Matt Hannigan – Sprout Film & Video (Fall 2013) http://video.sproutfund.org Sprout received 35 submissions in response to a call for innovative film & video projects. View them online, “like” your favorites, and help us decide which should receive $10,000 to become a reality. Tue, 03 Dec 2013 22:07:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.5 Between a Stone and a Shrine http://video.sproutfund.org/between-a-stone-and-a-shrine/ Fri, 22 Nov 2013 06:32:25 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=14106

Between a Stone and a Shrine is a cinematic experience featuring a gilded gold leaf casket airlifted over the city of Pittsburgh. In Braddock, PA, a group of people will be awaiting the casket’s arrival and lead it in a procession to a grave that I am digging in an abandoned lot.

My hope is that this gesture will resonate within the community to perpetuate positive action in Braddock’s revitalization efforts. Symbolically, placing this gilded casket underground acts as a seed to re-generate growth in urban communities. Helicopters used in mercy flights, news casting, war and surveillance create a sense of urgency; within my video, I am using the tensions of a helicopter to communicate the necessity of solidarity within the community. The monumental gesture with a golden casket alludes to an alchemical idea that death is a transition and not a finality. The event and final video will function as a social allegory that extracts layers of symbolism and mythology to provide a narrative of hope, preservation and transformation for post-industrial neighborhoods.

Within an urban context, art is a tool to promote awareness, provoke dialogue, and inspire action. My sculptural interventions is a critique of social perceptions of urban areas to prompt conversations about transience and growth within post-industrial environments. I am creating an avenue for engagement that instigates positive reflection and action within Braddock’s revitalization initiatives. The goal of my video, Between a Stone and a Shrine, is to permeate the local history and mythology by translating social tensions into narratives. The stories told by the participants and witnesses will, if passed on, persist and become a myth that survives the event itself.

Learn more about Between a Stone and a Shrine at oreencohen.com

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Bloomfield Documentary http://video.sproutfund.org/bloomfield-documentary/ Fri, 22 Nov 2013 06:35:12 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=14109 Pittsburgh has many different neighborhoods each having its own culture and ethnicity associated with it. My project would be showcasing one of these neighborhoods, Bloomfield, and how it has changed over the years. It would be a documentary looking at different generations that have lived in Bloomfield and seeing how their culture and experiences have helped to change the neighborhood into what it is today.

Although I do not live there, my extended family is one of the many families that has lived in Bloomfield for the entire life. I have spent a lot of time in this neighborhood growing up, but I do not know much about it. I feel the history and culture of this neighborhood needs to be documented, so that generations will be able to see how Bloomfield has evolved into what it is today. This project will provide a strong emphasis on the voices of community members and their views of how the neighborhood has changed.

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East of Liberty—Communities Without http://video.sproutfund.org/east-of-liberty-communities-without/ Thu, 21 Nov 2013 16:39:51 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=55 East of Liberty series, Chris Ivey explores the cultural shift in East Liberty as the storied Shadow Lounge closes its doors and ends an era in the neighborhood.]]> East of Liberty—Communities Without, is the fourth and maybe final film in the East of Liberty documentary series. Like the films before it in the series, Communities Without will address issues of race, class and gentrification as we begin to bring the documentary series to a close. Featured interviews will include displaced residents from the first chapter, A Story of Good Intentions, returning to live in new housing, East Liberty homeowners and the management and staff of the recently closed Shadow Lounge club. The Shadow Lounge, together with it’s other bar business, AVA was considered by many the key cultural shift in East Liberty starting back in 2000 and has been featured in each chapter of the documentary series.

The first film was groundbreaking for Pittsburgh for it’s controversial and open approach to dialogue regarding race, class and gentrification. For some, the film was considered a bitter reminder of addressing the addressed and used as a tool in showing the different yet equal sides of true community redevelopment.

The film series stands alone for its unique and blunt way of tackling subjects considered taboo but necessary in understanding the nature of decision-making that affects many lives and consequences. The East of Liberty series is used as an educational tool today in most Pittsburgh area colleges and universities and has been acquired by many educational institutes nationwide.

Learn more about East of Liberty – Communities Without at eastofliberty.com

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Fursonas http://video.sproutfund.org/fursonas/ Thu, 21 Nov 2013 16:40:25 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=57 Fursonas is a documentary work in progress that explores the lives of furries in Pennsylvania. The furry community refers to a diverse network interested in anthropomorphic animals. Many of these people purchase or create fursuits— life-size animal costumes of their “fursonas”.

