Community Cinema DC: The Great Connector

You may remember our Washington, DC area Regional Outreach Coordinator, Michon Boston, from her recent appearance on WUSA9′s morning news. If you’ve been to one of our DC area events, you’ll recognize her as the person who keeps the movie rolling and the conversation going. In celebration of 4 years of Community Cinema, Michon shares one of her favorite aspects of working with Community Cinema.

If you miss Community Cinema DC you miss an opportunity to meet and mingle with some great people in the DC area who bring their knowledge, stories, and even listening ears when they take the mic for the Q&A. Community Cinema seeks out these experts, educators, and anyone digging deeper for more information about a sensitive topic. Sometimes we connect, they connect, and we all reconnect at future events.

For our first YOUNG@HEART screening at Busboys and Poets just a few weeks ago, we welcomed Douglas Yeuell, executive/artistic director of Joy of Motion Dance Center, which has 4 dance studios in our city. Douglas was joined by Adrienne Price, a member of his dance ensemble, Jazzemotion. Adrienne studied dance before life took another course (marriage, children, career), now she’s back. Joy of Motion’s motto is “dance is for everyone.” That’s no joke, especially this past Halloween when Joy of Motion hosted a ‘Thriller” line dance event from their H Street studios.

Pauline Jakobsberg is a founder of Washington Printmakers Gallery which has been around since 1985. Pauline is a printmaker herself and a teacher. She’s worked with seniors with dementia. Art has a way of triggering memories; and that was no exception in Pauline’s experiences. One member of our audience said all the people on the panel were “inspirational.”

It’s always a treat when filmmakers come to Community Cinema events like Kembrew McLeod for COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS. But this season I was glad to have a chance to work with Mazi Mutafa founder and executive director of Words Beats & Life, Inc. His organization publishes a dynamic academic journal on hip hop. Mazi and I have bumped into each other at arts events, but this is the first time we’ve actually worked on something together. Hopefully, there will be more to come. More people should get to know Mazi and the work of WBL, Inc.

We also had some dynamic lawyers on our COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS events like Peter Jaszi of the Washington College of Law at American University. Jaszi is brilliant when it comes to fair use and documentary film and video. He’s about to take it to the music level. Jaszi advised the filmmakers of COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS on fair use issues; and Ken Kaufman currently with the law firm of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP. Ken has a lot of music copyright and intellectual property stories in his book including getting the first calls from soul brother number one James Brown with complaints about hearing his music in the hip hop mixes. At the time Ken was Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs and General Counsel of PolyGram Records, Inc.

Sometimes, friends or relatives of friends save the day for Community Cinema like Gloria Kim, who has been making origami boxes for 3 years. I know Gloria through her sister Eugenia who just published her first novel, The Calligrapher’s Daughter (picked one of the Best Books of 2009 by the Washington Post). Gloria gave a hands-on, challenging, lesson on making one of her octagon boxes at both the Busboys and Poets and Mathematical Association screenings of BETWEEN THE FOLDS.

But the real reward for me is to see collaborations in the making after each screening. DC is a networking maze. How the business cards can pile up on your table. But Community Cinema provides a relaxed, informal way to connect firstly through the film, then across the room.

Malcolm Gladwell author of The Tipping Point and other best sellers called “connectors” – “the kinds of people who know everyone and possess special gifts for bringing the world together.” After all, isn’t that what Community Cinema is all about?

Tags: Between The Folds, Copyright Criminals, dc, free events, young@heart

GenerationEngage in the Silicon Valley: Engaging Youth Through Media

Producing Partners are local community organizations that co-present Community Cinema screenings across the country. We partner with various chapters of GenerationEngage throughout the country. Jaime Contreras, Community Director for GenerationEngage in the Silicon Valley fills us in on the his history with Community Cinema.

This is our third season with the Community Cinema program. It has been an incredibly valuable tool for our organization. As an organization that promotes civic engagement opportunities to the public, ITVS has provided the type of films that inspire our members to “think globally and act locally.”

What distinguishes the Community Cinema program from other efforts is that each film comes with a plethora of information and resources to share with the audience on how to get more involved. We use this guide as a starting point for our audience members to engage, but also find local programs that address the particular issues covered in the films and where they can volunteer afterward.

In the coming months, we will be working closely with community college classrooms to use the Community Cinema films as a teaching tool. Students will work in groups to organize screenings from A to Z from scheduling the venue, to securing panelists, crafting the post-film discussions, and of course inviting program providers that speak the the film topic.

These service-learning projects are aimed to build student’s community leadership capacity and to reach out to a greater number of their peers in a manner in which is both educating and entertaining.

