BACKGROUNDER
Engaging Communities Through Film
Community Cinema
Community Cinema, presented by the Independent Television Service (ITVS), is a free monthly screening series featuring films from the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Independent Lens.
Catalyst For Connecting Communities Every month between September and June, Community Cinema presents an upcoming Independent Lens program. We work with leading organizations, local communities and public television stations to provide community engagement around the important social issues raised in the films. Each screening event features engagement activites with leading community-based organizations, special guest speakers, information, resources and other programming designed to help people learn more and get involved. National Forum For Pressing Social Issues ITVS convenes thousands of community members nationwide for dialogue, education and awareness around important social issues such as homophobia, racism, climate change, and freedom of religion. Participants walk away educated and empowered with resources and action steps. Last season, Community Cinema produced 900 events, worked with more than 1200 partner organizations and welcomed more than 50,000 participants to events around the country. Showcase For Entertaining and Impactful Documentaries Community Cinema provides a chance to explore the world of the acclaimed PBS series Independent Lens outside your living room. Independent Lens takes you on a journey to unexpected places to meet ordinary people living extraordinary lives; stories not told anywhere else on television. The awardwinning series features documentaries that bring to light unforgettable stories about a unique individual, underrepresented community or moment in history.
My level of engagement and reflection on the themes presented in the films shown during Community Cinema has been much greater than if I were watching alone. The opportunity to hear from the filmmakers/film subjects/ stakeholders from the community has been truly rewarding. I always leave enlightened, moved and inspired.
Audience Member, Philadelphia, PA
Independent Television Service (ITVS)
651 Brannan Street, Suite 410 San Francisco, CA 94107
PHONE:
415.356.8383
EMAIL:
[email protected]
WEB:
www.communitycinema.org
Community Cinema
Highlights from the 20112012 Season
Deaf Jam
Houston, TX HoustonPBS October 2011 There were 175 peopleall ages, all ethnicities. It was just amazing. Two communities that would have probably NEVER had a chance to come together,came together because of that film and the opportunitypresented byCommunity Cinema it was one of those nights whenit becomescrystal clear thatpublicmedia can and does makea difference in peoples lives. Thedeafpeople in the audience left inspired and the hearing audience left enlightened (and inspired, too).
The Interrupters
Oakland, CA Oakland Museum of California February 2012 The Oakland screening of Women and Girls Lead campaign film, The Interrupters, was a resounding success, drawing a mostly youth audience to discuss challenges and solutions to addressing violence in the Bay Area. More than 450 community members turned out, including more than 20 youth organizations and schools. The film subjects, Ameena and Eddie, received standing ovations. A 15-year-old girl shared that The Interrupters inspired her to get involved with violence prevention in her community. Ameena, Eddie, and the other panelists were surrounded at the end of the night by youth and adults seeking their advice, counsel, or simply wishing to thank them for their work.
Strong!
Chicago, IL Chicago Cultural Center May 2012 Community Cinema partnered with Girls in the Game for the Chicago screening of Strong! Karli Butler, of Girls in the Game, was particularly struck by the support from Cheryls parents in the film, and their encouragement to allow her to try weightlifting at a young age. An audience member spoke about how young people get a barrage of images from the media about how youre supposed to look. A panelist shared that when she meets a young girl with a negative body image, she makes a point to teach that girl that there really is no standard; everyone is different. There was a consensus in the room, since the 40th anniversary of Title IX, it has opened many opportunities to thousands of women. Many older women have never participated in sports but it is now gratifying to see girls grow through sports.
Independent Television Service (ITVS)
651 Brannan Street, Suite 410 San Francisco, CA 94107
PHONE:
415.356.8383
EMAIL:
[email protected]
WEB:
www.communitycinema.org
Community Cinema
Meet the National Engagement Consultants who organize and present Community Cinema screenings all over the nation.
Patrick Baroch
ITVS National Engagement Consultant Seattle, WA
With ITVS Community Cinema the audience gets to talk back to the screen. The panel discussions, live demonstrations, and performances provide a unique two-way street for participants. If the viewer is moved by what they see at an event, I can put them in direct and immediate contact with organizations in my area that are working on topics covered by the featured film. Community Cinema has also brought many local organizations together.
Michon Boston
ITVS National Engagement Consultant Washington, DC
Community Cinema puts me face to face with interesting people and gives me a sense of what my community thinks and cares about. Our screening events are held at Busboys and Poets, a unique gathering space of minds, ideas and visions over appetizing and affordable food and beverages. Located in the historic U Street corridor of Washington, D.C., it is a tribute to famed Harlem Renaissance poet/ writer Langston Hughes who was discovered in Washington, D.C. while working as a busboy.
Sara Zia Ebrahimi
ITVS National Engagement Consultant Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia is a vibrant city with a long history of communities coming together to propel cultural and political movements. Our Community Cinema program is in tune with the citys pulse. It is an opportunity for community groups to leverage the power of film as an educational tool to help start conversations and inspire action on the issues that they care about. The screenings rotate at a variety of venues throughout the city during the season, allowing us to connect new audiences with our local PBS station, WHYY, and Independent Lens programming.