This film will offer intimate portraits of a variety of fursuiters, attempting to understand the person behind the costume. Some of the subjects interviewed include: Freya Fox – a single mother from Pittsburgh, Skye – a college student, and aspiring dancer, Boomer – a middle-aged loner who identifies more with sheep dogs than with other people, and Naki – a charismatic 27-year-old in a long distance relationship.

Every summer, Pittsburgh hosts the largest furry convention in the world, known as Anthrocon. Locals are familiar with the display of hundreds of furries in the street, but seldom do they look past their preconceived notions about the fandom. Other documentaries about furries focus on providing an easy answer for the phenomenon. But, Fursonas is more interested in taking a humanistic approach, allowing the subjects to speak for themselves, and the audience to decide for themselves.

The filmmakers plan to expand the short film Fursonas into a feature-length documentary, in order to fully realize the potential of the project.

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Gabi’s Playdate Place http://video.sproutfund.org/gabis-playdate-place/ Fri, 22 Nov 2013 06:38:05 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=14111 “Gabi’s Playdate Place” is an internet show for children (ages 3-6) that was created and developed with the intention of helping children celebrate their uniqueness and develop psychological resilience at an early age and is based on the power of three simple and beautiful words: I Am Somebody. Children who learn to love and embrace who they are, at an early age, grow up to be loving adults. And when you are able to love yourself, you love and respect your neighbor, your neighborhood (and those who are not your “neighbor,” i.e. different) and ultimately the planet. It’s trickle up, trickle down love.

Gabi’s Playdate Place is a carefully considered environment that addresses important aspects of children’s cognitive, emotional and physical development. It is a place where children are motivated by interesting objects and opportunities, but it is also a comforting place where children discover predictable routines and themes. Most important of all, through the recurring phrase “I Am Somebody,” Gabi and her friends emphasize over and over again the value, worth and dignity of each human being and the unique gifts that each person can develop and share. In a world where so many children are exposed to violence and neglect, this consistent message offers a hopeful alternative.

Learn more about Gabi’s Playdate Place at gabisplaydateplace.com

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Gas Rush Stories http://video.sproutfund.org/gas-rush-stories/ Thu, 21 Nov 2013 16:41:05 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=59 Gas Rush Stories series allows people affected by the drilling industry, whether good or bad, have their stories heard.]]> Gas Rush Stories is an innovative documentary project that aims to increase awareness of shale gas exploration—the environmental issue of our time and place, create constructive conversation about shale gas drilling, and empower people to be active citizens through “GRS Community Conversations”, so that we can make informed decisions.

I started producing Gas Rush Stories in the spring of 2011. It was concerning to me to see how pro-drilling and anti-drilling people seemed to live in two very different and separate realities. On the other hand, so many people lacked awareness of this important issue. I wanted to create a forum where people who have been impacted by this industry in some way, good or bad, could share their personal views and experiences openly. Human stories have an amazing power to increase understanding and good will, and to connect people who have become alienated from one another.

The series has been praised for “an important contribution to the historical record of the ‘fracking’ controversy”, for it’s “human interest stories and fact-based presentation”, for it’s promotion of “people being able to draw their own more informed conclusions”, and for “documenting the impacts of the Pennsylvania shale gas extraction boom with a rare level of fairness and detail”.

GRS Roundtable is a 53 minute documentary based on the original Gas Rush Stories, a story about Pennsylvania, a state that chose to take the fast lane in the global race to tap the world’s shale gas reserves. How can the problems created by the rapid expansion of shale gas drilling industry be mitigated in Pennsylvania? Can other states and nations learn something from the mistakes made in Pennsylvania? According to  John Hoskyns-Abrahall, President of Bullfrog Films, Gas Rush Stories Roundtable would be the first documentary on shale gas drilling that aims at serving the greater good by reaching out to conflict mediators, social psychologists and economists.

Learn more about Gas Rush Stories at gasrushstories.com

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Give Us a Chance: Pittsburgh Punk http://video.sproutfund.org/give-us-a-chance-pittsburgh-punk/ Thu, 21 Nov 2013 16:49:33 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=61 The goal of this film project is to present the all ages Punk Rock music scene and youth culture of the early 1980’s that emerged in Pittsburgh just as the decline of the steel industry was reaching its dramatic peak. The shifting regional landscape, with its’ mills closings, historic employment loss, and eventual population flight into the suburbs, altered generations of individual families and communities, while creating new opportunities in its wake for its youth to connect.

For many young people in Pittsburgh under the age of 21, the enigmatic culture of bars, nightclubs, and performance venues had always been a curiosity. Pittsburgh had already produced several successful underground Punk bands in the late ‘70’s, and its music/bar culture was estimable. A new generation of young people however were ‘missing’ out on the scene, and looking for ways to connect, be part of the culture, the people, and most importantly, the music.

