LATEST NEWS

Working Films has decided to postpone our 20th Anniversary celebration. As an organization, we deeply value and strive to practice accountability in all of the work that we do. In the wake of the COVID-19 virus outbreak, we have been reflecting on what accountability looks like now, in regard to bringing large groups of people together at events. We have weighed our choices, being mindful not to fan the flames of fear while responding appropriately and responsibly. The bottom line is that we are committed to creating events that are inclusive and welcoming. And we want to do our best to contribute to public health and safety. We recognize that many members of our community do not have the privilege of taking a risk or are understandably concerned about attending public gatherings at this time. Therefore we have decided to postpone our April 23rd anniversary celebration in New York City. We are grateful to others in our movement and film circles for providing tools and modeling ways to center collective care, which helped us make this difficult decision. Please continue to stay connected with us for updates about rescheduling the Working Films 20th Anniversary party. We look forward to celebrating with you later!    

Working Films launched the Docs In Action Film Fund in 2018 to support the production of short documentaries that address critical issues of social and environmental justice. This year's call for proposals sought nonfiction films that tell a fuller story of immigration. We looked for films that reveal the harms perpetuated by immigration enforcement practices that extend beyond the crisis at the border, as well as films that expand popular understanding of immigrants and their varied experiences. We are excited to announce that we have awarded a total of $60,000 in completion funding to Maya Cueva for Ale Libre, Brian Redondo for Keep Them Home, and Set Hernandez Rongkilyo for COVER/AGE.  Ale Libre by Maya Cueva  In 2009, Alejandra was pulled over by a police officer posted outside of a well-known Latinx nightclub, resulting in a DUI. Two years later, she was hit with another DUI for marijuana. During a probation check-in, an unsuspecting Alejandra came face-to-face with two ICE officers who detained her immediately for deportation. After a two year fight, Alejandra was released from the for-profit Eloy Detention Center in Arizona in 2013. While imprisoned, her ideals found strength and she grew to become a fierce abortion rights and immigration rights activist. In March 2018 at an immigrant rights protest outside of the Department of Homeland Security, ICE targeted and detained her again for 40 days in Eloy. In raw, cinema-verite, Ale Libre chronicles Alejandra’s journey as she faces her case for political asylum and her last chance at freedom. Director Maya Cueva is an award-winning multimedia producer and director. Her work has been featured on NPR's All Things Considered, Latino USA, The Atlantic, National Geographic, Cosmopolitan, The Huffington Post, StyleCaster, and NBC’s Nightly News. Maya's films have screened internationally and across the U.S., including SXSW, Palm Springs International ShortFest, and the International Youth Film Festival Langesund in Norway. She is a 2019 Sundance Ignite Fellow and a Valentine and Clark Emerging Artist Fellow at the Jacob Burns Film Center. Keep Them Home by Brian Redondo Far from the southern border, in the outskirts of Boston, Cambodian and Vietnamese refugees are facing their own battle against family separation. ICE is detaining and deporting community members on a scale not seen before. Though families live in uncertain fear, refugees have developed a knack for pulling through. They learn to rally together and are doing everything they can to keep their families intact. This portrait of a community shaken examines the on-the-ground impact of a broken immigration system through the eyes of three families facing the deportation of a loved one. They laugh, they cry, and they fight on.     Director Brian Redondo is a documentary filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY. He is committed to stories from the margins of society, often exploring issues of race, immigration, and how those topics intersect with culture. His most recent short docs, commissioned by PBS’ Art21, “Jes Fan In Flux” and “Doreen Garner Sculpts Our Trauma” illustrate the ways in which the titular artists use sculpture to unpack problems of race and gender. His first short documentaries “Why We Rise” and “The Lookout” explore immigration through the perspectives of undocumented youth in NYC and volunteers aiding refugees in Greece, respectively. He is currently helping shoot a feature documentary about Fat Beats, the iconic hip hop record store, and he is also the senior video editor at The New Yorker. COVER/AGE by Set Hernandez Rongkilyo For years, advocates have been organizing to make healthcare access a right for all in California, regardless of their immigration status. Set against the backdrop of California’s Health4All campaign, COVER/AGE follows two leaders who have been championing the immigrant health justice movement in the Golden State. One is an elderly caregiver who has spent over a decade taking care of senior citizens, in spite of being ineligible for the same services she provides due to her immigration status. The other is a long-time community advocate who has been organizing directly-impacted people towards policy change at the intersection of immigrant, health, and gender justice. As the conversation around universal healthcare continues to gain momentum in the national level, this film highlights the urgency of expanding healthcare access to undocumented people by centering the unwavering voices of immigrant health justice leaders. Director Set Hernandez Rongkilyo is the Impact Videos Producer at the California Immigrant Policy Center, which has been a key leader in the immigrant health movement. As an an undocumented immigrant filmmaker and community organizer, Set has been working since 2010 around migrant justice issues from education equity for undocumented students to deportation defense. Set’s short films have been televised, featured, and awarded in film festivals across the U.S. Currently, they are working on projects that explore the criminalization of immigrants as well as the connection between immigrant rights and disability rights. More recently, Set served as Assistant Editor and Impact Producer for PJ Raval’s documentary, Call Her Ganda, which premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. Set is a 2018 Firelight Impact Producer Fellow, 2017 Soros Justice Fellow, 2017 IDA Emerging Filmmaker Mentorship Recipient, and 2016 at land's edge Fellow. Above all, Set is the fruit of their parents' sacrifices, their siblings' resilience, and their community's nurturing.   Working Films is committed to accountable media creation and production. We therefore gave special consideration to selecting directors whose work demonstrates this commitment to the people and communities featured in their projects. The shorts selected for Docs in Action funding will become a part of a curated set of films that will be used within community engagement efforts being developed by Working Films, in consultation with the filmmakers and partner organizations.

