USC MISC Fall 2020 Newsletter
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New in MISC: Film Contest to Promote Voting, Green Film School Alliance, New Filmmakers LA partnership, Film Festival Submissions for Mental Health Awareness, and more.
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USC-MISC Newsletter: Spring 2020
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A Message From MISC In This Time Of Crisis
In this time of global health crisis the Media Institute for Social Change continues to create work that explores social issues. We are working remotely on the projects we started earlier in the year to use media to bring about positive social change, and tackle issues of social justice. We hope that during this challenging time you are staying healthy and safe, and following the suggested protocols to preserve your well being and also protect the common good.
Filmmaker Dr. Robert Mark Carpenter and Bill Milliken, Founder of Communities in Schools, with students in a still from American Dropout.
Documentary "American Dropout" Wraps Production
USC alumnus Dr. Robert Mark Carpenter (Ph.D. Rossier School of Education), has wrapped production on his feature length documentary, American Dropout. This film takes a raw and gritty look at the invisible high school dropout crisis. The project began while Carpenter was getting his doctorate at USC, and it continues his research on the complex factors that contribute to the dropout epidemic.
There are more than 50 million dropouts in the United States, and those affected cross all categories of location, culture, gender, and socio-economic status. These dropouts are ineligible for 90% of jobs, they commit 75% of all violent crimes, and they cost taxpayers nearly $2 trillion in welfare services. American Dropout follows Carpenter as he criss-crosses the country to investigate not only why this is happening, but what can be done about it before it is too late. Read More.
Still from maya and lily short film
First 5 California Team Screens Maya and Lily
When Dr. Michael Olenick, President of the Child Care Resource Center, shared the short film Maya and Lily with Camille Maben, Executive Director of First 5 California, she knew it would be a valuable tool to start discussions among the First 5 team members about how to continue to provide resources and support for working families.
First 5 California provides resources for educators, policy-makers, researchers, county representatives, and philanthropists to engage with each other about early childhood health and educational policy. Maben and Jamie Hastings, the Director of Administrative Services, screened Maya and Lily for their team, who all agreed that the film accurately and engagingly depicts the tough reality many working parents face. Read More.
Student Film Share Featuring School Of Cinematic Arts Films
The USC Media Institute for Social Change hosted a Student Film Share at the end of 2019, screening films by current SCA students and recent alums. Organized by SCA MFA student Anne Brashier, the film share curated films on topics ranging from gun violence to domestic abuse, and allowed SCA students to share the insights and experiences they had while making films about social issues. Read More.
MISC Projects In The Pipeline
“The Shift” is a developing docuseries and social impact campaign designed to support young people on mental health issues.
A series of films focusing on environmental factors relating to clean air and clean water. The films will be developed in partnership with the Keck School of Medicine’s Department of Preventive Medicine.
A film to raise awareness of the issue of bladder cancer in the Hispanic community. The film will be developed in partnership with the Keck School of Medicine of USC’s Department of Urology.
A film about the current state of our Immigration Courts and why we need to move the jurisdiction of Immigration courts from the White House to the Department of Justice. This project will be in partnership with the Gould School of Law’s Immigrants and Global Migration Initiative.
A film about housing instability in Los Angeles to be developed with the Sol Price School of Public Policy’s Center for Social Innovation.
USC-MISC Newsletter: Spring 2019
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from Maya and Lily Short Film
MISC Film Maya and Lily Debuts Along with Panel Discussion on Media and Childcare Policy
Written by Andrea Ngeleka
This spring, USC MISC produced a short film, Maya and Lily, in collaboration with the Stein Early Childhood Development Fund at CCF (California Community Foundation), to demonstrate the devastating effects that the lack of access to childcare has on families already struggling to make ends meet. On the night of the screening, MISC also hosted an expert panel of media creators and child care policy experts, who discussed how entertainment can prompt broader discussions about childcare. Read More.
