An ode to the mundanity and madness of the high street in London, told through the window of an African hair salon.
An ode to the mundanity and madness of the high street in London, told through the window of an African hair salon.
Dani’s Twins captures the high-risk pregnancy and dynamic early parenting journey of Dani Izzie, one of the world’s few quadriplegics ever to give birth to twins.
Impact // Filmmaker’s Voice
Our aim is for this film to be part of the current cultural moment that is seeing disabled people take ownership of disability narratives. When our experiences are authenticated through honest representation and the reappropriation of our own voices, we can catalyze change and foster inclusion. We’d like audiences to translate their deeper awareness into positive change, specifically:
–Improving access to reproductive healthcare for disabled people
–Eliminating discrimination affecting parental rights for people with disabilities
–Providing access to comprehensive caregiving and a functional care ecosystem
–Incentivizing companies to manufacture products and services that are universally designed and accessible
There is a dearth of information about disabled pregnancy and parenting. We are trying to help fill that gap through our film and impact campaign. Here are a few resources:
https://heller.brandeis.edu/parents-with-disabilities/
https://www.christopherreeve.org/blog/daily-dose/pregnant-while-living-with-paralysis
https://www.christopherreeve.org/living-with-paralysis/health/parenting-with-a-disability
Dani’s blog: http://daniizzie.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/daniizzie
A profile of Aunofo Havea, a Tongan seafarer, who trail-blazes a place for women in the maritime industry and revolutionizes how the Tongan people interact with the whales that inhabit their waters.
Impact // Filmmaker’s Voice
I hope that audiences are inspired by Aunofo’s story, particularly in the way she took a hostile relationship that her people had with the whales into a positive and mutually beneficial one. Her innovation in this area can be an inspiration to people around the world to create better relationships with the natural world and preserve it for generations to come. – Jack Gordon
A wickedly dark comedy about a newly married couple whose quest to outdo each other with pranks leads to an unexpected and outrageous calamity.
Followed by the feature narrative, Everybody Loves Jeanne
This coming-of-age story follows four black teenagers from adolescence to adulthood who tap dance for tips in New Orleans, showing the joys and pains of growing up fast in the incarceration capital of the world.
Impact // Filmmaker’s Voice
Witnessing firsthand the disparities of our city, I’ve become passionate about shining a light on the crushing impact of carceral policies on Black communities. At its core, the goal of this film was to tell a coming-of-age story singular to New Orleans. In doing so, we give a face to the individuals most affected by the systemic injustice of Louisiana, where 95% of the youth arrested are Black. We watch the hopelessness and anger that flows directly from seeing authority figures presume them a threat to society (and punishing them as adults). For many Black youth here in New Orleans, being incarcerated is almost treated as an inevitability. As Deymond says in the cold open: “There’s two things to do down here: go to jail or die.” One Buck Won’t Hurt is an unambiguous affirmation of just how much Black lives matter and exactly why we still need to say so. – Christopher Stoudt
Wood Hood follows DeVaughn, a 15-year old kid from New York City as he takes a weekend trip with Camping To Connect, a BIPOC-led mentorship program that teaches leadership, brotherhood, and inclusion in the outdoors.
Impact // Filmmaker’s Voice
We hope that [audiences] come away believing that nature belongs to everybody, and that more access, diversity and representation in the outdoors is critical for a more just and equitable society (and critical for the health and well-being of urban youth). We’d like for them to support our efforts at Camping to Connect. www.campingtoconnect.com
– Alex Cullen
A Syrian migrant working as a crane operator in Beirut volunteers to cover a shift on one of the most dangerous cranes, where he is able to find his freedom.
During the Israeli Occupation of Palestine in 1948, Ahmad, a 17-year-old Palestinian boy, faces the consequences of the war in his hometown that forces him to give up his dream of being a professional football player.
Impact // Filmmaker’s Voice
I want the audience to know the suffering and struggle that the Palestinian people faced during the Israeli occupation of Palestine in 1948. I want to introduce them to the Palestinian Nakba and let them know the Palestinian side of the story.
Resources: Ahmed Saffouri’s (The director’s grandfather) diaries, A cassette recording of Ahmed Saffouri, and “The story of my life in Palestine and Kuwait” book by Khair Aldeen Abuljobain
Centered on DC native Sheila White, Street Reporter is an intimate story about the power of community journalism and the courage to never stop searching for a place to call home.
Impact // Filmmaker’s Voice
Street Reporter seeks to break down stereotypes of people experiencing homelessness, to create empathy and build a vision for a world where all people have a place to call home.
To learn more, visit:
www.StreetReporterFilm.com
www.StreetSenseMedia.org
– Laura Waters Hinson
An exploration of the relationship between dancers and music through the lens of the Gallaudet Dance Company, where every member is either deaf or hard of hearing.
Impact // Filmmaker’s Voice
I wanted to create something, in partnership with the Gallaudet dance company, that addresses deaf people as complex and complete people with real lives and aspirations. While simultaneously creating something interesting and engaging for community members who may have never had the opportunity to meet a deaf person. My intended outcomes are to have people walk away having learned more about deaf culture, deaf community, and social stigmas still in place today.
Because I grew up bilingual in American Sign Language and English I was able to explain my project to the dancers in the company. I asked them to contribute anything they wanted the larger public to know about deaf and hard of hearing people. I emphasized how much I wanted their input and involvement, since it has often been a history of storytellers deciding the narrative for this community without one, ever asking them and two, often getting it wrong.
To learn more about Deaf communities:
Documentary – Signing Black in America
To learn more about Deaf history:
https://www.gallaudet.edu/museum/exhibits
Local deaf owned businesses to check out:
Mozzeria – H St. (Washington, D.C.); Streetcar 82 Brewing Co. (Hyattsville MD)
– Sarah Goolishian