The film ‘Give Us a Chance: Pittsburgh Punk (working title)’ will detail individual experiences about how a vibrant, active culture rapidly expanded across the greater Pittsburgh area – bringing people from the region’s declining satellite cities and mill towns together to support their need, curiosity, and eventually, commitment to Punk music and the rising Pittsburgh Punk Rock scene. It will illustrate how the Punk community grew from modest beginnings involving a few dozen people at an all-ages show at a small venue on Oakland, to the hundreds that came together to vent their frustrations and confront an uncertain future, while building an enduring community culture of their own.

Nationally there has been an increasing interest and trend towards documenting and preserving the music of this era, however there has not been another project to look at the music as a part of the holistic picture of the history of a city and how it has been an indicator of the broader changes that were taking place.

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The Granada Refrain http://video.sproutfund.org/granada-refrain-the/ Fri, 22 Nov 2013 07:56:01 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=14144 Four years ago I made a short documentary about the construction of the CONSOL Energy Center and how it mirrored the community issues surrounding the Civic Arena construction in the early 1960s. A lot of the promises in that CBA had a three-year timeline, many have been reached with substantial growth, but there are still a few loose strings and dangling causes that hold ties to major historical truths. Significant changes in the dynamic of this neighborhood have people talking about the future roll it will play in the face of the city. Living in the area and talking with members of the community I have found a mix of emotions, and there is no better time for a follow-up film!

The follow-up would explore the development and reconstruction of Historic Sites throughout the neighborhood. Places such as the Crawford Grill and the New Granada Theater, which are known for hosting artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Billy Eckstein and Dizzy Gillespie! The Theater is on the list of Pittsburgh’s Historic Landmarks and the National Register of Historic Places for its rich architectural past and significant role as a Movie Theater and Live Entertainment venue, while the Crawford Grill has been designated a Pennsylvania Historic Landmark for its similar enrollment.

Reconstruction of the two historic buildings would work as a physical representation of the artists’ voice in the rich history of this community, while asking the question: What role do the arts play in revitalization?

Learn more about The Granada Refrain at DrewNicholasFilm.com

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The House of God http://video.sproutfund.org/house-of-god/ Thu, 21 Nov 2013 17:05:50 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=78 The House of God is a short film by brothers Ben and Schuyler Hernstrom. It tells the story of Michael Lindström, a working class everyman, who loses his job in the recession and begins to have trouble dealing with the realities of poverty and urban decline. Inspired by our childhood, growing up through the 70s, 80s and early 90s in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, The House of God examines the emotional, psychological and physical effects of living in a community in decline.

Michael Lindström’s story is a journey. His job disappears in the recession. His sister, Anna, his closest and perhaps only real friend is transferred to Philadelphia when the hospital closes. Collapsing under the weight of the directionless time that the newly unemployed often have, he explores his environments with new curiosity. In the forests of south western Pennsylvania, nestled between post-industrial landscapes and beleaguered communities, he searches for something. Hopes for something. And in fact, there is something there. Just what that something is will change him forever.

A nod to our Scandinavian heritage, the natural world in The House of God is both a rich source of life and terrible force. With inspirations from Nordic folktales to contemporary writings like Halldór Laxness’ Independent People, we examine the natural world without simplification or glamorization. It is pure in a way, unfettered by our designs, our successes or failures but that purity is not to be confused with gentility. This world demands respect and to ignore its demands is to live in peril. Yet, pushed onward by his dislocation and apparent lack of meaningful alternatives, Michael is determined to discover its truths.

Learn more about The House of God at ambulantic.com

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House Stories: Giovannitti House http://video.sproutfund.org/house-stories-giovannitti-house/ Fri, 22 Nov 2013 06:40:33 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=14113 This documentary series tells the stories of architecturally unique houses located in Pittsburgh. Each short video illustrates notable features of the buildings, and tells stories of its design, construction, and occupancy phases. Interviews, animations, and moving images of the houses will be presented at a lively and entertaining pace. Animations help to simplify architectural concepts, widening the spectrum of audience and appealing to a variety of viewers. More than an explanation of the technical aspects, this film is a story of the building’s existence to date.

The pilot episode of the series is Giovannitti House, about a residence on Woodland Road near the Chatham University campus. This house was designed by the now-­‐famous architect Richard Meier in 1979. Its unusual, modernist cubical design created great controversy at the time, but has since been recognized as a landmark of modern residential design.

The aim of the series is to immerse viewers in the living spaces depicted in each episode. For this reason, interviews with the house owners (in this case Frank Giovannitti and his wife Colleen Hess) are conducted in the context of their daily lives. A filmmaker (Will Zavala in this case) is introduced as a guest visiting the Giovannitti family. While they are talking about the house, Frank gives Will a detailed tour around the house.

