, ironically, his blog.

Two recent news items caught my eye: one announcing Coke’s intention to put $20 million into conservation efforts to offset their significant water use, as well as to manage and replenish watersheds worldwide; the other reporting that Coca-Cola illegally seized land in India and then dumped toxic sludge on their new neighbors. One World had this article. The Los Angeles Times carried this one. Media That Matters: Good Food took a couple of jabs at this issue with Profit Cola.

I found this video interesting, not only because the filmmakers made their entire film available online for free, but because they did so in order to try pay off their debt. And they’re using YouTube to send viewers over to sites that might actually make them some money. Their plea is at the beginning.

I came across this posting by Elston Gunn on Ain’t it Cool News recently and thought it was important to share with all you documentary makers and lovers.

I strongly urge you to read the article. Shockingly, or not shockingly, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has declared new guidelines that make it extremely tough for an independent documentary to be considered for an Oscar.

Here are just a few excerpts:

In addition to a seven-day qualifying exhibition where docs have to play for at least seven consecutive days, twice a day, in either New York or Los Angeles, they now must complete a multi-state theatrical rollout of fourteen other markets (!) in at least ten different states (!!) twice a day for at least three consecutive days each.

Furthermore, documentaries filmed digitally must be shot in a particular format and meet certain projection requirements if they want to avoid being blown up to 16mm, 35mm or 70mm.

If the above mentioned requirements aren’t enough, keep in mind these films still must be marketed in a way that is considered “customary” to the industry, and festivals or special screenings do not count toward the qualifying exhibitions.

An Oscar probably doesn’t hold too much prestige for a lot of independent documentary filmmakers. Many times I have been baffled by the decisions of the Academy, and it’s pretty clear that there are politics involved. And I also feel that the Academy has way different taste than mine. Still, of course an Oscar or even a nomination has great benefits for a film. But unfortunately, the Academy has decided to make it very difficult for a documentary to be able to qualify for consideration. It seems that they want to keep accolades and awards to those movies that Hollywood produces. Which makes sense and comes as no great surprise. And this just adds to the many reasons why a filmmaker shouldn’t play into the Hollywood machine. But every filmmaker should know what she is up against.

So read the article, and get to know what mainstream Hollywood thinks of independent documentary. And along these lines, you might also want to check out the eye-opening documentary This Film Is Not Yet Rated, which investigates the ways in which MPAA ratings are conferred.

-Posted by Molly

Last week, I attended the Games for Change Festival at the New School here in New York. The mission of Games for Change is to promote the use of digital games for social change. Many nonprofits, game developers and funders were in attendance to connect with each other and learn more about this relatively new field.

Though we don’t make games over here at Arts Engine, it was interesting to see how effective they can be as learning tools. One panel exploring the topic consisted of students varying in age from middle school to recent high school alumni. All seven of the student panelists had participated in programs that allowed them to become an active part of the game development cycle. Many of them worked with the very powerful 3D imaging software called Maya to create realistic looking worlds for their video games. I have tried to use Maya in the past, and failed, so the fact that they were able to master the software really impressed me!

Several of the students were local to New York City. Brandon, a student from the Bronx River Art Center, used Maya to create a game to show his peers the pollution—as well as the wildlife—in the Bronx River. Two middle school aged students from Washington Heights, where I grew up, participated in a program run by Computers For Youth that allowed them to evaluate games and software. As reviewers of educational games, they learned valuable skills for the future such as public speaking and how to create their own presentations. It was great to see so many students actively using media—especially in the lower-income neighborhoods of New York where education in the arts is so often neglected.

I was asked this question several times recently, so I thought it was worth posting the link to 10 Sites That Pay for Your Video.

This was published in the New York Times millions of web years ago (February), so some of the links in the article are already dead. If you aren’t inclined to register for the NYT, here’s the barebones list.

AtomFilms

Blip.tv

Brightcove

Current.tv

CustomFlix

DivX Stage6

Dovetail

Metacafe

Revver

TurnHere

It’s true that we are losing (to some extent) a strong advocate, but others will step up and I can’t say I’m too worried.

Read the full story

This morning we posted a new trailer for Election Day on YouTube. I’ve never really edited a trailer before. It took longer than I expected, but I’m pretty happy with the final product. Watch it online and come to the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival next week to see the film in its full glory. You can also catch one of our upcoming screenings in July in New York or Los Angeles.

