Last Wednesday, November 9th, Picture Motion also joined in the mass disappointment that many felt across the country when popular vote winner Secretary Hillary Clinton conceded to President Elect Donald Trump. With acts of hate rising in the country, we were reminded of the importance of empowering filmmakers to create films that can educate and broaden our world views, and recommitted ourselves to our work with even more motivation: to keep moving forward, and to keep working with films that are committed to impact.

Picture Motion was lucky enough to receive yet another reminder of the importance of our work this past Monday, November 15th, at Good Pitch by Britdoc, where 7 inspiring films and the individuals behind them had seven minutes to share their impact strategies to draw support from an audience full of philanthropists, foundations, policymakers, NGOs, and more.

Please check out these films and see if you can pitch in to help them.  

Dark Money

The Film: Following the dramatic story of citizen activists who battle dark money groups during Montana’s 2012 and 2014 elections, Dark Money puts a human face on campaign finance issues and discusses the effect of the 2010 “Citizens United” ruling. Using the microcosm of Montana, the film and filmmakers, Kimberly Reed, Miriam Cutler, and Molly Murphy, present a strategy to fix the US campaign finance system by inspiring grassroots opposition demanding campaign finance reform and the repeal of Citizens United.

The Ask: During the pitch, the film team asked for like-minded partners to support their state-by-state campaign campaign that will work to put an end to dark money as well campaign funding.

What You Can Do: Find out how you can support the film and the campaign goals by visiting the Dark Money website.

Councilwoman

The Film: Councilwoman follows Carmen Castillo, a Dominican hotel housekeeper in her first term on Providence, Rhode Island’s City Council, as she balances her day job cleaning hotel rooms with her new role. This is a film about entrenched power in American democracy, what it means to venture between worlds that don’t see each other, and the personal toll of a political career that the public rarely sees.

Councilwoman’s impact goals include empowering women of color to run for local office and repainting the political process in a more accessible light for communities that have felt that a position in government is not meant for them.

The Ask: During the pitch, the film team asked for post production funding and campaign partners to help support their project.

What You Can Do: You can support the film and the campaign goals by visiting their website and sharing their trailer.

Dawnland

The Film: Dawnland tells the story of cultural survival and stolen children, and goes inside the first truth and reconciliation commission for Native Americans. The film seeks to bring together those invested in racial justice in order to support efforts at decolonization, including but not limited to educators, Native peoples, and activists.

The Ask: During the pitch, filmmakers asked for funding for their impact campaign and partnerships.

What You Can Do: Check out the trailer here and find out how you can support the film and the campaign by visiting their website.

Madame Tran’s Last Battle

The Film: The deadliest use of chemicals in the history of warfare continues to kill and deform. Madame Tran charges 26 corporations with knowingly poisoning Vietnam with Agent Orange. There has been no accountability for this ‘ecocide’. By exposing the profit-oriented decisions that left Agent Orange contaminated, Madame Tran’s Last Battle can hasten dioxin clean-up and provide care for the many thousands of victims.

The Ask:  Educating viewers on the long-term effects of chemical warfare, the film seeks to partner with grassroots organizations to provide support and care to survivors of Agent Orange exposure. During the pitch, filmmakers Alan Adelson and Kate Taverna asked for funding for their impact campaign and partnerships.

What You Can Do: Stay tuned for how you can support this campaign by signing up for the Britdoc newsletter.

Rescue Breath

The Film: In the heart of the opioid epidemic, a group of young men attempt to rebuild their lives after years of abuse, poverty, and drug use. Rescue Breath showcases the struggle, strength, and determination that it takes to overcome addiction – and lays bare the internal conflict of recovery.

The Ask: Rescue Breath seeks to educate audiences on the pervasiveness of drug abuse in America, on account of the lack of proper treatment and further resources paired with generational addiction. During their pitch, the film team asked impact producer mentorship and training, finishing funds and campaign partners.

What You Can Do: Stay tuned for how you can support this campaign by signing up for the Britdoc newsletter.

Quest: The Fury and the Sound

The FIlm: Shot over a decade, Quest: the Fury and the Sound began as a documentary portrait of the Rainey family and their home music studio in North Philadelphia. When a stray bullet wounds their youngest daughter, the film shows the family’s strength in the face of adversity and their dedication to being a force for good in their community.

The Ask: The goal of the film’s campaign is to build a large community that include families, like the Raineys, activists, policymakers, educators, and others that seeks to discuss and act on a number of topics including but not limited to gun violence, youth development, restorative justice, and healing from trauma. At the pitch, filmmakers Jonathan Olshefski and Sabrina Schmidt Gordon asked the audience for post-production and impact campaign funding.

What You Can Do: You can support the film and the campaign goals by visiting their website.

Imitation of Choice

The Film: Imitation of Choice looks at sex work, prostitution and human trafficking through the lens of New York State’s criminal justice system. The film captures the growing pains of our nation’s first human trafficking intervention court in Queens, New York, and how we define trafficking and prostitution from many different perspectives: the criminal justice system, the social welfare system, and, most importantly, the women and girls who are at the center of it all.

The Ask: The film impact campaign seeks to change the way those who have been criminally charged with offences related to prostitution so that they are provided the kind of treatment and opportunity beyond incarceration that might not otherwise be accessible. Filmmakers Stephanie Wang-Breal and Carrie Weprin asked audience for funding and partnership support  for this campaign..

What You Can Do: You can support the film and the campaign goals by visiting their website.

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By Emma Ho: Director of Special Projects @emmaho13

Emma lead’s Picture Motion’s strategic partnerships and creative impact campaigns, with an emphasis on international women’s issues. She has spoken about her work at the IFP Media Center and guest lectures at Girls’ School NET. Prior to working at Picture Motion, Emma worked at Andoscia Communications, a strategic communications, marketing and public relations agency specializing in luxury, lifestyle and media brands. Emma’s strong background in PR and marketing as well as her passion for documentary film enables her to provide multi-disciplinary solutions to clients at Picture Motion. Emma received her Master’s Degree in Media Studies at The New School with a concentration in new media, documentary, and film and has an Honors BA degree in Art History at Queens University in Kingston, Canada and a graduate certificate in Public Relations at NYU.