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Why Make Activist Videos?
By Bernardo Ruiz On July 13, six documentary filmmakers had the tables turned on them as they answered questions instead…
Posted on August 20

How Nonprofits Use Media
Find Out How Nonprofits Use Media Voila the responses to the recent MediaRights.org survey. The point of the exercise was…
Posted on August 20

Camcorders in Activists’ Hands:
Tools for Change Communication for Change Activists often do not have the resources or the time to produce, edit, and…
Posted on August 01

Community Outreach for “The Farm: Angola, USA”
Gabriel Film's "The Farm: Angola, USA" has been used all over the country to raise awareness about criminal justice issues. Once a southern plantation, Angola is America’s largest and oldest maximum security prison where 85% of the prison population are serving life sentences. " The Farm, Angola, USA" follows the lives of six inmates and looks at the "possibility of forgiveness as part of the criminal justice system." The film premiered on A%E in 1998 and has won numerous awards including the 1998 Grand Jury Prize at Sundance and two Emmy awards. An extensive outreach campaign was initiated in Louisiana to enhance public understanding of criminal justice and to support crime prevention programs. Gabriel Films worked closely with organizers from the O’Brien House, a rehabilitation center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to coordinate events including: town hall meetings college/university screenings middle/high school programs interventions in juvenile detention centers According to the film’s director, Jonathan Stack, the town hall meetings were the very successful and provided a forum for public debate on topics relating to crime, incarceration, and legislation reform. Stack said, "sitting around these tables were people from "My goal was to get the film to people who should be talking to policymakers…and once that happens then you begin a dialogue, and at that point, I don’t think the filmmaker is the prime spokesperson for the issues. That’s when you step back and let the specialists really work on the issues." Jonathan Stack, Director of "The Farm, Angola, USA". the whole spectrum, from people who had perpetrated a crime to people who were victims of crime, prosecutors, lawyers, and judges—everybody who represents the cycle of crime and justice…Clearly in this group is where the answers lie because these are the people who are doing something about it." Achievements of the outreach campaign: A short curriculum has been presented along with the screenings to youth viewers in nine Louisiana high schools. The Juvenile Prison Awareness Program (JPAP), started in April 1999, has been successfully implemented in 5 juvenile prisons/jails in Louisiana. The film has been shown at correctional facilities in California, Oregon, Texas, Mississippi, Florida, Illinois, and New York. The film is mandatory viewing for all incoming correctional employees at the Louisiana Department of Corrections. "The Farm affected my life tremendously. First, it gave international attention to my plight. Letters poured in to the president, the governor, the parole and pardon boards, the warden and myself concerning my release and support. Eventually, I was granted another parole hearing and on June 18,1999, I was ordered released. Also, it was through The Farm that I met my current wife." Ashanti Witherspoon, one of the prisoners depicted in "The Farm, Angola, USA" is a motivational speaker and the author of several books. The film costs approximately $350,000 to make and the entire production, from research to delivery, took about a year and a half. Over 10,000 videos of The Farm have been sold to date. If you are representing an institution [library,school or non-profit organization] that is interested purchasing a video copy of "The Farm, Angola, USA", you can take advantage of a 10% discount until October 31, 2000 by e-mailing the distributor, seventhart@earthlink.net and mentioning MediaRights.org. The discounted cost is $225 and includes a poster and press kit. The Farm is also available for screening rentals in 16 mm and video formats, also available at Seventh Art. Article by Nicole Rajani Outreach for the film was funded by: Puffin Foundation (http://www.angelfire.com/nj/PuffinFoundation/) Soros Foundation (http://www.soros.org/osi.html) Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (http://www.leh.org/)
Posted on July 25

