I was recently invited out to Indianapolis, Indiana to be a Teaching Artist on behalf of the Girls Make the Message training-of-trainers program at the Girls Inc. headquarters. Brrrrrr, Indiana is COLD in December!
GMTM is designed to help young women acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to think critically about media messages, particularly with respect to portrayals of girls and women.
I have no idea how these things come to be, but IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS has been short-listed for an Academy Award. Stay tuned... Feburary 2007!
IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS, the documentary I co-edited last year, is finally arriving in theatres! This film contains some of the most beautiful and nuanced imagery I have ever seen from Iraq and I think you will be impressed too.
I hope you will consider going to see IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS with a group of friends when it shows up at a theatre near you... The film opens November 8th in New York, Chicago, Boston, DC, San Francisco, Berkeley, Seattle, Los Angeles... Hopefully other cities will soon follow (check your local listings).
Because it is so rare for an independent documentary feature film to get any kind of theatrical release, it's necessary to fill the theatres with as many people as possible during the opening week. If the opening week is successful, the film is more likely to get booked in additional cities, will stay in theatres for a longer time, and ultimately more people will be able to see this important film. So, please help spread the word.
For more info about the theatrical release:
http://typecastfilms.com/announcements/iif_email.html
And of course:
www.iraqinfragments.com
New Century Film Festival
Festival de Cine Huesca
NW Film/Video Festival
25 FPS Festival
I was but a lowly and awestruck assistant to the master, David Russo, on his latest animation project: I AM (NOT) VAN GOGH. I happily plug him here, because his work is amazing and beautiful and it will blow your mind. Seek it out.
Here are a few random recent sightings of this film:
- Uppsala International Short Film Festival
- New Century Film Festival
- San Franciso International Film Festival
- Thomas Edison Black Maria Film Festival
- Seattle International Film Festival
- SXSW Film Festival
- ResFest
I have been selected as a delegate to attend the first-ever World Congress on Communication for Development in Rome, Italy from October 25-27, 2007.
The Congress is being organized by the World Bank, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Communication Initiative, to bring together communications professionals from around the world who are engaged in development initiatives. One thousand delegates have been invited to share experiences and best practices in the growing field of 'communication for development' -- or as I prefer to think of it: 'communication for social change'.
My contribution to the Congress is a paper I wrote about the conflict between ideals of self-determination in communication development work and the complicated realities of sustaining this kind of work when reliant on funding support from agencies that have their own development agendas. I used my experience with the BREAKING THE SILENCE project as a case study.
For more info:
www.devcomm.org
Chicago Int'l Film Festival
This project has been in development for the past two years, so for me, as the producer, it's very exciting to have just wrapped our 5-day shoot in St. Lucia. Local actors and crew brought to life ten original scripts based on true stories depicting the nuances of how HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination play out in Caribbean health care settings. Since stigma and discrimination are huge contributors to the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean (and the world over), these videos will serve a critical role in the fight against AIDS by creating opportunities for juicy dialogue about very real and urgent issues affecting local communities. A comprehensive facilitator's guide will accompany these videos when they are distributed throughout the Caribbean in 2007.
I met Delaney several years ago through 911 Media Arts Center's special program for emerging filmmakers, called New Voices. At the time, Delaney was working on a short documentary video about her struggle to reconnect with her estranged schizophrenic father. As if that is not a compelling hook on its own, Delaney is also a medical doctor. Taking after the personal documentary approach of some of her heroes, such as Ross McElwee (SHERMAN'S MARCH) and Judith Helfand (BLUE VINYL), Delaney bravely puts herself on the spot for this project. She does not hesitate to ask a lot of meaty questions about personal responsibility and medical ethics around treatment of the mentally ill, while also offering a very intimate on-camera exploration of what it means to care for another human being. Needless to say, this is a big topic for a short film. Delaney has been working on this project for years now, and it's been incredible to watch it grow and evolve into a longer, more nuanced story. I've had the pleasure of occasionally helping Delaney with UNLISTED, both as a shooter and editor. This past weekend, we worked on some pick-up shots of "Delaney at work as a Doctor". Check out her website, and keep an eye out for this documentary, which is approaching completion! www.unlistedfilm.com
This past weekend, Katy DeRosier, Mark Simon, Courtland Premo, Emily Preston and I took a ferry out to Vashon Island and wrapped a beautiful, hand-carved, traditional Indonesian teahouse in heavy black plastic. We spent the pristine Seattle summer weekend sweating in the dark, with Mark and Court sculpting light, me behind the camera, Emily lending a hand left and right, and Katy dancing lyrically through the otherworldly space. The teahouse, once owned by the Kudus family in Java, was barged over to Vashon Island from Indonesia by David Smith. David also brought over a team of Javanese craftsmen to re-assemble the house piece by piece. Walking through the teahouse is an unforgettable experience. It was easy see to why Katy became enchanted with the idea of completing her latest triology of dance films under its magestic eaves. The dance film we created together, KUDUS SONG, will be edited this summer by yours truly and screened on site in the Fall.
