Justice in Motion Social Justice Film Institute

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.

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.

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/

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.

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!

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!