LATEST NEWS

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.

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

Working Films and our partners at NAKASEC (The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium), The National Domestic Workers Alliance, The UndocuBlack Network, and United We Dream are looking for short films to support immigrants’ rights organizing and end racist attacks on immigrant communities. Together, we are curating a compilation of films that will be screened in community events in the most critical places, led by those on the frontlines of this issue.   At a moment when many people have been moved by the family separations happening at the border, a fuller story of immigration needs to be told to address the harms perpetuated by immigration enforcement practices and policies that extend beyond the current crisis at the border. Beyond building empathy and expanding understanding of immigration systems, we are seeking films that showcase collective power and vision for the future, while demonstrating the multiple ways people can give their time, energy, and resources to support organizing led by immigrant communities.   Filmmakers are invited to submit short documentaries, excerpts of feature length documentaries, and multi-platform projects. Screening rights fees will be paid to selected films. We will also provide free impact consultation to selected filmmakers and offer peer-to-peer networking and support opportunities. An emphasis will be placed on films that feature personal stories, as well as media made by people who are directly impacted by the policies and related issues at hand. We will consider a work-in-progress if it is at a strong stage, is reasonably audience-ready, and is short. Please do not apply if your film is not available for public use. If your film can be described in one or more of the following ways listed below, please apply. Specifically we are looking for films that use powerful stories that…   – Are Intersectional. We want to make connections between immigrant’s rights work and other historical and current liberation movements. We also want to make connections between present day attacks on immigrant communities and other oppressive policies and attitudes that impact communities of color or other marginalized groups. - Uplift stories of immigration that do not receive considerable attention by mainstream media (i.e. Stories from those with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), family based sponsorship stories, stories from individuals in detention or their loved ones, intercountry adoptees who are living without citizenship, etc.). – Feature youth and that will speak to youth audiences. – Feature AAPI and Black immigrants. We hope to expand the popular definition of immigrant communities and show the varied experiences of different immigrant communities. – Show the harm that ICE and border patrol are  inflicting on immigrant communities at the border and within the interior of the US. – Show the importance of public and civic engagement and activism, and examples of how to get meaningfully involved. – Show white people stepping up in meaningful and non-oppressive ways to support organizing, direct action, and advocacy led by immigrant communities. – Demonstrate the resilience, strength, and legacy of community building within immigrant communities. – Make clear the collective power of the immigrants’ rights movement. – Demonstrate solutions and a vision for the future. Submissions are no longer being accepted at this time.   

