los angeles
Los Angeles and San Francisco Proclaimed April 20th to be “Dirt Day”
The cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco issued proclamations yesterday naming April 20th to be “Dirt Day” in honor of Dirt! The Movie, the award-winning documentary previewed by Community Cinema in March. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Councilwoman Jan Perry will sign the official Dirt! Day Proclamations in their respective cities today, to ignite the discussion about safeguarding soil and the billions of organisms it contains.
Dirt! The Movie tells the story of the underappreciated stuff beneath our feet. Narrated by award-winning actress, author and activist, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dirt!, tells the story of Earth’s most valuable and least valued source of fertility from its miraculous beginning to its current crippling degradation. Inspired by William Bryant Logan’s acclaimed book Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth, the film deftly combines science and humor as it digs into the history and current state of the living organic matter from which we all come and where we will all one-day return. An eclectic group of passionate dirt lovers appear in Dirt! – from world-class biologists to Rikers Island convicts, from community activists to Nobel Laureates – to offer viewers answers to problems while inspiring us to clean up the mess that we have created.
Don’t miss Dirt! The Movie on Independent Lens (check local listings).
Watch an interview with Jamie Lee Curtis, the narrator for Dirt! >>
Sneak Preview of FUTURESTATES episode Fallout
It’s almost here… ITVS’s new fictional online series — FUTURESTATES — launches online March 8 and will have its theatrical world premiere at South by Southwest (SXSW) on March 14.
FUTURESTATES explores possible future scenarios through the prism of today’s global reality. America circa 2010 sits at the crux of competing and paradoxical forces of creation and destruction. Never before have we been capable of such great discovery and accomplishment, and yet our very existence hangs in balance as climate change, weapons of mass destruction, and economic collapse threaten our very existence.
Check out this sneak preview of Fallout, by Ben Rekhi. The War on Terror has escalated drastically, bringing America into conflict with countless enemies. Los Angeles has fallen victim to a nuclear attack from an unknown aggressor. In the aftermath of the bombing, a young man’s search for his girlfriend addresses the human toll of eternal war.
Join the FUTURESTATES Facebook Fan Page and watch other clips >>
KING CORN Changed My Life
“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).
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.
Corn!
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.
Young @ Hollywood
Just before showtime at the historic Warner Grand for our Young at Heart in LA Talent Show and free film
Wednesday night Community Cinema Los Angeles presented an entire free evening of food, drink, entertainment, and inspiration.
After a tasty reception, Francisco Velasquez with Film Independent’s Project:Involve welcomed the audience to the historic Warner Grand Theatre for a screening of YOUNG@HEART. This Community Cinema screening is presented by the Independent Television Service, and hosted by the Office of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Office of Councilwoman Janice Hahn, 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.
The night’s Master of Ceremonies, Camilla Townsend is a 25-year resident of San Pedro, the President and CEO of the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce, and a life-long advocate on behalf of children and families.
The first performer of the evening, Elizabeth Cantine, has been dancing since childhood. She has performed at the Hollywood Bowl, El Capitan, Academy Awards, and on the Ed Sullivan show.
Gloria Lockhart (63, in pink on the right) has the distinct honor of being one of the first African American women to reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro
In all, 15 amazing seniors wowed the crowd.
The talent show ended with a very inspiring senior, Gloria Lockhart – 63 years young – who has the distinct honor of being one of the first African American women to reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
She is currently the President and CEO of Toberman Neighborhood Center, where she works to assist over 18,000 people to move from poverty to self-sufficiency. A once aspiring Olympic runner, Gloria went on to compete in master track meets for the older American; and now kickboxs as a way to relieve stress. She is joined on stage by her 43 year old coach Michele.
We hope we were able to highlight for you some of the local seniors who may be growing older, but are still young at heart.
BETWEEN THE FOLDS Director Vanessa Gould in Los Angeles
Director of the Community Cinema documentary selection BETWEEN THE FOLDS Vanessa Gould spent the past few days at a series of screening events for the film in the greater Los Angeles area. In addition to the two unique screening and folding events at the historic Aero Theatre in Santa Monica and at the Frida Kahlo Theatre in downtown Los Angeles, Ms. Gould attended a very special screening of the film at the LA County Sheriff’s Pitches Detention Center for close to 200 inmates. She shares her deeply moving visit with us. [No photographs were allowed in or near the detention center for security reasons.]
Vanessa Gould (producer/director) of BETWEEN THE FOLDS
As we walked into LA’s Pitches Detention Center, the sky was deep blue and a long flock of birds flew calmly with the wind above. The series of heavy gates and barbed wire fences ahead gave me a pit in my stomach. Behind the barriers, I soon saw men of all ages – hundreds in royal blue jumpsuits – working, standing, exercising outside.
I was there with Desiree Gutierrez, the ITVS National Community Cinema Coordinator for the Southern California region, to answer questions about BETWEEN THE FOLDS, which a group was watching as we arrived. I had strong doubts as to whether they’d connect to a film about paperfolding, worrying it was trivial in light of the gravity of their own personal situations. How would the film be relevant to them? What could I possibly say or do that could be genuinely useful?
A stock photo of a typical inmate gathering provided courtesy of the LA County Sheriff's Department
Desiree and I entered the room with Deputy Bates and a few other staff members just as they had finished the film. It was a crowded room with about 200 men seated closely, gathered around a single television.
As soon as the lights went on and I looked up – despite my insecurity – it was quite possibly the most enthusiastic reception the film has ever seen: a room brimming with almost-rowdy excitement and big smiles, a few thumbs up and hands on hearts. Even some paper hats and paper stars made out of the local county newspaper were floating around. Deputy Bates introduced us, and I filled with warmth, relieved that the film had perhaps given them an escape from their daily routine.
Community Cinema Los Angeles: Lots to Talk About
Aero Theatre in Santa Monica
While you are out enjoying the last of the summer sun I am diligently working on the final touches for the next season of Community Cinema in Los Angeles and West Hollywood. As always, we have an amazing and diverse group of films for you (more on that in a second).
I am really thrilled to share some news about Community Cinema in the Los Angeles area with you.
Thanks to our friends at the City of West Hollywood we have had Community Cinema in the West Hollywood area for the last five years. The City remains a strong supporter of Community Cinema and they will once again help us produce a screening series split between the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood and the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica.
I am also pleased to announce that through a new partnership with the City of Los Angeles, Community Cinema will see an exciting expansion this year. The City is planning to have a traveling series making a presence in each area of Metro Los Angeles over the course of the season. A full schedule will be out in the next couple of weeks.
ITVS Community is also working on a partnership with the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department in hopes of screening select Community Cinema films for inmates. ITVS Community works to bring communities together and connect them with information, resources and opportunities for education, engagement and positive change, and thus we hope to develop a model that may be replicated at other correctional and rehabilitation facilities across the country.
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Simon Kilmurry: RT @communitycinema: Women's Engagement Film Series NEXT MONTH! Partners incl @unfpa @CARE @unifem @povdocs http://dld.bz/nQbH #FF Thanks!