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STORYTELLING AND SOCIAL JUSTICE IN ACTION

LEVERAGING DOCUMENTARY FILMS TO STRENGTHEN LOCAL MOVEMENT BUILDING

A STUDY OF THE PUTTING FILMS TO WORK INITIATIVE

By Aras Coskuntuncel, Caty Borum Chattoo,
and David Conrad-Pérez

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center for media & social impact
school of communication
american university

February 2021

AFTER THE SCREENING OF RIGGED, “AUDIENCE MEMBERS WANTED TO IMMEDIATELY GET INVOLVED IN COMBATING VOTER SUPPRESSION AND SHARED STORIES ABOUT HOW THEY HAD BEEN IMPACTED.”

“IT WAS FASCINATING TO WATCH THE AUDIBLE AND VISIBLE RESPONSES AS [THE AUDIENCE MEMBERS] TALKED ABOUT EQUITY ISSUES DURING THE SCREENING...EVEN JUST THINKING ABOUT IT AND ORGANIZATIONS ARE LOOKING FOR SUPPORT AROUND FILM SELECTION, LONG-TERM RESOURCES AND COALITION-BUILDING TO SUPPORT FUTURE ORGANIZING. BEING BACK IN THAT MOMENT IS INVIGORATING TO ME.”

DOCUMENTARIES ARE “A GREAT WAY TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND IN DISCUSSION, AND IT’S LIKE A PLATFORM OR GATEWAY TO TALK ABOUT THE DIFFICULT TOPIC; YOU CAN ALWAYS REFERENCE THE FILM DOCUMENTARIES REVEAL THE IMPORTANCE AND CHALLENGE OF DOCUMENTING IMPACT AND SUSTAINING COMMUNITY-LEVEL CONVERSATIONS AND GET TO SOME HARDCORE ISSUES.”

“WE FOUND THAT WHEN WE’RE ABLE TO TIE A CALL TO ACTION WITH A FILM AFTER PEOPLE SEE IT, THEY’RE MUCH MORE MOTIVATED TO TAKE ACTION.”

“THE AUDIENCE WAS REALLY ENGAGED, MORE SO THAN I ACTUALLY EXPECTED.”

“DOCUMENTARIES ARE CAPABLE OF PROVIDING A ‘WAY TO TOUCH PEOPLE’S HEARTS’.”

Table of Contents

  • Introduction
  • ABOUT PUTTING FILMS TO WORK
  • ABOUT THIS STUDY
    • PARTICIPATING NON-PROFITS
    • LIST OF SCREENINGS AND DOCUMENTARIES
  • THE PUTTING FILMS TO WORK MODEL
    • PHASE ONE: TWO-DAY TRAINING INSTITUTE
    • PHASE TWO: PLANNING THE EVENT
    • PHASE THREE: IMPLEMENTING THE SCREENINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
    • PHASE FOUR: REFLECTING ON WHAT WAS LEARNED, HOW THEY CAN IMPROVE, AND WHAT IT ALL MEANS
  • KEY FINDINGS
  • WORKING WITH DOCUMENTARIES
    • USING DOCUMENTARIES TO REACH NEW AUDIENCES AND NEW LEVELS OF ENGAGEMENT AND PARTNERSHIP
    • DOCUMENTARIES REVEAL THE IMPORTANCE AND CHALLENGE OF DOCUMENTING IMPACT AND SUSTAINING COMMUNITY-LEVEL CONVERSATIONS
    • ORGANIZATIONS ARE LOOKING FOR SUPPORT AROUND FILM SELECTION, LONG-TERM RESOURCES AND COALITION-BUILDING TO SUPPORT FUTURE ORGANIZING.
  • CONCLUSIONS AND STRATEGIC INSIGHTS
  • References

About The Center for Media and 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.

Acknowledgements

CMSI would like to thank the organizers and representatives from five Georgia-based nonprofit organizations who shared their experiences and stories: Erika Curtis, Caroline Durham, Kate McNeely, Charles Stephens, Kimya Trotter. We also want to thank Working Films, particularly Gerry Leonard, 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 Putting Films to Work program and the funders that made the program possible: Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, Katybelle LLC, and Participant Media.

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Storytelling and Social Justice in Action

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Introduction

Table of Contents

  • Introduction
  • ABOUT PUTTING FILMS TO WORK
  • ABOUT THIS STUDY
    • PARTICIPATING NON-PROFITS
    • LIST OF SCREENINGS AND DOCUMENTARIES
  • THE PUTTING FILMS TO WORK MODEL
    • PHASE ONE: TWO-DAY TRAINING INSTITUTE
    • PHASE TWO: PLANNING THE EVENT
    • PHASE THREE: IMPLEMENTING THE SCREENINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
    • PHASE FOUR: REFLECTING ON WHAT WAS LEARNED, HOW THEY CAN IMPROVE, AND WHAT IT ALL MEANS
  • KEY FINDINGS
  • WORKING WITH DOCUMENTARIES
    • USING DOCUMENTARIES TO REACH NEW AUDIENCES AND NEW LEVELS OF ENGAGEMENT AND PARTNERSHIP
    • DOCUMENTARIES REVEAL THE IMPORTANCE AND CHALLENGE OF DOCUMENTING IMPACT AND SUSTAINING COMMUNITY-LEVEL CONVERSATIONS
    • ORGANIZATIONS ARE LOOKING FOR SUPPORT AROUND FILM SELECTION, LONG-TERM RESOURCES AND COALITION-BUILDING TO SUPPORT FUTURE ORGANIZING.
  • CONCLUSIONS AND STRATEGIC INSIGHTS
  • References
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