Learn more about House Stories: Giovannitti House at giovannittihouse.blogspot.com

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The HUG Project: Helping Us Grow http://video.sproutfund.org/hug-project-helping-us-grow/ Fri, 22 Nov 2013 08:01:18 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=14147 Local Filmmaker, Kerra Penn, along with producing partner, Pat Ulie, wishes to create a 60 minute documentary film that shows the positive influence that matching five underprivileged youths with five successful (older) mentors can have. What is unique about this film is that each youth will discover at their initial introduction to their mentors that their partners in the HUG Project share a common background. Each mentor will have come from similar circumstances as their protégé whether it was a broken home, poverty or other challenges in their young lives. The mentors will share how they overcame these challenges and succeeded in careers and became what the youth hope to become someday. The process and reaction to these initial meetings will be guided and documented by the filmmakers.

The filmmaker’s ultimate vision is that the film – which will match 5 mentors with 5 youths – will be the launch pad for the HUG Project to be continued with a partnering youth advocacy program as an ongoing and continuing project. Project lead and producer Kerra Penn believes that the film could have a powerful effect on Pittsburgh residents of multi-generations and backgrounds to learn that, although the challenges of today and the past may have come in different forms, that overcoming these challenges must come from within and there is no better way to learn this than to learn this lesson from someone who has already succeeded in doing so. The mentors will help the youths by sharing their hard-earned wisdom and the mentors will be helped by the youths as they share their knowledge of modern technology and teach them how to use the internet and social media to overcome the “technical isolation” that many (who were not “born with a computer in their hands”) experience in today’s high-tech world.

Learn more about The HUG Project – Helping Us Grow at thehugprojectfilm.com

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Invitation to the Soil Building Frontier http://video.sproutfund.org/invitation-to-the-soil-building-frontier/ Thu, 21 Nov 2013 16:50:37 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=63 Invitation to the Soil Building Frontier focuses on the composting infrastructure developed by the Pennsylvania Resources Council over the past five years.]]> This project will produce two films to share with residents in four rural counties in Southwest PA; and then share the films with these residents at over twenty meetings over the year after its completion: in local schools; libraries; cooperative extension offices; businesses; and community, civic and farmer organizations. At 15-20 minutes and 35-45 minutes, these two films will share content but be designed for different venues, described below. The films will introduce local audiences to an innovative program in their communities, a program which promises significant local and regional benefits, environmental and economic; and depends for its success and growth on the interest and participation of a wide range of people who live nearby.

Over the past five years, the Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC) has shaped and led a program to develop our region (Southwest PA)’s composting infrastructure in ways that have the greatest potential benefit to our natural environment and to our employment. A ‘composting infrastructure’ means all the relationships among waste-generators, haulers, composters and compost users.

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Kill the Artist http://video.sproutfund.org/kill-the-artist/ Thu, 21 Nov 2013 16:51:19 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=65 Darrell Kinsel and I, Alisha Wormsley, are preparing to make a feature-length docu-narrative film about a diverse selection of emerging and mid-career Pittsburgh artists. Our vision is something between Art 21 and Downtown 81. The artists we have chosen are diverse in art form, style, career level and ethnicity. Our focus is in support of a movement of artists of color and their collaborative partners, to highlight Pittsburgh as a city that fosters diversity and supports artists or, at the least, give a space and flexibility for artists to do their thing. The film will spotlight two primary topics: this emerging movement of creativity and synergy happening among this diverse art scene in Pittsburgh, and the artists and spaces that would otherwise be un-/under-seen. Aesthetically, this film will also vary from the normal documentary narrative. We intend to work each artist, their work, and the spaces they create into animated/edited collages. Turning this film into a form of our work and artistic process.

We find a discord between Pittsburgh’s diversity and diversity in Pittsburgh’s arts community. This impacts not only Pittsburgh’s young creative people and their impression of what they can accomplish, but also the nation’s and world’s view of Pittsburgh as a genuine home of a diverse arts community. For the film, we have selected a pretty inclusive and diverse community of artists to address how artists cross lines geographically, culturally and creatively. Our hope is that this film can be used as a tool for these artists and venues to promote themselves, as well as for the city and beyond to see what is happening here and encourage them to support and nurture it.

Learn more about Kill The Artist at alishabwormsley.com

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Life Over Easy http://video.sproutfund.org/life-over-easy/ Fri, 22 Nov 2013 06:58:18 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=14115 So what exactly does a bearded nomad and a kale-loving health and nutrition coach have in common?

