Thanks to All for Another Record Breaking Season of Community Cinema

A Vietnamese feast provided by the Seattle Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce

In over 50 cities nationwide, thousands of free documentary film screenings were followed by lively panel discussions, performances, filmmakers, and the brightest minds who choose to give of their time as community volunteers.

As you know, Community Cinema events bring together citizens, organizations, and public television stations to encourage dialogue and action around important and timely social issues.

The numbers aren’t quite in yet on this most recent season, but in past seasons over tens of thousands have attended thousands of events nationwide.

Community Cinema is the largest civic engagement program in broadcast television. We serve communities large and small, and we attract diverse audiences including singing activist senior citizens and young filmmakers using the latest technology to tell their stories.

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 which we learned at the YOUNG@HEART screening in L.A.

I’m working on a wrap up of this entire dazzling season which started off rocking, rolling, and spinning vinyl and ended with shamanic journeys to Mongolia and the inspiring and innovative New Orleans’ Vietnamese community.

Thank YOU our fans and audiences. Thanks too to our thousands of partners nationwide who help present Community Cinema in their town, city, or metropolis. We’ve been honored to work with the New York City Parks Department, The John Michael Kohler Arts Center, the San Francisco Public Library, and the Dinosaur Discovery Museum. Thank you to the truly delightful Maggie Gyllenhaal for hosting this past season of Independent Lens (oh! and she was nominated for an Oscar too)! Good year.

Public television stations deserve a standing ovation (for a number of reasons) including their support of Community Cinema and Independent Lens. Still “America’s Network,” PBS provides top quality programming for all ages. Children will continue to grow up with Sesame Street and eventually end up eagerly anticipating the PBS News Hour.

Community Cinema will be back in October of 2010 with an exciting season of  nine fresh new documentaries to make you think, inspire you, and hopefully lead to positive change in your community. Have a great summer, but be sure to check back here regularly for sneak peeks, updates on film selections, and information about our special Women’s Empowerment Film festivals coming in August in select markets. You do not want to miss that!

Don’t forget your sunscreen!

Tags: community cinema, films, free events, partnerships