Heart of Los Angeles and Banyan Foundation Volunteers
MISC Produces Film in Collaboration with Banyan Foundation and HOLA
Written by Anne Brashier
MISC collaborated with the Banyan Foundation for a second time to work with Heart Of Los Angeles (HOLA) for a short doc about HOLA’s efforts to unite partners with youth and their families to transform communities. Directed by USC Alum John Berardo and produced by MISC Executive Director Michael Taylor, the film featured volunteers and staff from both the HOLA and Banyan organizations discussing the value that HOLA brings to families in Los Angeles. Read More.
GI Jose, directed by Alejandro Vela
Driving Lessons, directed by Leland Hall
directed by Faisal Attrache
On Friday April 26th, as part of the Neely Center for Ethical Leadership and Decision Making conference “Next Generation Ethics: Where Do We Stand”, Professor and MISC Executive Director Michael Taylor spoke on a panel moderated by Frank Zerunyan, Professor of Practice of Governance, Price School of Public Policy.
To prompt a discussion about ethical decision making, Taylor screened clips from several USC student films in which characters were faced with an ethical dilemma. The films explored topics such as gun control, immigration policy, and racial profiling. Read More.
USC-MISC Newsletter: Fall 2018
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MISC Partners with Producers Guild of America for panel on Hollywood Diversity
Written by Lorraine Wheat
On Sept. 26., MISC hosted an event titled Producing Diversity: A Conversation. The panel brought four prominent producers to SCA to discuss the impact of diversity on Hollywood: Janet Yang, who moderated, was joined by Stephanie Allain, Teddy Zee, Terence Paul Winter.
Stephanie Allain (Dear White People, Hustle & Flow) told a story about her childhood. While growing up in a black, single mother household, she saw Julia, the groundbreaking show starring Diahann Carroll that told the story of a single mother nurse. It was the first time she had seen her own life reflected on the screen. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, we're important. We count,’” Allain said. Read More.
Maya and Lily Production Update
Student Academy Award Winners Have Social Impact Themes
Written by Tomi Tunrarebi
Four School of Cinematic Arts student films won Student Academy Awards on October 11th. The awards celebrated the best films of 1500 films submitted from 400 schools around the world and many of them focused on social issues, including climate change, gender equity, immigration and anti-Semitism.
Among them was Lalo’s House a film that sheds light on child trafficking, and was mentored by MISC Executive Director Michael Taylor. Filmed on location in Haiti, it was the thesis film of director Kelley Kali who was inspired to make it after witnessing a Haitian Catholic orphanage that was a front for a child trafficking ring. Read More.
MISC Hosts 'Crazy Rich Asians' Film Discussion at Blaze
By Reina Akamatsu
On Tuesday September 25th, MISC launched a new event, the MISC student social, to provide a space for the USC student community to gather and talk about impactful popular media. The inaugural event, held at a pizza restaurant near campus, focused on discussing “Crazy Rich Asians,” directed by USC alumnus Jon Chu. The film came out in August 2018 and is one of the year’s most talked about films. Read More.
by Catherine Cropp
MISC received a grant from the Stein Early Childhood Development Fund to create a fictional film about the importance of access to quality and affordable childcare. The Stein Early Childhood Development Fund, in affiliation with the California Community Foundation, awards grants to non-profit organizations to raise public awareness and support for quality childcare education. Read More.
USC-MISC Newsletter: Spring 2018
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OP-ED: Men are Appallingly Silent Toward #Metoo
Written by Rob Carpenter
I have grown increasingly uncomfortable with men’s silence toward the #MeToo movement. At first, I thought the silence was because men wanted to actually listen to women’s stories of being sexually assaulted, harassed, demeaned, ignored, and taken for granted.
But this thought was wrong.
Over the last several months, I have had various conversations with men about their perspective on #MeToo. And what I’ve found has been disheartening to say the least.
Now please don’t get me wrong: it’s not that most of the men I’ve spoken with disagree with the movement. But they don’t necessarily strongly agree with it either. Read more.
OP-ED: Why the USC MISC and KWIPPIT Project Hope L.A. Benefit Concert Matters to Me
Written by Lorraine Wheat
On April 19, USC Media Institute for Social Change focused its efforts on raising money for the homeless.
