Tag Archives: Los Angeles

Notes from LA: Director Visits with Diverse Cinema Audiences

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Anne Makepeace (left) and Dr. Mishuana Goeman (right)

Anne Makepeace reports from Los Angeles …

What a weekend I’ve just had! Still jet-lagged from Saturday’s flight, I screened We Still Live Here - Âs Nutayuneân at the Autry Museum in Los Angeles on Sunday for one of the many free Community Cinema screenings organized by Independent Lens. Desiree Gutierrez, an Outreach Coordinator for Independent Lens, had arranged the event with co-sponsorship of the UCLA American Indian Studies Center. For a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, we had a terrific and very diverse crowd; including a Wampanoag man far from his home in Mashpee, Massachusetts. Continue reading →

King Corn Changed My Life

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“For the first time in American history, our generation was at risk of having a shorter lifespan than our parents. And it was because of what we ate.” —Curt Ellis, KING CORN filmmaker

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).

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