TIPS FOR TALKING TO STRANGERS has been selected as one of six short documentaries to screen in the Northwest Film Forum's Local Sightings Film Festival. The film explores the growing international phenomenon of conversation cafes. Through interviews with conversation cafe participants, old newsreel footage, and documentation of the cafes in action, TIPS FOR TALKING TO STRANGERS probes the connection between democracy and dialogue in a media-saturated world. Look for it at the Northwest Film Forum on Sunday, Oct 10 at 5:30pm and again on Monday, Oct 11 at 7:30pm.
Every year, the Washington State Arts Commission gives out a limited number of small grants to support artists and arts organizations pursuing professional development opportunities. The funds are provided as a matching grant, which means that the check only gets written if I can show that I've raised dollar-for-dollar funds from other sources to match the sum they've awarded me. I have been awarded this National Endowment for the Arts / Washington State Arts Commission grant to attend the International AIDS Conference in Bangkok, Thailand (see below). You can still donate towards this cause!
I have been invited to make a presentation about the BREAKING THE SILENCE project at the XV International AIDS Conference in Bangkok, Thailand. This conference, which takes place from July 11-16th, 2004, is the biggest AIDS conference in the world. For more information about the conference, check out: www.aids2004.com. For more information about BREAKING THE SILENCE, please visit: www.breakingthesilence.info
My short documentary TIPS FOR TALKING TO STRANGERS will screen at the Seattle Art Museum on Saturday, June 19th as part of The Warren Report's Distinguishing Features program. For more information, check out: www.thewarrenreport.com
A few months ago, I helped shoot a film that will be featured in this year's Seattle International Film Festival Fly Filmmaking program. Every year, SIFF asks 10 local filmmakers to produce a short documentary. Each filmmaker gets assigned a different theme. They are then given equipment and two weeks to shoot and edit. Insanity ensues. Tickets are available on-line at www.seattlefilm.com.
Look for the film titled GEORGETOWN.
Twenty-seven Swinomish youth bussed from the Swinomish reservation to 911 Media Arts Center and spent two days working with local filmmakers (I was one), producers, and actors (including Cody Lightning and Eddie Spears). The youth, many of whom had never made a film before, analyzed images of American Indians in the media and learned the technical and artistic skills to create their own shorts. In just two days participants produced four shorts including KO-KWAL-AWOOT: THE MAIDEN OF DECEPTION PASS, BEHIND THE SCENES OF NATIVE LENS, a scene workshop from NINETEEN, and a public service announcement titled NATIVE PRIDE. Check out this great article about the program.
