Activism

From Box Office to Ballot Box

Nikki — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

With days left until the 2008 presidential election, images are flooding airwaves and video streams, vying for position as the lasting impression conjured just moments before pulling the lever.

Getting it Covered: Video the Vote

michele — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:44:05 -0500

Between polls, pundits, and analysts, predictions of the upcoming presidential election seem endless, with many agreeing this could be yet another tight race where, in certain states, every vote will count. And if you think that's just a cliché, think of this: in 2004, George W. Bush won by taking Ohio with 118,601 votes, or about 9 votes per precinct.

Let’s Make A Deal: SAG Strike Looking More Likely

Nikki — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:42:11 -0500

The continued standstill between the Screen Actor’s Guild (SAG) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to re-negotiate a new contract makes a strike look increasingly likely. The previous contract expired June 30, 2008.

Living with a Mutation

Nikki — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

It’s hard enough being a single woman dating in your early thirties. But, imagine having to tell the person you're dating that you carry the gene mutation for cancer, and will eventually need to remove your ovaries and possibly breasts. Now, imagine having to tell that person you’re delaying the process because you’re waiting to have kids.

Quest for Truth

michele — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 07:22:26 -0500

Rory Kennedy didn’t always know she wanted to be a filmmaker, but she did see herself as a political activist. As the daughter of former U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, politics run strong in her blood. In wanting to make an impact on people’s lives, she gravitated towards film as a means of educating herself and others about political and social issues.

Rider Strong Moves On

erin — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:00:00 -0500

Rider Strong grew up on television. Not like most of us, consuming it after school with a Hi-C juice box and a Swiss Cake roll, but as Shawn Hunter, the beloved boy next door on Boy Meets World. Considering the fate of other child actors, spending ages 13 to 20 under the hot lights of American television could have been his one-way ticket to rehab.

No Ordinary Granny

michele — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

It's no ordinary day when a 90-year old grandmother sets out on a walk across the United States to make a point, and Doris "Granny D" Haddock is no ordinary woman. The protagonist of Run Granny Run spent 14 months in 2000 on her cross-country journey to bring attention to campaign finance reform.

His Muse is the Rule of Law

mike — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

James Cooper is one of those globetrotting guys who has more stamps in his passport than you do. A Cambridge-educated Canadian who now teaches law at California Western School of Law in San Diego, Cooper spends much of his time organizing media-related projects in Latin America, where he teaches people how to use everything from documentary films and reality TV shows, to public service announcements and animated work, to promote concepts related to the rule of law. Cooper's group, which he runs from his law school perch and an office in Santiago, Chile, is called Proyecto Acceso.

Mentors for Media Makers

khards — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0500

“We were starving artists. Starving to feed ourselves on celluloid and barbequed chicken,” recalls filmmaker Ron Mann of the time during the late ‘70s when he hitchhiked from Paris to Cannes, slept on the beach, and carried his sleeping bag to meetings with producers. Somewhere along that route, he met director Frederick

Why We (Still) Need AIVF

khards — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0500

When I started to write this article, I began with a David Letterman-esque list of 20 reasons we need AIVF. I included practical items like “to get a job,” “to fill out an IRS schedule C for an unincorporated business,” and “to find out which film festivals are scams.” But the real reason we need AIVF is to find each other. We need to know where we are.