LATEST NEWS

Act Now! Join the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language to encourage your decision makers to support HR 6036. HR 6036, the Excellence and Innovation in Language Learning Act, was proposed by Congressional Representatives Rush Holt (D-NJ) and Paul Tonko (D-NY) on August 1, 2010. This legislation would allow every young American to become proficient in English and a second language within a generation. Learn more about the bill from the Asia Society.

Working Films, in collaboration with The Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation and Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program, is delighted to announce the first West Coast edition of the Good Pitch, hosted by the SOCAP10 conference at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco on October 3, 2010 12:00pm – 6:00pm. The Social Capital Markets Conference (SOCAP) is the world’s premiere social capital markets event. The conference highlights the growing field of social capital: people investing to create social change. SOCAP10’s goal is to make connections, to generate partnerships and to increase the acceleration of capital to social good. SOCAP10 brings together a unique mix of the world’s top social innovators – investors, entrepreneurs, donors and other thought-leaders – who are catalysts of change across the globe. With SOCAP10 and Good Pitch acting as both leaders and connectors in the thinking around impact and investment, establishing a formal relationship between the two initiatives capitalizes on the major strengths of both events. Eight fantastic projects have been selected for the Good Pitch at SOCAP10. These include three Good Pitch alumni, presented as case studies outlining what they have achieved since their first Good Pitch and pitching new project goals. The impressive lineup comprises the following filmmakers: Barefoot Revolution Dir. Jehane Noujaim Noujaim Films presents Barefoot Revolution , an intimate cinema verite film which follows the life-changing journey of six women from rural villages in Africa, the Middle East and South America to Bunker Roy’s Barefoot College in India where they will become solar engineers and return to install solar energy in their own and surrounding villages. Inocente Dirs. Sean Fine & Andrea Nix Fine In America today, one in fifty kids is homeless. For most of us, they are invisible. The documentary feature Inocente delivers a rare glimpse inside the inspirational life of a homeless, undocumented fifteen-year-old artist in San Diego and the extraordinary challenges she must contend with on a daily basis. Oil & Water Dir. Francine Strickwerda & Laurel Spellman Smith Oil & Water is the story of two boys coming of age in the middle of one of the world’s worst toxic disasters. Hugo fights for the survival of his Amazonian tribe, while David attempts to revolutionize the oil industry. Shot over four years so far, Oil & Water is a shocking and inspiring David & Goliath story. The Revolutionary Optimists Dirs. Nicole Newnham & Maren Grainger-Monsen Children are saving lives in the slums of Calcutta. Using dance and street theater, Amlan Ganguly empowers children to become change agents, transforming their neighborhoods with dramatic results. This film has inspired the multi-platform Map Your World, putting the power of mobile technologies into the hands of kids, enabling them to map, track, and improve health in their own communities. To Be Heard Director: Roland Legiardi-Laura & Edwin Martinez To Be Heard is the story of 3 high-school students who find their way into a dangerous poetry workshop in the South Bronx. It is a film about lives and language on the edge. The associated engagement campaign, Power Poetry, will be the world’s first mobile and online poetry community for youth where creative energies convert social networking into social activism. The three returning Good Pitch alumni are: 25 to Life Dir. Michael Brown William Brawner was infected with HIV before he turned two and kept it a secret for over twenty years. Now he struggles to confront his promiscuous past and embarks on a new phase of life with his pregnant wife, who is HIV Negative. 25 to Life is a startling and critical look at HIV and AIDS in America, through the intimate perspective of a family and community that has been affected by one man’s diagnosis. Green Shall Overcome Dir. Megan Gelstein Green Shall Overcome (working title) follows Van Jones, the controversial environmental activist. Jones has a dream for America: social justice through green jobs. Handpicked by the Obama Administration to help create a new “green” energy policy for the nation, his vision collides with the partisan politics of Washington. Set against the backdrop of hope and possibility that accompanied Obama into the White House, this film will offer a unique, first-hand vantage on the challenges of changing the status quo – even as a special advisor to the president. Out in the Silence Dirs. Joe Wilson & Dean Hamer Out in the Silence is more than a movie; it’s part of the growing movement for justice and equality in rural and small town America. Based on the story of a brutal gay bashing of a 16-year-old boy in the filmmaker’s small Pennsylvania hometown, the OITS community engagement campaign has emerged as a compelling, proactive model for grassroots activism and civic participation, helping to build bridges rather than walls on issues that have divided our communities for far too long.

