DocuClub in February!

Our February DocuClub will take place at DCTV on Wednesday, February 24, 7 p.m. We will screen a rough cut of Paul Goodman Changed My Life by Jonathan Lee. Read more.

Published on February 17

DocuClub Filmmaker Kimberly Reed on Oprah

Kimberly Reed, whose personal documentary Prodigal Sons screened as a rough cut at DocuClub in April 2008, will be a guest of the Oprah Winfrey Show this Thursday, February 11. Check your local listings for air times.

Published on February 11

DocuClub Film OFF AND RUNNING Opening in Theaters, January 29, New York City

Please join DocuClub in celebrating Nicole Opper's Off and Running (DocuClub November 2008) on its theatrical release on January 29 at the IFC Center in New York City.

Please join us on opening night this Friday, January 29th at 8:05 p.m.! Screening is co-hosted by co-hosted by DocuClub, P.O.V., Tribeca All Access, and NYWIFT. There will be a Q&A moderated by Terry Lawler of NYWIFT and an after party at Su Casa (404 Avenue of the Americas/8th Street).

With white Jewish lesbians for parents and two adopted brothers -- one mixed-race and one Korean -- Brooklyn teen Avery grew up in a unique and loving household. When her curiosity about her African-American roots grows, Avery decides to contact her birth mother, which thrusts her into a complicated exploration of race, identity, and family that threatens to distance her from the parents she's always known. But when it seems like her life is unraveling, Avery decides to pick up the pieces and make sense of her identity, with inspiring results.

Recently named one of Filmmaker Magazine's 25 New Faces of Independent Film, director/producer Nicole Opper also produced the five-part television documentary series LSS for Here! Networks, Macky Alston's Emmy-nominated The Killer Within, and Peter Miller's Sacco and Vanzetti. Opper's documentary short, Song of Hannah, is distributed by The National Center for Jewish Film. She has a degree in Film Production from NYU.

Off and Running will open theatrically in New York in January and air nationally on the PBS series P.O.V. later in 2010.

Published on January 28

Media That Matters January Deadline - Extended!

Media That Matters: Screen. Act. Impact.

Arts Engine celebrates ten years of Media That Matters — the premier showcase for short films with big messages.
 
“We no longer have to rely on major corporations for things to be seen — we have Media that Matters to distribute new material and new voices and new points of view.”
— Tim Robbins, Actor
 
Submit your film for the chance to work with us in creating social change through film. If selected, your film will take become a part of Media That Matters — an international, multi-platform campaign streaming and playing to thousands of people at screenings across the globe. Media That Matters creates discussion guides and screening materials to promote conversation and encourage educators, activists and organizers alike to Take Action around these films. Join us in our TENTH year and submit your film now!
 
CRITERIA:

  * Short films — the shorter the better—no longer than 12 minutes max, but 8 and under would be great!
  * Social issues — Any and all issues will be considered. This year we are focusing on Media Literacy, Human Rights, LGBTQ & Sexual Identity, Youth Activism and International issues in particular.
  * The film should encourage the audience to be engaged and take action around the issue.
  * All genres — Documentary, animation, public service announcement, narrative, music video, drama, comedy. Creativity is encouraged — but your film must focus on a social issue.
  * Open to all ages — Youth-produced projects encouraged!
 
BEFORE SUBMITTING:

  * The film you are submitting must be cleared for NON EXCLUSIVE home video, educational, online, broadcast and theatrical distribution. If you have signed a contract with any other entity for this film that includes EXCLUSIVE rights to this film, please review prior to submitting to our festival. Media That Matters seeks the widest possible audiences for your film. To do this effectively, we use a non-exclusive contract, so unlike many media entities, we do not ask for exclusive rights. This flexibility helps our outreach team go further with your film, creating even more opportunity for distribution and exposure of your work.
  * All footage — including music and other referenced video pieces — must have all rights cleared and secured. Please refer to the Center for Social Media’s set of Best Practices for more information on how to use licensed materials. Creative Commons is also a great resource for license-free or flexi-licensed music and media alternatives.
 
HOW TO SUBMIT:

Step 1: Choose submission method:

*Submit via URL
This year we will be accepting online submissions. We prefer a link to watch online. Please remember to send us a password if necessary to view private videos. You can follow guidelines on Vimeo or Youtube for this.
* Submit via DVD
Submissions must be sent to us on DVD and programmed to play as a DVD Region 0 (region free) or Region 1 (US, Canada, US Territories) Please note that the following formats will not be considered this year: PAL, VHS, mini DV or CD-R (QuickTime MOV or MPG files).

Step 2: Fill out details in the film submission form for each film.

Step 3: Process payment (see submission fees below):

* Individual Filmmaker: $25 / each film submission; Max: 2 submissions
* Student Filmmaker (18+): $10 w/ Student ID; Max: 2 submissions
* Youth Filmmaker (18 & under): FREE w/ proof of age; Max: 2 submissions
* Non-profit / Youth Media Organization: FREE; Max: 5 submissions

Step 4: Your submission will be complete once you receive a confirmation email including a reference number for each film and any further instructions.

Regular Deadline Postmarked by: January 22nd 2010

Extended Deadline Postmarked by: January 29nd 2010

Questions?
Contact festival@artsengine.net

Published on January 13

DocuClub in January

Our January DocuClub will take place on Wednesday, January 27, 7 p.m., at the 92YTribeca. We will screen a rough cut of Up Heartbreak Hill by Erica Scharf. Read more by visiting the Docuclub webpage.

Published on January 12

Pushing The Elephant Awarded Two Post-Production Grants!

Pushing The Elephant was recently awarded two grants for post-production from The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and from The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program. We are so grateful and excited for these grants and cannot wait to finish up this exciting new project.

Published on December 17

Stimulus for 2010

We are asking you, as a friend of Arts Engine, to be our end-of-year stimulus—not just because we might be one of your favorite charitable organizations, but also as acknowledgment of Arts Engine’s resilience in 2009. Please donate.

Arts Engine highlights from 2009 include:

• MediaRights.org launched its new feature 90-Second Cinema, which highlights the art and craft in social-issue film. 90-Second Cinema has been one of the highest viewed features of our monthly newsletter. Watch the most recent installment.

• The Jury Award winner from Arts Engine’s 2009 Media That Matters collection, The Next Wave by Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger, tells the story of the Carteret islanders’ struggle to relocate due to rising ocean levels. As part of the 2009 Media That Matters collection, the film has screened at dozens of venues and thousands have watched it online. Watch the short film.

• This summer the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) honored Rose Mapendo as the “Humanitarian of the Year.” Arts Engine's next Big Mouth film, Pushing The Elephant, documents Rose as a mother, survivor and a Congolese refugee who has succeeded against all odds. The finished film will depict the making of a new movement for transitional justice, a profound and global shift in the rules of the game, where refugees themselves become advocates for transformative diplomacy. Watch the trailer.

Pushing The Elephant, The Next Wave and 90-Second Cinema are examples of how Arts Engine programs stimulate dialogue in multiple arenas. Arts Engine is a trusted source of media that matters. We drive change by connecting film, technology and community. Please donate.

Remember, our strength in numbers and your donation will make a difference. Your contribution matters immensely. If you and the rest of our social-issue media community make a contribution of just $10, we will have a running start to bring valuable stories to wider audiences in 2010. Thank you.

Published on December 14

Docuclub in December!

Our December DocuClub will feature Jill Morley’s FIGHTING IT. The screening will take place at Goldcrest Post on Wednesday, December 2, 7 p.m. Read more.

Published on December 02