Teen Filmmakers Are Making Their Mark
Film Festivals—Bay Area and West Coast Regional The festivals in this category are located in FAF's own neighborhood and a bit beyond from Southern California to Washington State. Deadlines in bold print are for festivals currently accepting submissions. If you know of a festival that accepts works by young people (under 18 years of age) but is not listed below, feel free to contact the Information Pages editor at sharik@filmarts.org. BERKELEY VIDEO FESTIVAL (Apr.), presented by the East Bay Media Center, accepts works by young producers ages 17 and under. Entry fee: $25 ($15 for each additional entry). Contact: East Bay Media Center, 1939 Addison St., Berkeley, CA 94704-1179. (510) 843-3699. Deadline: DEC. BURBANK INT'L CHILDREN'S FILM FESTIVAL (Oct. 13-20), in its first year, accepts films and videos by children under 18 years of age that were produced with a young audience in mind. Entry fee: $34-$40. Contact: Burbank Int’l Children’s Film Festival, 201 E. Magnolia Blvd., Ste. 151, Burbank, CA 91501. (818) 841-3901. E-mail: actscre8@earthlink.net. Web: www.burbankfilm.org. Deadline: SEPT. 9. DA VINCI DAYS FILM AND VIDEO FESTIVAL (July), in Corvallis, OR, is part of Da Vinci Days, a festival "inspired by the genius of Leonardo da Vinci that sparks creativity, celebrates innovation and fosters understanding and integration of art, science and technology." Young makers (K-12) are invited to submit. Contact: Da Vinci Days, P.O.B. 1536, Corvallis, OR 97339. E-mail: davincifilm@buzzlink.com. Web: www.davinci-days.org/2000/film_video.html. Deadline: APR./MAY. FESTIVAL ¡CINE LATINO! (Sept.), sponsored by Cine Accion, seeks works by young producers from Latino, Latin American and Caribbean communities for free youth screenings. Entry fee applies. Contact: Cine Acción, 346 Ninth St., 2nd Floor, S.F., CA 94103. (415) 553-8140. E-mail: cineaccion@aol.com. Web: www.cineaccion.com. Deadline: MAY. HOMETOWN VIDEO FESTIVAL (July), presented by the Alliance for Community Media, "honors creative programs that address community needs, develop diverse community involvement, challenge conventional commercial television formats, and move viewers to experience television in different ways." Students (K-12) may enter works in specific categories. Contact: Hometown Video Festival, c/o Thurston Community TV, 440 Yauger Way SW, Ste. C, Olympia, WA 98502. (360) 705-1044. E-mail: shelljazz@excite.com. Web: www.scattercreek.com/~bcalkins/hmtnintr.htm. Deadline: FEB. MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL (Oct. 5-15) exhibits works by young filmmakers for specially curated program. Note: If your school or group is interested in attending any outreach events throughout the year, please contact John Morrison at the Film Institute of Northern California office: (415) 383-5256, ext. 13, or e-mail: johnm@finc.org. Contact: Mill Valley Film Festival, 38 Miller Ave., Ste. 6, Mill Valley, CA 94941. (415) 383-5256. E-mail: info@finc.org. Web: www.mvff.com. Deadline: MAY/JUNE. OJAI YOUTH FILM FESTIVAL (Nov.), part of the first annual Ojai Film Festival, accepts original films and videos made exclusively by young people. Fiction, nonfiction, experimental, animation and computer-generated work by students (K-12) are eligible for competition. Tips on producing videos can be found at www.bham.net/bieff.guide1.htm. Contact: Ojai Film Festival, P.O.B. 545, Ojai, CA 93024. Web: www.filmfestival.ojai.net. Deadline: AUG. SAN FRANCISCO INT'L FILM FESTIVAL'S GOLDEN GATE AWARDS (Apr.-May) offers a competitive category for films and videos produced by high school-age makers. Entry forms and guidelines will be available after Sept. 20. Contact: Brian Gordon, Golden Gate Award Entries, San Francisco Film Society, 39 Mesa St., Ste. 110, The Presidio, S.F., CA 94129. (415) 561-5014. E-mail: ggawards@sfiff.org. Web: www.sfiff.org. Deadline: DEC. 2. SAN FRANCISCO INT'L LESBIAN AND GAY FILM FESTIVAL (June), presented by Frameline, accepts work by lesbian, gay, transgendered and questioning youth for its Young, Loud and Proud program of shorts. Contact: Festival Entry, Frameline, 346 Ninth St., S.F., CA 94103. (415) 703-8650. E-mail: info@frameline.org. Web: www.frameline.org. Deadline: JAN. SOFA—STUDENT ORIGINAL FILM ART FESTIVAL screens work by artists at the high school and college levels. SOFA is building an on-line community that includes FLINK, a database of production and exhibition resources. Contact: David Loitz, SOFA Festival, c/o Wilsonville High School, P.O.B. 3770, Wilsonville, OR 97070. (503) 682-7967. E-mail: holycleo@aol.com. Web: www.sofanet.org. No deadline. TOWER OF YOUTH (Oct. 27) hosts an all-day youth film festival. Films and videos should be produced by makers under 21 years of age; run less than 60 mins.; and contain "creative imagery and/or a message of value that you feel must be shared." Entry fee: $10. Contact: Tower of Youth, 4FF Jury Chair, 3711 Dell Rd., Carmichael, CA 95608. (916) 922-0100. E-mail: cheeseisok@yahoo.com. Deadline: SEPT. 1. YOUNG PEOPLE'S FILM AND VIDEO FESTIVAL (June), hosted by the Northwest Film Center, invites "any young film or video maker (grades K-12) living in OR, WA, ID, MT or AK to enter a film, video or multimedia work made within last two years." Work must reflect student effort. No entry fee. Contact: Kristen Konsterlie, Northwest Film Center, 1219 SW Park Ave., Portland, OR 97205. (503) 221-1156. E-mail: info@nwfilm.org. Web: www.nwfilm.org. Deadline: MAY. Reprinted with permission from Film Arts Foundation's Release Print magazine, September 2000 issue
Posted on July 03

