The average length of uninterrupted work time for working parents is 3 minutes, 24 seconds. If that's all the time you have, please use it to donate to Brown Girls Doc Mafia here instead of reading our newsletter.
If you have more time, read on! There's some good stuff :)
Warmly,
Team PicMo
Support RAICES In Their Fight to Keep Families Together & Safe
One of the leading voices fighting family separation at the border, RAICES provides legal services and social programs to immigrant families, children, and refugees. Last month, we were honored to work alongside RAICES to launch a collaboration in partnership with Magnolia Picture's new film, The Fight. Through the organization's virtual cinema, $5 of any $12 rental fee will go toward supporting their work on behalf of immigrant children and families. You can also watch a special conversation with their Directors of Family Detention Services and Litigation, as well as some of the RAICES team members who spent time on the ground at the detention centers. Watch the film here and learn about other ways to take action and to demand that families at the border be released together here.
Public Trust Unites Activists to Save Our Public Lands
Patagonia's latest environmental documentary, Public Trust, examines our nation’s public lands as well as the impacts of extractive industries and the politicians in their pockets. Together with Patagonia, we produced three virtual events. Thousands of activists watched the film together while simultaneously sharing resources and actions within the live chat, as well as discussing why public lands should remain protected and safe for all. These events inspired hundreds to begin organizing their own virtual screening events!
Thousands of Organizers Screen Story Of Plastic Worldwide
This month marked the end of our worldwide digital campaign for The Story of Plastic, culminating in a coalition of 50,000 activists, educators, and community members who have mobilized to take action and end plastic pollution. When the world shut down, the digital-only campaign provided institutions with tools and ways to adapt, connect, and inspire climate change action while social distancing. We also learned that plastic pollution is truly a global crisis as leading stakeholders from 86 countries speaking 33 languages viewed the film, facilitated expert-led discussions, and joined the film’s movement partner #BreakFreeFromPlastic.
Sharing The Life & Legacy of Marie Curie Through Radioactive
Radioactive is an Amazon Original feature film and biographical journey through Marie Curie’s enduring legacies, her passionate partnerships, scientific breakthroughs, and the consequences that follow. We facilitated a series of pre-release virtual screening events with educators, women in science groups, and cultural centers to share the life and legacy of Marie Curie. One screening with Women in Nuclear Medicine had over 1000 attendees! Now that the film is available to stream on Amazon, we're facilitating educator webinars to showcase the film's accompanying lesson plans from BlueShift Education, providing teachers and students with exciting opportunities for digital learning this fall!
PicMo Team Member Snapshot
Meet Lillie Fleshler! Lillie is our Impact Distribution Manager based in NY who manages our grassroots screening tours, expanding the reach of our film campaigns and ensuring they make an impact.
Her hometown:
I grew up in New York City - both a blessing and a curse because I have tried and failed to live anywhere else - so I will probably never leave!
What brought her to PicMo:
I’ve always been interested in how film and impact intersect. I had an internship with Participant Media’s social action department while PicMo’s president Wendy Cohen was there, so PicMo has always been on my radar and I was determined to join the team one day! After graduating from college with a film degree, I joined a workforce development nonprofit and then worked as an Associate Producer at documentary production company Insignia Films. I also shared an office space with PicMo at one point during this period! Transitioning into the impact film space, I landed a role at Film Sprout where I helped facilitate screening tours for films like Knife Skills and Matangi / Maya / M.I.A. It felt like fate when I finally joined the PicMo team in 2018 as part of the acquisition of Film Sprout!
What she is working on:
Currently, I am running screening tours for Public Trust and Athlete A. I really enjoy connecting with educators, nonprofits, activists, and community leaders who are doing incredible work on the ground. I have had unforgettable conversations through this job, and a really valuable facet of our work is that we can provide these changemakers with films they can use as a tool to further their work and mission.
Her favorite recent film:
Sam Feder's Disclosure. I learned so much about trans representation in film and TV from trans perspectives, and it has really impacted how I will view all media moving forward.
Her quirky hobby:
I can truly spend hours reading Wikipedia bios. So far this week I've covered: Edward VII, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Amelia Boynton Robinson, and Steve Jobs' entire extended family.
Say hello! lillie@picturemotion.com
PicMo's Summer Playlist Picks
The PicMo team have each picked out a couple of our favorite songs of the summer. From Kylie Minogue’s Get Outta My Way ("When I need an extra boost of energy to get tasks done and outta my way") to Shakira’s Rabiosa ("When I want to get that quick cardio in between calls, this song always gets me moving") to Stop The World from the cast of Come from Away ("A great reminder of the kindness and hope that can be found amidst really sad and scary times").
Download our playlist on Spotify!
Hollywood LGBTQ-Inclusive Films Up, Diversity Down and Trans Characters Absent, GLAAD Study Finds | The Hollywood Reporter
Hulu Study IDs 4 Types of Streaming Consumers | Hollywood Reporter
Op-Ed: Why we need Black filmmakers to tell the story of 2020 | Los Angeles Times
We Asked Four Documentarians: How Does Film Shape the Fight for Racial Justice? | New York Times
What to Watch: Films & TV to Supplement Anti-Racist Education | Picture Motion
#ChangeHollywood: Michael B. Jordan, Color of Change Launch Roadmap to Inclusion | Hollywood Reporter