http://www.mediarights.org/engine_feed en miannone7@gmail.com Copyright 2012 2012-05-07T19:00:04+00:00 http://www.mediarights.org/engine_feed/tff_2012_girl_power/ http://www.mediarights.org/engine_feed/tff_2012_girl_power/#When:19:00:04Z After seeing 23 films in ten days at the Tribeca Film Festival, I noticed that a theme began to emerge in the films I most enjoyed.  (Now, 23 may seem like a lot, but it’s not when you consider this year’s festival had 89 feature films!)  Whether it was a narrative with a complex female lead or a documentary highlighting the struggles women around the world still face, this year’s festival offered so many great films dealing with feminine issues.  Here are a few that have really stuck with me. THE WORLD BEFORE HER This feature-length documentary, which won this year’s Jury Prize for Best Documentary Feature, skillfully blends two colliding worlds in the politically charged nation of India.  On one side, we have 20 young women competing in the Miss India pageant.  On the other is the Durgha Vahini, the women’s wing of the militant fundamentalist movement. Ankita and Ruhi are both hopefuls in the Miss India pageant.  We see them receive Botox injections, skin-lightening treatments, and photo shoots as part of a month long “beauty booty camp.”  Counter to that are the young women of the Durgha Vahini, participating in what could be construed as an actual military boot camp.  One girl claims her father beat her terribly once when she looked in a mirror.  The girls vehemently state that they will fight against Islam and Christianity even if it means their death.  The Indian government claims these camps are breeding terrorists; a young Durgha Vahini leader named Prachi denies these claims. Yet despite the stark differences between the two groups, Prachi is still hounded by her father to marry quickly, despite her protestations to live her own life.  And at the end, as Ankita and Ruhi take the stage in their evening gowns and high heels, Prachi is still sitting in her family’s apartment, watching on television.  The two lines are blended together seamlessly.  The switch from camp to stage is perfectly jarring; the cinematography goes from a heat-covered outdoor march to a strut under artificial lights and electropop music.  The pageant directors primp every inch of their contestants’ bodies, but still have to conduct the swimsuit portion behind closed doors.  Prachi leads gun training and group chants while freely admitting that while she likes for girls to be afraid of her, she is also a victim of the same system she is promoting. The World Before Her is directed by Nisha Pahuja.  You can watch the trailer here. SEXY BABY I saw this documentary only one day after watching The World Before Her, and while it didn’t stick in my head quite as much, it was the only movie in which I had to shield my eyes from the screen.  The film follows three different females whom you wouldn’t expect to be followed at the same time.  There is Winnifred, a 12-year-old New York girl who excels at gymnastics and performs plays about femininity and youth culture.  Yet, shortly after her bat mitzvah, her relationship with her parents begins to dissolve as she goes through typical teenage angst.  She loses her Facebook privileges multiple times over the span of a few months, mostly due to the sexy photo shoots she stages with her friends. Then there is 22-year-old Laura, an elementary school teacher saving all of her money for a plastic surgery that is quickly growing in popularity – labiaplasty.  Yes, it is exactly how it sounds.  Laura allows the cameras into her procedure, and I’ll admit a lingering shot of what was removed was what made me have to close my eyes for a second. Finally there was the storyline that interested me the most, that of 32-year-old former porn star Nichole (aka Nakita Kash).  While Laura decided to have labiaplasty after being compared to a porn star by a former boyfriend, Nichole laments that “women [want] to be like Nakita, but Nichole just wants to be like them.”  She reminisces over childhood photos, wondering how differently her life would have turned out if she had used her dance skills in a different way.  However, she is now married to a man who also works in the porn industry, and teaches pole dancing while attempting to conceive a child with her husband. The film was certainly eye-opening, and weaved a great tale of how, despite our best intentions, it is nearly impossible to be unaffected by the culture of sexuality. Sexy Baby is directed by Jill Bauer and Ronna Gradus.  You can watch the trailer here.  FAME HIGH While this documentary didn’t deal with exclusively female characters, I found myself most engaged by the storylines that did.  The documentary follows four different students at the prestigious LACHSA, the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts.  The most compelling story to me was that of Grace, a graduating senior dance student.  She has dreamed of dancing at Juilliard for nearly her entire life, and now, in her final high school year, all of her training is in preparation for that audition.  In a particularly engaging scene, we see her in final rehearsals for the audition, getting yelled at by her coach for the slightest mistake.  