Justice in Motion
By Social Justice Film Institute
Justice in MotionJun 02, 2020
Episode 19, Mess and Forgiveness - Coming of Age Narratives in Television and Media
What was it about Emily in Paris that got it nominated at awards season over shows like I May Destroy You? Why does The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air have lasting power after neon jackets and the Carlton have gone the way of the fax machine and VCR?
In this episode of Justice of Motion, we speak about representation in coming of age narratives, specifically with regards to cultural and inter-generational identity. This episode is hosted by our two 2021 SJFI film fellows, Eva Bryner and Sowyma Kannan.
Episode 18, Activating the Next Generation of Social Justice Filmmakers with Sam Hampton
ACTIVATE | REFUGE, the 2021 Social Justice Film Festival is in just two days! Have you gotten your tickets yet? You can check out our program of over 50 genre-bending social justice films, buy tickets, and RSVP for our live panels at socialjusticefilmfestival.org.
In this episode of Justice in Motion, SJFI film fellow Eva Bryner sat down with SJFI Advisory Council member and documentary filmmaker Sam Hampton to talk about the judging process for the social justice film festival, as well as advice for aspiring social justice filmmakers.
Sam Hampton is a co-founder of Docs In Progress, which is dedicated to creating community through documentary. His films include My Mother’s Journey; Hidden Books; Mr. Stokes’ Mission, Transcending Surgeon, and Change in the Family. In addition to his filmmaking background, Sam has more than 25 years of experience working on social justice issues, including directing a national model community technology center and managing strategic planning and grants management for minority-serving colleges and universities.
Episode 17, How Do You Behave When No One's Looking? SAG-AFTRA and the Labor Movement
Yesterday was Labor Day, and to celebrate and honor the American labor movement and its contributions to the United States, Daniel sat down to talk with two representatives from SAG-AFTRA, the world's largest performer's union, to find out more about labor unions, the work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure working standards and collective bargaining needs are met in the entertainment industry, and union representation in Hollywood.
This month's guests are Dee Dee Escobedo (she/her) and Sean F. Taylor (he/him). To learn more about SAG-AFTRA, visit https://www.sagaftra.org/
Episode 16, Why Read When You Can Watch?
Monday, August 9th, is National Book Lover's Day, the official holiday to celebrate bibliophiles, reading, and literature. To commemorate, Daniel sits down to talk with Tiffany Douglas, resident book-lover and patient spouse (his words, not ours), to talk about social justice book-to-film adaptations, justice-oriented nuances that can get lost in adaptation, and the continuing impact of classic works of literature on modern storytelling tropes and the way we view ourselves. We hope you enjoy!
The stories explored in this episode are Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy, J.D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy, and Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre. To learn where you can acquire these stories to read, visit Indiebound to find your local independent bookstore. Just this once, the Social Justice Film Institute recommends reading the book before you stream the film.
Episode 15, What is a Social Justice Film (Part 3)
Continuing our series of conversations with the SJFI Advisory Council around the question "What is a Social Justice film?" this month on Justice in Motion Daniel talks with close friends of the Institute Rhenda Meiser and Lauren Taubman to discuss film, social justice lenses, and hopeful futures of technology and cooperation in the Middle East. We hope you enjoy!
Episode 14, Two Large Popcorns and a Basket of Nachos, Please and Thank You (featuring John Trafton)
With the prospects of nation-wide vaccination teasing a better summer than the one we had last year, the question on our minds is when can we go to the movies again? Quite apart from being the best way to beat the sweltering summer heat, seeing a movie in theaters is a treasured communal experience whose emotional ties hearken back to the ancient Greek theatre.
For this month's episode of Justice in Motion, we welcome back to the podcast Dr. John Trafton, Seattle University Film Studies professor and author of Movie-Made Los Angeles, to discuss the social importance of going to the cinema, branching off into 16-century panoramic paintings, predicting when moviegoers time their bathroom breaks, and the link between Kevin Smith and Tommy Wiseau.
FESTIVAL SAVE THE DATE. Mark your calendar for October 7 - 17 for the 2021 Social Justice Film Festival. The festival will take place in Seattle and online this year. More info to follow!