The Docs in Action Film Fund is made possible with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

 

We are excited to announce the 2019 Cucalorus Works in Progress Lab, a week long residency that supports the audience engagement and distribution strategies of social issue documentaries being made by Black filmmakers. This year’s featured films include: 

Black Barbie: A Documentary, directed by Lagueria Davis charts the rise of the most iconic girl toy brand of all time through the eyes of the filmmaker’s aunt, Beulah Mae Mitchell who spent 45 years working at Mattel. 

Commuted, directed by Nailah Jefferson tells the story of Danielle Metz, after being sentenced as a drug kingpin to triple life plus twenty years for the crimes of her husband, has her conviction commuted by President Obama in 2016, and follows her as she tries to rebuild her relationships with family while continuing to fight a system that is incarcerating women at an unprecedented rate.

Finding Elijah, directed by Yolonda Johnson-Young is told from a mother’s perspective, and follows a young man’s journey from home into mental illness, to homelessness, and ultimately to suicide. 

Mama Bears, directed by Daresha Kyi explores the many ways in which the lives of conservative, Christian mothers are utterly transformed when they decide to accept their LGBTQ children. Spread throughout the country but connected through private Facebook groups, they help each other overcome the teachings of their churches and call themselves “mama bears” as they fight ferociously for the civil rights of their children and the entire LGBTQ community. 

The House I Never Knew, directed by Randall Dottin is a six-part documentary series that chronicles the lives of people struggling to fight against the negative effects of housing segregation policy.

The Works-in-Progress Lab (WiP) is designed and led by Working Films in partnership with the 25th annual Cucalorus Festival, taking place November 13-17 in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina. The five selected filmmakers will receive extensive community feedback during a series of private and public screenings, impact strategy sessions, workshops, and one-on-one consultations with expert mentors, which this year include acclaimed filmmakers Byron Hurt and Natalie Bullock Brown.   

