Using media to make sure every student in the U.S. is an “American Graduate”

Did you know that over one million kids drop out of high school every year in the United States? When I heard that number I was floored. Thinking of one million young people who won’t finish school this year is overwhelming. The good news? There is creative work being done across the nation to make sure all students complete their secondary education. The folks at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting have just announced a bold, new initiative that brings together public media stations across the country, national non-profits like the…

Reel Power at Power Shift

“We’re here at Power Shift. We get down to business. We get down to action.” – JOSH FOX, Director of Gasland Before a packed house of 8,000 youth climate activists, Gasland Director Josh Fox welcomed the enthusiastic crowd with his banjo and a call to action. Josh’s message was simple – natural gas is not a transition fuel away from coal, and we must stand united for truly clean alternatives. Josh was at Power Shift, a national gathering of over 10,000 high school and college climate justice organizers. Along with…

The Good Pitch heads to NYC

The Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation, in partnership with the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program, is bringing the Good Pitch to NYC on May 20th 2011. The pitch will be hosted at the Ford Foundation as they join the Tides Foundation, the Fledgling Fund, Chicken & Egg Pictures, Impact Partners, Crosscurrents Foundation and a number of anonymous donors as supporters. Working Films will continue to provide campaign development for the invited filmmakers. Eight documentary projects were selected out of hundreds of applications. The selected filmmakers and their projects are: Gideon’s Army…

Celebrate International Women's Month with Julia Bacha's Film "Budrus"

In honor of International Women’s Month, Chicken & Egg Pictures and Working Films, in collaboration with Just Vision, present a Story Leads to Action screening of Budrus. Thursday, March 17th at 7:30pm 92Y Tribeca 200 Hudson Street New York, NY 10013 Tickets are $12 Click here to purchase tickets “This year’s must-see documentary” — the New York Times Budrus is an award-winning feature documentary film about a Palestinian community organizer, Ayed Morrar, who unites local Fatah and Hamas members along with Israeli supporters in an unarmed movement to save his…

Upcoming opportunities for filmmakers

Open City Documentary Film Festival London’s newest film festival is a 4 day celebration of documentary filmmaking brought together by University College London (UCL). Open City runs June 16-19, 2011. They have extended their submission deadline to March 10th. Find out more about submission guidelines on their website and submit your film today! Tribeca Film Institute New Media Fund The Tribeca Film Institute has partnered with the Ford Foundation’s JustFilms Initiative to create the Tribeca Film Institute New Media Fund (TFI Media). $750,000 in funds will provide support to film…

Pig Business on Capitol Hill

On Wednesday, March 9th at 6:00pm, the Center for Food Safety in collaboration with Congressman Dennis Kucinich will present a special screening of Pig Business at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center’s North Orientation Theater in Washington, DC. The film explores the impact of factory pig farms on the environment, workers, human health, rural communities and animal welfare. Introductory remarks will be made by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr and the director of Pig Business, Tracy Worcester. Following the film will be a panel of expert speakers: • Michael Greger, M.D., Humane…

Host an Oscar Party for Change!

Two films involved with the Reel Power film series are nominated for Oscars this year! Gasland, a film by Josh Fox about the dangers of the natural gas industry, is up for Best Documentary. And Sun Come Up, by Jennifer Redfearn about the exodus of some of the world’s first Climate Refugees, is nominated for Best Short Documentary. Make this Oscar broadcast a meaningful experience with actions that will help stop climate change, protect our country’s drinking water and produce a clean, safe energy future. GASLAND SUN COME UP Tune…

March's Reel Power Film: GASLAND

“One of the most effective and expressive environmental films of recent years.” – Variety “On the want-to-see- scale, GASLAND tops the list” – Washington Post “Riveting” – LA Weekly “GASLAND just might be the best film of the year.” – The Huffington Post The largest domestic natural gas drilling boom in history has swept across the United States. The Halliburton-developed drilling technology of “fracking” or hydraulic fracturing has unlocked a “Saudia Arabia of natural gas” just beneath us. The Reel Power film for March, Gasland, asks the important question- Is…

Turn Your Oscar Party into a House Raiser!

The Oscar-nominated film Sun Come Up follows the relocation of the Carteret Islanders, a peaceful community in the South Pacific, and now, some of the world’s first environmental refugees. Here’s your chance to share the film with friends and family and get involved. Imagine one night, 50 parties in 50 different homes. Each home commits to raising at least $400 each, for a total of $20,000 for the Carteret Islanders by February 27th, the date of the Academy Awards! All donations will go directly to the Carteret Islanders’ relocation program…