USC MISC partnered with KWIPPIT and joined forces with the hip hop community to host the Project Hope L.A. Benefit Concert. Hip Hop Artists Bishop Lamont, Amp Live, and Angie Fisher used their music to raise donations that went to the Downtown Women’s Center, Skid Row Housing Trust, and the United Way - Greater Los Angeles.
To me, the Project Hope L.A. Benefit Concert was an awesome experience that demonstrated how we as artists can use both media and our artistic talents to unite the Los Angeles community. Uniting Los Angeles is one of the best actions artists can take in order to solve one of Los Angeles’ biggest problems, homelessness. Read more.
OP-ED: The Objectification of Women in Japanese Media
Reina Akamatsu
Written by Reina Akamatsu
"In the beginning, woman was truly the sun. An authentic person. Now she is the moon ... dependent on another, reflecting another's brilliance,” Raicho Hiratsuka wrote in the first Japanese journal for women.
Raicho Hiratsuka is the first modern feminist in Japan. Raicho helped to start the women’s movement in 1911. Even so, as I was being raised in Japan, feminism was not actively discussed. Even when I was studying in college, I did not encounter any classmates that openly declared that they supported feminism. I started to be more exposed to the idea of feminism when I came to the United States. Coming to the United States led me to start recognizing the objectification of women in Japanese media.
The first time I acknowledged the gender inequality in Japanese media was two years ago. A popular Japanese entertainer named Becky experienced unfair treatment. She had been one of the most popular television talents for roughly 15 years and had recurring appearances on 10 different commercials and 6 variety shows. Then the press found out she was having an affair with a married Japanese musician. After this incident she disappeared from all media. Justin McCurry wrote in his article titled Downfall of Japanese TV’s girl next door highlights wider industry sexism, “her alleged lover, a pop singer, carried on his career apparently unaffected”. This example reveals how Japanese media portrays women unfairly and it highlights the importance of maintaining an image for Japanese female entertainers. Read more.
Production Update
USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
PSA for New Hope Foundation
PSA for the New Hope Foundation: MISC has produced a PSA for the New Hope Foundation on the subject of hospice care. The PSA intends to promote new nationwide policies that focus on end of life care. Watch the video.
Cancer Care: MISC partnered with USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center to produce a video that highlights the importance of participating in clinical trials. The video illustrates the value in allowing one's data and tissue samples to be used in clinical studies for the prevention and treatment of cancer. Watch the video.
USC-MISC Newsletter: Spring 2017
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Justin Chan’s Poster for Gook
OP-ED: 5 Influential Films for Social Change in 2017
Written by Matthew Leung
2017 was a year of deeply disconcerting political turmoil, societal upheaval, natural disasters, brutal awakenings, and a widespread sentiment of “can this year be over already?” It’s very easy to adopt this sentiment and look back at the year in disgust, but 2017 was also a year for some of the most powerful films that inspired social change, and it’s more important than ever for us to honor them before jumping back into our continued fight against injustice in the new year.
Time Magazine’s selection for “Person of the Year” of 2017, the silence-breakers, or the women and men who spoke out against systemic sexual harassment. . . Read more.
USC MISC Fellows at UTA
USC MISC Fellows Visit UTA
In November, MISC Fellows went to UTA to meet with Rene Jones. In the meeting Ms. Jones discussed how UTA makes a positive impact in the media as well as throughout the agency.
UTA pairs their clients with social issues, big or small, hoping to bring awareness and positive change. Within the agency, UTA encourages its employees to apply to have a dream of theirs sponsored. For five days UTA employees can fulfill dreams ranging from going on a silent retreat to giving back to the community with volunteer projects.
USC MISC Panel of Diverse Voices
An Evening Celebrating Diversity
Written by Tomi Tunrarebi
On Wednesday Nov 29, MISC hosted a screening of films highlighting diverse voices. The films covered a myriad of topics from immigration to colorism to the minorities within minority groups. Each film addressed these issues with a fresh perspective which added new insight into each topic. I learned something new from each film without feeling like I was learning at all.