  SEE PICTURES FROM THE TOUR!  We’re partnering with Appalachian Voices and Sunshine Cinema and hitting the road for the Tennessee Valley Energy Democracy Listening Tour! Events across the state are providing opportunities for community members to discuss the history and impacts of the TVA energy system, evaluate decision making, and inviting attendees to vision how our public power could better serve communities in the Valley. The events include solar powered screenings of the film The Electric Valley and will highlight stories of local energy reform efforts. By powering film events with solar, we're offering inspiration on the screen while modeling what alternative energy and climate solutions look like! Since the 1930s, life in the Tennessee Valley has been drastically shaped by electricity production and use. Today, communities are struggling with coal ash pollution, job losses from plant closures, high electric bills, and lack access to safe, affordable energy options like solar energy and energy efficiency. Even though the region has been publicly powered for nearly 90 years, communities feel that decisions about energy production and use are often made without their full input. It’s time to change that! These free events are taking place in in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, LaFollette, Chattanooga and Rogersville, Tennessee. The tour will also make stops in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and Huntsville, Alabama. Presented by Appalachian Voices, Working Films, and Sunshine Cinema in partnership with The Alliance House, Chickasaw Group of the Sierra Club, Energy Alabama, The Equity Alliance, Friends of the Earth, Greenspaces, Campbell Heartland Network, Hawkins County Sierra Club, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, LaFollette Utilities Board, Middle Tennessee Group of the Sierra Club, Nashville & Middle Tennessee Indivisible, PVEC Member Voices, Save Energy Save Dollars Coalition, Science for the People, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Statewide Organizing for Community Empowerment, and Sunrise Movement Nashville. Information for each event can be found below. Check back as more events are added! Saturday August 3rd at 12pm. Bickford Community Center 233 Henry Ave. Memphis, TN 38107 Hosted by: Save Energy Save Dollars Coalition, Friends of the Earth, Chickasaw Group of the Sierra Club, and the Climate Reality Project. Tuesday August 6th at 6pm. Vanderbilt Divinity School 411 21st Ave S Nashville, TN 37240 Hosted by: Sunrise Movement Nashville, Middle Tennessee Group of the Sierra Club, Nashville & Middle Tennessee Indivisible, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, The Equity Alliance, and Statewide Organizing for Community Empowerment.  Wednesday August 7th at 6pm. Dr. E.V. Davidson Community Center 3124 Wilson Ave. Knoxville, TN 37914 Hosted by: Statewide Organizing for Community Empowerment, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, and The Alliance House.  Saturday August 10th from 12pm. Postmark LaFollette 119 S. Tennessee Ave LaFollette, TN 37766 US Hosted by: Grow Campbell County and LaFollette Utilities Board. Tuesday August 13th at 6pm (doors open at 5:30pm). South Chattanooga Rec Center (in St. Elmo) 1151 W 40th S. Chattanooga, TN 37409 Hosted by: Cherokee Group of the Sierra Club and Greenspaces.  Thursday August 15th at 6pm. Dr. Richard Showers Rec Center. 4600 Blue Spring Rd NW Huntsville, AL 35810 Hosted by: Energy Alabama. Monday August 26th at 6pm. Shepherd's Center 306 E. Main Street Rogersville, TN 37857 Hosted by Care NET. Thursday August 29th at 5:30pm. Bob Kirby Branch Library 175 Iron Skillet Ct Bowling Green, KY 42104 Hosted by: Kentuckians for the Commonwealth. Tuesday September 3rd at 6:00pm. Walters State Community College - Room 204 1325 Claiborne St. Tazewell, TN 37879 Hosted by: PVEC Member Voices Thursday September 12th at 3:00pm Roane State Community College 2567 Cook Rd. Crossville, TN 38571-3208, Hosted by: Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment, and Crossville Indivisible. Thursday September 12th at 5:30pm Montgomery Public Library 350 Pageant Ln Clarksville, TN Hosted by: Tennessee Interfaith Power & Light, Sierra Club Clarksville-Montgomery County, and Clarksville Indivisible.