PRIDE MONTH IS HERE! Check out monthlong programming from our friends at Three Dollar Bill Cinema, including features, shorts, and live events!
Episode 13, Rebellions Are Built On Hope
Today, May the Fourth, is Star Wars Day! Our thanks to the machinations of the marketing genius that came up with that.
To commemorate this glorious hybrid holiday of cinema enthusiasm and nerddom, Daniel goes deep on the side of of Star Wars lore and culture that doesn't usually get mentioned: the socially-focused beginnings of the tale that began a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away; and the progression of Disney/Lucasfilm's storytelling approach that has led to the creation of the most polarizing boogeyman we see in today's online culture: the Social Justice Warrior (or SJW).
We invite you to kick back with a glass of blue milk, blare some Yub-Nub from your sub-woofers, and enjoy this special Star Wars Day episode of Justice in Motion.
***
This week, SJFI is proud to co-present Translations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival with Three Dollar Bill Cinema, streaming worldwide May 6 - 9. Book tickets below and register for free queer filmmaker networking hour at the links below!
Episode 12, The Big Secret: Racism Against Asian Americans
In this episode of Justice in Motion we discuss the stories behind told surrounding the recent shootings in Atlanta, Georgia.
As part of its recent event celebrating Communities Against Hate, Social Justice Film Institute Executive Director Aurora Martin invited Advisory Council members Vivian Hua, Glenn Morey and Andy Chan to discuss their experiences as AAPI storytellers and their vision for how film – particularly who is in front of and behind the camera – can bear witness and elevate voices for equity and justice.
Words matter. The stories and images that are projected into the public have real life consequences in who is seen, heard, and valued.
We mourn the people murdered in the Georgia mass shooting. Most of those targeted were women of Asian descent. All were people with stories, dreams, lives, and family. They had so much more life to experience with their loved ones, beyond the headlines we are left with: Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue.
This tragic loss did not occur in isolation. It is the result of patterns of hate with an extensive history, which people within Asian American communities have been reporting for a long time. It will take every one of us to unravel these patterns.
Please speak up. Don't be silent. And listen to people who are hurting right now, especially women of Asian descent.
Thank you for listening. The full video of this panel discussion is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GC27lJEtfM
***
Submissions are open for the 2021 Social Justice Film Festival. Visit filmfreeway.com/SocialJusticeFilmFestival for submission details
This month, SJFI teams up with Rainier Avenue Radio for a celebration of Earth Day from April 20-22. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest updates!
Episode 11, What is a Social Justice Film? (Part 2)
This month, we bring you Part 2 of our conversation with the SJFFI Advisory Council, an intrepid crew of filmmakers and activists blending art and social change to talk about the joys and challenges of filmmaking, and to ask ourselves 'What is a social justice film?'
This panel was led by Daniel Swan. Panel members: Giovanni Coda, Glenn Morey, and Gilda Sheppard.
Michele Noble on Navigating the Film Festival Circuit and the Joys of Free Food
There's no more glowing recommendation for a prospective film festival than "they gave me a free breakfast." This is one of the many pearls of wisdom we gleaned in our talk with independent filmmaker and Institute Advisory Council member Michele Noble. Michele directed and produced the short documentary Reclamation: The Rise at Standing Rock, which won the Tulalip Cares Prize at the 2018 Social Justice Film Festival, and we were lucky enough to sit down with her to learn how a filmmaker can put finishing touches on their work and begin to market it to film festivals, as well as how to stay sane while navigating the film festival circuit. We hope you enjoy it.
To learn more about Michele Noble and her film Reclamation: The Rise at Standing Rock, visit https://reclamationthefilm.com/
What is a Social Justice Film? (Part 1)
It's 2021!
To commemorate the end of a year that opened our eyes to injustice around the world while living in isolation from each other, we decided to bring together some of the members of the inaugural SJFFI Advisory Council! This special episode of Justice in Motion is Part One of a two-part series in which we meet some of our intrepid crew of filmmakers and activists blending art and social change to talk about the joys and challenges of filmmaking, and to ask the question 'What is a social justice film?'
This panel was led by Daniel Swan, with an introduction by Social Justice Film Institute Executive Director Anne Paxton.