Now, as someone who never was part of a hardcore performing arts program (or any kind of sport for that matter), I’ve never experienced coaching like that firsthand.  Grace seemed to respond to it, but I have to admit I cringed at times.  But the most interesting, humanizing part was watching Grace’s home life.  She crushes on a boy, despite her parents’ objections to her dating in high school.  Her mother makes a comment about Grace perhaps being a professor of dance in the future.  Cue teenage freak out, in which Grace wails that her parents don’t understand her vision – she’s not meant to teach dance, she’s meant to DANCE dance.  The parental atmosphere works well in this film.  Another student, Brittany, moved to Los Angeles from Wisconsin in order to attend the school.  Her married parents have lived in these separate states for four years out of support for their daughter.  Tensions rise as Brittany misses more and more school in order to perform her music.  As the end of the year draws nearer, her parents confide that they are worried she will not graduate and all their sacrifices will have been in vain. Fame High was directed by Scott Hamilton Kennedy.  You can watch the trailer here. 2012-05-07T19:00:04+00:00 http://www.mediarights.org/engine_feed/artists_converge_on_washington_dc_for_arts_advocacy_day/ http://www.mediarights.org/engine_feed/artists_converge_on_washington_dc_for_arts_advocacy_day/#When:18:08:37Z On April 17 supporters for the arts converged on Washington, DC for Arts Advocacy Day, where they encouraged Members of Congress to enact legislation that would benefit the arts in the United States.  Steve Mendelsohn, Arts Engine’s Executive Director, was part of the New York delegation and provided the following summary of the most important requests discussed during the visits with senators and representatives from all states: 1.  Increasing funding of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) from $146 million to $155 million in FY 2013. Funding from the NEA is vital to the preserving the arts in the United States.  40% of NEA funding is re-granted through state arts agencies (like NYSCA in New York State) and the rest goes directly to arts organizations.  Over time, NEA funding has decreased from 70 cents per capita in 1992 to 47 cents per capita today.  Support for the arts through the NEA will generate jobs, spur tourism, promote culture in the US and increase civic engagement. 2.  Appropriate $30 million for the Arts in Education program and include arts in the definition of core academic subjects. The House has removed the arts from their version of the bill, and the Senate if considering adding the arts back into the legislation.  It has been proven that teaching the arts in school improves SAT scores and overall academic performance.  Without specifying that the arts be included in school programs, it has been shown that many schools will curtail arts education. 3.  Preserve the tax deductibility of charitable deductions. Given the movement for tax reform, there is pressure to eliminate the ability to deduct donations to non-profits.  There are approximately 1.4 million 501(c)(3) organizations in the United States, practically all of which rely on individual donations for some of their support.  Over the past few years, corporations have severely cut back on their donations to non-profits, leaving governments, foundations and individuals to fill the gap.  Removing the tax incentive for individuals to donate seriously threatens the vitality of the non-profit sector. 4.  Reinstate the IRA Charitable Rollover. From 2006 to 2011 donors over age 70.5 could make tax-free charitable gifts directly form their IRAs, up to an annual ceiling of $100,000.  As a result millions of dollars were given to non-profits.  President Obama’s FY2013 budget proposes the reinstatement of the IRA Charitable Rollover, and it is hoped that Congress will follow in his footsteps. Other New York leaders of independent media groups who joined Steve Mendelsohn in Washington were Simon Kilmurry of POV, Eileen Newman of the Tribeca Film Institute, and Mary Kerr of the Flaherty Film Seminar. Steve met with staff reporting to Senators Gillibrand and Schumer and was pleased to report that they have supported, and intend to continue to support, legislation that favors and promotes the arts. Food for Thought, Happenings, Take Action 2012-04-19T18:08:37+00:00 http://www.mediarights.org/engine_feed/are_filmmakers_being_gagged_by_money/ http://www.mediarights.org/engine_feed/are_filmmakers_being_gagged_by_money/#When:16:35:00Z I am flying back from the Full Frame Film Festival which offers an intimate celebration of documentary filmmaking on every level – creative energy is flowing, non-fiction filmmakers are unapologetically celebrating their craft, and filmmaking is, for a rare few days, a two-way street between audiences and artist. We are indeed blessed to be documentary filmmakers—but it is not without cost. The festival presented a panel on the challenges to free speech filmmakers must overcome. (Played out on screen in Big Boys Gone Bananas.) .  