News @ TWN

In Memoriam

MIRIAM 'SA'UUDA AKOMA NSOROMA' PEREZ
Miriam Akoma Perez , passed very unexpectedly Tuesday, August 24, 2010 in Ka'apuli, Hawaii, while on vacation. She was born October 1, 1970 in Brooklyn, New York. Miriam is survived by her loving and talented daughter, Maryam Afiya Perez, devoted friend Dorothy Thigpen, her sisters and her brothers, and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, and dear friends, including TWN's staff. Miriam and her daughter Afiya are part of the Third World Newsreel family. Miriam was a proud resident of Brooklyn and was a beloved teacher of English and Literature at Cobble Hill High School. She graduated from Brooklyn College, with a Bachelors of Arts degree in English. She was one semester away from receiving her Masters of Arts in Media Studies and Film from the New School of Social Research. She managed to maintain a 3.57 grade point average while working fulltime as a high school teacher in the New York City public school system. Miriam was also an accomplished writer, artist and documentary filmmaker. She was awarded a Development Cohort grant from the Fledgling Fund in 2009 for her current documentary project, HOLLER. Her first film Walking with FUREE, is part of Third World Newsreel's Call for Change Series and has screened at the Museum of Modern Art, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Brooklyn Academy of Music and many more national and international venues. Miriam was an alumna of Third World Newsreel's Film and Video Production Workshop. Miriam was passionate about using her artistic skills to address social justice and fairness for all. As an avid believer in the Buddhist principles of moral thought and action, Miriam was compassionate, loving, kind and generous to all and always spiritually positive in her life pursuits. Her beauty and intelligence will be missed and never forgotten by all.
Memorial services will be held on September 3, 2010, from 5-7 PM at The Church Of The Open Door, Dr. Reverend Mark V. Taylor, in Brooklyn (201 Gold Street). A celebratory repast will follow the memorial services from 7-9 PM, at a location to be announced.

JENNIFER FASULO
A tragic accident has also taken from us a committed and talented filmmaker, Jennifer Fasulo.  An esteemed alumna of the TWN Production Workshop, Jennifer was dedicated to feminism and social justice activism, a testament to her integrity and compassion. We will miss her big smile, bright intellect, talent and great heart at Third World Newsreel.   A memorial for Jennifer was held at the Woolman Hill Conference and Retreat Center in Greenfield, Massachusetts on Monday, August 23rd, and another in the Bronx on August 29th.

Promised Land

TWN's Fall 2010 Wednesday Night Workshops!

Deadlines Coming Up

Casting for Redistricting Video
Cliff Charles, cinematographer and guest lecturer at TWN, is looking to cast progressive, politically aware community members for an informational video about Redistricting. Based on data collected by the U.S. census, political bodies are required to redraw the lines and boundaries of electoral districts within a state. This process, known as Redistricting, occurs every ten years and may affect a community's ability to elect representatives of their choosing. As a result, new district lines may be drawn in ways that adversely affect communities for up to ten years. The video will demonstrate how redistricting affects us all and will emphasize the importance of education, involvement and action in effectively dealing with this issue. This video is being sponsored by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

For more information please contact:
Cliff Charles
The People's DP Inc
1133 Broadway #544
New York, NY 10010
Office: 646-415-7782
Fax: 347-682-4661

The Thatcher Hoffman Smith Prize
The Thatcher Hoffman Smith Prize, established in 2002, is a biennial prize honoring the creative process, Creativity in Motion. The work or project must be under way at the time of application. This prize is open to all fields of creativity, including, but not limited to, the arts, cultural affairs, education and science. Those individuals or organizations making successful proposals will be awarded grants up to, but not in excess of, $40,000 from the committee. The prize is available to U.S. citizens and may be used in any way the recipient chooses.
Deadline: Tuesday, August 31st
More info

Boost Voting Among Asian Americans
The San Diego Asian Film Foundation (SDAFF) is launching a national video contest to help increase voter participation among Asian Pacific Islander Americans (APIAs) and independent voters this election year. The contest is called Reel in the Vote campaign, challenging anyone with a video camera and a great idea to help make a difference in 30-seconds.
Deadline: Tuesday, August 31st
More info

Television Writers Program
Natinal Latino Media Council's Television Writers Program is an intensive Scriptwriters Workshop to prepare and place Latinos in writing jobs for the major television networks. This project is modeled after the previously successful Hispanic Film Project. The Television Scriptwriters Workshop is designed to familiarize participants with the format, characters and storyline structure of specific shows that are currently on the air.
Deadline: Tuesday, August 31st
More info

Loreen Arbus Disability Awareness Grant
The film completion grant for $7,500 will be awarded to a disabled woman filmmaker or to a woman filmmaker for a film on disability issues.
Deadline: Wednesday, September 8th
More info

NALAC NFA Grant
The National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC) announces their sixth NALAC Fund for the Arts (NFA) funding cycle. In its first five years, the NFA has awarded $677,000 to 244 projects by Latino artists, ensembles and arts & cultural organizations working in every discipline and region of the country.
Deadline: Friday, September 24th
More info

TWN Recommends

2010 Latinbeat Film Festival
The Film Society of Lincoln Center announces the upcoming 13th Latinbeat Film Festival, with sixteen films from eight different countries.

September 8-18
Walter Reade Theater
165 West 65th Street
New York, NY 10023

More info

2010 Independent Filmmaker Conference
This conference addresses creative initiatives, critical technology, current issues, and global marketplace trends through diverse panel discussions, case studies, and keynotes. The Conference is a must-attend networking opportunity for creative professionals wanting access to the discussion on filmmaking in the current landscape - and where it's heading next.

