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 of transgender youth to health care in the US, the tyranny of the beauty industry, racial prejudice and the experiences of Guantanamo Bay detainees. A highlight will be a conversation with Omar Deghayes, who is featured in the final film of the evening, Justice Denied: Voices from Guantanamo.

This event marks the launch of a year-round programme of screenings, debates and actions in response to the films. The Media That Matters collection will be available on their website.

For further details and booking please visit the Frontline Club. It’s likely to be a sold out event, so early booking is advised!

DENIED
USA |12:00| Documentary
Directed & Produced by Julie Winokur
Simultaneously battling cancer and abandonment by her insurance company, one woman fights for her right to health care.
JURY AWARD

I’M JUST ANNEKE
Canada & USA |11:14| Documentary
Directed & Produced by Jonathan Skurnik
With the support of family and friends, a 12-year-old experiences the onset of puberty in the fluid space between genders.
CHANGEMAKER AWARD

I AM SEAN BELL
USA |10:36| Documentary
Directed & Produced by Stacey Muhammad
Young boys reflect on the Sean Bell tragedy, speaking out about their fears and hopes as they approach manhood in a city where the lives of young black men are often cut short.
SPEAKING OUT AWARD

NO ONE BOTHERED
UK & Canada |7:54| Documentary
Directed by Josephine Boxwell, Produced by Laurie Nicholls Meet Claire and Darren, and take a tour of the streets they used to call home and the daily ridicule they encountered.
EMPOWERMENT AWARD

SHADES OF THE BORDER
DR, Haiti, & USA |12:00| Documentary
Directed & Produced by Patrick Smith
One island, two countries, many skin colors. A history of racial prejudice divides the island of Hispaniola.
RACIAL DIALOGUE AWARD

MY HOTNESS IS PASTED ON YEY!
USA |5:37| Experimental, Puppetry
Directed & Produced by Gus Andrews
What do audiences want-naked truth or flawless beauty? Puppets Weena and Erna expose the trade secrets of an industry chasing after perfection.
FAIR USE AWARD

DAY JOB
USA |6:36| Documentary
Directed & Produced by Sara Hopman
Day laborers voice their grievances and reflect on the challenges they face as they bide their time in parking lots, hoping that work is around the corner.
ECONOMIC JUSTICE AWARD

THE LAST TOWN
China & USA |7:26| Documentary
Directed & Produced by Yan Chun Su
What if your hometown ceased to exist? Take one last look at a 2000-year old town before it is flooded by China’s Three Gorges Dam project.
SUSTAINING TRADITIONS AWARD

AQUAFINITO
USA |8:18| Documentary
Directed & Produced by Annalise Littman
Why do consumers ignore our most “green” source of drinking water-the tap? A simple taste test yields eye- opening results.
YOUTH SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

UNINSURED IN THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA
USA |5:17| Documentary
Directed & Produced by Katie Falkenberg
In one of the most impoverished and uninsured areas in the U.S., the inhabitants of the Mississippi Delta grapple daily with an impossible dilemma: do they put food on the table or life-saving medicine in the cabinet?
HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD

LESSONS FROM A TAILOR
USA |8:23| Documentary
Directed by Galen Summer, Produced by Caitlin Dourmashkin Entrepreneur Martin Greenfield’s infectious passion and hopeful perspective bring his community and his employees more than just jobs.
PERSPECTIVES AWARD

JUSTICE DENIED: VOICES FROM
GUANTANAMO
UK & USA |9:30| Documentary
Directed by Joel Engardio, Produced by Joel Engardio & Ateqah Khaki Wrongfully imprisoned and later released, Guantanamo detainees recount their stories as they move on with their lives and chart a course for healing.
GLOBAL JUSTICE AWARD