I noted some degree of self-censorship among the brave filmmakers of Girl Model, fearing for their own safety and the safety of their subject in the wake of their provocative film.  But I also wondered about a new kind of censorship that seems to cripple filmmakers and is at the heart of almost every film:  funding censorship. Over and over you see the same funder names appearing in the credits of films at the festival. And while we are grateful for their support in a sea of shrinking resources, they are both insufficient to go around and they tend to support a very specific type of film.  Without those coveted funds you hear filmmaker after filmmaker talk about years of struggle to cobble together funding, the sacrifices they made personally, and the compromises they faced artistically in an effort to birth their films into the world. In my capacity as Director of Filmmaker Services I see filmmakers trying to craft proposals that both stay true to their own vision but – hopefully – pique the interest of funders.  At times, I watch the tail wag the dog as tangential promises to funders dictate the film’s vision. At its worst, I watch worthy projects wither and die because the financial and emotional cost of bringing the film into the world is too high. Of course, there are alternative fundraising sources.  It’s a long and hard road, but there is life after a string of “no’s”.  It’s a subject about which I am passionate and about which Arts Engine offers workshops and one-on-one consultations. But I think it is time to begin a serious conversation in our community – filmmakers, funders, and audiences alike—about a funding system that gives voice to only a very few and, though perhaps inadvertently, censors the many. Leave your comments here – let’s begin the conversation! Food for Thought 2012-04-19T16:35:00+00:00 http://www.mediarights.org/engine_feed/sxsw_day_5_farewell_to_texas/ http://www.mediarights.org/engine_feed/sxsw_day_5_farewell_to_texas/#When:23:27:12Z After about eight hours of traveling and a wicked long layover in Houston, I’m back in New York and ready to reminisce about the great week I spent in Austin for South by Southwest Interactive.  The last day was filled with some valuable tips for someone in my position - that is, the community manager of our great Arts Engine fanbase.  I also was able to more fully explore the trade show during the annual block party, where lots of booths give out free food and drinks. My first two panels of the day, though somewhat similar, left me with a lot of things to mull over regarding Arts Engine’s social networks.  “Confessions of a Community Moderator”, followed by “Branded Content: We’re All Publishers Now”, both tackled the multiple issues and platforms that can arise in a social media-driven profession.  Questions included, do you censor negative comments?  Panelists at both sessions encouraged us not to, but to strive to allow an open discourse and respond quickly to feedback of any kind.  What social platforms, among the plethora out there, are best for your business?  It got me thinking - would Arts Engine be great on Pinterest?  On Tumblr?  Panelist Amy Vernon of “Branded Content” argued that just because the platforms are out there and popular, doesn’t mean your organization needs to be there as well.  “Choose where your audience is most likely.  Be on two platforms and do them really well.  Maybe a Tumblr and a Twitter, not a Facebook page - I know that’s like heresy.”  Are titles like social media “guru” and “maven” necessary?  Nina Kester, of “Confessions” says no: “Using more professional titles helps bigger organizations understand where you might fit in with them.”  A great tip for smaller organizations given at “Confessions” was a great way to use Twitter to your advantage.  By highlighting a great job that other, larger organizations are doing and including their Twitter handle in your tweets, you will most likely get noticed or even retweeted by that organization.  It’s a great way to not only potentially build future partnerships, but to tap into a whole new audience. My entire goal for South by Southwest was to come away with some great new ways that we at Arts Engine can better connect with you, our viewers, consumers, fans, and audience.  We’re always open to feedback about new ways we can reach you and expand our community to even more documentary buffs, social issue drivers, and philanthropists.  As I post more in depth about the best panels from the week, I know I have a lot to think about, and I can’t wait to share it with you! Food for Thought, Happenings, Web & Tech 2012-03-14T23:27:12+00:00 http://www.mediarights.org/engine_feed/sxsw_day_4_shock_and_awe/ http://www.mediarights.org/engine_feed/sxsw_day_4_shock_and_awe/#When:03:41:31Z Confession time - despite living in New York City, where you could conceivably run into a celebrity at every turn, I am still that girl who gets so starstruck that she can’t even talk.  Whereas my friends can chat on and on with anyone about how much they love a certain movie, I only stand there frozen.  I figured that was the most intense reaction I could have to someone in the public eye - until today. Because there’s a difference between seeing an actor and seeing someone who has been one of the most influential figures of our generation.  