The term gerrymander was coined in 1812, when a Massachusetts district was drastically redrawn in a way that resembled a salamander. Governor Elbridge Gerry manipulated the district lines to give his party an unfair advantage. Hence, the term gerry-mander. North Carolina is one of the most gerrymandered states in the nation. The voting districts look more like paint splatters or perhaps a salamander after a visit to Chernobyl. According to the New York Times 2016 election results, 47% of North Carolina voters cast ballots for democratic representatives, yet the Democrats only received…
North Carolina – once a beacon of light and generosity in a sea of red state reactionary politics – is now one of the most regressive and intentionally belligerent states in the union. The new documentary Democracy for Sale featuring NC native Zach Galifianakis uncovers the role that money has played in this shift and offers a lesson for the rest of the nation. We’re thrilled to be partnering with Appalachian Voices, Democracy NC, The NC NAACP, and many others to organize more than a dozen screenings across North Carolina to inform…
Films are an incredible resource for translating the complex. Two new shorts break down two of the biggest policy battles surrounding the transition to renewable energy: Net Metering and Rate Design. Suncatcher In Suncatcher, Award winning director of Catching The Sun, Shalini Kantayya interviews Former California EPA Secretary Terry Tamminen. He explains net metering, one of the most important state policies impacting people who want to make the transition to clean power in their homes. Net Metering & Interconnection: Pillars of the New Energy Economy This animated piece by Catching The Sun‘s NGO partner, Vote Solar, breaks…
7 documentaries selected to screen at Facing Race 2016 Race Forward has teamed up with Working Films to present Race Flicks, the film track of Facing Race: A National Conference being held in Atlanta, GA from November 10-12, 2016. This year’s Race Flicks program will focus on creating impact with film. And the selected films were choosen in large part because of the way they have been or could be used strategically by activists, organizers, and nonprofits to advance their work for racial justice. Dozens of filmmakers applied for the…
Community-based organizations across the United States are working to build sustainable local economies, eliminate dependence on dirty energy, and create resilient communities in the face of climate change and economic inequality. The Beloved Community Center is one of them. Based in Greensboro, NC since 1991, the Beloved Community Center is working for a social and economic system that realizes the dignity, worth and potential of every person. This Saturday, we’ll join them at the Peoples Power Party. The gathering will showcase bottom-up solutions to the challenges of environmental racism and…
The good news: fracking was banned in New York State! The reality: more than 137 natural gas pipelines, compressor stations, frack waste, and storage facilities are proposed, under construction or in operation there. The Sane Energy Project had been keeping tabs on it all. The YOU ARE HERE map let’s residents see the gas and oil network across the state, zoom in on each facility, and find out who’s organizing to stop it. They’ve also recently teamed up with the FracTracker Alliance to begin uploading personal stories about residents’ experiences while living…
Working Films is seeking documentary media for two upcoming initiatives. Read about each below and submit your film(s) or multi-media projects by the deadlines listed to be considered: Just Transition Media Project: Just Transition is the long term work of eliminating fossil fuel dependence and building sustainable communities in which economic and social systems are transformed to be equitable and humane. We are seeking documentary media projects that illustrate the principles of just transition and/or that highlight community based efforts that put these principles into action. We are particularly interested…
Working Films is seeking submissions for a new film and organizing initiative that will showcase stories of just transition and climate resilience. Individuals and community-based organizations across the United States are working to build sustainable local economies, eliminate dependence on dirty energy, and create resilient communities in the face of climate change and economic inequality. Powerful stories are needed to amplify successes within the just transition and climate resilience movements, demonstrate a clear vision for a sustainable future, and unite people from various backgrounds and geographies to learn from each…
Working Films is seeking submissions for a new film and organizing initiative that will showcase stories from the frontlines of the battle against oil and gas infrastructure. From pipelines to compressor stations, groups and individuals across the country are working to stop oil and gas infrastructure. Powerful stories are needed to amplify successes and unite people from various locations to learn from each other’s efforts and increase their collective impact. We are looking for films that: Showcase organizing and direct action strategies, demonstrate health and environmental impacts from fossil fuel…
Robeson County, NC is home to the Lumbee Tribe, the largest non-reservation tribe in the country. It’s also the proposed endpoint of a new natural gas pipeline, a dangerous coal ash impoundment, and a proposed chicken processing plant slated to be built at the intersection of three important wetland areas. A new organization, EcoRobeson, was established after an Environmental Summit was held in Pembroke in late 2015. The group, comprised of Lumbee tribal members and concerned residents in the area, is working to resist these destructive plans and re-imagine a…
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