Panel members: Michele Noble, Remoy Philip, Ralphina Sorrell, Andy Chan, and Rosalie Miller
My Tropey Life: Disability Representation in Media with Annie Carl
In this episode of Justice in Motion, Daniel talks to disability rights activist and small business owner Annie Carl.
Annie's journey as a social justice advocate began when, as a lifelong book-lover and bookshop owner in Edmonds, Washington, she discovered that diversity in the disability community didn't get the representation it merited from booksellers.
Daniel and Annie covered a lot of ground in this conversation, including topics like the Fries Test for disability representation, tokenism and fetishization of disability in media (you may be more familiar with the term "inspiration porn"), and ableism in portrayals of villains from Richard III to Captain Hook. Annie also provides some recommendations of films and series for people interested in broadening their perspective on what it means to be disabled, which we have included links to below.
Learn more about Annie's business The Neverending Bookshop - https://www.theneverendingbookshop.com/
Check out Annie's upcoming zine My Tropey Life: How Pop Culture Stereotypes Make Disabled Lives Harder, coming soon from Microcosm Publishing - https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/zines/15644
Annie's Recommendations:
Crip Camp on Netflix - https://www.netflix.com/title/81001496
Speechless on Hulu - https://www.hulu.com/series/speechless-b6d96e11-f2ef-49e8-9541-99d704d8190b
Episode 7, Robert Greenwald and Voter Suppression
Before we move forward, a quick reminder to show up at the polls today (Tuesday, November 3), and VOTE! A vote cast is a voice heard, and more than any other this election is a chance to envision that another world is possible. Visit www.vote.gov to learn how to cast your vote and change the world!
And now back to our regularly scheduling podcasting.
Let's face it: 2020 has been a bear of a year. How's that for an understatement?
And now the 2020 General Election is upon us, so for this month's episode of Justice in Motion, Daniel sat down with Robert Greenwald, documentarian and director of Suppressed 2020: The Fight to Vote, to talk about voter suppression in the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election that cost Stacey Abrams a seat at the governor's table.
From his beginnings as a commercial filmmaker, Robert started his own production company, Brave New Films in the early days of YouTube, back when the obstacle of distributing your own film seemed like an unscalable mountain. Making them for free, no less? Pure folly. But Robert's resourcefulness and know-how for getting films moving forward, were key to producing the body of social justice documentaries he has his name on today. Enjoy this conversation we got to have with Robert, and exercise the power of your voice by showing up to your polling place and casting your vote today! Remember: if your vote didn't matter, they wouldn't be trying so hard to take it away.
Suppressed: The Fight to Vote screened in the 2020 Social Justice Film Festival TRANSFORM: Another World Is Possible. The film is produced by Brave New Films and available to watch for free at bravenewfilms.org/suppressed.
Beyond Scary: Social Justice in Horror
In a world full of so much real horror, sometimes it can be easier to stomach to escape into a world of make-believe horror. And now that we've reached October (we can hardly believe it ourselves), we can kick back and pop in (or stream) some of our favorite spooky Halloween films!
This month on Justice in Motion, Daniel passes the mike over to Alanna Huntman and Marisa Reyes-Pacheco for an interview with Dr. John Trafton, a lecturer in film studies at Seattle University, and the author of Movie-Made Los Angeles. John has a unique way of looking at films that deal with mass delusion and collective insanity -- in other words, films that make us jump out of our seats, or at the very least make us a bit squirmy. We hope you enjoy Alanna and Marisa's engaging chat with John about his favorite horror films that deal with social justice issues, his advice for filmmakers and screenwriters starting out in the horror genre, and his answer to that golden nugget of a question: are we in a golden age of horror?
This month sees the launch of the first online Social Justice Film Festival. This year's festival, TRANSFORM, Another World is Possible, is live now through October 11. Tickets and passes are available to purchase at www.socialjusticefilmfestival.org/festival, and while you're at it, check out our live events in the final week of the festival! Event listings below, and under the hashline you'll find links to all the films John, Marisa, and Alanna talked about in today's podcast!
