"The Media that Matters Film Festival offers a wonderful look at the depth and diversity of American activism. The stories these filmmakers and Web artists tell are by turns funny, tragic, engaging, and inspiring."
- Alex Blumberg, Producer, "This American Life"
"The Media That Matters Film Festival celebrates the intersection of information, politics, entertainment and activism. In an age of increasingly fewer opportunities for social mission media to be seen
and heard, this festival plays a critical role in showcasing important issues, and encouraging audiences not just to view, but to engage."
- Paola Freccero, Senior Vice President of Film Programming, Sundance Channel
"The Media That Matters Film Festival is a dynamic tool for promoting civic engagement and teaching a range of critical topics."
- Dale Allender, Associate Executive Director, National Council of Teachers of English
"Bravo to MediaRights.org for recognizing these talented artists and kudos to Ilana Trachtman [director of Diane Wilson: A Warrior's Tale] for making a provocative and uplifting film about an authentic modern day hero."
- Woody Harrelson, Actor, Producer, Activist
Now in its third year, The Media That Matters Film Festival celebrates films, videos, and new media that inspire people to speak out and take action for social change. After our award ceremony at HBO on June 11th, the Festival will be presented in an installation at Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theatre from June 13th-15th, 2003 in conjunction with co-presenter, the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival. The Festival is streamed at MediaThatMattersFest.org.
The films and new media projects featured in The Media That Matters Film Festival were chosen by a jury of accomplished filmmakers, activists, journalists, programmers, new media specialists and young people who came together to watch, discuss and choose the official selections. Meet our jury.
The goal of our festival is not simply to showcase powerful films and new media projects that bring important social, political and environmental topics to the forefront, but to encourage the use of these films as a springboard for discussion and even more importantly, for action. That's why when you watch a film, an ACTION tab will appear with a list of links to resources where you can learn more and to places where you can actually get involved in efforts to make things change for the better.
The Media That Matters Film Festival isn't just online! The Festival will be broadcast by our partners Free Speech TV and WorldLink TV, both of which are nonprofit satellite television stations that together reach over 17 million homes with commercial-free, social-issue programming. Check back with us broadcast dates and times. The Festival also tours the country through the Traveling Media That Matters Film Festival. The Traveling Festival has two components: First, we organize screenings around the United States as part of our "12 films, 12 cities, 12 months" film series. Secondly, we produce a DVD compilation of the Festival allowing librarians, teachers, and activists to organize their own community screenings and discussions. Find out more about bringing the Traveling Festival to your city or town.
The Media That Matters Film Festival is only truly successful if you see something that makes you want do something. So let us know how a film or new media project that you watch here helps you to get involved and make a difference. You can write to us or send us an e-mail.
The third annual Media That Matters Film Festival is made possible by the following generous sponsors:
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of next year's Media That Matters Film Festival, please contact Nicole Betancourt
The partners of the third annual Media That Matters Film Festival are other organizations with like-minded goals who have helped us to produce, promote and broadcast the festival. They include:
Our jury could only choose 12 films and 4 new media projects from over 200 submissions. We would like to honor the following finalists that we were not able to include in the festival. We hope you will try to see these films wherever you can:
Books Not Bars, Witness
A Circle For All, Lynn Taylor
Cloves, Hein Seok
Double Secrets: Domestic Violence in Gay and Lesbian Communities, Elizabeth Mandel
Fight Girl Poisoning, Project Chrysalis
From Birth Till Today, Oscar Garcia
Hole in the Wall, Rory O'Conner
Keep On Livin', Paper Tiger TV
Novela, Novela, Liz Miller
Our Nights and Our Mornings, Ibdaa Video Workshop
Sticks and Stones, Gary Robinson
Today I Found Out, Scenarios USA
PRESS RELEASE
Click here for an Adobe Acrobat pdf file of the press release.
CLICK> STREAM> ACTION> MEDIARIGHTS.ORG PRESENTS
THE THIRD ANNUAL MEDIA THAT MATTERS FILM FESTIVAL
Offline, Online & Broadcast Brings Media That Matters to the Masses
Primary Underwriting from Sundance Channel, The Glaser
Progress Foundation, and Sony Corporation of America
New York, NY, April 28, 2003
- On June 13, 2003, MediaRights.org presents the third annual Media That Matters Film Festival, which will stream online at www.MediaThatMattersFest.org and will launch simultaneously via computer installations at the Walter Reade Theater in conjunction with the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival. The Festival's unique mission is to celebrate moving, engaging and sometimes humorous films and new media that encourage social action and inspire dialogue. The online format enables viewers to click on the films, stream them online, and take action via links that encourage viewers to volunteer, sign petitions, write to Congress, or donate to organizations. In addition, viewers will have access to a list of more than 850,000 humanitarian and activist organizations, and MediaRight.org's database of more than 5,000 social issue documentaries. Media inquiries can be directed to Fatima Kafele at 917-723-1494 or fatimakafele@aol.com
The 2003 Media That Matters Film Festival attracted hundreds of submissions, which were reviewed by a ten-member jury of media professionals, activists and filmmakers. The twelve short films and four new media selections include dramatizations, documentaries, and parodies that tackle topics such as the environment (Esmeraldas: Petroleum and Poverty; Diane Wilson: A Warrior's Tale), criminal justice (No Escape, Prison Rape), September 11th (Sonic Memorial Project; Face to Face), AIDS Prevention (Luv Me Latex), and racial profiling and cultural expectations (Is My Neighbor Latino?;Vision Test). Even the kids get into the action with youth made films that deal with cultural differences (Holla Back Dubai!), and individuality (Rebel). (Please see attached document for full listing of festival selections.) Six of the selections (Holla Back Dubai; No Escape, Prison Rape; Rebel; We Were Humans; Esmeraldas; Storm) received cash awards of $1,000, sponsored by Sundance Channel, Open Society Institute, gURL.com and Penguin Group, Paola Freccero, Free Speech TV, and Frank Marshall. Other notable awards include the Woody Harrelson Environmental Award given to the film Diane Wilson: A Warrior's Tale, and the Jury Award given to Vision Test that includes a DV camera sponsored by Sony Corporation of America.