Camcorder Training Tips and Technique
Introduction Article reprinted with permission from Witness.org The most specific information about your particular video camera, or camcorder, will be…
Posted on June 27

Talking About Video Talking About Race
by Lauren Kucera and Milton Reynolds Reprinted from Viewing Race Positive change in the relations between races generally comes about as the result of honest conversation and the exchange of ideas, feelings and experiences. This type of interchange can help build respect for both our differences and similarities. Film and video provide us with valuable tools that make it easier to talk about the subject of race in America. People who do not usually discuss this subject find it less difficult to come together to talk to and learn from each other after watching a film as a part of a workshop, under the leadership of a skilled facilitator. This situation provides the structure necessary to begin the often difficult process of exploring the subject of racism and how it affects our daily lives. Film and video also offer two other advantages: Each presentation represents a distillation of ideas and images, and the passive process of viewing encourages focused reflection. A film extracts the essentials of hundreds of hours of footage into a finished presentation, in effect separating the wheat from the chaff. Films tend to get to the heart of the matter by diving into thorny issues directly. In unscripted films, such as The Color of Fear by Lee Mun Wah, the raw emotion makes the issues more real, thereby creating a greater opportunity for learning and change. Often, the difference between responding to a situation or just reacting to it is simply a few moments of reflection. Film provides viewers with time to examine their emotions so they don't have to defend their position immediately. When people have the opportunity to contemplate, they are often better able to thoughtfully articulate their feelings and ideas. This helps to ease, although not entirely eliminate, the tension and anxiety that often accompany a discussion of racism. For those readers interested in using film to deal with racial issues, we provide strategies to help you succeed in this rewarding and important work. Reasons for Organizing a Film/Video Workshop Silence and denial about racism in the United States have left communities splintered. Many people would like to talk about the subject, but don't know how to begin. When people join together to examine race relations, they are usually affected deeply by the discussion. They tend to develop a greater knowledge of themselves as well as to discover the facts about racial injustice. As a result of this awareness, they can determine new ways to take action toward ending racism. Creating a workshop that allows citizens to gather in a safe place to discuss these issues is a gift that you can give to your community. Do You Need a Trained Facilitator? If you plan to hold an institutional film/video workshop (one that takes place at a corporation, school or nonprofit agency), plan on using a trained facilitator or team of facilitators. An internal, untrained facilitator will find it difficult if not impossible to remain objective in the face of the institutional dynamic and hierarchy. In this situation, a facilitator often makes compromises, with the result that what needs saying might not be said. A team of two facilitators is ideal when you conduct a workshop about issues of diversity because each person has a different perspective and style. Working as a team allows them to serve the needs of the group better. A two-person team also gives you the opportunity to demonstrate the cross-racial or cross-gender interaction that you are trying to promote. A team also lets the group see shared leadership in action and learn about interpersonal dynamics. For example, if a white man and a Latina are leading the group and the man interrupts the woman, the Latina may point this out to the group, demonstrating that conditioned patterns of inappropriate behavior are always present but that we have the chance to help each other correct them. Although the facilitators must maintain a certain objectivity in order to guide the workshop appropriately, they can provide opportunities for the participants to learn important lessons if they remain active members of the group. Informal film/video workshops, such as those held in a living room, a recreation center or a library, usually do not demand a trained facilitator, especially if you want to maintain an informal atmosphere. This does not mean that such an informal setting will not be charged with feelings about racism, but as a society, we should hold discussions about racism wherever and whenever possible in order to promote understanding. However, anyone contemplating a forum like this must be willing to do the necessary homework. In a way, you have already started the process of developing a workshop because you know about your own experience with racism. To learn more, read materials written by people who have been doing similar work and find support in your community for the project. If you hold a forum on race without proper preparation or knowledge of the group with whom you will be working, you run the risk of worsening the