We want to create real content about life, health, and happiness mixed with light-hearted humor and a can-do attitude that engages viewers. We want to present these hard to swallow topics in the form of a fun, thought-provoking and easily digestible web series. We’re setting out to tackle the deep questions about life, health and happiness from health book authors, punk rockers, and everyone in-between.

The purpose of the show is to create content that matters and to help shift viewers perception of themselves, their communities, and the world they live in on a show-to-show basis. We want to find out how people living their personal freedom in every kind of way are making positive changes in their lives and how that change is transferred to the communities they live in and in turn, the world. We hope to show that simple health shifts, kindness and positivity can make a difference in our communities and we hope to inspire our viewers to be a part of it.

Our inspiration comes from the fact that despite our very different lives, we share a strong belief in the value of personal freedom in health and well-being that stems further than just kale and self-help books. Jon is an adventurer who travels most of the time with just a camera and a pair of clothes, while Lindsey spends her time drinking organic herbal teas and writing books. Living free and happy lives may take very different forms for each of us, but what we more importantly have in common is a desire to help others create positive change in their lives. We believe that these positive personal health and lifestyle changes, big and small, are what create a ripple effect that can transform people, communities, and the world.

Learn more about Life Over Easy at foodmoodgirl.com and zirtlifestyle.com

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Life’s Work http://video.sproutfund.org/lifes-work/ Fri, 22 Nov 2013 07:01:56 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=14117

The mission of 4TWELVE PICTURES is to tell the stories of real life superheroes in the Pittsburgh medical community and the people they save through powerful, in depth storytelling and visually stunning imagery. The “Life’s Work” docuseries follows a team of doctors at UPMC Children’s Hospital who, after over 30 years of searching, have found what they believe to be a cure for juvenile diabetes, also known as Type 1 diabetes. The series will tell the story of their journey and the children they hope to cure.

This docuseries will capture a major scientific breakthrough in the making. Dr. Massimo Trucco (from Genoa, Italy), Dr. David Finegold (a lifetime Pittsburgher), and a team of the brightest minds in the field of diabetes, are beginning the final round of FDA human trials for an innovative new therapy –  a therapy that was created and tested here in Pittsburgh at UPMC Children’s Hospital. They believe this is the cure, and so do many of the biggest names in diabetes research. Names like James R. Gavin III, former president of the American Diabetes Association and Alan Lewis, PhD, former President and CEO of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

As much as the world needs this cure, we need this docuseries. We can learn from the process of bringing a groundbreaking idea to fruition, from its successes, as well as the obstacles encountered along the way. Our mission is to illustrate a message of hope to a world that needs it more than ever. We hear so much about the bad in humanity it is easy to forget that there are people out there still fighting for the greater good. Regardless of the success of this cure, these real life super heroes deserve to have their stories told.

Learn more about Life’s Work at wecancurethis.com

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The Lost Community of Pittsburgh’s East End http://video.sproutfund.org/lost-community-of-pittsburghs-east-end/ Fri, 22 Nov 2013 07:04:31 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=14119 A vibrant commercial corridor of the City had vanished by the mid-1990’s as well as a cultural aspect that had a positive impact on this community.  Although segments of the East End of Pittsburgh have been researched, this documentary has a different perspective.  What I have recorded presents a study on the vibrant East End of Pittsburgh of the early 1900’s through its height and then decline in the 1990’s.  This history of East End is related in the context of the Jewish experience secured through discussions with people who lived through the decades and research.  It is a wide-angle look at the neighborhood that features perspectives of everyone from independent merchants, lawyers and financial advisors to community activists and long-time residents of the community.  The primary geographical area is East Liberty, Highland Park, Morningside and Stanton Heights.

This is a story waiting to be told before all traces of its existence totally disappear.  By rescuing this history, we insure that the stories recorded of cultural and historical significance are preserved.  This story has to be told.  If not now, when?

Cultural and historical significance will be depicted for all those interested in Jewish history and for generations of decedents from this community.  All aspects of the documentary can be a tool in classrooms, history centers and in Jewish organizations.  Its distribution would go to Pittsburghers throughout the country.

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Madame Presidenta: Why Not U.S.? http://video.sproutfund.org/madame-presidenta-why-not-us/ Fri, 22 Nov 2013 07:22:12 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=14122 Madame Presidentá:  Why Not U.S.? Chronicles the journey of two women, one from Pittsburgh and one from Rio de Janeiro, as they explore the key question of why so many other countries have elected female presidents before the United States. In the process they make important discoveries about democracies, civic engagement, community, and women’s rights. The film is a collaboration of the Women and Girls Foundation of Southwest Pennsylvania, and ELAS: Women’s Social Investment Fund in Rio de Janeiro.