Now try seeing three of those people within two hours of one another.  That’s what happened this afternoon at South by Southwest, where I was one of over a thousand people crowded into Exhibit Hall 5 to watch first Biz Stone, co-creator of Twitter, and then a dual panel with Sean Parker, the founding president of Facebook, and former vice president Al Gore.  It’s an odd feeling, knowing that the three people in front of you are collectively worth billions of dollars.  It’s even odder when these gigantic figures are in front of you, joking and laughing and weaving incredible inspiration into a friendly discourse. I’ll dive into these talks much more deeply after South by Southwest wraps, but the overarching feeling I took away from both events was, as Biz Stone said, “Change is not a sign of technology, it’s a sign of humanity.” One of the most applauded notes came later from Al Gore.  Relating today’s information-hungry society to the days of the cavemen, Gore said, “When the leaves moved, the ones who didn’t look - those are not our ancestors.”  Before these awe-inspiring talks, I attended another inspiring panel titled “Branded Documentary: Cause Marketing’s Best Media?”  The idea was simple - in the age of sponsorship, how can popular brands use their customer influence to inspire real change in the world?  Sarah Montante (@Monte5001) of Pantene shared a short documentary about their Beautiful Lengths program, in which 195 New Hampshire high school students donated hair to create wigs for cancer patients.  The short film was a great way to show how brands can be effectively woven into change-making stories without seeming pushy or fading into the background. Only one more day left of SXSW!  Tomorrow I’ll be attending some more great panels and checking out the Trade Show, in which great startups and new technology brands present their products and ideas to badgeholders and other marketers.  Stay tuned!  Happenings, Take Action, Web & Tech 2012-03-13T03:41:31+00:00 http://www.mediarights.org/engine_feed/sxsw_day_3_oh_sunshine/ http://www.mediarights.org/engine_feed/sxsw_day_3_oh_sunshine/#When:03:06:23Z Even with all the different panels and workshops I attended today, the number one story of South by Southwest Day 3 seems to be the same for everyone: The rain has finally stopped!  Of course, the forecast doesn’t seem to have this amazing 75 degree sunshine in the forecast past tomorrow, but I finally got a chance to explore the Downtown Austin area, and have found that the rumors are true - Austin is a beautiful city! One of my favorite things to do is eat outside, and there doesn’t seem to be a single restaurant in Downtown Austin that doesn’t offer that to its patrons.  Then, when you add on the fact that the Austin food truck scene puts New York food trucks to shame, and the decision of where to eat suddenly becomes harder than you’d expect.  It’s a simple pleasure, perching yourself on a crowded ledge and enjoying a BBQ empanada! Today, I joined an early morning shuttle to the Sheraton Austin to “Storytelling Beyond Words: New Forms of Journalism.”  An example that got a big round of applause was an interactive graphic from the New York Times, posted after the 2010 Winter Olympics.  Aaron Pilhofer, the interactive editor of the Times, showed us the ingenious design his colleague Amanda Cox put together - a new way of understanding the milliseconds that separate a gold medalist and a 20th-place finisher. Then I attended “3 Screen Minimum: Convergence of TV and Social Media.”  To my surprise, the room was full to capacity to hear about how television networks are incorporating social interactivity into everyday broadcasts.  A great example included recent events such as the Super Bowl, Grammys, and Academy Awards.  Soraya Dorabi of ABC News brought up an intriguing idea - why don’t networks keep an eye on social media around their live broadcasts and respond accordingly in real time?  “The Academy Awards became a comedic experience via Twitter,” said Dorabi, mentioning that while it may have been divisive, interactivity should be going in the direction that responded to the number-one retweeted suggestion - that Chris Rock host the second half of the telecast after his funny turn as presenter. Next, I went to something that made me a little apprehensive; but I couldn’t pass up the event that was fervently suggested to me by fellow shuttle riders.  Actor Jeffrey Tambor has been running an acting workshop at South by Southwest for the past five years, and it’s become one of the most popular events at the festival.  I didn’t know much going in - was I going to be expected to act in front of people?  But no, he had two pre-chosen aspiring actors, who had one scene to perform in front of the standing room only crowd. “It’s an argument,” said actor Matthew Newton. “How do you know?” asked Tambor.  This was the feeling of the whole workshop, during which Tambor shouted out increasingly odd directions, from “Can you sing?” to “Be a femme fatale” to “Do a French accent.”  The first take of the scene had actors Newton and Kate Sheil simply sounding like an old married couple at each others throats.  