What do North Carolina and Wisconsin have in common? On the surface of it, perhaps not much: one has subzero winter temperatures and the other sweltering summers with off the charts humidity. But more and more people are seeing parallels between the tar heel and badger states, particularly the power of unregulated big money in politics. As more and more North Carolinians come to the state capitol every week protesting cuts to unemployment insurance, tax cuts for the state’s wealthiest citizens, loosening of environmental regulations, and threats to voting rights,…
We’ve recently returned from a week in Boston with our Reel Economy partner, United for a Fair Economy (UFE) for Raise the Roots, the annual conference of the Tax Fairness Organizing Collaborative. We kicked off the conference with an sneak peek screening of the dynamic documentary Inequality for All. Starring Robert Reich, it’s being lauded as the Inconvenient Truth of the Economy. We packed the house at The Brattle Theater in Cambridge and the screening was followed by an engaging panel discussion on organizing for progressive state tax policy. The…
The Working Films team is grateful for the care and support we’ve received from so many in the days since Robert West, our co-founder and long-time executive director passed away. Hearing and reading stories of love and appreciation for Robert – for his strategic thinking, generosity, passion for the work, and joux de vivre – expressed by friends and colleagues from around the world has made this difficult time much easier. The memorial service celebrating Robert’s life and legacy will be held on Saturday, June 22nd, at 2:00 PM, at…
UPDATE: The memorial service celebrating Robert’s life and legacy will be held on Saturday, June 22nd, at 2:00 PM, at the Cameron Museum of Art, 3201 South 17th Street, Wilmington, NC. It will be followed by a celebration that he planned at the historic firehouse at 602 South 5th Avenue, which was Robert’s home and is also the headquarters of Working Films. Our much beloved Robert West, Working Films’ Co-Founder and long-time Executive Director, passed away peacefully in his home early this morning. He approached death the same way he…
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Working Films’ Co-founder, Robert West was awarded with the 2013 Frank Harr Community Service Award, presented by the University of North Carolina at Wilmington LGBTQIA Office. The award recognizes a person or organization promoting visibility and understanding of LGBTQIA issues and who are working towards improving the health and well-being of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in Wilmington, NC and surrounding areas. Robert was nominated for the award because of his tireless effort with Working Films’ Reel Equality campaign in 2012, launched in response to the proposed ballot…
We are excited to announce that Reel Economy will be part of the 2013 Tax Fairness Organizing Collaborative’s Annual Conference from June 4-6 in Boston, MA. The Tax Fairness Organizing Collaborative, is a network of state-level grassroots organizations that advocate for progressive and adequate state taxes. This conference will be open to allies and advocates involved in the tax fairness and economic justice movement: community leaders, activists, and organizers, legislators, people concerned with tax policy, people not yet concerned with tax policy, , journalists, foundation representatives, people with good ideas,…
As you may know, this past fall, Robert West, Working Films’ cofounder and executive director for the past thirteen years, was diagnosed with GBM, a fatal brain cancer. Robert has embraced this news with grace, love and courage. On Sunday, The Southern Documentary Fund, The Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, Chicken & Egg Pictures, P.O.V., The Garrett Scott Memorial Fund, The Johnson Family Foundation, Thom Powers, Liz Shaw, Betty Hahn and filmmakers Julia Reichert, Steven Bognar, Marco Williams, Cynthia Hill, Alice Elliot, Tia Lessen, Carl Deal, Michele Stephenson,…
Our core effort for Reel Power 2012 was the Reel Power Film Festival (RPFF) – a series of targeted grassroots screenings and events to build solidarity among frontline communities and push for renewable energy alternatives. The films in the series offer new points of entry for difficult conversations about changes that need to be made at the local, state and national levels. Through grants to on-the-ground organizers and nonprofit groups, we connected to those leading change in affected communities and encouraged them to cross-pollinate their strategies for environmental justice. Our…
By Si Cantwell Si.Cantwell@StarNewsOnline.com Published: Saturday, February 9, 2013 at 2:55 a.m. Last Modified: Saturday, February 9, 2013 at 2:55 a.m. WINDY POINT | These days, Robert West enjoys sitting in the sun at his cottage across the Intracoastal Waterway from Holden Beach. He watches finches at the bird feeder, delights in spotting deer in the marshes across the channel, and monitors boat traffic buzzing past his porch and dock. A passing barge makes a day especially notable. Once a week, a nurse from the Brunswick County office of Lower…
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