September 19-23
Haft Auditorium at FIT
28th Street and 7th Avenue
New York, NY 10001

More info

A Season in The Congo
The turbulent history of the Congo's first year of independence and the rise and fall of Patrice Lumumba. Written by Aime Cesaire and Directed by A. Rico Speight.

September 30th - October 17th
Thursday, Friday & Saturday: 8pm
Sunday: 3pm
Lion Theatre
Theatre Row @ 410 W. 42nd Street
between 9th Avenue & Dwyer Avenue
New York, NY 10036-6809

More info

TWN Congratulates

Susan Youssef was featured in the New Faces section of the Filmmaker's Magazine. We are a proud distributor of her first film Forbidden to Wander and congratulate her for being in the final stages of her feature film Habibi Rasak Kharban.

Hima B. our fiscal sponsoree and director of Straight For the Money and Ent-homo-philia, distributed by Third World Newsreel, won the Individual Artist NYSCA grant for her film License to Pimp.

Shashwati Talukdar, our fiscal sponsoree, won the Individual Artist NYSCA grant for Please Don't Beat Me, Sir.

H2A Partners With Third World Newsreel To Create Indie Distribution Label

The Hip-Hop Association (H2A) has officially partnered with Third World Newsreel (TWN) to form, H2ONewsreel, The Best in Hip-Hop Media, Education, and Culture. Visit h2onewsreel.com.

TWN will continue to acquire, distribute and market independent media under the TWN brand. This includes more than 350 social issue titles, including historical Newsreels from the sixties. H2O NEWSREEL will operate as a separate initiative targeting the Hip-Hop culture and demographic.

The mission of the H2ONEWSREEL is to build an alternative media outlet that provides a cultural and educational balance, economic sustainability, and industry longevity by creating distribution opportunities to independent and established Hip-Hop artists, educators, and filmmakers that display and define the variety of images and stories that depict Hip-Hop culture. The H2A and TWN demographic reach combined is over 30,000 international educators, administrators, librarians, students, curators, organizers, writers, conference and festival programmers, social and health service providers, television programmers, and media artists.

TWN is an alternative media arts organization that fosters the creation, appreciation and dissemination of independent film and video by and about diverse communities, with a focus on people of color and social justice issues. It supports the innovative work of diverse forms and genres made by artists who are intimately connected to their subjects through common bonds of ethnic/cultural heritage, class position, gender, sexual orientation and political identification. TWN promotes the self-representation of traditionally marginalized groups as well as the negotiated representation of those groups by artists who work in solidarity with them.n annual event, to year-round exhibitions at different venues throughout the US and internationally. Through online partnerships, we will promote upcoming screenings, trailers and shorts. Filmmakers will also have a space to create their own profile page. Filmmakers whose projects are aligned with the H2O NEWSREEL mission will be selected to work closely with staff members on their marketing campaigns, programming and distribution goals, so that the H2A can offer more cultivation and resources. The Odyssey awards honoring our best filmmakers will resume in June 2009.

H2O NEWSREEL is poised to be the leading Hip-Hop multi-media independent developer and distribution outlet. It will acquire media projects and facilitate the creation of curriculums and stH2O NEWSREEL is poised to be the leading Hip-Hop multi-media independent developer and distribution outlet. It will acquire media projects and facilitate the creation of curriculums and study guides for the education and urban entertainment markets. H2ONEWSREEL will offer the most competitive percentage agreement to independent filmmakers and will split profits on a non-exclusive agreement.

Formed in September 2008, H2ONEWSREEL is now releasing its titles to the international educational sector. H2ONEWSREEL is featuring ten documentaries including: Masizakhe: Building Each Other (US/S. Africa), Frekuensia Kolombiana (Colombia), and an award winning short series collection.

In Memoriam - Jim Thigpen

James Allen Thigpen, Jr., passed unexpectedly Wednesday, January 13, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio. Fondly known as Jim, he was born May 28, 1950 in Columbus. He is preceded in death by father , James A. Thigpen, Sr. He is survived by mother, Louise of Columbus; sister Dorothy of Brooklyn, NY; brothers Steve (Veda) of Columbus, Barry (Riccarda) of Franklin, TN, Robert (Molly) of New Albany, OH, and life companion of 38 years, Larry J. Willis of Columbus, along with a host of cousins, nieces and nephews. Jim graduated from East High School and with honors from Ohio State University, with a degree in Psychology. He resided and worked in a number of professional capacities in Columbus and New York City, and owned a computer software development business. But Jim’s longest efforts were on behalf of people with developmental disabilities and their families. Throughout New York State, he was widely recognized as an effective advocate for the principles of equal protection, justice and fairness for all. He had a great passion for the arts, the internet, Web and software development. He developed e-commerce websites and database applications for non-profit art and government entities. Colleagues and friends describe Jim as always kind, empathetic, sincere, respectful, and loyal toward every person. His kindness and compassion will live in our hearts forever.
The crew at Third World Newsreel is devastated by this loss.  Jim was our beloved friend, co-worker, webmaster - in fact he designed our upgraded website  - and he was our consummate "shademeister".
Memorial services were held on February 13 , at St. Phillips Lutheran Church, in Columbus, Ohio, where Jim was baptized and confirmed. A New York City memorial was also held on March 20th.

Teshome H. Gabriel

Teshome H. Gabriel, a UCLA professor and internationally recognized scholar of Third World cinema, has died. He was the author of "Third Cinema in the Third World: The Aesthetics of Liberation" and "Otherness and the Media".

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