After the screening there was a Q&A with the filmmakers, a truly diverse group of people. From the conversation that ensued, it was clear that each filmmaker had a personal connection to the stories they told. Read more.
kWIPPIT and USC MISC Application for Social Change
USC MISC Create Emojis for Change
The Media Institute for Social Change (MISC) continues to accompany MTV, Comedy Central, the Elton John Aids Foundation and others with its own Kwippit channel. Kwippit aims to be a new form of messaging that enhances your ability to express yourself. Using animation and customization illustrations, our channel offers dozens of ways to express your opinions on the social issues you care about.
Download it on the iTunes App Store here or on Google Play here.
USC-MISC Newsletter Archive: Fall 2016
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CHANGING THE WORLD, ONE FILM AT A TIME
EMERGING FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT:
SHAYDA FROST
SHAYDA FROST, A RECENT GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S SCHOOL OF CINEMATIC ARTS, TACKLES ACCIDENTAL GUN DEATH IN CHILDREN IN 60 SECOND PSA "LOCK LAW".
USC-MISC Newsletter: Spring 2016
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PARTICIPATE: April 20, 2016
The Saks Institute for Mental Health Law, Policy, and Ethics and USC Media Institute for Social Change present:
Spring Symposium 2016: Mental Illness In Cinema
Filmmakers, critics, scholars and policymakers convene to discuss how mental illness is depicted in media and how society views the many issues that impact us all.
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
9:30 am - 3:00 pm
Tommy's Place
Tutor Campus Center
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
IN PRODUCTION:
COMPLICATED GRIEF
Complicated Grief PSA for NEw Hope Foundation
1 in 10 people will suffer from the condition called Complicated Grief after the death of a loved one. USC MISC produced a PSA for the New Hope Foundation to raise awareness of the condition and inform people of the various treatments. The PSA will be broadcast nationally later in the year.
PAMOJA PROJECT
The Pamoja Project has completed post-production. The film will be submitted to film festivals in April. Stay tuned for screenings near you.
The film follows 3 women in Tanzania working to create change in the areas of education, business and entrepreneurship.
USC MISC SCHOLARS
Congratulations to our 2016-2017 USC Media Institute for Social Change Scholars!
Miriam Arghandiwal is a Bay Area Afghan-American with a background in conflict journalism, politics, marketing and community outreach.
Rukayat Giwa was born in Lagos, Nigeria and raised in Bakersfield, California. She received a graduate degree in educational studies and taught high school mathematics in Morrow, Georgia. She plans to use media to entertain, educate end empower people of color.
Born in Paris, Anna Lisa McLelland worked in a refugee center in Israel and served as speechwriter for Queen Noor of Jordan. A nomad by nature, she writes about lost homes.
Julia Van Valkenburg is a media and pop culture blogger from Tucson, AZ. She joins MISC as a cinema and media studies MA with a background in production.
Jonatas da Silva was born in Brazil and raised in West Africa. He speaks 5 languages and has a passion for travel. He comes to MISC after working as a Media Producer for Orphan's Promise.
FILMING NOW: Spring 2016
Funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), partners USC MISC with the USC Keck School of Medicine for a series of videos on Big Data.
Digital data is being collected all over the world very quickly and has increased in quantity faster than anyone expected. The organization and sharing of this data is crucial to the ongoing work of biomedical research and in many ways the future of medicine depends on it. MISC will be working in collaboration with researchers at the Keck School to document their work and we will produce films intended to convey the magnitude of this issue.
IN DEVELOPMENT:
THE INTERPRETER: After a several years of struggling to get clearance to bring Afghan interpreter Saifullah to the United States, film director Robert Ham welcomed him to San Antonio last month.
Robert Ham and The Interpreter team now look forward to dramatizing this effort in the film which will begin pre-production this summer. Based on true events, The Interpreter is about an Afghan interpreter working for the US Military, hunted by the Taliban while seeking asylum.
US. Army veteran/director Robert Ham, welcomes his interpreter Saifullah at the San Antonio Airport.
PREMIERING:
PAYA: The Water Story of the Paiute Hits festival circuit.