Jaime Contreras
Community Director
GenerationEngage Silicon Valley

Tags: documentary, generation engage, san jose, silicon valley

Feeling Young At Heart This Holiday Season

As a gift to our audiences, Community Cinema presented the heart-warming and inspiring hit documentary YOUNG@HEART this December. Many of our over 42 free events included live performances. Exceptional seniors shared their talents and personal stories of courage, persistence, and triumph in the face of adversity. If you are lucky enough to live in Denver, you have one more chance to attend a free Community Cinema event tonight at the Starz Film Center. A few more events occur in January.

Our national partners create unique ways for audiences to learn more about the link between creativity, culture, and aging. The mission of the National Center for Creative Aging is to foster an understanding of the vital relationship between creative expression and healthy aging and to developing programs that build on this understanding. Learn more about their public awareness campaign “The Art of Aging: Creativity Matters” and the center’s free online resource guide “Creativity Matters: The Arts and Aging Toolkit.”

Local partners connect our audiences with “on the ground” resources to turn the passion they experience during the film into action in their community. Audience members have said after an event, “I’m going to look for a local choir for my husband!” and “Made me want to join a chorus even if I can’t sing.” Our partners included such distinguished and esteemed partners as the Jazz Institute of Chicago, WTTW Channel 11, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center (BMAC), KETC, the Missouri History Museum, the SIFF Cinema at Seattle Center, the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Office of Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn, Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, San Pedro Chamber of Commerce, and Project:Involve. Project:Involve’s mission is to foster diversity in the film industry and to promote independent film making.

Our events included many super seniors who keep young at heart by performing their talents into their 70′s, 80′s, 90′s, and beyond. Watch videos and see photos from our events. › Continue reading

Tags: documentary, senior citizen, young@heart

Independent Lens Kicks-off Winter/Spring Season with Four Acclaimed Music Documentaries

This winter, Independent Lens, hosted by Maggie Gyllenhaal, launches the second half of the 2009/2010 season with four weeks of compelling documentaries that explore both the art and business of modern music. If you’ve been attending Community Cinema this past Fall then you’ve previewed a few of these films for free. Be sure to tell your friends to watch when your favorites air on PBS.

The slate includes the television premieres of Stephen Walker’s critical and box office smash YOUNG@HEART, an inspiring portrait of the indomitable members of a New England senior citizens chorus who cover musicians from The Clash to Prince; Benjamin Franzen and Kembrew McLeod’s COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS, which examines the creative and commercial value of musical sampling, including the related debates over artistic expression, copyright law and money; and Gabriel Noble’s P-STAR RISING, a gritty, personal look at Priscilla Diaz, a.k.a P-Star, a determined young Harlem rapper trying to fulfill her family’s dreams of success. Also airing is an encore presentation of Byron Hurt’s HIP HOP: Beyond Beats And Rhymes, one of Independent Lens’s biggest hits, a film that goes beyond the bling to explore gender roles in hip-hop and rap music.

› Continue reading

Tags: Copyright Criminals, independent film, Independent Lens, music, P-Star, pbs, young@heart

Community Classroom In Idaho

As a celebration of four years of Community Cinema at the holiday season, we asked our event producers and producing partners to share reflections on past events. Lynn Allen is our ITVS Regional Outreach Coordinator for Idaho. She shares a story about presenting Community Classroom at a statewide conference.

I was excited by the opportunity to present Community Classroom resources to high school social studies teachers at a statewide in-service conference. The teachers enthusiastic response to the Classroom resources was gratifying. They appreciated the attention to detail in each video package and the ability to use a DVD or download the video clips online.

I used a video clip from TAKING ROOT, the documentary about Wangari Maathai and the Greenbelt Movement in Kenya. Watch the clips from TAKING ROOT used in the Community Classroom video modules.

We followed it up with the “tree” activity (PDF document 2.7 MB) using a local issue — a superfund clean up site in north Idaho. Being able to use a local issue in the activity really brought the activity to life for the teachers.

The teachers were very excited to get these wonderful free resources. There were three student helpers at the presentation and they really got into all the clips and activities, which made quite an impression on the teachers!  I was pleased to have been able to bring these teachers and students and activities together.  Community Classroom is a way to engage students through thought-provoking film clips and turn their reaction into action.

Tags: Community Classroom, Idaho, taking root, teachers

Community Cinema Beats the Winter Blues in Colorado

As a celebration of four years of Community Cinema at the holiday season, we asked our event producers and producing partners to share reflections on past events.  Allison Inman is our ITVS National Community Cinema Coordinator based in Nashville…. now. But, Allison has also supported Community Cinema in Colorado and Louisiana. She shares what’s going on in Colorado these days and also a little of the history of the program.