Four new documentaries are getting an IMPACT KICKSTART from Working Films! Congratulations to the film teams selected for the second round of in-kind impact campaign support. They include:    EATING UP EASTER Directed by Sergio Mata'u Rapu The iconic statues and sensationalized "mysteries" of Easter Island (Rapa Nui) have drawn the interest of the world for centuries, attracting curious visitors to its shores. Today, this tiny, barren island is experiencing an economic boon as tourism skyrockets. Yet the indigenous culture and the island’s fragile environment are suffering. Eating Up Easter, directed by native Rapanui filmmaker Sergio Mata’u Rapu, explores the dilemma his people are facing. Crafted as a story passed down to his newborn son, Sergio intertwines the authentic history of the island with the stories of four islanders. In their own voices, these Rapanui reveal the reality of modern life and the actions they are taking to preserve their culture and environment amidst rapid development.   GOING TO MARS: THE NIKKI GIOVANNI PROJECT Directed by Michèle Stephenson and Joe Brewster Going to Mars is a feature length documentary film in which Nikki Giovanni, one of America’s greatest living poets, orators and social commentators, will compel audiences to laugh and cry using her poetry and biting social commentary.  As a social commentator Nikki Giovanni stands toe-to-toe with the best. She has the satirical wit of a Will Rogers and the comedic timing of David Letterman. She has influenced both her contemporaries, from Muhammad Ali to Maya Angelou, as well as today’s hip-hop artists such as Kanye West. She in turn demands, using a contrarian point of view, that we question our assumptions about race, gender, equity and privilege and challenges us to hope and dream for a better tomorrow.   THE FIRST RAINBOW COALITION Directed by Ray Santisteban In 1969, the Chicago Black Panther Party began to form alliances across lines of race and ethnicity with other community-based movements in the city, including the Latino group the Young Lords Organization and the southern whites of the Young Patriots organization. Banding together in one of the most segregated cities in postwar America to collectively confront issues such as police brutality and substandard housing, they called themselves the Rainbow Coalition. By 1973, the coalition had collapsed under the weight of relentless harassment by local and federal law enforcement. Although short-lived, it had an outsize impact: Breaking down barriers between communities, it created a permanent shift in Chicago politics and an organizing model for future activists and politicians across the nation. The First Rainbow Coalition tells the movement’s little-known story through rare archival footage and interviews with former coalition members.   WARRIOR WOMEN Directed by Christina King and Elizabeth Castle In the 1970s, with the swagger of unapologetic Indianness, organizers of the American Indian Movement (AIM) fought for Native liberation and survival as a community of extended families. Warrior Women is the story of Madonna Thunder Hawk, one such AIM leader who shaped a kindred group of activists' children - including her daughter Marcy - into the "We Will Remember" Survival School as a Native alternative to government-run education. Together, Madonna and Marcy fought for Native rights in an environment that made them more comrades than mother-daughter. Today, with Marcy now a mother herself, both are still at the forefront of Native issues, fighting against the environmental devastation of the Dakota Access Pipeline and for Indigenous cultural values. ABOUT IMPACT KICKSTART Impact Kickstart was launched with the understanding that a solid strategy for audience engagement and strong partnerships are critical for a documentary film to make a difference. Filmmakers often lack time to do this work themselves or the expertise and the funds to pay for it. Emerging artists, creators of color, and other underrepresented filmmakers can face the biggest hurdles, despite the potential of their projects. To respond to this challenge, Working Films offers free impact campaign development services to underrepresented artists whose films hold great promise to shift understanding and catalyze action that addresses some of the most critical issues of our time. Impact Kickstart is made possible through generous support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.   

We are excited to announce the 8 organizations selected to participate in Putting Films to Work, a year-long training institute for Georgia-based nonprofits that will leverage the power of documentary media to advance their organizing, educational, and advocacy goals. The program is designed to help organizations embrace nonfiction film as a critical resource and a natural component of what they do; resource the organizations and individual leaders with specific films and the skills to put them to work; and increase the strategic use of documentary films in community settings, creating more opportunities for Georgians to engage around issues of critical social and environmental importance.   Participants include: The Counter Narrative Project builds power among black gay men and works in solidarity and coalition with all movements committed to social and racial justice. Recognizing that storytelling is critical to social change, The Counter Narrative Project amplifies the voices of black gay men to shift the public narrative. As they explain, “So very often stories have been told about us, the work of the Counter Narrative Project is to ensure that we are the authors of our own narratives, that we are in charge of our stories.” Georgia Appleseed increases justice in Georgia through law and policy reform and community engagement to ensure that the voices of poor people, children and marginalized people are heard and injustices that no one should endure are resolved.

The Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network’s mission is to provide free immigration legal services to victims of crime and persecution. Since 2005, GAIN programs have helped over 5,000 people and provided millions of dollars in pro bono legal services for asylum-seekers and immigrant victims of human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault, and other crimes. GAIN’s vision is safety, freedom, and opportunity for all.

Georgia Justice Project strengthens community by demonstrating a better way to represent and support individuals in the criminal justice system and reduce barriers to reentry. GJP promotes innovative change through direct legal representation, policy advocacy, education and coalition building.

Housing Justice League is a grassroots, member-led organization that seeks to build power in Metro Atlanta neighborhoods highly impacted by the housing crisis. By mobilizing communities around foreclosure, eviction, tenant rights, and public land rights — with an emphasis on leadership development and fostering a culture of resistance through non-violent direct action — HJL is transforming Atlanta’s approach to housing driven by the belief that housing is human right. Quest develops affordable housing and provides needs-based community services to enhance the quality of life for underserved individuals and families. By developing, and integrating affordable housing with support services, individuals receive transformative resources which increase their chances of achieving long term housing stability.

La Gender, Inc. Is a non profit organization led by African-American trans women that empowers, and lifts up the spirits of transgender woman of color in the metro Atlanta area. La Gender strives to brighten, improve the qualities of lives, and assist trans women and youth clients. La Gender, Inc. Is a standing point to take on challenges of being a trans woman.