The Media That Matters Film Festival jury consisted of Nancy Abraham (HBO Original Programming), Julie Anderson (HBO Original Programming), Bruni Burres (Human Rights Watch International Film Festival), Laura Flanders (Working Assets Radio), Joseph Gilmore (The Point), Meg Hourihan (Blogger, The Lafayette Project), Terry Scott (National Black Programming Consortium), Marcia Smith (Firelight Media), William Upski Wimsatt (Active Element Foundation), and Eden H. Wurmfeld (Producer, Kissing Jessica Stein).
"This is not your usual film festival," says MediaRights.org Executive Director Nicole Betancourt. "Audiences don't just watch - they get involved in the struggles these films portray. It's the perfect antidote to the helplessness you feel when you watch the nightly news."
The Media That Matters Film Festival sponsors include Activators: The Glaser Progress Foundation, Sundance Channel and Transit Media Communications; Motivator: Sony Corporation of America;Celebrators: Paola Freccero, Free Speech TV, gURL.com & Penguin Group, Frank Marshall, New York State Council on the Arts, and Open Society Institute; Initiators: Alexander Summer Family Foundation, The Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers, Filmmaker Magazine, Home Box Office (HBO), and Swete Studios. Paola Freccero, VP of Programming at Sundance Channel commented, "the Media That Matters Film Festival celebrates the intersection of information, politics, entertainment, and activism. In an age of increasingly fewer opportunities for social mission media to be seen and heard, this festival plays a critical role in showcasing important issues, and encouraging audiences not just to view, but to change." Actor Woody Harrelson added, "bravo to MediaRights.org for recognizing these talented artists and kudos to Ilana Trachtman [director of Diane Wilson: A Warrior's Tale] for making a provocative and uplifting film about an authentic modern day hero."
Partners for the Festival include 911 Media Arts Center, Bay Area Video Coalition, civilrights.org, Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, TechSoup, and WorldLink TV.
The Media That Matters Film Festival can be viewed in the following ways:
Online
June 13, 2003-June 13, 2004: Streaming all year at www.MediaThatMattersFest.org
Offline
June 13-15: Computer installations in the Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery at Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater (165 West 65th Street), co-presented by the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival.
Summer 2003: Distribution of thousands of Media That Matters Film Festival DVDs sponsored by Sundance Channel to educators, community organizations, and libraries.
Broadcast
June 2003: Free Speech TV via satellite TV (Channel 9415 on the Echostar Communications Corporation's DISH Network)
June 2003: WorldLink TV via satellite TV (Channel 375 on DIRECTV and Channel 9410 on Echostar Communications Corporation's DISH Network.)
Twelve Films, Twelve Cities, Twelve Months - Traveling Film Festival
June 2003-June 2004: Media That Matters Film Festival hits the road as a traveling exhibition - screening at schools, libraries, and regional events at twelve cities across the country including Ithaca, LA, Miami, and San Francisco.
About MediaRights.org
MediaRights.org builds the capacity of community organizations and filmmakers to reach, teach, activate, and educate their constituencies. MediaRights.org promotes the exhibition of documentaries in non-traditional venues and puts filmmakers in touch with new audiences. Equipped with the nation's most comprehensive database of politically and socially engaged films and videos, MediaRights.org provides educators and librarians with the tools they need to create video curricula, curate audio/visual collections and use film more effectively in the classroom. More than 30,000 users visit MediaRights.org each month making the site one of the most vibrant online centers for community/filmmaker collaborations.
* * *
For press information about the third annual Media That Matters Film Festival,
contact Fatima Kafele at (917) 723-1494 or fatimakafele@aol.com
or MediaRights.org at 646-230-6288.
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PREMIERE AND AWARDS CEREMONY
On June 11th, 2003 Home Box Office hosted the premiere and awards ceremony (pictures)
for the Third Annual Media That Matters Film Festival. This was an
opportunity to celebrate our June 13th launch, honor the award-winning
filmmakers and watch the official selections of the festival on the big
screen. The ceremony was hosted by comedian emcee David Cross.
Actor/Activist Woody Harrelson presented the Woody Harrelson Environmental Award to the film Diane Wilson:
A Warrior's Tale. It proved to be an amazing event with almost
all the filmmakers and sponsors of the festival in attendance.
A PDF of our award winners and films is available.