situation; a poorly run forum does more harm than good. Sometimes people hold a workshop in a community to "put out a fire" because of a derogatory remark by a city leader, or they develop a forum on campus inspired by a racist incident. If such an event prompted the creation of a forum, then maintaining order and providing a safe environment for participants demands the participation of a trained facilitation team. Organizing the Workshop At this point, you're ready to think about the logistics of a forum. The key points to keep in mind: Be clear about your motivation; keep the surroundings simple; keep attendance small; and begin the process with an appropriate flyer or brochure. Once you clarify why you want to hold a forum, you will be able to select the appropriate film to deal with the issue at hand. Knowing your objective will also help illuminate any blind spots or unspoken agendas of which you may not be aware. If you're able to articulate your objective in a thoughtful manner, you can also avoid taking a defensive stance in the event that you are challenged. Keep the surroundings simple. Create an environment in which people feel comfortable watching the film or video and sharing their experiences, thoughts and feelings. The physical environment can affect the mood of the group, so minimize distractions such as peripheral noise and extraneous visual stimuli, and keep the room at a comfortable temperature. An ideal size is a group of about 12 participants. Groups with less than 8 people often do not provide a depth and breadth of perspective and experience. Small groups also may not give participants a chance to take the time to step back and reflect or remain less active if they need to. If a group is larger than 18, it is unlikely that everyone will be heard; efforts to accommodate each member also tend to make others feel slighted or cut off. Further, cultivating a sense of shared purpose and group intimacy becomes increasingly difficult as the size of the group grows. For larger audiences, you'll need a trained facilitation team. Create a flyer that prompts the audience to reflect on the issues you want to discuss before the screening. You can accomplish this by posing a question on the flyer that links the film or video and the workshop's goals to the interests of the audience — for example, "Is racism affecting your relationships at work (or school, or in your community)?" Holding the Workshop Here is a good outline for a three- to four-hour forum that includes a film screening and discussion. Prefilm briefing. Includes an introduction to the workshop, a question to the participants that start them thinking why they're there and guidelines for the discussion after the film. Establishing working guidelines is an essential part of the process. They serve as rules of the road and provide a way to resolve a problem if you come to an impasse. Failure to establish and clarify guidelines invariably leads to a potentially unmanageable conflict among participants. Guidelines include rules such as: Listen respectfully to others Speak from your own experience Keep anything said in this room confidential Pass if you feel uncomfortable speaking You should also establish working assumptions about the participants to set the tone of the gathering. Let everyone know that all people are vulnerable, fallible and resilient. Stress the fact that all of us can change our outlook if we want, which is one reason that everyone is attending the workshop. Film screening. Postfilm discussion. Provide some time for people to reflect on the film silently. Then ask participants to share their thoughts about what they felt as they watched the film. Give them time to formulate their answers without rushing in. If the facilitator delineated the working guidelines and working assumptions clearly, his or her role may be minimal. The facilitator's goal is to listen to both the voiced and silent statements in order to provide participants with a sense that it's safe to talk about their beliefs without repercussions. In our experience, people will often talk around issues or fail to talk at all if they do not feel safe sharing their opinions. Often they fear that they will be denigrated or pigeonholed if they speak, or that they will be laughed at if they show their ignorance. At this point in the workshop you should reiterate the working guidelines and assumptions, and the fact that the forum is a safe place to explore thoughts and feelings. If participants deviate, the facilitator should refer back to the pertinent point. At the end of the workshop, the facilitator should sum up the key points and then stress that this meeting was only the beginning of an understanding of how racism affects our lives. The awareness that surfaced will develop even further and enrich their lives in countless ways. To encourage participants to explore these feelings further, you should have supplementary material and resource lists available for them to take home. We hope we've encouraged you to pursue the use of video in order to stimulate discussions about race relations. The challenge is to create opportunities for all of us to examine the ways we have been shaped by race and racism in America — and to begin creating a more equitable reality.
Posted on June 26