After it was discovered that Chemours, a chemical company founded as a spin-off from Dupont, was dumping a toxic polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) known as GenX into North Carolina’s Cape Fear River - which over 200,000 people depend on for drinking water - we were motivated to act and to ensure that those responsible were held accountable.   Together with the Cape Fear River Watch, The NC Conservation Network, The Center for Environmental Health and a coalition of environmental organizations throughout North Carolina, we are launching a statewide community screening tour of the recently released film, The Devil We Know. In this new documentary film by Stephanie Soechtig, citizens in West Virginia take on DuPont, after they discover it has knowingly been dumping a toxic chemical -- now found in the blood of 99.7 percent of Americans -- into the local drinking water supply. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cCkADnhRqk[/embed] Brian Powell, Communications Director for the NC Conservation Network, outlined how the issues in the film are all too familiar for North Carolina audiences: “The Devil We Know serves as a compelling and ominous prequel to the water contamination crisis impacting North Carolina as a result of widespread chemical dumping -- particularly as it relates to GenX contamination of the Cape Fear River from the DuPont spin-off corporation Chemours.” Each event will feature post-screening discussions led by local organizations that will show audiences how to stand against these toxic waste practices including demanding that PFAS chemicals get listed in the US database for toxic releases, the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) - ensuring that companies must disclose when they release these chemicals into the environment. Info for each screening listed below: Greensboro, NC Tuesday October 2nd at 7:00pm Kathleen Clay Library 1420 Price Park Dr. Greensboro, NC 27410 & Wednesday October 3rd at 7:00pm Benjamin Public Library 1530 Benjamin Pkwy Greensboro, NC 27408 Hosted by: Haw River Assembly and Piedmont Plateau Chapter of Sierra Club. New Bern, NC Wednesday, October 3rd at 6:30pm The Harrison Center 311 Middle St. New Bern, NC 28560 Hosted by: The Carolina Nature Coalition. Winston Salem, NC Thursday October 4th at 7:00pm Temple Emanuel 201 Oakwood Dr. Winston Salem, NC 27103 Hosted by Temple Emanuel Environmental Movement. Charlotte, NC Tuesday October 23rd at 6:30pm Triple C Brewery - Barrel Room 2832 Griffith Street Charlotte, NC 28203 Hosted by: Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation, Clean Air Carolina, Center for Environmental Health, and Central Piedmont Sierra Club. Boone, NC Tuesday October 30th at 5:30pm Appalachian State University Plemmons Student Union, Greenbriar theater 263 Locust St. Boone, NC 28608 Hosted by: Appalachian Voices, Sustainability & Environmental Education Club (SEEC), and the Sustainable Development Student Alliance. Asheville, NC Sunday November 11th at 1:00pm Fine Arts Theatre 36 Biltmore Ave. Asheville, NC 28801 Hosted by: Clean Water for North Carolina, Photoplusavl, and Blue Spiral 1. & Thursday November 15th at 6:30pm Lenoir-Rhyne Center for Graduate Studies Board Room 36 Montfore Ave Asheville, NC 28801 Hosted by: Clean Water for North Carolina. Pittsboro, NC Tuesday December 4th at 6:30pm (Doors open at 6pm) Pittsboro Roadhouse 39 West St. Pittsboro, NC 27312 Hosted by: Haw River Assembly and Pittsboro Roadhouse. Washington, NC Tuesday December 11th at 7:00pm Historic Turnage Theatre 150 W Main St. Washington, NC 27889 Hosted by: Arts of the Pamlico and Sound Rivers.  

Working Films launched the Docs In Action Film Fund in early 2018 to support the production of short documentaries that address critical issues of social and environmental justice. Our inaugural call for applications sought non-fiction films illuminating “Just Recovery”, defined as the long-term cultural changes, planning, partnerships, investment, and infrastructure needed to build intersectional models and alternatives for communities at risk and impacted by catastrophic climate disasters. We are thrilled to announce that the inaugural Docs In Action Film Fund recipients are Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi for We Still Here (working title) and Julie Winokur for The Sacrifice Zone. Working Films will award $30,000 in completion funds to both projects. We Still Here by Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi   Hurricane Maria brought an unprecedented level of devastation to Puerto Rico that has affected the present and future of an island already in crisis. We Still Here (Tentative Title) brings the community of Palomas, a barrio in Comerío (one of the hardest hit municipalities) into the public light. In response to the government's disregard and poor relief management, residents activated themselves by taking control of rebuilding efforts and transforming their lives. We Still Here  documents the lives of three young people from Palomas as they rebuild and reconstruct their community and showcase for the world a new model for Just Recovery. . .   The Sacrifice Zone by Julie Winokur When Hurricane Sandy hit Newark, New Jersey in 2012, it unleashed toxic sludge in the Ironbound neighborhood, already one of the most polluted communities in America. The Sacrifice Zone follows one young crusader as she fights for environmental security before another natural disaster strikes. From Environmental Justice Tours to Community Right-To-Know filings, from green infrastructure projects to air quality monitoring, Maria Lopez-Nuñez and the Ironbound Community Corporation are organizing residents to regain control of their neighborhood and hold industrial polluters accountable.     .   .   Working Films is committed to accountable media creation, production, technical assistance, and training with communities who are building a generative future through a just and equitable transition away from exploitation of our people and the planet. We therefore gave special consideration to selecting directors whose work demonstrates this commitment to the communities featured in their projects. The short films selected for Docs in Action funding will become a part of a curated set of films to be used within community engagement efforts that are 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