[Peace] Immigration focus of Film Series, Fall 2007

[Karen Medina]

[This is both a list of events (the Human Rights Film Festival which will be on the issue of immigration) and a request for co-sponsorship of the Film Festival... feel free to forward to other groups (like TIF, for example). -karen medina ]

>I am contacting you to request the co-sponsorship of your organization for an upcoming event at the Illinois Disciples Foundation.
>
>It is my pleasure to announce that the Illinois Disciples Foundation (IDF) will soon begin our Fall Human Rights Film Series. The series presents important documentary films dealing with issues of human rights and social, environmental and economic justice. This semester's film series will focus on the issue of immigration, in conjunction with the burgeoning national and local campaign for a new sanctuary movement (http://www.newsanctuarymovement.org). The films will focus on the motivations for immigration, both legal and illegal, the experiences of immigrants, the dangers they face coming across borders and the public debate over immigration, hopefully putting a human face to this highly politicized issue.
>
These films will be presented to the public, free of charge, on Thursday evenings from September 20th through October 11th at the Illinois Disciples Foundation. The films will be presented by local activists and community members who will moderate discussions about the issues raised in the films with the people who come to the viewings.
>
>We here at IDF are very excited about this event, which has grown in popularity since we began the series in 2003. In that time the series has expanded from an annual event to now a semi-annual event. We hope that you will join the IDF in supporting this wonderful event for the community by agreeing to co-sponsor, allowing us to use your name on our publicity
materials. We also hope you will organize your members and supporters to participate and help to spread the word in the community about the event.
>
>In addition, in order to more easily present these wonderful,
>thought-provoking films to the community, the Illinois Disciples Foundation has purchased it's own video projector and high-quality screen.
>We believe this is an important investment for the community, but this has
>required a large cash outlay on our part. Whatever donations you could
>make in addition to your name co-sponsorship would go a long way to help
>us defray our costs. We hope you realize that this is not just a great
>resource for us, but for all of us working for peace and social justice in
>this community, and we hope in the future you can suggest films for us to
>show with this great new resource. Whatever monetary support you could
>give would be greatly appreciated.
>
>Please respond to this message by Friday, September 7th if your
>organization would like to lend its name in co-sponsorship to the IDF's
>Fall Human Rights Film Series with it’s special focus on immigration.
>Although a monetary donation is not required for co-sponsorship, we at IDF
>appreciate any support that you are willing to give. We will continue to
>accept co-sponsorships after the deadline, but your organization may not
>be listed in the early publicity. If we receive your co-sponsorship late
>we will make sure you are listed on all subsequent publicity materials.
>
>Please send your responses to Aaron Smith at redherng at gmail.com or call
>the IDF office at 352-8721 or just reply to this e-mail. Feel free to
>contact me for more information about the film series.
>
>Read below this e-mail for more complete information about the films,
>possible dates, and event information, some information is subject to
>change.
>
>More detailed information will be available in the coming weeks. I hope to
>hear from you soon, and I hope you will help us with this important event.
>
>In Solidarity,
>Aaron Smith
>IDF Assistant Director
>
>
>----------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>Wetback: The Undocumented Documentary (2005) – 90 minutes
>(Showing on Thursday, September 20th, 7pm)
>
>The filmmakers follow Nayo and Milton (whose surnames are not given),
>migrants from Chinandega, Nicaragua as they cross through Honduras, El
>Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States in their attempt to
>reach Canada. Along the way, other migrants are interviewed as they are
>detained by Mexican authorities. Catholic human rights workers in Chiapas
>also offer their perspectives, particularly on the abuse of migrants by
>gangs such as the Mara Salvatrucha.
>
>It also features interviews with United States Border Patrol agents and
>Arizona Minuteman Project organizer Chris Simcox.
>
>http://www.opencityworks.com/wetback/
>
>----------------------------------------------------------
>
>Farmingville (2004) – 78 minutes
>(Showing Date Not Set)
>
>In the late 1990s, the hate-based attempted murders of two Mexican workers
>catapulted a Long Island town into national headlines, unmasking a new
>front line in the border wars: suburbia. For nearly a year, filmmakers
>Carlos Sandoval and Catherine Tambini lived and worked in Farmingville,
>N.Y., documenting the stories of residents, day laborers and activists
>battling one another over the American Dream. Won a Sundance Special Jury
>Prize in 2004.
>
>http://farmingvillethemovie.com/aboutMovie.html
>
>----------------------------------------------------------
>
>Letters from the Other Side (2006) - 74 minutes
>(Showing Date Not Set)
>
>"How many more deaths does it take for the U.S. government to do
>something? Let it be on their conscience that since our tragedy many more
>have died and many more will die!"
>
>So says Laura in a video letter to the U.S. government, speaking about her
>husband who died trying to cross the U.S./Mexico border to search for
>work. LETTERS FROM THE OTHER SIDE interweaves video letters carried across
>the U.S./Mexico border with the intimate stories of women left behind in
>post-NAFTA Mexico. By focusing on a side of the immigration story rarely
>told by the media or touched upon in our national debate, LETTERS paints a
>complex portrait of families torn apart by economics, communities dying at
>the hands of globalization, and governments incapable or unwilling to do
>anything about it.
>
> http://www.sidestreetfilms.com/
>
>----------------------------------------------------------
>
>Taxi Dreams (2001) – 120 minutes
>(Showing Date Not Set)
>
>The New York City taxi industry, the world's largest, has 40,000 drivers
>and 12,000 yellow cabs. Most Big Apple cabbies are recent immigrants,
>visible examples of the melting pot. A rich mix of characters turn up for
>training at local taxi driving schools: 90 nationalities, all religions,
>and education ranging from none to Ph.D.'s. This film tells the stories of
>four of them, accounts of humor, conflict, drama, ambition, and culture
>shock.
>
>http://www.pbs.org/wnet/taxidreams/
>
>
>-- 
>Illinois Disciples Foundation (IDF)
>610 E. Springfield Ave.
>Champaign, IL  61820
>Office Hours: Mon - Fri from 12-5pm
>(217) 352-8721 | idf at prairienet.org
>www.prairienet.org/idf
>