MEDIA THAT MATTERS DVD
MediaRights has released a DVD version of its Fourth Annual Media That Matters Film Festival.
The DVD, available for sale through Amazon.com, to educators through National Film Network, and for rental through Netflix, includes all sixteen short films featured in the 2004 Festival.
“This DVD allows us to bring MediaRights’s mission of fostering community involvement through media outreach to a wider audience of not only students and groups, but concerned individuals, extending the Festival’s life beyond the initial theatrical and Internet screenings,” said Nicole Betancourt, executive director of MediaRights.
The sixteen short films included on the DVD tackle topics such as the environment (The Meatrix; Seeds of Hope), criminal justice (Books Not Bars), September 11th and civil liberties (Day of Remembrance; Bush for Peace), AIDS Awareness (I Promise Africa; iThemba), Domestic Abuse (Novela, Novela), culture-jamming (POPaganda: The Art & Subversion of Ron English), immigration (The Sixth Section), the working poor (Struggling to Survive), and childhood obesity and bullying (Laugh at the Fat Kid). Teen filmmakers are also featured with youth produced projects (Children of Birmingham; Lean on Me; Dedicated to My Family; Struggling to Survive).
Offering a “festival in a box,” the DVD includes free downloads of information related to the various film topics as well as tips on hosting a Festival screening to encourage community involvement. MediaRights also offers teaching guides on incorporating the films into class curricula through its Web site. All proceeds from sales of the DVD benefit MediaRights’s outreach and educational programs.
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