documentary
YOUNG@HEART Was Community Cinema’s Holiday Gift To Our Audiences
Young@Heart director Bob Cilman doing a run-through of the James Brown classic "I Feel Good"
As a gift to our audiences, Community Cinema presented the heart-warming and inspiring hit documentary YOUNG@HEART this past December 2009. 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.
Our national partners created 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.”
WTTW Reception for young musicians and their families at the Chicago Cultural Center
Local partners connected 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
Summer Film Series to Address Women Creating Change
Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai, by Lisa Merton and Alan Dater, is part of the summer film series in select cities.
When women and girls are provided with opportunities for education and jobs, access to health care services, and are a vital voice in governance, we can make great strides in addressing serious social issues such as poverty, violence, and political corruption. There has never been a better time than now to use film as a tool to shine a light on women and girls who are affecting change around the world.
This summer in more than 10 cities across the country, ITVS will be partnering with local public television stations and community organizations to present a special series of screenings that will highlight issues affecting women across the globe and in communities here in the U.S. Previous Community Cinema audience favorites such as Taking Root, Iron Ladies of Liberia , and Shadya will be featured among the 15-plus films selected for this exciting series of events.
Partner organizations include the Chicago Foundation for Women, Seattle University Women Studies Program, Priority Africa Network ,and the City of Los Angeles. Among the cities in which the screenings will be held: Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Nashville, Louisville, Rochester, New York, St.Louis, and Denver.
Stay tuned here for event listings. Follow us on Twitter or become a fan to be the first to receive updates on these and other upcoming events!
Community Cinema Rocks the Bay Area
Sara Brissenden-Smith, regional outreach coordinator for the Bay Area, gives us highlights from a season of Community Cinema screenings.
I just completed my first full season of Community Cinema — that’s 18 screenings, with more than 30 community partners, 40 panelists, and more than 1,000 audience members.
A DJ spins at the Copyright Criminals screening in Oakland
Copyright Criminals brought out some of our most energetic and diverse viewers. People flooded into the theater and almost immediately lost themselves in the music. Maybe it’s because I’m a hip hop fan, but having youth DJs mixing Lauryn Hill and Tribe Called Quest started my night off right. Law students, hip hop enthusiasts, teenagers, established authors, and DJs all contributed to conversations about artistic expression, creative ownership, and the overall impact on hip hop.
Our Own “Super Tuesday” for A Village Called Versailles: 6 Screenings Today!
A village called Versailles rises from the destruction of Hurricane Katrina
Community Cinema is having our own “Super Tuesday” today with six screenings of our May documentary selection, A Village Called Versailles. The film has been a festival-circuit hit all year. The link above will connect you to all of our upcoming free screenings as well as our free downloadable discussion guide. The guide will give you background information, a statement from the film’s director S. Leo Chiang, and resources you can use to support Versailles and your own community.
Please join us!
San Francisco, California at 5:45 PM
San Francisco Main Public Library, Koret Auditorium
100 Larkin St. 94102
Queens, New York at 6:00 PM
Al Oerter Recreation Center
131-40 Fowler Ave
Manhattan, NYC at 7:30 PM
East 54th Street Recreation Center
348 East 54th St. 10033
Rochester, New York at 7:00 PM
WXXI
280 State St. 14614
Houston, Texas at 7:00 PM
Rice Cinema hosted by HoustonPBS
6100 Main St. 77030
Event Web site »
Montrose, Colorado at 7:30 PM
Hosted by Rocky Mountain PBS
Montrose Regional Library
320 South 2nd St. 81401
Here’s a clip from the film.
The Eyes Of Me Finishes Community Cinema Run And Airs Tomorrow
Throughout the month of February, Community Cinema welcomed thousands of guests to our 47 free screening events for Keith Maitland’s documentary The Eyes Of Me. The Eyes of me airs tomorrow Tuesday, March 2 on Independent Lens at 10:00 PM on most PBS stations (check local listings).
Filmmaker Keith Maitland attended our screening in Houston presented locally by HoustonPBS. He shares his experience at the event.
Patrick Floyd (left), the producer of The Eyes of Me, and Keith Maitland (right), the director, at the HoustonPBS Community Cinema Screening of their film.
“With more than 125 audience members in attendance –– many of them blind or visually-impaired –– HoustonPBS hosted a wonderful Community Cinema screening of The Eyes of Me. It’s always exciting for me to be able to sit in a crowded theater and share the film with a new audience but there was something very special about this particular screening. Along with producer Patrick Floyd, I was happy to travel to Houston from Austin, Texas, to experience Community Cinema firsthand. Meagan McComic (one of the main characters from the film) and Bill Daugherty, superintendent of the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI), joined Patrick and I on the panel after the film, to share their reflections and perspectives with the Houston community –– many of whom had ties to TTSBVI directly. Two of the audience members were alumni of TSBVI –– Michael Garrett, class of ’69, and Bernice Klepak, class of ’55. It was exciting to hear Michael and Bernice’s response to the film, and the contrasts between their days at the school and the stories of Chas, Meagan, Denise, and Isaac represented in the film. Bernice was impressed with how honest and natural today’s students were compared to her days when she feels that they were all “pretty straight-laced.”