Access to stable housing is critical for individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS not just as a matter of maintaining human dignity, but also because it is the proven foundation of effective medical treatment of HIV and the springboard for lasting life transformations. Living Room’s mission is to ensure stable housing and improved health through housing support for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Putting Films to Work is made possible with generous support from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, Participant Media, and Katybelle LLC  

For a documentary film to make a difference, a solid strategy for audience engagement and strong partnerships are key. Filmmakers often lack time to do this work themselves or the expertise and the funds to pay for it. Emerging artists, creators of color, and other underrepresented artists can face the biggest hurdles, despite the potential of their projects. Impact Kickstart is a program offering in-kind strategy development to underrepresented documentary makers with feature films in progress that hold great promise to catalyze action to address critical issues of our time. Up to four filmmakers receive an Impact Kickstart from Working Films each year. We strongly encourage artists of color, women, LGBTQ, gender nonconforming, and differently abled creators to apply. Selected filmmakers will work with Working Films to customize a package of services that best meet the needs of their individual project and will leave them well positioned to fully fund and carry out an impact campaign. FIND OUT MORE & APPLY by February 7, 2019  

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With generous support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, we are pleased to announce the 2019 Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Docs in Action Fund. Now in its second year, Docs in Action funds the production of short documentaries to expand the canon of films available for grassroots groups and NGOs to enhance their programs, extend their reach, and move their missions forward.

Under this RFP we will award at least two grants of up to $30,000 each in support of the production of short non-fiction films (up to 30 minutes in length) that can support immigrants’ justice organizing and efforts to end racist attacks on immigrant communities.

FIND OUT MORE AND APPLY by March 22, 2019

 

IMPACT COORDINATOR  Working Films seeks a passionate, well organized, smart and creative Impact Coordinator to plan and execute grassroots, film-driven organizing campaigns and various aspects of our filmmaker services. Working in collaboration with Working Films’ campaign staff, as well as our network of national, state, and local allies, the Impact Coordinator will ensure our campaigns meet the needs and advance the goals of our partner organizations, and ultimately make an impact. The ideal candidate will have experience in community organizing, audience engagement with film or other media, and have a demonstrated commitment to social and environmental justice. We are looking for someone who excels independently and as part of a team. The impact coordinator will report to the Senior Campaign Coordinatorand Working Films’ Co-directors. Responsibilities Include, but aren’t limited to:

In collaboration with fellow staff, implementing film-driven organizing campaigns and other programs that meet the needs of allied organizations and filmmakers.

Participating in issue research.

Ensuring campaigns remain aligned with goals and timelines.

Managing event logistics.

Tracking expenses and managing budgets.

Assisting in producing and distributing outreach and press materials (including social media content).

Developing and managing local, statewide, and national organizational partnerships.

Attending high profile and larger screening events to manage volunteers & speak to audiences.

Overseeing tracking and evaluation of project activities through partner surveys and interviews with organizers.

Maintaining written narratives detailing all aspects of campaigns, and assisting in the creation of project newsletters and campaign reports.

Individually and in collaboration with co-workers, maximize the effectiveness of our organization. Participating in staff and board meetings, team project planning, and ongoing organizational processes.

Qualifications/Skills:

Self motivated individual with efficient and reliable time management and goal setting skills.

Demonstrated ability to work well collaboratively.

Strong problem solving and decision making skills.

Experience in community outreach and organizing.

Strong public speaking and group facilitation skills.

Excellent interpersonal skills.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Experience in event production & communications/PR.

Fluency with major social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Familiarity with community engagement with documentary film, visual art, or other media.

Knowledge of and an enthusiastic commitment to Working Film’ mission, methodology, and offerings.

Working Films is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Working Films offers competitive salary and benefits including  full employer-paid health policy coverage, Simple IRA contributions, and generous vacation, holidays, personal, and sick/family leave. Starting Salary: $40,000 Location: Wilmington, NC. Relocation expenses will be paid if needed. To Apply: We are no longer accepting applications at this time. About Us Recognizing the power of stories to inform and inspire action, Working Films builds partnerships between documentary makers and advocates to advance social justice and environmental protection. Working Films trains and partners with community-based organizations and NGOs to use documentaries to enhance their programs, extend their reach, and move their missions forward. Find out more at workingfilms.org