TELL THEM WE ARE RISING
a film by Stanley Nelson
CHALLENGE: Maximize the impact of documentary themes by connecting public media stations with Historic Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and increasing advocacy and stakeholdership with their core audiences.
SUCCESS: Turned public media stations and Historically Black Colleges & Universities into partners and advocates in preserving HBCU legacy. We streamlined strategic planning and engagement by coordinating promotion and original programming for 10-city campus tour achieving full capacity attendance. Maximized original programming created by public media stations to champion the PBS broadcast premiere of “Tell Them We Are Rising” to over 1 million listeners and viewers extending the impact of the #HBCURising documentary campaign beyond broadcast.
ITVS INDIE LENS POP-UP, INDEPENDENT LENS SERIES ON PBS
a neighborhood film series brings people together for film screenings and community-driven conversations featuring documentaries seen on PBS's Independent Lens.
CHALLENGE: Connect film themes to relevant and timely community conversations while raising visibility of the “Independent Lens” documentary series and brand.
SUCCESS: Facilitated over 100 ITVS engagement events partnering with public media stations from Washington, DC to Baltimore, MD. Our screening events garnered the reputation as “safe spaces” for community conversations with creatives, influencers, and community organizers to share ideas and take action. “Autism In Love” speakers encouraged resources for countless parents of adult children with autism; Local homeless organizations benefited from donations collected after a screening of “The Homestretch”; along with a partnership with The People’s Supper motivated authentic conversations around race after viewing “I Am Not Your Negro.” We recommend documentaries for screenings hosted by members of Congress, as a narrative for understanding the impact of relevant policy and legislation.
HBO “SHOW ME A HERO”
a film by David Simon/Urban Institute
CHALLENGE: Identify and capture compassioned audiences, driven by justice as stewards for a HBO dramatic series unraveling a real-life fair housing battle in Yonkers, New York.
SUCCESS: Targeted urban planners and Urban Institute cohorts as primary advocates for “Show Me a Hero.” We activated a public preview screening of the mini-series, resulting in The White House recommendation of HUD Secretary Julian Castro as an esteemed panelist with filmmaker David Simon. Other event appearances include Yonkers native and actor Clayton LeBouef, founder of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Fair Housing Center James Perry, Urban Institute SVP Margery Turner and President Sarah Rosen Wartell. HBO distributed a recording of the panel on iTunes, and Urban Institute published an online conversation advocating urban planning and public housing reform with researchers, housing experts, and Yonkers city government officials.
AFI DOCS FESTIVAL PRESENTATION OF RAISING BERTIE
a film by Margaret Byrne
CHALLENGE: Attracting audiences to a festival screening of a documentary uncovering disparities endured by a predominantly African American family in rural North Carolina. Increase visibility on social media and other platforms to raise awareness in the event.
SUCCESS: Created community amongst North Carolina and Bertie, NC natives living in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, producing enthusiastic advocates for the AFI DOCS festival presentation of Raising Bertie (P.O.V). Our immersive social media campaign curated North Carolina transplants and families impacted by social infrastructure policies primarily affecting rural African American communities. Residents reconnected, shared resources, and promoted the film on Facebook. We enlisted the Urban Institute for policy summaries of the film’s educational curriculum on “Race and Economic Mobility” (high school, college levels) and hosted a Washington, DC screening with filmmaker Margaret Byrne, producer Ian Kibbe, The Hive founder Vivian Saunders, US Department of Agriculture undersecretary for rural development Lisa Mensah, and Urban Institute president Sarah Rosen Wartell.
#RRR1968 - “RIOT. REBELLION. RESURRECTION”
Washington City Paper cover story
CHALLENGE: Reimagining the important, sensitive historic impact of the 1968 riots from diverse perspectives of survivors aimed at attracting a new generation of locals who were not born or may not have roots in Washington, DC.
SUCCESS: A transmedia approach — Live event, podcast, 1968 playlist, publication (online, newspaper) — for telling the stories about the aftermath of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in 1968 and its impact made #RRR1968 an intergenerational experience, building a shared awareness and appreciation for the DC city among life-long, long-term, and new residents. The experience transformed the subjects in the article, residents and participating businesses into local stakeholders in the city.