Colorado loves Cinema! If you’ll pardon the pun, ITVS Community Cinema is snowballing in Colorado, which means more free documentary screenings every month across the state. Thanks to statewide network Rocky Mountain PBS and local libraries and colleges, Colorado’s Community Cinema offerings have grown from two cities to eight – from bustling downtown Denver to mountain hideaway Steamboat Springs.

When I worked at Rocky Mountain PBS in 2006, my colleague Kurt Christopher returned from PBS Showcase excited to do Community Cinema in Denver. As we put together our first season – documentaries about Sesame Street, democracy and the press, Israeli/Palestinian relations (and girl power), living with disability, hip hop, fair trade, and religious freedom – we loved showing viewers that PBS was more than just television. Community Cinema – an outreach project in a kit – helped us bring people together to not only watch but to share their opinions and be heard.

Free Community Cinema screenings now happen monthly in Denver, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction, Montrose, Fruita, Steamboat Springs and Palisade. Screenings take place in art movie houses, on college campuses and in libraries. Some are elaborate events with receptions, panel discussions, performances and activities; others are intimate conversations over coffee. That’s the beauty of Community Cinema. It’s flexible. It’s fun. It’s a worthwhile trip out of the house when you’re snowbound. And it doesn’t cost a dime. If you live in Colorado, visit Rocky Mountain PBS online to find a screening near you. Don’t see one? Start your own. Learn how.

Tags: colorado, denver, rmpbs, rocky mountain pbs

KING CORN Changed My Life

As a celebration of four years of Community Cinema at the holiday season, we asked our event producers and producing partners to share reflections on past events.  Desiree Gutierrez is our ITVS National Community Cinema Coordinator based in the Los Angeles area. Desiree shares her thoughts on how the Community Cinema selection KING CORN changed her life.

I think it’s safe to say that most kids in America grow up on a diet of frozen chicken fingers, processed macaroni and cheese, and soda. My childhood was different in that my parents had met in cooking school and operated a catering business. So, I not only grew up working for the family business, but I was also exposed to a variety of food types. In fact, I’ve been cooking since I was five (my first specialty was an egg over easy).

My parents taught me that quality food was about love and care in the preparation. Only recently have I learned that quality food includes knowing a foods source and growing conditions. For the last three years, I have worked as a National Community Cinema Coordinator and in 2008 while organizing events for the film KING CORN, I began to learn about the effects of public policy on food and farming in America. While working on KING CORN I was simultaneously reading Michael Pollan’s, “The Omnivores Dilemma.” These two pieces of media inspired a food awakening within me. Rather suddenly, my concepts about quality food dramatically shifted.

I was trying to make sense of and prioritize such concepts as fresh, local, organic, sustainable, cage free, and grass fed. I also began to learn some startling health facts related to food. For example, I belong to the first generation in history to have a projected life span shorter than my parents. Also, according to a report by the CDC, within a decade 40-45% of school age children will likely have diabetes and be insulin dependent. Many scientists believe these shifts in health are directly related to the shift in the American diet, which is now comprised largely of processed foods derived from subsidized commodities such as corn and soy.

Thanks to KING CORN, I am not only eating differently, but I am also seeking to change the policies that impact the quality of food we eat. I am currently volunteering with Mudtown Farms in Watts, CA. Mudtown is the name for a 2.5 acre farm that is being developed in Watts as part of a movement to bring fresh produce into an urban food desert. I will also be starting a Certificate in Sustainability program at UCLA this January and hope to start earning a Masters in Public Policy this Fall.

Watch a video clip of the KING CORN filmmakers on GOOD MORNING AMERICA in March 2008.

Tags: community cinema, king corn, los angeles

Day of Jazz at the Chicago Cultural Center

This past Saturday, Community Cinema hosted a truly one-of-a-kind event for the film YOUNG@HEART in Chicago at the Chicago Cultural Center. ITVS National Community Cinema Coordinator, Naomi Walker, shares her experience at the event.

Thanks to our wonderful partners the Jazz Institute of Chicago who teamed up with Community Cinema, WTTW Channel 11 and The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs to present YOUNG@HEART and a day of jazz greats young and old at the Chicago Cultural Center.