On October 2 – 8th, I will be in Catania, Italy for the third session of the European Social Documentary training, commonly called ESoDoc, an initiative offered by ZeLIG School for Documentary and supported by the European Union’s MEDIA Program. ESoDoc explores wholly new terrain for EU filmmakers and brings together the demands of different players now involved in documentary film production and distribution, including directors and producers, non-government and non profit-making organizations (NGOs and NPOs), television broadcasters and the growing range of New Media professionals creating both web-documentaries and crossmedia productions. ESoDoc’s ambition is to prepare professionals for the markets of tomorrow and make them part of this changing world. The program focuses on documentaries that draw attention to human rights, social justice and environmental protection, particularly in the developing world. I will be opening the session on Sunday with a look at how filmmakers can ensure their films have authentic impact and will also be among a group of experts that will train the 22 participants on how best to present their project during pitching forums and at markets. The session will end with an actual public pitching forum held in cooperation with the University of Catania and with the financial support of the Regional Province of Catania.

Reel Power, a new collaboration of films on energy and natural resource extraction developed from our Reel Engagement residency, will be part of Appalachia Rising, a mass mobilization calling for the end of mountaintop removal mining to be held in Washington, DC, on September 25-27, 2010. We will co-host a resource booth with a number of other remarkable filmmakers, participate in a media workshop on Saturday, and host a Working Films workshop on how to use the collection of Reel Power films to engage communities in ways that lead audiences to action. Participants at Appalachia Rising will also be some of the first to be able to get Dirty Business: "Clean Coal" and the Battle for Our Energy Future early. This is one of the films in the collaboration for which we are coordinating the audience engagement campaign. Stay tuned for some exciting updates. We hope to see you there.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="(Photo by Robbie Gemmel)"][/caption] Are you interested in developing skills to effectively manage film campaigns on social justice issues? If so, you should apply to our latest Reel Engagement workshop, Managing Social Issue Film Campaigns, which we designed with the Fledgling Fund. This 4 day hands-on workshop is designed for individuals who are interested in developing the skills necessary to be Engagement Coordinators; designing and managing creative and impactful audience and community engagement campaigns for independent social issue documentary films or media projects. Read more and apply now! Deadline is October 22, 2010

Working Films, in collaboration with The Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation and Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program, is delighted to announce the second edition of the London Good Pitch UK. The Good Pitch UK will take place at the spectacular Royal Institution of Great Britain on September 10th. The event is made possible by the generous support of Amnesty International, The Co-operative, Edelman, PUMA.Creative, and The Wellcome Trust. Working Films is providing early campaign development for the accepted films; a number of the filmmakers attended our Films for Good workshop in July, co-presented with C4 BRITDOC. The selected filmmakers continue the high standard set by all Good Pitch presentations, and include Jennifer Arnold (A Small Act), Penny Woolcock (On the Streets), Hugh Hartford (Ping Pong), Elinyisia Mosha (Anatomy of Poverty), David Sington (The Flaw), Rachel Seifert (Not on the Label), Heather Leach (Dancing With Hugo Boss) and Amir Amirani (We are Many). More on the 8 projects: A Small Act Dir. Jennifer Arnold A Kenyan boy’s life is dramatically changed when his education is sponsored by a Swedish stranger. Years later, Chris Mburu founds his own scholarship program to replicate the kindness he once received. But, a wave of violence tears through Kenya and threatens the potential impact of Chris’ fund. On the Streets Dir. Penny Woolcock On the Streets is an observational documentary about homeless people shot over eight months. Rough sleepers, from Paul with two degrees in pure maths to Jean, Ken and Andy gradually reveal that their problem is not lack of housing. The film shows the camaraderie of the streets and the loneliness of being indoors with no support structure. Ping Pong Dir. Hugh Hartford Pensioners from across the planet compete in the World over 80s Table Tennis Championships in Inner Mongolia. From retirement, care homes, mental and physical health to death and loneliness; 9 characters from 4 continents, with 807 years of experience between them; guide us through the life affirming world of veterans athletics. Anatomy of Poverty (working title) Dir. Elinyisia Mosha Anatomy of Poverty follows several characters in order to explore the impact and progress of foreign direct investment on Tanzania over the last ten years since massive privatization measures were enacted. The Flaw Dir. David Sington What was the fundamental cause of the great American financial meltdown of 2007/8, an event whose consequences will continue to be felt all over the world for years, perhaps decades, to come? The Flaw delves into the history of American capitalism to provide a definitive and surprising answer with radical implications for society. Not On the Label Dir. Rachel Seifert The story of the cocaine trade and the war against it - a war that cannot be won and whose victims are the poor, the powerless and the dispossessed. Western governments should change their policies and western consumers should give up consumption: the real cost is not on the label. Dancing with Hugo Boss Dir. Heather Leach Dancing with Hugo Boss is a feature documentary that will take a personal look at the importance of life, love and mortality. This life affirming film raises issues about coping with cancer, family relationships, avoiding depression and a desire to line dance in a pair of Hugo Boss boots! We Are Many Dir. Amir Amirani The story of the biggest peace march in history. On 15 February 2003, in over 800 cities around the world, 30 million people protested against the planned invasion of Iraq. In telling this remarkable story, We Are Many will harness the passion and political energy of this phenomenal movement as a force for good.