PAYA: The Water Story of the Paiute, a Her Pictures Production in Association with USC Media Institute for Social Change and Owens Valley Indian Water Commission had its world premiere at the Red Nation Film Festival Nov 12th at the Laemmle Music Hall in Beverly Hills where it won the Best Documentary category. The film recently screened at the Native Women in Film & TV festival in Santa Monica and continues to make its way through the festival circuit. Paya has also screened at local theaters throughout California to sold out audiences and is currently on a national university tour. The filmmaker, Jenna Cavelle, is currently developing the short film into a feature length documentary with an associated water rights outreach campaign.
SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE NEWS:
++The Walking Dead Joins Disney and Marvel in Taking a Stand Against Georgia’s Anti-gay Bill [Updated]
++Women, Minority Writers See Little Progress or ‘Actual Reversals of Fortune,’ WGA Report Says
++'Blackfish' filmmaker 'never imagined' her documentary on SeaWorld would have such a major effect
++The Hunting Ground Is Shifting the Culture on Campuses
++Oscar-winner's film may help bring a new law on honour killings in Pakistan
USC-MISC Newsletter: Fall 2015
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PARTICIPATE: October 30, 2015
USC Media Institute for Social Change &
the USC Gould Saks Institute present:
Odyssey of the Mind - A Mental Health Awareness Festival.
Friday Oct. 30th 3-8:30pm
FILMING NOW: Fall 2015
MISC has partnered with Music for Relief to complete a documentary series on the Sunset Marquis Summer Concerts from May through October 2015. The Sunset Marquis hotel has been the rock mecca for the last 60 years, and each summer they hold a concert to mainstage musicians at the start of their careers. MISC has been following each artist as they take the stage and perform their original work. Music for Relief is a non profit organization dedicated to providing aid to natural disaster survivors and protecting the environment.
The Pamoja Project: The team has returned from a three week shoot in Tanzania documenting 3 women working to create change in the areas of education, business and entrepreneurship. Producer/Director Audrey Emerson is working closely with MISC, Devlo Media, and composer Emmett Cooke as they delve headfirst into post production. View a short teaser here
#FIGHTFAKE: Over the summer MISC produced a PSA for the USC Licensing and Trademark division to remind people to purchase authentic CLPA branded apparel. The PSA is live online and will play at all home games for USC sporting events.
One way to ensure you're making a responsible purchase is to look for an authentic CLPA hangtag/hologram (Example Below)
CROSSING DESERT AND SEA: Director Grazyna Kolondra traveled to Jordan this summer to document the use of art to empower Syrian and Iraqi refugees. Kolondra's research indicates that inspiring children to express themselves through art sheds light on the refugee experience and raises awareness of this issue affecting displaced people.
Youth at Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan share artwork with Director Grazyna Kolondra and team. See more of the children's work here.
MISSING: A short film directed by Blerim Gjoci, slated to begin shooting in December tells the story of a woman who fights to keep her missing husband "alive" even if it means losing everything in the present, including her son. This film intends to create awareness around the issue of the 90,000 people who are missing in the US at any given time.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
USC MISC has been awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) which will fund a two year partnership with the Keck School of Medicine on the subject of Big Data. Digital data is being collected all over the world very quickly and has increased in quantity faster than anyone expected. This data is not currently being shared among scientists in any organized way, and there is no central place where it is being housed. The organization and sharing of this data is crucial to the ongoing work of biomedical research and in many ways the future of medicine depends on it. MISC will be working in collaboration with researchers at the Keck School to document their work and we will produce films intended to convey the magnitude of this issue.
USC undergraduate students have the opportunity to pursue the minor in media and social change offered by the School of Cinematic Arts. We hope the minor will attract students from all fields of study who want to learn how they can influence the future by integrating social issues into their work.
We're upgrading our youtube channel into a pro-social video hub. If you've created a video and would like us to feature it, email a link and description to info@uscmisc.org for consideration.
PREMIERING
PAYA: The Water Story of the Paiute, a Her Pictures Production in Association with USC Media Institute for Social Change and Owens Valley Indian Water Commission premieres November 12 at the Red Nation Film Festival. PAYA documents the history of Paiute Native Americans who constructed and managed 60-miles of intricate irrigation systems in Owens Valley for millennia before LA secured its largest source of water through modern engineering. After the Indian War of 1863, surviving Paiute returned to the Valley from the Eastern Sierra and White Mountains to find their ancient waterworks taken over by white settlers. Today, 150-years later, the Paiute continue the fight to save their waterworks, which are remnant in the Owens Valley landscape. PAYA (“water” in Paiute) stands to recover Paiute water culture and history through this documentary film.