Desiree Gutierrez
ITVS National Engagement Consultant Los Angeles, CA
Ive loved watching the Community Cinema program grow in the Los Angeles area. When I started with Community Cinema we had one screening series serving all of Los Angeles, which wasnt nearly enough. The program has simply blossomed and we now support five regional hubs increasing access to Community Cinema for all Angelinos. Its been my pleasure working on such a dynamic series, which allows me to meet so many interesting people, and hear such compelling stories.
Christine Henkel
ITVS National Engagement Consultant Boise, ID
Connections. That is what I see and why I love doing community cinema. From the regulars who come to every screening and have dinner afterwards to audience members who dont know each other but make a connection during the discussion following the film. The connections with partnering organizations and audience members looking to work together on the issues raised in the film. The connection an audience makes with a film seeing someone like themselves on screen. The amazing connection we make as a community in the discussion following the film.
Jonathan Remple
ITVS National Engagement Consultant San Francisco, CA
Community Cinema is about bringing people together through film and empowering every participant to become agents of change. We have such a vibrant and diverse population here in San Francisco, whose wealth of knowledge and passion never ceases to amaze me. Along with every film screening, our activities, discussions, and panelists all create an environment where people leave energized and determined to take direct actions to improve their own lives and the lives of others.
Naomi Walker
ITVS National Engagement Consultant Chicago, IL
Community Cinema gives me an avenue to connect with amazing organizations throughout Chicago that are doing inspiring work. I love collaborating with these groups on utilizing lm as a tool for education, activism and awareness. The postscreening discussions are naturally the most exciting and rewarding part of the events. Its always great to watch the lms with others and observe their reactions. The Chicago Cultural Center is our home for Community Cinema. It is a beautiful building that is the Chicago tourism base, full of gallery spaces, performance space, a screening theater and the offices of the Department of Cultural Affairs.
Allison Inman
ITVS National Engagement Consultant Nashville, TN
Our Community Cinema audiences in Nashville are so eager to learn and participate. We have debate, we challenge our own views, and we connect and make friends. Its a social event and often the first step toward taking action. Best of all, each film is an opportunity to introduce our audience to a community they may never have known. Its gratifying to see people of all ages and backgrounds learn from each other and find common ground.
Independent Television Service (ITVS)
651 Brannan Street, Suite 410 San Francisco, CA 94107
PHONE:
415.356.8383
EMAIL:
[email protected]
WEB:
www.communitycinema.org
Community Cinema
Screening in a city near you! Community Cinema is currently producing monthly screenings in collaboration with partner organizations and local public television stations in over 100 markets nationwide!
Community Cinema screenings are held at premier venues around the nation including: Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL Missouri Hisory Museum, St. Louis. MO Rice Cinema, Houston, TX Starz Film Center, Denver, CO Frye Art Museum, Seattle, WA Boise State University Student Union, Boise, ID San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco, CA Ash Cultural Arts Center, New Orleans, LA John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI Jewish Community Center, Washington, DC
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Independent Television Service (ITVS)
651 Brannan Street, Suite 410 San Francisco, CA 94107
PHONE:
415.356.8383
EMAIL:
[email protected]
WEB:
www.communitycinema.org
Community Cinema
Upcoming Community Cinema Presentations: September 2012
About ITVS Community ITVS Community is the national community engagement program of the Independent Television Service (ITVS) and the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Independent Lens. Through our innovative educational product Community Classroom and our flagship community outreach program Community Cinema, ITVS Community works to bring communities together and connect them with information, resources and opportunities for education, engagement and positive change. ITVS Community builds on our 15-year legacy of community engagement activities and makes public broadcasting into a powerful resource for individuals, communities and organizations working on key social issues around the country. itvs.org/engagement
Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide
January 2013
About Independent Lens Independent Lens is an Emmy Award-winning weekly series airing Thursday nights at 10:00 PM on PBS. The acclaimed anthology series features documentaries and a limited number of fiction films united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement and unflinching visions of their independent producers. Independent Lens features unforgettable stories about a unique individual, community or moment in history. Presented by ITVS, the series is supported by interactive companion websites, and national publicity and community engagement campaigns. Independent Lens is jointly curated by ITVS and PBS, and is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private corporation funded by the American people, with additional funding provided by PBS and the National Endowment for the Arts. The series producer is Lois Vossen. www.pbs.org/independentlens About ITVS The Independent Television Service (ITVS) funds and presents award-winning documentaries and dramas on public television, innovative new media projects on the Web and the Emmy Award-winning weekly series Independent Lens on Thursday nights at 10:00 PM on PBS. ITVS is a miracle of public policy created by media activists, citizens and politicians seeking to foster plurality and diversity in public television. ITVS was established by a historic mandate of Congress to champion independently produced programs that take creative risks, spark public dialogue and serve underserved audiences. Since its inception in 1991, ITVS programs have revitalized the relationship between the public and public television, bringing TV audiences face-to-face with the lives and concerns of their fellow Americans. ITVS is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. www.itvs.org For More Information About Community Cinema, Visit: www.communitycinema.org
Soul Food Junkies
April 2013
The Island President
Independent Television Service (ITVS)
651 Brannan Street, Suite 410 San Francisco, CA 94107
PHONE:
415.356.8383
EMAIL:
[email protected]
WEB:
www.communitycinema.org