An hour later, Sheil had a gun pointed to Newton’s head while Newton begged for his life to no avail.  Keep in mind that this was the same scene, consisting of dialogue along the lines of “I didn’t say that” and “Yes you did!”  It’s a sign of the draw of South by Southwest that Tambor closed this year’s workshop by saying with confidence, “See you next year.”  Lastly, I attended a somewhat unsettling and - yes, I’ll say it - depressing panel.  Entitled “Digital Immortals: Preserving Life Beyond Death,” this panel discussed how, while current generations lament over having so few remnants of ancestors, future generations may wish they didn’t know quite so much about their great-grandparents.  Every time we post something on Facebook, Twitter, foursquare, a blog, or an email, we’re unintentionally (or, in the case of one panelist’s story, intentionally) creating our own digital archives of our lives.  Panelist Airdrie Miller spoke of her husband Derek, who passed away from cancer last year.  Before his death, he instructed his friends and family to post his last blog.  Moderator Evan Carroll quoted Chuck Palahniuk by saying, “The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.” I can’t believe there’s only two more days of SXSW Interactive!  I’m looking forward to the next two days of panels, book readings, and mixers.  After SXSW Interactive wraps and I make the long trip back to New York City, I’ll be delving deeper into some of the events I’ve attended.  Stay tuned!  Happenings, Web & Tech 2012-03-12T03:06:23+00:00 http://www.mediarights.org/engine_feed/the_growth_of_online_media/ http://www.mediarights.org/engine_feed/the_growth_of_online_media/#When:02:46:03Z The technological era has evolved to allow access to information about anything to online consumers. I had recently done research for the effects of online media towards the public and how it is a beneficial way for individuals to gain knowledge on topics. Online advertisements provide the option for interactions through social media, quick transactions for products, promotional distributions, and improvement for brand identity through cross media. Ads are behaviorally targeted towards consumers that research certain topics online and consumers control how much they want to see in digital advertisement with the option to obtain further information about a product or service when they read about it.  In contrast, there are limitations for publication and media. Social networking websites play a huge role in the promotion of media and it is shocking how fast news can travel through Internet posts. It is now common for companies to advertise themselves through networks to distribute links and information on sources of advertisement in order to attract audiences to other websites and media platforms, such as magazines or television channels. Some of the most common networking websites are Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter, which all distribute video streams and provide links to online articles and outside sources that promote a company’s production. Michael Lynton, the boss of Sony Pictures Entertainment, states in an article that “networks produce a powerful viral marketing effect because friends use them to tell one another about things they have discovered” (“Profiting from Friendship”). This statement is relevant to how quickly information can travel from networking websites to other sources for any type of production - whether it is a film, program or advertisement - to can gain a bigger audience. Cross media and collaboration with corporations strengthen profits for merchandise and promotion for media sources. Web & Tech 2012-01-12T02:46:03+00:00 http://www.mediarights.org/engine_feed/tis_the_season_socially_conscious_gift_ideas/ http://www.mediarights.org/engine_feed/tis_the_season_socially_conscious_gift_ideas/#When:19:59:35Z As someone who worked in retail stores for seven years, I’ve seen the ugly side of the holidays, and it can be summed up in two words: Black Friday.  It seems almost unbelievable that people have literally been trampled in a throng of shoppers desperate for a cheap TV.  So this year, instead of fighting off that tryptophan coma in order to stand in a freezing cold line at 3 am, why not give a unique, socially conscious gift?  We’ve put together some great options that will make your holiday season a whole lot merrier. Three Avocados Coffee Don’t worry, it’s not avocado flavored coffee.  Three Avocados is a non-profit organization that donates 100% of its net proceeds to providing clean water in Uganda.  You can give a $1, $5, or $10 donation through their website, or buy any style of their 100% Arabica bean coffee.  They even sell coffee packages already gift-wrapped!  Better yet - for a limited time, all of their orders ship for only $2.95. TOMS Shoes You might see them everywhere, but TOMS shoes are far from out of style.  For every pair of shoes you buy either online or at one of their retailers (including Billabong, Urban Outfitters, and even Whole Foods), they donate a pair to a child in need.  