Journey to the West is an exploration of the ways in which Traditional Chinese Medicine—including acupuncture, herbs, and martial arts—is being practiced in the 21st century. From a self-taught herbalist in the Himalayan foothills to an experimental acupuncture clinic treating Parkinson’s patients in California, the film examines what the popularity of traditional Chinese medicine says about the meeting of Eastern and Western cultures. Journey to the West also features Zhongxian Wu, a renowned master of Qigong, martial arts, Chinese medicine, Yijing science, Chinese calligraphy, and ancient Chinese music. Shot in China and the U.S., this documentary introduces viewers to an engaging array of different practitioners, and illustrates how this traditional medicine is deeply rooted within a Chinese philosophic system that unites art, mind and body.

In the tiny village of Old Crow, eighty miles north of the Arctic Circle, a father and son are reunited after a lifetime apart. They share a name and a bloodline, but the worlds they know and the lifestyles they lead are as different as their respective hometown climates. Stanley Sr., a distant, philosophical figure to his son, keeps the ways of his Gwitchin ancestors alive by hunting, fishing and living by his wits in the harsh Arctic environment. Raised in Washington State, Stanley Jr. immerses himself in hip hop music and video games and is drifting deeper into drugs and alcohol. Embedded within this moving father-son story is a larger exploration of the complex relationship between tradition and modernity; old and young; nature and pop culture; addiction and independence; and the bigger question we all embark on at one point or another--the need to know who we are and where we belong.

DVD includes interview with Director Andrew Walton and additional scenes.

This film contains graphic images and strong language. A family-friendly version will be available in Spring 2008.

Nuyorican Dream chronicles the struggles and aspirations of the Torres-Gutierrez clan, a Puerto Rican family trying to rise above and stick together in New York. But the effects of urban poverty run deep: eldest son Robert suffers alienation after becoming the first family member to graduate from college; siblings Beti and Tati deal with drug addiction; and mother Marta resorts to selling her homemade pasteles to support the extended family. Nuyorican Dream is not just about “making it” in America, but about making it with the family intact.

Brother Born Again is an intimate documentary about Julia Pimsleur’s attempt to reconnect with her only brother, Marc, a born again Christian who spent ten years living with his spiritual family on a remote island in Alaska. Julia, a bisexual Jewish New Yorker, travels to Alaska to try to understand why Marc dropped out of college and converted to Christianity. With warmth and humor, this film explores what makes us who we are and what makes us family.

Full of Special Features, including:

• Additional Scenes:
  
  • Governor George Ryan’s Clemency Speech
  • Interview with Governor George Ryan
  • Gabriel Solache and the Vienna Convention
  • Furman v. Georgia: Donald Schneble
  • Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation: Mamie Till Mobley
• Interview with directors Katy Chevigny and Kirsten Johnson
• Capital punishment in the United States timeline
• Filmmaker biographies
• Glossary of legal terms
• Additional resources
• Closed captioning for the hearing impaired
• Spanish subtitles
• …and more

Order now on Amazon, and receive a 30% discount. VHS tapes are also available for purchase. Please contact bigmouth@artsengine.net for more information.

Arts Engine brings you sixteen innovative shorts by independent and youth filmmakers from across the country and around the world. These films will make you think, make you laugh and move you to take action. Find inspiration, motivate your students, galvanize your community – there are hundreds of ways to participate all year long!

Download the FREE Teacher’s Guide and other materials for your screening!

An image captures a feeling, a story shares a message, a movie becomes a movement. Media That Matters brings you 16 inspiring films by youth and independent filmmakers committed to changing the world, in 8 minutes or less.

Download the FREE Teacher’s Guide and other materials for your screening!

To get the Educational Price ($125), click here.

Based on EVC’s two decades of experience, Youth-Powered Video offers a collection of over 200 pages of lesson plans, handouts, assessment rubrics, and model student journals.

Two DVDs accompany this guide. One DVD shows EVC teachers and students engaged in the curriculum lessons. The other DVD offers clips from EVC youth-produced documentaries.

• Easy To Use No prior video experience necessary
• Adaptable Use for an individual activity, a week-long unit, or an entire semester
• Standards-Based Curriculum fulfills both national and New York State education standards
• An Excellent Resource for middle school and high school teachers, teachers in training, and out-of-school program instructors

Ready to be inspired? In the fifth annual Media That Matters Film Festival hip-hop activists, dancing peanuts and clay-mation teenagers tackle today’s most pressing social issues. These films will make you think, make you laugh, and move you to take action. Find inspiration, motivate your students and galvanize your community by screening the festival DVD in your classroom, family room or community center!

Download the FREE Teacher’s Guide and other materials for your screening!

Culture-jamming, food politics, environmental justice--the Media That Matters Film Festival tackles all these issues and more. This jam-packed DVD features sixteen jury-selected films by independent and youth producers. The collection of animation, documentary, and experimental shorts is the perfect tool for a screening in your community center, library, classroom or living room!

Download the FREE Teacher’s Guide and other materials for your screening!

The third annual Media That Matters Film Festival DVD has been distributed to thousands of activists and teachers around the country. Featuring 11 shorts and 4 new media works, our first DVD compilation is a great way to start discussions on environmental protection, school bullying, safe sex, discrimination and more. Special features include “Tips for Hosting a Screening” and behind-the-scenes shorts. Diane Wilson, A Warrior’s Tale is not available on this DVD.

Ready for some film for thought? Arts Engine brings you a collection of short films on food and sustainability. From singing peanuts to teenage tomato-growers, these films will make you laugh, make you think and inspire you to take action for a healthy, sustainable and delicious future.

DocuClub is a film screening series of works-in-progress documentaries. Each month, a filmmaker presents a rough cut of her film. Afterwards, a moderator facilitates a discussion between filmmaker and audience. Constructive feedback from these sessions informs the finished film. Past films that have been screened at DocuClub include Born Into Brothels, The Boys of Baraka, and Metallica: Some Kind of Monster.

For a recurring yearly fee of $40, DocuClub members can attend all monthly screenings. Become a DocuClub member now!

The Independent Producers’ Outreach Toolkit is a step-by-step guide to planning grassroots distribution. The toolkit will show you how to maximize impact while minimizing costs. Learn the secrets of outreach leaders and start creating your own success stories!  Learn more.

Looking for some one-on-one advice on your outreach, distribution and fundraising strategies? Sign up for an Outreach Consultation with an Arts Engine staff person. We will watch your film in advance and research potential funders and partners. During the one-hour session, you will get advice on defining your audience, and guidance on planning and fundraising for your outreach and distribution campaign.

Buy a 1-hour Consultation

Once you purchase the consultation, contact us to schedule your session.