Short Films, Big Issues

On June 3 the annual Media That Matters Film Festival (MTM) will make its premiere at New York City’s School of Visual Arts Theater. On the same date, all 12 short films can be viewed online in their entirety at the Media That Matters website. The collection will also be distributed nationwide on DVD through Netflix and do-it-yourself screenings. Last year, more than a million people participated in the festival online and through local screenings held around the world.

One of the world’s first and largest online film festivals, MTM is as unique in content as it is in distribution. The theme of this year’s festival is “Screen, Act, Impact.” Each film includes “take action” tools that allow the viewer to learn more about the film’s topic and direct them to specific ways to help. “The Media That Matter Film Festival aims to not only entertain, but to also motivate audiences to learn more and get involved,” said Katy Chevigny, co-founder and executive director of Arts Engine. “All of the films explore difficult and challenging topics in ways that will surprise, delight and inspire.”

The complete film festival lineup is as follows:

The Next Wave
Pacific Islands & USA | 8:03 | Documentary
The Carteret Islanders, some of the world’s first climate change refugees, struggle to relocate.

Bits and Pieces
Jordan | 4:38 | Experimental / Animation
Traditional mosaics illustrate a collage of contemporary Jordanian sentiments, challenging common misperceptions of the Middle East.

Lone Wolf
USA | 5:29 | Documentary
The rights of an independent journalist are compromised by the government's attempts to control media content.

Locusts
USA | 6:33 | Docu-Music Video
Hip Hop artists join Detroit citizens to speak up about the effects of ill-planned urban developments.

Exiled in America
USA | 9:25 | Documentary
Five siblings living in America struggle to support themselves after their mother is deported to
Mexico.

Why Do White People Have Black Spots?
Ghana & USA | 6:24 | Documentary
Youth in Ghana pose questions to people outside of their borders and spark an ongoing dialogue through film.

La Hoja
Bolivia & USA | 9:59 | Documentary
The United States’ war on drugs challenges Bolivian traditions with broad and damaging results.

Will I Be Next?
USA | 6:31 | Documentary
Chicago youth explore the effects of gun violence in their neighborhoods and demand change for the future.

Immersion
USA | 12:00 | Narrative
Moises, a ten-year-old student, struggles to communicate in his new English-only school with limited access to his native language.

The Secret Life of Paper
USA | 5:36 | Documentary
Why does the United States consume far more paper than any other country on the globe?

Knock Knock, Who’s There?
India | 0:59 | Public Service Announcement (PSA)
What would you do to stop domestic abuse in your neighborhood?

Looking Back
USA | 5:31 | Documentary
Homeless veteran Albert Lewis photographs his life and sheds light on the support of his community.



The MTM film festival is co-presented by Arts Engine and Cinereach.


Media That Matters
Arts Engine
Cinereach