Inner City Youth Making Media
Interview with Louis Perego Moreno of Skyline Community by Nicole Betancourt of MediaRights.org So, the first question is, what do you do? What I've done for the last seven years is put together a non-profit organization whose mission is the empowerment, education, and health of minority youth and women. We've created a program that targets Black and Latino youth, some who are performing poorly academically and socially, who are truants or who will potentially drop out. And we motivate them to produce tangible results with the video camera, with film. "Basically, what we’ve created are documentaries by young people, about young people, for young people. Because if you go back and think about what it was like to be a young person, no one likes to be lectured. No one wants a sermon" I consider myself a social reformer who is involved in education because social reform is inextricably linked with educational reform. So, I’m an optimist and believe that we can help alter anyone's behaviors. But there's one group of individuals in society who really likes change, and are open to new ideas, and that’s youth. So, if we're truly going to make a difference in society, we have to start planting the seeds now for results that we’ll see in 20, 30-40 years. So, what’s more important, the making of the film, or the distributing of it? Actually, you hit the nail on the head. Many people love the end project, which is that actual documentary short, but I think what’s more significant, is the process that the young people go through in making their documentaries. Even if they don’t pursue this industry as a career, they will never ever look at media the same way again. And we teach them that we don’t have to be passive viewers, listeners, or readers, when it comes to assessing the media. We can also play an assertive and aggressive role. And as a consumer of media, we have the obligation and the right to say I like that or you know what, I don’t like that and there’s another way of saying that and I’d like to be part of the story. I mean we don’t do any lightweight subjects - all our subjects are social, public, and mental health issues as they impact black and Latino youth, or just subjects inherent to being a teenager. You know they’re heavy-duty subjects. In 1997 we addressed children with AIDS. In ‘98 we addressed black and Latino gay and lesbian youth and its correlation with teen suicide which is the fourth leading killer of teens in America. And we know that at least 30% of teens that attempt suicide do it because of homophobia. And then last year we addressed the prevention of teen date rape and then this year we addressed fatherlessness and its impact on society. So let’s take one of those issues as an example, teen suicide among gay and lesbian youth, do you think that making this video is going to make more of a difference amongst the kids making the video or when you show it to people? Equally heavy in both areas. There were 13 teenagers that worked on the making of the black and Latino gay and lesbian youth documentary. Of the 13, 11 were heterosexual, one was gay, and one was lesbian. They all chose to be in the project. So, it altered their lives, absolutely, it altered their lives because each of our documentaries becomes like a group therapy. But this gives them an opportunity to explore youths who are different from them and what it means to be a young person today who is marginalized in society. Because to a certain degree, teenagers are hated in society -- you know they don’t follow the rules, people are always trying to keep them down. They’re seen as different, so right then and there, they connect [to gay and lesbian youth]. So the youth working on that project have never been the same. And then on top of that, that documentary ["I Know Who I am…Do You?"], is screened at film festivals domestically and internationally from Italy, Montreal, LA, Oakland CA, the Toronto Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, the Boston Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, the Houston Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. Is there a concrete change that you can see? There’s a lot of times when you make a video and you show it to lots of people, and you hope that it’s influencing how they think. Give me one example from your work of a tangible change that has happened. I’ll never forget the time that we showed videos at a school in Newark, NJ that had 700 9th graders in it. We showed three documentaries back to back in the area of prevention, comprehensive public health prevention addressing teen pregnancy prevention, HIV/AIDS and STD prevention, and incarceration prevention. This was broadcast throughout the whole school. And one of the kids slipped a note to the guidance counselor saying, "I really, really liked the video on HIV/AIDS and STDs and I just wanted to share with you that my mother just confessed to me last week that she’s HIV positive and I’m freaking out." So when I hear things like that, I know we are making a difference, behind the camera and in front of the camera. And that’s what inspires me to do the work that I do. If someone is reading this, and they want to get access to your tapes, what can they do now? They can contact us online, Skyline Community is the non-profit organization and our address is: skycommun@aol.com
Posted on June 26