The events began at 12:15 with a concert by Chicago Public School’s All-City Youth Jazz Ensemble. The young people showed their dedication, passion and talent and showed us the wide range of jazz forms. Shaunese Teamer, Manager of Community Outreach and National Publicity at WTTW invited the young musicians and their families and friends to a reception after the concert. The Ensemble and their fans mingled with WTTW members in the beautiful rotunda at the Cultural Center. Our guest speakers all met at the reception to the delight of the jazz aficionados in the crowd. Jazz legends Fred Anderson, Mwata Bowden,  and Willie Pickens have all known each other for years. Mwata and Willie have made regular appearances and Fred’s famous club, The Velvet Lounge.

Over 150 people braved the shopping hordes and the snow to come downtown for the free screening of YOUNG@HEART.

Shaunese Teamer welcomed the crowd and gave a hearty kudos to Independent Lens for its 10+ years of groundbreaking programming.

Audience members commented that the film inspired them to want to go into show business and take to the stage. Here are some of their other comments from after the event.

“I’m going to look for a local choir for my husband!”

“Made me want to join a chorus even if I can’t sing.”

“Their singing keeps them going. That gives them something to live for.”

“IT WAS SUPERB! Made our holiday great.”

After the film, the jazz legends came onstage and shared their stories of persistence, passion and their secrets of longevity. Jazz was in its infancy when they were starting out, so there was no one to really show them the way. Now each of them make it a point to mentor the young musicians. Willie and Mwata each spoke of the great contribution that the Velvet Lounge has made in giving jazz musicians young and old a place to experiment with the form and continually push the envelope. Earlier this year, both Mwata and Willie participated in a star-studded tribute to Fred Anderson on his 80th birthday, where Fred’s compositions were performed by a large orchestra in Millenium Park.

Multi-instrumentalist Mwata Bowden spoke about passion.

Pianist Willie Pickens explained that constantly exploring such a vast art form keeps one young at heart.

Tenor saxophonist Fred Anderson shared his formula for survival.

All photos by photographer Fred Hickler. Thanks, Fred!  Thank you too to our partners and to the folks who joined us for this day of exploring youth and maturity in jazz.

Tags: chicago, jazz, music, young@heart

Last Chance To Catch YOUNG@HEART For Free at Community Cinema

There are five free screenings of the hit documentary YOUNG@HEART left in 2009, and four of them are this weekend. Our event in Chicago features legendary jazz musicians speaking about their lives, careers, and how they stay hep at heart. The event is at 2:00PM at the beautiful and historic Chicago Cultural Center at 78 East Washington Street.

Sunday, December 20 you have your choice of three free events to choose from. If you live in Tucson, Jamaica Plain, or DC check out the events in your neck of the woods. Events feature the film YOUNG@HEART accompanied by a variety of performances, speakers, and super seniors who can explore the deeper meaning and current relevance of the film in each local community.

One screening event left in December on the 29th if you’re lucky enough to live in or near Denver, Colorado. Join us at the Starz FilmCenter located at 9th Street and Auraria Parkway at 7:00 PM.

Stay tuned to the Community Cinema blog for updates and information. We’ll be showing the fascinating documentary GARBAGE DREAMS throughout January.

Tags: chicago, documentary, film, young@heart

Welcome Community Cinema Columbus To The Ground-Breaking National Program

Producing Partners are local community organizations that co-present Community Cinema screenings across the country. This past Tuesday, Producing Partner WOSU Public Media presented YOUNG@HEART at the Gerlach Center for Senior Health. Marcelita Haskins, Director of Educational Services for WOSU Public Media fills us in on the event.

Many signs point to a truly energizing and heartwarming Community Cinema event yesterday. Thirty-two people filled the room and many lingered to continue conversations after the scheduled event concluded.

With regard to keeping busy and involved, a 90-year old woman opened the dialogue by telling the group that she’d had a very busy schedule the day before going from one meeting to another covering politics, theology and socialization. “The only thing I did not have time for was sex…but it was already 8:30 and I was tired.”

The discussion centered on the stereotypes associated with aging and how easily they can be broken and dispelled. Participants in the discussion agreed that a sense of purpose drew the choir members together and strongly motivated them notwithstanding physical, health, and other problems.

The seeming contradiction between singers in their eighties (and older) and rock/punk music added much to the appeal of the documentary for our audience.

The film was affirming to the audience (many of whom are the age of the choir members). Many talked about engaging with the community and the continuing pursuit of activities they love including volunteering and helping others.

Several people commented on how well-received YOUNG@HEART would be by high school students. And, I agree!

Thanks to everyone who came out and made this event such a success.

Marcelita G. Haskins, Ph.D.
Director of Educational Services
WOSU Public Media

Tags: columbus oh, WOSU, young@heart