Indigenous Futures - Thursday, October 8, 7:00pm PST
Prisoner Justice - Saturday, October 10, 7:00pm PST
Voting Matters - Sunday, October 11, 7:00pm PST
### ### ###
Horror Noire: The History of Black Horror, 2019
Night of the Living Dead, 1968
Godzilla, 1954
The Fly, 1986
Alien, 1979
Ganja and Hess, 1973
Possession, 1981
Psycho, 1960
Raging Bull, 1980
Cops on Film: Part II
In this second part of a 2-parter about police on film and in TV, Daniel looks at the ways media portrayals of police have impacted the way we look at crime, the justice system, and society itself. Being the latter half, Daniel starts around the time of The French Connection and makes his way up through the days of big-budget Hollywood blockbusters Die Hard and Robocop, to today, where on-the-street footage capturing police violence has shown the public that the police aren't just there to get the bad guys.
Remember to follow the Justice in Motion and the Social Justice Film Festival and Institute on all social media platforms!
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Cops on Film: A Century of Police in Cinema
What do the Keystone Cops have in common with the Southern Pacific Tree Frog? In Episode 4 of the Justice in Motion Podcast, Daniel does a deep dive on the ubiquitous presence of police on film. This episode is Part I of a two-part series on this topic, in which Daniel covers the way police were portrayed in the early days of Hollywood, and the birth and influence of the Hays Code.
Remember to follow the Justice in Motion and the Social Justice Film Festival and Institute on all social media platforms!
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Emerging Filmmaker Maggie Budzyna
Maggie Budzyna's community engagement began at age 11, when she started a nonprofit organization to bring performance opportunities to underserved communities. As Maggie (@maggiebudzyna) puts it, 'I feel like it's my responsibility to use my privilege to help other people and lift up other peoples' voices... I make films because that's my contribution to the world, and my way of bringing to light stories that are important to represent. And we all need to do that in our own lives.' We Are the Mass Shooting Generation, which explores the epidemic of gun violence in the United States, is one of those films, and the reason we were able to sit down with Maggie and talk about being an emerging filmmaker!
In Episode 3 of the Justice in Motion podcast, Maggie and Daniel talk about the highs and lows of her already storied career as a filmmaker, the challenges of filmmaking while in quarantine, and her message for today's emerging filmmakers.
We Are the Mass Shooting Generation won the Youth Visions Prize at the 2018 Social Justice Film Festival.
Emerging Filmmaker Kasha Sequoia Slavner
'Young people can't not do anything' says Kasha Sequoia Slavner, founder of Sunrise Storytellers and the filmmaker behind 'The Sunrise Storyteller.' Kasha (@globalsunrisers) was interviewed by Daniel for Episode 2 of the Justice in Motion podcast to discuss the differences between equity and equality, the mission of climate justice, and the perks of using mom as a production assistant and logistical lifesaver. Kasha also shares some stories about crowdsourcing her film, practical tips for emerging filmmakers, and perspectives on why so many of today's activists are young people.
'The Sunrise Storyteller' won the Gold Youth Visions Prize at the 2017 Social Justice Film Festival.
Resources for Racial Justice
In response to protests around the country and around the world following the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police, we at the Social Justice Institute feel it important to honor the social justice moment we’re living in right now.
As such, we've compiled a document intended to share films and reading inspired by the mission of social justice and racial equity, as well as organizations to donate aid to in the fight for black lives and in protest of police brutality.
You can find our document for Racial Justice Resources at socialjusticefilmfestival.org/racial-justice-resources
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
The Social Justice Film Festival stands in solidarity with black communities, and with organizers and protestors demanding justice and equity across the nation. We are committed to a global culture where it is not just equality but equity that is achieved on all levels. We will work to affirm the artists who make the art of filmmaking, and the public bearing witness from our personal lens and from the streets, an integral part of social change.
Justice Matters. Black Lives Matter.
Superheroes & Social Justice?
Daniel welcomes comic book writer Janet Harvey (@janetharvey) to talk superheroes in the first episode of Justice in Motion. Topics covered include where Superman came from before he left Krypton (hint: it’s not what you’re expecting), what the creator of Wonder Woman was rejecting in society, and why some of your favorite Saturday morning cartoons might just have their roots in social justice.
Janet and Daniel also share some laughs and provide some insight into why we tend to recoil at the term “social justice.”