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Press Release: Center for Social Media and Arts Engine Unite to Protect Independent Filmmakers from Censorship

Published on December 12, 2005

Contact:
Katy Chevigny, Executive Director, Arts Engine, 646-230-6368, katy@artsengine.net

NEW YORK, NY (November 18, 2005) -- Arts Engine, Inc. the nation's leader in social issue film advocacy, has signed on to a landmark initiative that will protect the embattled rights of independent filmmakers. Organized by American University's Center for Social Media, the "Fair Use Statement of Best Practices" will unite filmmakers across the country and promote the rights of independent media makers in a time of rampant corporate censorship. In addition, Arts Engine announces a special "Fair Use" award to be presented to a courageous filmmaker at Arts Engine's 2006 Media That Matters Film Festival.

Until recently, independent filmmakers have exercised their right to use footage from other media in their work. The practice is called "Fair Use", and it is protected by the First Amendment. But in the last ten years, hundreds of filmmakers around the country have faced lawsuits and fines of tens of thousands of dollars simply because they used a few seconds of archival sound or video material in their productions. This new litigiousness on the part of corporate media is strangling the independent media community and risks impoverishing America's cultural heritage.

"Fair use is intended to promote the creativity of today as much as it is to protect the creative work of yesterday," wrote Katy Chevigny, Arts Engine's Executive Director, in a letter printed in the New York Times on October 30, 2005. Chevigny who was nominated for a 2005 Emmy Award for her anti-death penalty documentary Deadline has come up against corporate intransigence on fair use issues on each of her five feature documentaries and has finally concluded that filmmakers must band together if they are to stop this new form of economic censorship. On Friday Chevigny, along with filmmaker/advocates from five other organizations, will stand with American University's Center for Social Media and present corporate America with a line in the sand. "The Fair Use Statement of Best Practices tells the Viacoms and Foxes of the world that we filmmakers know our rights," says Chevigny "and we will not tolerate being steamrollered by a battery of lawyers no matter how powerful the company."

To underline her point, Chevigny has announced that a special "Fair Use" award will be presented at Arts Engine's Media That Matters Film Festival. Now in its sixth year Media That Matters is supported by HBO, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, actor activist Tim Robbins, comedian Al Franken and many other socially responsible individuals and companies. The Fair Use award will be presented to an independent filmmaker who legally incorporates outside footage in his or her documentary. "The only way to spread the word of Fair Use is to show how it works in a real live film," says Chevigny. "We're looking forward to rewarding a courageous filmmaker for showing everyone that Fair Use enriches independent film and contributes to the national debate."

Filmmakers: Learn more about the award.