Growing up, local women’s rights activist and filmmaker Heather Arnet’s grandmother, Vivian (now age 97), regaled her with stories. Her favorites were of her great grandmother, Mary, the suffragette who marched for decades for women to earn the right to vote. “You must vote in every election – large and small,” Vivian would say, “because other women fought and died for you to have that right.”  Vivian’s secret dream – passed down from her mother – was to someday help elect the first woman president. In her lifetime, fifty women would run for President of the United States. None of them successfully.

Inspired by her grandmother’s story, and the girls she serves everyday in the Pittsburgh region, Arnet traveled to Brazil in 2013 to interview women from different regions and socio economic backgrounds asking them to share their stories of how in the span of a single generation, this dynamic and beautiful country, went from historic poverty to historic riches; from rape in the streets to a woman in the Presidential palace. The resulting one-hour documentary will debut in March 2014 on Pittsburgh’s own WQED Multimedia, and at the Carnegie Museum of Art in the final month of its “International” exhibit. The film will then tour college campuses, community centers, middle and high schools, and other screening venues throughout PA, the U.S., and Brazil.

Learn more about Madame Presidenta: Why Not U.S.? at vamosmeninas.com

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The Magic Woods http://video.sproutfund.org/magic-woods/ Fri, 22 Nov 2013 08:06:18 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=14151 The Magic Woods, Inc. is seeking funding to complete a trilogy of animated shorts that highlight the natural beauty of Western Pennsylvania and the spirit of environmental education and awareness that has been fostered here.

This project is aimed at children of all ages in the region and will be part of the on-­going broadcasts of our programs which air as specials on WQED.

This project will be implemented by working with art students from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and other local universities. We will use all social media outlets to build awareness of the project, as well as our own website.

Our team includes two established professionals in the city media scene: Caleb Sawyer as lead animator, and Dino Distefano as lead sound designer.

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Martians http://video.sproutfund.org/martians/ Thu, 21 Nov 2013 16:51:52 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=67 How do you make a home in a place created by past generations? What does it mean to live a world away from the rest of humanity, and still not know your place? Are we really alone? Martians is a five part web series that explores queer identity and the place of the next generation of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) movement through the unique lens of surrealist science fiction.

Humans have reached beyond Earth. Mars is now ours, serving as a second home. With initial challenges in the past, the excitement of exploration is gone. Mars is just another place, a few days ride from your local spaceport. A group of twenty-something Martians struggle to define themselves in this new world. Alex has just been dumped, again. Emily tries to make ends meet, while still finding meaning in her work. Emile and Tony negotiate life as independent artists in the Martian city of Meridian. All are trying to find a place in their world. Could the appearance of a mysterious stranger open the door to something new on this seemingly dead planet?

Martians is a dramatic, sometimes comic, often surreal sci-fi web series. After a screening of the full series at a theatre in Pittsburgh, Martians will be released online through vimeo.com in five, eight-minute episodes. Martians comes from the experiences of a young person in established LGBT communities. Identifying as queer within (and outside of) this context has the very odd feeling of being an outcast on a foreign planet. It’s a combination of the completely extraordinary and the completely mundane. Martians seeks to give shape to a growing sense of detachment that many young people feel from the broader LGBT movement, as it continues to exclude stories in the interest of acceptability.

Learn more about Martians at paulwkruse.com

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Ongoing Box http://video.sproutfund.org/ongoing-box/ Thu, 21 Nov 2013 16:52:30 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=69 Ongoing Box is a proposed (and partially completed) documentary film investigating the role of process and its various manifestations in artistic endeavors. The film combines work-in-progress views into Pittsburgh artists’ studios, artist interviews, and studio experiments. The film’s definition of “artist” extends to chefs (Kevin Sousa), luthiers (Raymond Morin), choreographers (Maree ReMalia), actors (Mark C. Thompson), and potential artists in training, i.e. children and teens. Traditional arts like painting, video, and installation art are also represented through segments with Lenka Clayton, Stephanie Armbruster, and Blaine Siegel.

The title, Ongoing Box, refers to the idea that each action or development an artist makes expands their “box” – their approach, their framework, their history. By documenting these approaches, one goal is to expand a community’s understanding of the artistic environment they are living in.

The film will serve multiple purposes: 1) Pittsburgh is undergoing another vibrant period of experimentation and engagement in the arts. This film will present a snapshot of in-progress works, artist techniques, and commentary on the conditions of the artist in Pittsburgh. 2) Much of art appreciation comes upon viewing the end result: a gallery installation, a finished film, a dance presentation, and a served meal. Ongoing Box will show the behind-the-scenes world of the artist – the excitement of discovery, the monotony, the patience, the self-doubt, the reward. 3) The film, while focusing on artists in the community, will also extend the framework of the documentary film to show the progress of creating the film within the film through reprojection techniques, multiple edits, and self-reference.