What would it be like if you put your children in a school where the teacher spoke a foreign language? Speaking in Tongues follows the experience of 4 kids in language immersion grade schools. Come watch this award winning film and support Californians Together, a statewide coalition of parents, teachers, education advocates and civil rights groups committed to securing equal access to quality education for all children. $4 from each ticket sold will be donated to their "Seal of Biliteracy" campaign. September 12th 3:00pm – 5:00pm @ Aero Theatre (1328 Montana Avenue) Santa Monica, CA Directions: http://bit.ly/buxwiC Please share this exciting event with your networks. Special invited guests include: the filmmakers, community leaders, policymakers and more advocates from organizations at the forefront of multilingual education. Limited tickets available, so purchase yours now: http://bit.ly/amfISs Spread the word on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=136889176352301&ref=mf

From a pool of over 70 films, eight filmmaker teams attended our Films for Good workshop, 23 – 25 July, in Islington, London. Designed by Channel 4 BRITDOC and Working Films UK, the workshop took first steps in developing effective strategic community and audience engagement campaigns for the films, supported by non-traditional distribution strategies. Sarah Mosses, of our team in London, developed some early plans for each film’s campaign with a suggested range of potential partners – including leading NGOs and some corporate brands. We had a mixture of projects from development stage, right through to completion and we emphasized peer learning and active group discussion. Presenters this year included Jess Search (C4 BRITDOC Foundation) and James Franklin (Pixeco) on social networks and online presence, Christo Hird (Dartmouth Films) on the success of End of the Line, Sarah Cropley (Wellcome Trust) on their funding priorities, including tips for applicants, Claire Ebrey (The Co-Operative) on their support for films in communities and David Alberts (What on Earth is Going on?) discussing how brands are getting in on the action. In an evaluation of the weekend, 15 filmmaker team members responded: 13 gave us the highest rating for “overall impression” of the workshop, 2 team members gave us next highest rating. Comments included: “Thank you so much. It was a great weekend, a great initiative and very helpful for any filmmaker. The speakers and facilitators were top class!” “Thanks for a brilliant couple of days in London. It was a real eye opener.” “Thank you for a fantastic workshop at the weekend, I have to say I left feeling totally re-energized and a little wiped, good combo.” Dancing With Hugo Boss from heather leach on Vimeo. Heather Leach’s project Dancing with Hugo Boss explored the real emotions of living with cancer and was supported by an ambitious engagement platform called ‘Sideways’, which will bring in stories from other cancer patients and teach them to use film as a means of therapeutic expression. Amir Amirani’s We Are Many amazed the room with the ambition to seek out all 30 million people who marched against Iraq in 2003. (When we asked folks in the room, “did you march?”, almost all hands went up, from sites around the globe.) Using social media platforms Amir is already sourcing photo’s, videos and personal stories from around the world to include in the final film. We Are Many from Amir Amirani on Vimeo. We will be tracking these projects as they progress and hope to see some of the ideas put into action over the next few months. Most of the teams have already reached out to new organizations following our suggestion; we know they are on a pathway to success and authentic impact.