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
Human Rights Watch
Film Festival
Cleveland International Film Festival
I have been invited to give a presentation about the BREAKING THE SILENCE project (of which I am the Co-Founder and Lead Media Instructor) for a sociology class at Cascadia Community College on May 12, 2006. I will discuss the relationship between gender inequity and the spread of HIV. I will also discuss the technical, programmatic, and theoretical considerations in using media as a tool for social change. The presentation will include a screening of the BREAKING THE SILENCE video created by teenage girls in St. Lucia.
THE SIDEWALK NEVER ENDS spec trailer I edited recently will screen during a dedicated special event on April 4th at the Northwest Film Forum. The first part of the event, from 6-8pm, is geared toward investors, donors, and publicity. The last part will be a celebration, with wine, food, and friends. The director, various crew and actors will be in attendance. This is a public event, so you are welcome to come!
IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS will have its official Seattle premiere on March 31st at 7pm, at the Cinerama theatre in Belltown. It is the opening night film for the Seattle Arab and Iranian Film Festival, which means you'll need to buy tickets in advance. They go on sale starting March 1st, and the screening could sell out.
Click here to be linked to the box office: http://www.saiff.com/boxoffice.php
James Longley, the director, will be in attendance, along with the rest of the Seattle crew (including me!). The Cinerama is a big, comfy 700-seat theatre with the best screen in town, so it should be a great event!
FIPRESCI (Federation Internationale de la Presse Cinematographique /
International Federation of Film Critics) international film critics' union just gave its special award to IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS.
Also, IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS is currently traveling around the world in various film festivals. Here is a partial listing:
The Film Forum, November 2006 (New York, NY)
Vancouver International Film Festival, September 2006 (Vancouver, Canada)
Deauville American Film Festival, September 2006 (Deauville, France)
Sarajevo Film Festival, August 2006 (Sarajevo, Bosna i Hercegovina)
Melbourne International Film Festival, June 2006 (New York, NY)
Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, June 2006 (New York, NY)
Berkshire International Film Festival, May 2006 (Great Barrington, MA)
Best of Sundance at Brooklyn Academy of Music, May 2006 (New York, NY)
HotDocs Film Festival, May 2006 (Toronto, Canada)
San Francisco International Film Festival, April 2006 (San Francisco, CA)
True/False West, April 2006 (Bellingham, WA)
Istanbul International Film Festival, April 2006 (Istanbul, Turkey)
Full Frame Doc Film Festival, * Grand Jury Award * April 2006 (Durham, NC)
Ivy Film Festival, April 2006 (Great Providence, RI)
Seattle Arab and Iranian Film Festival, March 2006 (Seattle, WA)
Kosmorama Trondheim Int'l Film Festival, March 2006 (Trondheim, Norway)
Cleveland International Film Festival, March 2006 (Cleveland, OH)
*Nesnady & Schwartz Documentary Film Competition Winner*
Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, March 2006 (London, UK)
*Nestor Almendros Award*
Amnesty International Film Festival, March 2006 (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
* Golden MovieSquad Award *
Portland International Film Festival , February 2006 (Portland, Oregon)
Sundance Film Festival, January 2006 (Park City, UT)
* Best Editing, Best Directing, Best Cinematography *
Sundance Film Festival
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Film critic John Powers had some nice things to say about IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS on NPR's Fresh Air show "Screens and Stars Glow at Sundance".
So did the Village Voice.
IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS, a documentary I worked on this past summer as an editor, will premiere at Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. January 2006!
Last summer I helped David Russo with his latest crazy animation project. David Russo is an amazing (obsessed, visionary) artist, so working with him on this project was a special treat for me. I AM (NOT) VAN GOGH premieres as the opening night film for the One Reel Film Festival at Bumbershoot in Seattle. Claim your seat in the theatre on Friday, September 2nd at 7pm.
A misfit artist proposes a film production to a confused arts festival panel. Originally created as a site specific artwork for that same festival (called Bumbershoot).
I've been busy producing and editing a few projects...
One is a short, experimental video poem called ZAPPED, directed by Patricia Boiko, featuring original music by the talented young duo Smoosh. ZAPPED was completed earlier this year and is currently in the festival circuit.
Another project is a feature-length verite documentary in Arabic and Kurdish tentatively titled IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS, directed and co-edited by James Longley -- still in progress.
I am also producing a series a short videos on HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination in the Caribbean for the International Training and Education Center on HIV/AIDS (I-TECH) and the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training (CHART) network.
Last but not least, with the help of an Emerging Leader, scholarship from the National Association for Media Arts and Culture (NAMAC), I will be traveling to Philadelphia in a few weeks for their bi-annual conference. This conference convenes many of the most interesting folks working in the field of media arts acoss the USA. Looking forward to it!
I have been invited to give a presentation about the BREAKING THE SILENCE project (of which I am the Co-Founder and Lead Media Instructor) at Shoreline Community College on April 4th, 2005. The presentation will include a screening of the BREAKING THE SILENCE video created by teenage girls in St. Lucia. After the screening, I will discuss the relationship between gender inequity and the spread of HIV as well as technical, programmatic, and theoretical considerations in using media as a tool for social change. For more information, please contact Holly Klingman at Shoreline's Women's Center. 
TIPS FOR TALKING TO STRANGERS has been selected to screen at the Ms. Films Festival in Durham, North Carolina. The festival runs from February 17th - 20th, 2005. Check out the Ms. Films website for more info.