IN DEVELOPMENT
THE INTERPRETER: In a recent trip to Washington D.C. the filmmakers began development interviews and secured the life rights to the stories of soldier, Matt Zeller and his Afghan interpreter, Janis Shinwari and are now in development on the feature film. The short proof of concept film has raised half its financing and is currently seeking a matching funder.
L to R: Jenna Cavelle, writer/producer, Matt Zeller, US Army veteran/co-founder of No One Left Behind, Janis Shinwari, Afghan interpreter/co-founder of No One Left Behind, Robert Ham, US. Army veteran/director.
IN THE NEWS
*DEADLINE: Feds Officially Probe Hollywood's Lack of Female Directors
*The Reel Conversation talks to The Pamoja Project Director Audrey Emerson
*Mad Men Writers Talk Hollywood Sexism
*"The Interpreter" Garners Minimum to Begin Production
*Staff Sgt. Takes to Silver Screen to Save his Interpreter
*DAILY TROJAN: Filming Complete for the Pamoja Project
*NPR: American Dad Fights for the Interpreter Who Aided Fallen Son
DONATE
To support a future of social change media
makers, donations can be made by choosing
"Customize Your Gift" and selecting
Media Institute for Social Change (MISC)
Donate here
www.USCMISC.org
USC Media Institute for Social Change is a nonprofit organization of industry professionals who use cinema to create an awareness of social issues and inspire positive actions throughout the world. With a mission to support emerging media makers who weave pro-social messaging into their stories, USC-MISC is changing the world one film at a time.
Copyright © 2015 USCMISC, All rights reserved. newsletter@uscmisc.org
USC-MISC Newsletter: Summer 2015
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Filming Now: Summer 2015
Live@SunsetMarquis' summer benefit concert series: The live music events support emerging artists and Music for Relief, a nonprofit organization founded by the band Linkin Park to aid disaster relief efforts and their work with environmental issues.
The Pamoja Project: Audrey Emerson & her crew are currently filming in Tanzania. The documentary film tells the inspiring stories of 3 Tanzanian women who have had impressive social impact in East Africa through their work in the fields of education, microfinance and health. You can follow the filmmakers' journey at ThePamojaProject.org
Trademark and Licensing PSA: USC-MISC is shooting a public service announcement for the USC Office of Trademarks & Licensing, which will highlight the benefits of purchasing licensed merchandise and the societal risks of buying counterfeit products.
One way to ensure you're making a responsible purchase is to look for an authentic CLPA hangtag/hologram (Example Below)
IN DEVELOPMENT:
Crossing Desert & Sea: A documentary project using art to empower Syrian and Iraqi refugees in the Middle East. Learn more about the film and how you can help at CrossingDesertAndSea.org
The Interpreter: One interpreter from the Afghan War is killed every 36 hours by the Taliban while waiting on a special immigrant visa promised by the US government. You can watch the trailer and learn more about the project from Robert Ham & USC-MISC's Jenna Cavelle on The Interpreter's kickstarter page, which is live now.
AWARDS:
- Faisal Attrache's "Growing Home" recently won the Jury Award for Best Documentary Short at the Newport Beach Film Festival. Visit the film's website www.refugeebarbers.com to watch the trailer and learn more about how "Growing Home" is spreading awareness about the conflict in Syria.
Connect
ANNOUNCEMENTS
This upcoming semester, all USC undergraduate students will have the opportunity to pursue the minor in media and social change offered by the School of Cinematic Arts. We hope the minor will attract students from all fields of study who want to learn how they can influence the future by integrating social issues into their work.
USC-MISC SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
We are pleased to announce the recipient of this year's USC-MISC Scholarship is Liv Nelson!
