Media That Matters premiere in London

The Media That Matters Film Festival showcases inspirational short films from young independent filmmakers. This is the tenth year that Media That Matters has brought together a collection of 12 short films – each under 12 minutes – aimed at engaging diverse audiences and inspiring action. Working Films co-founder and executive director, Robert West, will be hosting the Media That Matters UK premiere event with UK staff member Sarah Mosses. The jury-selected collection of films look at a broad range of human rights and social justice issues from the experience…

Last month’s Story Leads to Action

Last month, Working Films and Chicken & Egg Pictures hosted a screening of Nancy Schwartzman’s film The Line, for our Story Leads to Action series at 92YTribeca. After the screening, the audience discussed how the film could be used in high schools, college freshman orientation programs, sexual violence prevention programs and law school and criminal justice education. On the panel were: – Nancy Schwartzman (Director) – Michelle J. Anderson (Dean and Professor of Law at CUNY School of Law) – Neil Irvin (Executive Director, Men Can Stop Rape) – Don…

Toasts all 'round – Full Frame Film Festival

“Good work!” to our colleagues at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival The Festival kicks off this Thursday, April 8, with a stellar and rousing line up. We’re connected to a number of films and filmmakers at the fest; join us in celebrating their success! On Friday, April 9th at 4pm, at the Carolina Theatre’s historic Fletcher Hall is the Center for Investigative Reporting’s Dirty Business. Dirty Business demystifies “clean coal” and explores the extent to which increased energy efficiency and wind, solar and thermal power might make “clean coal”…

Judith Helfand to be honored at the SF Women's Film Festival

Judith Helfand, our co-founder, is getting her due honors all this week – a testament to her passion and commitment and downright brilliance. Honors start at the San Francisco Women’s Film Festival this Wednesday, April 7th, 2010. The night will open with a tribute to Judith featuring A Healthy Baby Girl, Ek Velt: At the End of the World, and excerpts from Blue Vinyl followed by a Q&A. On Thursday, April 8th at noon, Judith will be teaching a master class where she will share storytelling strategies that lead to…

Another round of the Good Pitch!

The call for submissions for the Good Pitch Forum at Silverdocs 2010 is open! The Good Pitch is a one-day forum set to take place during the Festival (June 22-27, 2010), bringing together specially selected foundations, NGOs, social entrepreneurs, brands and broadcasters to maximize the impact and create powerful alliances around groundbreaking films. The Good Pitch is a project of The Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation in partnership with the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program. It is made possible by The Fledgling Fund, Chicken & Egg Pictures, Tides Foundation and anonymous…

Here we go again! Working Films is excited about the Good Pitch @ Tribeca

Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation and the Sundance Documentary Institute have announced the lineup for the Good Pitch @ Tribeca, hitting the screens in NYC on April 27 during the Tribeca Film Festival. For three years and running (we were there at the very first Good Pitch in Oxford UK), Working Films has provided a two day workshop on campaign development for the Good Pitch filmmakers. Our allies the Fledgling Fund, Chicken & Egg Pictures, the Tides Foundation, the Hartley Film Foundation and anonymous donors provide additional support. From an impressive…

Upcoming Screenings for A New Kind of Listening

A New Kind of Listening follows Chris Mueller-Medlicott, a young man with cerebral palsy who was mislabeled profoundly mentally disabled because he could not speak. Chris breaks through into stunning self-expression in this moving and inspiring film. The hour-long documentary, by Durham filmmaker Kenny Dalsheimer, takes viewers inside the creative work of the Community Inclusive Theater Group, the cast of which is made up of members with and without disabilities, as they create and perform an original stage piece. Together they prove that a small community arts project has the…

Call for Entries – NC Black Film Festival

The North Carolina Black Film Festival (formerly known as the Cine Noir Festival of Black Film) is currently accepting entries for their film festival March 18-21, 2010 in Wilmington, NC. Deadline for submissions is January 31st 2010. In it’s 9th year, the four day festival will showcase feature length films, documentaries, shorts and animations by African-American filmmakers. $500 prizes will be awarded in each category. Please visit their website for submission requirements.

Working Films' firehouse acts as "green room" to Wilmington's MLK Parade

Every year, Wilmington’s Martin Luther King Jr. Parade marches down Castle Street, starting at the Working Films offices in the old firehouse on 5th Avenue. Each year,  our firehouse serves as the “green room” for the parade, with coffee and donuts for the organizers and volunteers. This year, parade organizer Hollis Briggs wants to use the parade to raise awareness of Bone Marrow Cancer and the pressing need for donors especially within minority communities. The Wilmington StarNews published a story today sharing the story of Denise Hale and her bone…