About The Center for Media & Social Impact
The Center for Media & Social Impact (CMSI), based at American University’s School of Communication in Washington, D.C., is an innovation lab and research center that creates, studies, and showcases media for social impact. Focusing on independent, documentary, entertainment, and public media, CMSI bridges boundaries between scholars, producers, and communication practitioners who work across media production, media impact, social justice, public policy, and audience engagement. The Center produces resources for the field and research, convenes conferences and events, and works collaboratively to understand and design media that matter.
About The Report
This report was written by CMSI’s Aras Coskuntuncel (lead researcher), Caty Borum Chattoo, and David Conrad-Pérez. Varsha Ramani, CMSI communications and program manager, facilitated operations and communication support. This research was funded by a grant from Working Films.
Artwork by: Rommy Sobrado-Torrico
Acknowledgements
CMSI would like thank the organizers and representatives from the local and national NGOs and the filmmakers who shared their experiences and stories: Konrad Aderer, Sheridan Aguirre, Hope Balfa-Mustakim, Irma Chavez, Christine Delph, Rita Ellis, Glo Harn Choi, Monica Medellin, Joshua Nam, Enrique Orozco, Pilar Timpane, Shauna Siggelkow, Daniel Quintanilla, Adriana Quiroga, Rubi Quiroz, and Sam Yu. We also want to thank Working Films, particularly Andy Myers, Senior Impact Coordinator, and Anna Lee, Co- director, for their support throughout this research.
Working Films would like to thank the organizations and individuals that participated in the Stories Beyond Borders project and the foundations that made the work possible: The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Perspective Fund, Southern Partners Fund, and the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.