As of September 2010 - and keep in mind that was over a year ago - they had donated over one million pairs of shoes to children around the world.  TOMS has recently branched out into eyewear, committing to helping advance research to help the blind and visually impaired.  M.A.C. Viva Glam Cosmetics I’m of the thought that a lipstick is a lipstick, but for those fashionistas out there who gravitate towards elaborate cosmetics, higher-end retailer M.A.C. recently launched the M.A.C. AIDS Fund to coincide with their heavily celebrity-endorsed Viva Glam line.  The purchase of one lipstick or “lipglass”, as they call it, can help those affected by the disease in several ways.  One purchase = eight home-cooked meals, one month of public transport to doctors appointments, or even a birthday party for a child affected by AIDS.  Macy’s Heart of Haiti Gifts It’s hard to believe it’s almost been two years since Haiti’s devastating earthquake, but even harder to believe that the country is still rebuilding.  Macy’s has teamed with wonderful Haitian artists to sell handcrafted housewares and jewelry both online and in-store.  Gifts range from this amazingly intricate metal picture frame to these colorful serving plates made out of - believe it or not - recycled paper.  Any one of these pieces are sure to be a conversation starter at your holiday party - and make sure to work into the conversation the fact that half of your wholesale price went directly to the Haitian artists to help them rebuild! MatterL3C’s BirdProject Soap Made out of all-natural ingredients (no animal products here!), these black bird-shaped soaps eventually become an even better surprise - a handmade white ceramic bird, symbolic of the ongoing effort to clean up the Gulf Coast.  When you reveal the clean, smooth keepsake, it will forever be a reminder that 50% of your purchase went to restoring the Gulf and helping the animals affected by the spill. ——- And don’t forget that if you, like us, are prone to giving movies as gifts, you can always check out the Arts Engine Store, where we’re now selling our Media That Matters 11 DVD collection!  By purchasing any one of our Media That Matters collections or Big Mouth Films DVDs, you’re helping us produce, promote, and distribute many more socially-conscious films and festivals. Happy holidays! Food for Thought, Happenings 2011-11-22T19:59:35+00:00 http://www.mediarights.org/engine_feed/report_from_leipzig/ http://www.mediarights.org/engine_feed/report_from_leipzig/#When:18:50:03Z The only downside to transatlantic travel to Europe to attend Germany’s DOK-Leipzig film festival is jetlag. But that factor was minor in contrast to the opportunity to watch many amazing documentaries and meet notable filmmakers and other doc industry players. Leipzig is a city easily reached by train from my favorite Western European city, Berlin. The festival—the oldest and second largest of its kind in Europe after IDFA—takes place every October for close to two weeks. Audiences greet films warmly; many of the screenings I attended were sold-out or played to nearly full houses. Two highlights for me were watching material from Germany and Eastern Europe that most likely won’t find its way to the U.S. In that sense, I felt privileged to be there. Second, the chance to meet and spend considerably time interacting with filmmakers from such countries as Latvia, Chile, Poland, and Irak was indeed priceless. Some of the films I saw include opening night doc Special Flight by the Swiss director Fernand Melgar, which dealt with a detention center for undocumented immigrants in notoriously neutral Switzerland. With incredible access to its characters, the film depicts the day-to-day activities of immigrants—some of whom had been in the country for over 20 years and had established families there—while they wait for their “voluntary,” or—more likely—forced (the euphemistic “special flight” of the film’s title) deportation. The film shows the face of Fortress Europe and attempts to shed light on the plight of the mostly African characters. At times, it comes off as simplistic, at best; and problematically voyeuristic, at worst. Both the Russian short Bielutin: in the Graden of Time: Ely & Nina Bielutin and the feature Life in Stills by Israeli filmmakers Tamar Tal and Barak Heymann have “eccentric” seniors as main characters, but the similarities end there: While the former loses its charm in its first few minutes (and do we really need a film—even a short—whose main message seems to be that indeed Russians like to drink a lot of vodka), the latter develops a portrait of Israeli grandmother Miriam Wasserstein that is nuanced and moving. In Kirkcaldy Man, Julian Schanitz goes in search of a vanished Scottish hero, former Dart world champion Jocky Wilson. The film is a melancholy meditation on life in a small blue-collar village in Scotland cloaked under the guise of a mystery. In the end, we care less about what happened to Wilson, and instead mourn a community with few options except for nostalgia. My favorite doc of the festival was called Argentinian Lesson. The film is an impressive documentation of the first year of Director Wojciech Staron moving his family from Poland to a small village in Argentina. Paterfamilias Staron serves