Learn more about Ongoing Box at davidbernabo.com

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Opera N’at http://video.sproutfund.org/opera-nat/ Fri, 22 Nov 2013 07:33:28 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=14129 Pittsburgh has a long history with Opera and is host to one of the most vibrant Opera communities in the world. Many of these individual companies have their own promotional materials, but until now, there has been no composite that best captures the larger picture of Pittsburgh’s opera community.

Inspired by 2014 as the landmark year for three different opera companies, we will create a documentary film showcasing Pittsburgh’s Opera history, spotlighting the some of the unique individuals currently innovating in the Pittsburgh Opera “scene,” and educate viewers about the interesting and demanding Opera subculture that only exists here in Pittsburgh.

The documentary film will be packaged for viewing at festivals to promote the regional operatic arts community Many of these individual companies have their own promotional materials, but until now, there has been no composite that best captures the larger picture of Pittsburgh’s opera community. Inspired by 2014 as the landmark year for three different opera companies, Additionally, each company who participates will be gifted a copy of the raw footage of their contribution that they may use for their own promotional purposes.

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People of Pittsburgh http://video.sproutfund.org/people-of-pittsburgh/ Fri, 22 Nov 2013 07:43:32 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=14135 People of Pittsburgh is an ongoing web documentary series from Per Argentine that highlights the fascinating people of Pittsburgh through their personalities, lives, and jobs.]]> People of Pittsburgh will be an ongoing short documentary web series highlighting fascinating people around town. These 3-5 minute documentaries will present interesting Pittsburghers from all walks of life and all its communities. I’ll discover what makes them unique, whether it’s their personality, their job, or something different altogether. These videos will be expertly shot and stylistically edited to create an engaging portrait of the people of Pittsburgh. Through this human lens, the continuing series will also be able to examine Pittsburgh’s unique culture and history.

Through my work producing and editing documentary projects at Argentine Productions, our focus on telling real-life stories led me to look closer to home for inspiration. In the last few years living in Pittsburgh I’ve met many interesting people from all over town, and decided that I wanted to investigate their stories. This is a project that I’m personally invested in and that I know others will enjoy watching.

Learn more about People of Pittsburgh at argentineproductions.com

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Restroom http://video.sproutfund.org/restroom/ Fri, 22 Nov 2013 07:48:23 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=14137 We are living in a time when “connection” between messenger and receiver is a finger click away, but both seem even lonelier today than ever before. The accessibility and virtual visits into one’s life (by way of technological advances in the area of communication) create a superficial fix to the disconnect between and among people. We worship surveillance over freedom but we cower from honest reality. The individual has become isolated. Our cries echo off the walls of egos while we are left listening to our own soundtracks. Sometimes the easier it becomes to “connect,” the more difficult it becomes to see oneself in the other. I believe there is one space in our culture that is universally honest, universally necessary, universally understood, and that space is the RESTROOM! It is the intention of this film to open the most intimate of doors to our most private of spaces to reveal the common ground this particular environment offers. It is only by recognizing and respecting our common ground, by seeing what we share – what we have in common with others – that the ever-expanding gulf between people will lesson in this increasingly isolating culture of ours. The restroom is a sanctuary of honest intentions! In “Restroom” I will offer 7 vignettes that will allow viewers the opportunity to gaze through a lens into the lives of others and, ultimately, back into their own lives! This film will raise questions of individualism, community, and longing for true connection. Through this intimate exposition of human life, “Restroom” will attempt to travel to the core our strength…our vulnerability!

I have witnessed and participated in many community-building initiatives in the city of Pittsburgh and throughout my residential neighborhood, Garfield. From municipal clean-ups to neighborhood watches, dinner parties to community festivals, many people are stepping up to actualize a safer and more beautiful place to live and raise their families. “Restroom” is another contribution to these efforts towards communality.  Going to the movie theatre to see the latest works from artists (local or non-local) is in itself a communal experience. The only thing that differentiates this project from similar initiatives is the content and style of the film.

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Robert Qualters http://video.sproutfund.org/robert-qualters/ Thu, 21 Nov 2013 16:56:37 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=71 Artist Robert Qualters is synonymous with Pittsburgh. From local museum collections to public murals and from corporate offices to private homes, a Qualters can be found in virtually every corner of the city. Through vividly rendered paintings, he has captured the waning days of the steel age and the Pittsburgh of today with equal immediacy and accuracy, a unique chronicle—both autobiographical and universal—of a city’s unique transition out of an industry—dominated era to a more diversified economy.