Creating a Legacy
Part One Six years ago when director Tod Lending sat down for an interview with Dorothy Jackson, a resident of…
Posted on June 26

Using Grassroots Documentary Films for Political Change
Outreach Tips for Nonprofits and Activist Organizations By David Whiteman The Uprising of '34 1. USE DOCUMENTARY AS PART OF…
Posted on June 26

Moving Audiences to Action
Advice from Working Films, Inc. Working Films is a new North Carolina-based educational organization dedicated to using independent documentaries to…
Posted on June 26

A Force More Powerful
Documentary Outreach: "A Force More Powerful: A Century of Nonviolent Conflict" A dramatic media and education initiative is actively promoting…
Posted on June 26

Members On Outreach: Store Wars
Introduction Wal-Mart Pep Rally Every day a new mega-store opens somewhere in America. But in Ashland, VA, a group of citizens takes on the world's largest retailer, along with the town's establishment. "Store Wars" follows the controversy that tears the town apart, examining in the process the impact of big box stores on small town America. This is a story for the age of globalization. Goals For Outreach: By Suzanne Stenson O'Brien Many towns across the country are currently living the "Store Wars" story. Our screening events are designed to enable communities -- residents and their elected officials -- to get together, to get informed and to determine if they want to allow a Wal-Mart in their community. Outreach Report From The Field: By Micha X. Peled In each town we work closely with the local grassroots group that organizes the event and determines its objectives. In this case, the group wanted to create their first opportunity to dialogue with the mayor and town Council members on the pending Wal-Mart zoning application. Learn from this step-by-step description of how Outreach was executed in one town – what worked and what were the lessons for the future.
Posted on June 26

Fighting the Odds with Film
The Film By Carl Levine American Public Television (APTV), in association with San Francisco public television station KQED, aired one…
Posted on June 12

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