The Open Source Institute (OSI) rolled its eyes and gnashed its teeth yesterday at the too liberal use of “open source.” Not that open sourcing has become too prevalent, but that the term itself is being applied to software that does not follow open source principles and practices. This appears to be a real problem. But it also strikes me, at least in part, as the kind of diktat that came down from the French Ministry of Culture in 2003 over the flagrant use of the word “email.” The French now officially call email “courriel,” a term first used in French-speaking Canada. Given that, perhaps we should call open source “le code source libre”? Or “le code accessible”?

Any takers? Pepé Le Pew?

ZDNet Article
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=5458

Open Source Institute
http://www.opensource.org/node/163

Today I was reading through some BBC News when an interesting article caught my eye. The very famous Cameron Diaz was visting Machu Picchu in Peru, recording a program celebrating their culture, while wearing a bag she bought in China. Unfortunately, Diaz did not realize the slogan on the bag was that of the same Maoist revolutionaries that were the source of major conflict in Peru for over 20 years. Needless to say, this did not sit well with many Peruvians.

The whole situation reminded me of Laimah’s post a little while back. Skulls and crossbones, as well as other iconography that conjure up war, are all over the latest trends in fashion. I also tend to think of all the people who wear “CBGB” t-shirts—there is an entire store here in New York that exclusively sells them—unaware that the letters refer to the famous, and infamous, punk club that closed its doors last year due to the astronomical costs of operating (or living, for that matter) in Manhattan. In short, I don’t think it is too “politically correct” to evaluate the statements we are making through the fashions we wear.

by Maggie Bowman and Katy Chevigny

When 50-year-old Leon Batts walks up to his Harlem polling place on November 2, 2004, he is brimming with excitement at the prospect of casting his first vote ever. Leon, a character in Election Day, the latest documentary from Big Mouth Films and Arts Engine, dreams aloud that his will be a deciding vote. For Leon, however, his is a dream deferred. He has never voted because he believed that his prior felony conviction prohibited him from doing so. In the summer of 2004 he learned that New York State automatically restores the voting rights of ex-felons who have completed parole. With this newfound knowledge he registers to vote a week before the deadline and walks up to the elementary school on Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard.

When Leon gets to the table, he discovers that his name is not on the voter list and he must vote on an affidavit ballot (known in other states as a provisional ballot). He wonders how he will know if his vote counted or not. “So, do I get a receipt or what?” he asks. “Yes, you get a receipt,” jokes the good-natured pollworker. “That’s my handshake.” Months later, Leon receives a letter from the Board of Elections telling him that his registration was never processed; therefore his vote didn’t count.

Leon’s story offers a window onto two major kinds of flaws in the American electoral system.

The theme of bad laws and bad practice came up numerous times throughout the process of making Election Day. When we dispatched 14 camera crews across the country on November 2, 2004, we didn’t know what we would find. We simply wanted to get at some of the stories of the electorate that didn’t make it onto the evening news.

What we found was a collection of highly energized voters, passionate about making the most of their most fundamental democratic right. Anything but apathetic, our subjects were driven by a desire to make a difference. They are a truly inspirational bunch. However, the mixed results of their efforts illustrate the human face of American both electoral vitality and dysfunction.

While there were differences in ideology between the Republicans and Democrats we followed, neither red nor blue voter encountered a fully functional electoral system. An underdog Republican pollwatcher in Chicago found a ballot machine that was recording votes incorrectly. An international election observer from Australia looked on as poor, largely Democratic voters in St. Louis waited in line for two hours. She then traveled to a wealthier suburban neighborhood where the voters managed to get in and out in 20 minutes.

The obstacles faced by the characters in Election Day illustrate the problems that exist on a macro level with our election system. Our film turns its lens away from the heat of the horserace between the candidates to focus on the individual voter, whose story can tell us much more about the health of our democracy than we learn from the pundit analysis of the latest campaign ad on YouTube. Until the electorate demands that our party leaders make true electoral reform central to each of their platforms, we will continue to see elections bedeviled by bad laws and bad practice.

Election Day is the closing night film of the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival. June 27th at 1:30pm and 6:30pm; June 28th at 9:00pm. Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center, 165 W. 65th Street, New York. Buy tickets online at http://www.filmlinc.com

This entry was originally published on the Huffington Post.

Anne Thompson is a columnist and a resident blogger at Variety. Her blog is always insightful and filled with all of the latest new trailers. A recent article of hers entitled, Indie Films Crave Great Reviews is an interesting take on the importance of reviews for indie films. She also gets a bit into self-distribution on the internet:

The Yes Men impersonate the Exxon Mobil Corp. at this years GoExpo and announce a mock new energy source, Vivoleum.