as cameraman as well, and the results show on screen: long and intimate takes using natural light that reflect beautifully. Seen through the point-of-view of his eldest son as he attends school, makes new friends, learns a new language, and falls in love with his neighbor, the film tiptoes a porous line between fiction and non-fiction. In fact, the filmmaker allows as much: although not entirely scripted, he did admit certain set-ups. Did it bother me? Not really. I mentioned another salient point for me at Leipzig which was that I spent time with great, friendly filmmakers. Some of the more talented and generous included the Uruguayan Emiliano Mazza, fresh from having won Mexico City’s DOCS DF 100-Hour filmmaking challenge (with the lovely Avenida de Reinas, available to preview soon, I hope); the Finnish Cilla Werning, who is co-producing the U.S. production American Vagabond; and Germany’s Nils Boekamp, whose Good Night White Pride was selected for DOK-Leipzig’s Co-Production Meetings.  I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the fantastic work of DOK-Leipzig’s staff—in particular, Christine Hille and Brigid O’Shea—and volunteers in making my festival experience memorable.  2011-11-03T18:50:03+00:00 http://www.mediarights.org/engine_feed/social_media_vs._print_media/ http://www.mediarights.org/engine_feed/social_media_vs._print_media/#When:16:03:58Z New generations of journalists are emerging. They may not have had any training in journalism. They are anyone with access to the Internet. That’s right you and I are all journalists. Using social media sites like those of Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube is a part of every person’s repertoire. But social media sites are no longer only used to check up on exhibitionistic friends, or the site to watch crazy cat videos. Now, anyone with a Facebook, Twitter, or Youtube account can report on the events they witnessed. A simple 140-character “tweet” or 2-minute YouTube video clip can inform the people of events in countries all over the world. According to a Wall Street Journal article Sohaib Athar, an IT consultant, inadvertently offered up live coverage of the death of Osama Bin Laden via Twitter.  The general public would have never learned of the unfiltered version of the story if Athar had not been inconspicuously tweeting away at his annoyance of all the sudden noise in the wee hours of the night. “In terms of getting snippets from the ground of the action and opinions from actual people in the situation using social media is better,” Julia Dratel, University of Chicago student said. “They’re not filtered by media networks. They don’t have to report to any higher ups.” Looking back at the revolutions taking place in Egypt, the Western world had little idea of the political upheaval that was taking place.  If it weren’t for a protesters who recorded videos of police brutality during the protests, and uploaded it onto YouTube than Westerners may have never found out about the revolution. With social media there are no expectations for the person to be impartial “I had friends studying abroad in Cairo [this past semester],” Dratel said. “It was difficult to ignore a status updates like ‘I just saw a riot.’” Social media definitely enhanced the role of journalism because there is always people witness events and posting live tweets of the event. “It’s as if there’s reporters everywhere even though they’re not properly trained,” Craig Stone, Professor of Journalism at Baruch College said. Conversely, not all college students feel that social media sites are proper channels for getting any sources of news. “For ‘real news’ I would read the New York Times or Bloomberg News,” Ludovic Delmas, international student from Toulouse Business School in France said. Journalists do follow a code of ethics, and also have multiple resources to fact check their articles to ensure that what they’re putting out to the public is unaltered facts. “Social media sites should only be used for checking up with friends,” Delmas said. “Whenever they [Facebook users] post status updates it’s normally their opinions or views on a subject. What I am looking for in news is a more neutral and broader perspective upon the events.” Social media is a place for being to be social on the Internet. It is considered more of a conversation rather than a source for news media. People can share their thoughts through 140-character updates as well as link to articles and videos. “With social media there are no expectations for the person to be impartial,” Dratel said.  “You’re getting both the good and bad sides to any event.” Twitter is constructive to journalism immediately after an event occurs. However, the one tweet quickly leads to retweets that include people’s own opinions and jokes. Journalists take the information at hand and weed out the opinionated information and give validity through research. “The Journalists job is to recognize their own biases and work around it in a way that makes the news their putting out objective,” Stone said. “There is a balance between taking what people give you and then working with it to verify.” Food for Thought, Web & Tech 2011-10-03T16:03:58+00:00