Meagan McComic (right), one of the subjects of The Eyes of Me, with her mom at the HoustonPBS Community Cinema screening.
At this screening, as we have done at all of our festival screenings before this, we were able to offer live audio description through the use of wireless receivers and transmitters. This system (provided by a grant from the Austin Film Society) gives blind and visually-impaired audience members the opportunity to hear an additional audio track that offers visual information, and reads onscreen text, so that users can experience the film as fully as any audience member. Use of this technology offers accessibility and also educates sighted audience members about accessibility. It’s not surprising that most people have never heard of or considered audio description, we didn’t know about it before making the film either, but I’m happy to be an advocate for accessible media and accessible websites too! (Our website, http://EyesofMe.com, is fully accessible via use of screen reading software, and we offer a fully accessible trailer that is both audio described, and open captioned for the hearing impaired.) What made Community Cinema such a great screening event was that the audience was so active and engaged. The Q&A following the film was a mixture of questions and comments about the film, the specific characters and stories, as well as how themes within the film affected the local community. It was exactly what we’ve hoped Community Cinema would be –– it was wonderful. Thanks so much HoustonPBS.”
Read on for more event highlights, exclusive video, and broadcast information. › Continue reading
Dirt! The Movie Asks You to Watch What You Are Stepping On
Vandana Shiva - Environmental activist - India
Community Cinema invites you to join us for Dirt! The Movie starting today in Brooklyn, New York and then screening for free daily throughout the country in March.
It’s under our feet and under our fingernails, but what is it? And how did it get there? Inspired by William Bryant Logan’s acclaimed book Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth, find out how industrial farming, mining and urban development have led us toward cataclysmic droughts, starvation, floods and climate change. Dirt is a part of everything we eat, drink and breathe. Which is why we should stop treating it like, well…dirt.
Our national partners create ways for audiences to learn more about the issues raised in the film and “get dirty” through environmental service learning projects and be part of imagining solutions for a sustainable future.
Bioneers is inspiring a shift to live on Earth in ways that honor the web of life, each other and future generations. Bioneers provides solutions-based education and social connectivity through the Bioneers national and local conferences and programs, including: The Bioneers: Revolution From the Heart of Nature radio series; anthology book series; television programs and online community.
Youth Service America improves communities by increasing the number and the diversity of young people, ages 5-25, serving in substantive roles. The impact of YSA’s work through service and service-learning is measured in student achievement, workplace readiness, and healthy communities.
Find your event! And, read on for more about dirt and Dirt! The Movie. Watch video clips and more! › Continue reading
Critics Pick Favorite Docs of the Decade. What Were Your Favorites?
What were the best documentary films of the past decade? One thing is certain — it’s not an easy task to narrow the list down. Fans of Community Cinema and Independent Lens have probably seen quite a few of the films on the lists. Community Cinema links below connect you to special materials, guides, and information about the film.
Good thing there are film critics who reflect back every ten years and compile lists of their own. Check out some of their favorites below, which include several ITVS funded documentaries and Independent Lens broadcasts. Have you seen these films? Do you agree with the critics? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. We love to hear from you! Release your inner critic.
Paste Magazine: 25 Best Documentaries of the Decade
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005) – Independent Lens
By Alex Gibney
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room chronicles a corporate disaster in which top executives from the seventh largest U.S. company walked away with over one billion dollars.
Waltz with Bashir (2008)
By Ari Folman
Former Israeli soldier and animator Ari Folman attempts to decipher the horror he witnessed in a 1982 massacre of thousands of Palestinian refugees by Christian militia.
GenerationEngage in the Silicon Valley: Engaging Youth Through Media
A GenerationEngage volunteer greets guests at last season's CRIPS AND BLOODS: Made In America event
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.”
A GenerationEngage volunteer shows his solidarity with one of the subjects of the film ASK NOT
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.
Questions and comments are welcome at our events.
Jaime Contreras
Community Director
GenerationEngage Silicon Valley
Feeling Young At Heart This Holiday Season
Young@Heart director Bob Cilman doing a run-through of the James Brown classic "I Feel Good"
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.”
WTTW Reception for young musicians and their families at the Chicago Cultural Center
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
Last Chance To Catch YOUNG@HEART For Free at Community Cinema
Members of the Young@Heart Chorus enjoying a rehearsal
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.
Stay Connected
Program Tools
Community Cinema on Twitter
-
communitycinema: #Compost THIS! Cow/horse manure (outdoors only), cardboard rolls, chopped leaves, coffee grounds (worms love these) MORE: http://dld.bz/kSXD
-
Jenn Wilcox: RT @GlobalFundWomen: In #SF nxt wk? Come to the Womens #Empowerment #FilmFestival to watch inspiring films abt #women @communitycinema @IMOW http://bit.ly/bjZuPz
-
Simon Kilmurry: RT @communitycinema: Women's Engagement Film Series NEXT MONTH! Partners incl @unfpa @CARE @unifem @povdocs http://dld.bz/nQbH #FF Thanks!