“I am honored to receive this award. I’m drawn to stories that have social issues woven into the narratives, I always have been. I’m currently working on projects that deal with the issues of body image in Hollywood, gun violence, and bullying in schools. My ongoing affiliation with MISC will allow me to continue to use media to shed light on these issues”
- Liv Nelson
MY HERO INT'L FILM FESTIVAL
MY HERO Project is now accepting submissions for the 2015 MY HERO International Film Festival through August 1st, 2015. Visit myhero.com for details
We are working to upgrade our youtube channel into a pro-social video hub. If you've created a video and would like us to feature it, email a link and description to info@uscmisc.org for consideration
IN THE NEWS
*'San Andreas' 6 things the movie gets right about earthquakes
*School of Cinematic Arts introduces new minor
*Student filmmaker acts globally
*Actress A-List roundtable discuss race, sexism,aging in Hollywood
*Filmmaker's journey to change the world
*Jeff Skoll: making movies that make change
DONATE
To support a future of social change media makers, donations can be made by choosing "Customize Your Gift" and selecting Media Institute for Social Change (MISC)
Donate here
USC-MISC Newsletter: Winter 2015
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COMING SOON
On March 14th, 2015, Variety and unite4:good will join USC-MISC to present the inaugural conference4:change uniting leaders across all platforms of the entertainment industry to exchange ideas on how to deliver messages that fuel positive social change.
Read more about conference4:change and join the conversation by connecting with us on Twitter and Facebook
THINKING AHEAD
This Summer, the USC School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) will offer CTPR 428: Making Media for Social Change. This production class is an opportunity for students to make a short film that advocates social change in any genre. All films will be based on original ideas dealing with a social issue that the student chooses with the intention to motivate viewers to take action. The form can be any style of cinema from fiction to documentary, public service announcement, animation, or multi-media. In addition to creating the film, the students will hear presentations from filmmakers currently involved in advocacy work to discuss their projects. Learn more about the Summer session course and how to reserve a spot here
PRE-PRODUCTION
We have partnered with USC School of Cinematic Arts student and film director, Audrey Emerson, to create The Pamoja Project. The documentary series will share the incredible stories of 3 Tanzanian women who work in the areas of education, microfinance and health in an effort to create lasting change for the people of their country. Read more about The Pamoja Project here or go straight to the film's Indiegogo page and discover how you can get involved here
JUST CONFIRMED: FALL 2015
We have been working with SCA to develop a Media and Social Change minor and the proposal has been officially approved. The Media and Social Change minor will become available for undergraduate students to pursue in the Fall 2015 semester!
AWARDS
- USC-MISC director Mark Manalo’s thesis film ‘Present Trauma’ won 1st place at the 10thAnnual MY HERO Int’l Film Festival and took home the Relationships First award. 'Present Trauma' is a psychological drama about a Marine veteran struggling to cope with family life after a combat tour overseas. You can watch all the MHIFF award winning films here
CONNECT
SCHOLARSHIP
Applications for the $5,000 USC-MISC Scholarship are now being accepted through March 1st, 2015. This award will go to one USC SCA Graduate Student who has proven dedication to creating social impact through his/her work. Recipient to be announced March 4th. Click here for more information!
Other Announcements
MY HERO Project is now accepting submissions for the 2015 MY HERO International Film Festival. Visit myhero.com for details
We are working to upgrade our youtube channel into a pro-social video hub. If you've created a video and would like us to feature it, email a link and description to info@uscmisc.org for consideration
IN THE NEWS
*Variety to Honor Halle Berry, Ewan McGregor & More at unite4:humanity
*From our friends at ADAA on Social Anxiety & Alcoholism
*Ground Operations: Battlefields to Farmfields trailer
*The Pamoja Project Info Video
To support a future of social change media makers, donations can be made by choosing "Customize Your Gift" and selecting Media Institute for Social Change (MISC)
Donate here
USC Media Institute for Social Change is a nonprofit organization of industry professionals who use cinema to create an awareness of social issues and inspire positive actions throughout the world. With a mission to support emerging media makers who weave pro-social messaging into their stories, USC-MISC is changing the world one film at a time.
USC-MISC Newsletter- Fall 2014
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USC-MISC Newsletter- Summer 2014
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