Next year, three major projects—a biography (Robert Qualters: Autobiographical Mythologies by Vicky A. Clark, PhD to be published by The University of Pittsburgh Press), film, and retrospective—will highlight the mills, neighborhood corners, streetscapes, bridges, falling leaves, and red skies that have saturated the Qualters catalogue for nearly half a century. It is a three‐pronged effort to help secure the legacy of a local treasure in the broader pantheon of Pittsburgh’s long record of artistic achievement and promote Qualters, who turns 80 in 2014, to a wider audience.

This 30–35 minute cinematic narrative, directed by local filmmakers Joe and Elizabeth Seamans and produced by Pittsburgh Filmmakers, will reveal Robert Qualters—his life and his work—to the public through the immediacy of the moving image.

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Rock Salt: Eating the Neighborhood http://video.sproutfund.org/rock-salt-eating-the-neighborhood/ Fri, 22 Nov 2013 07:50:36 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=14139 Rock Salt online video series, “Eating the Neighborhood” focuses on Pittsburgh’s urban farms as filmmakers Hal B. Klein, Leah Lizarondo, and Lauren Knapp meet farmers rejuvenating the city’s blighted areas.]]> A new generation of farmers in Pittsburgh are using food as a means to restore blighted city space and in the process introducing innovative solutions to the lack of healthy food access in depressed areas in the city.

This short documentary introduces us to three farms– Garfield Community Farm, Braddock Farm and Hazelwood Food Forest–that are working to feed their neighborhoods, improve spoiled soil, and build community. Small farms, says New York Times columnist Mark Bittman, are key to solving the hunger problem on multiple scales. Smallholder farms introduce innovations that result in efficiencies that industrial farming has not been able to achieve.

These three farms not only demonstrate the breadth of positive impact that small farms can have within the area it serves but also, as a collective, how Pittsburgh is leading the way in harnessing farms as catalysts for broad change. Pittsburgh is one of a few cities that has the open urban space and the creative talent to restore unused land to tangible productivity.

What is unique about this project is that there are no films that document the range of urban farming practices that the three farms employ and their individual and collective impact. We’re inspired by this project because it highlights agricultural innovation that modern urban policy recognizes as one of the keys to economic development. The project raises awareness for the lead that Pittsburgh is taking in urban farming innovation – something that has not received the same coverage as leads the city has taken on technology, medicine, life science and even the arts.

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Steel Town http://video.sproutfund.org/steel-town/ Fri, 22 Nov 2013 07:52:51 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=14141 To bring issues of economic development, labor rights and Pittsburgh history to the attention of students and community members by producing the professional-caliber film “Steel Town,” an 18- minute period piece drama that brings to life the events leading up to the 1892 Homestead Strike.

The inspiration for this film stems from an appreciation for the strength of character of individuals on both sides of the conflict, including the rags-to-riches robber barons of the Gilded Age, like Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick, and the blue-collar champions of the workers, like strike leader Hugh O’Donnell. We wish to remind audiences of the heroism embedded in the nameless Pittsburgh steelworkers whose backbreaking work shaped our country westward and skyward.By presenting the story as a dramatic film with high production quality, we aim to prompt an important dialogue on the relationship between capital and labor.

Learn more about Steel Town at steeltownfilm.com

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Still City http://video.sproutfund.org/still-city/ Thu, 21 Nov 2013 16:57:48 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=73 With the intention of sharing something enlightening, empowering, and heartfelt, filmmaker Paul Dang journeyed with his video camera and tripod for the last 10 years to document the changes of Pittsburgh through the lens of over 100 artists and the diverse environments that they live in, ultimately discovering truths about one’s creative process that not only is universal yet distinctly Pittsburgh.

Set into a more culturally rich context and layered with themes that detail the lives of artists and their environments, Still City is the result of documenting people and places from another side of Pittsburgh.  The story revolves around two major themes, the artists and the environment. The artists, consisting of mostly musicians and performers of all ages, races, and interests, are the main characters and narrators of the film. The second theme, the environment, interlaces with the story of the artists by allowing the audience to view Pittsburgh’s diverse and changing landscape and how this influences the way artists are creative. Within this theme is the concept of the “cyclic nature” of Pittsburgh. It is represented through the 4 seasons, visually capturing the intense heat of summers, transitions of fall, the barren and hibernation state of winter, and the replenish and healing effect of spring.

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Tale of Two Cities http://video.sproutfund.org/tale-of-two-cities/ Fri, 22 Nov 2013 07:55:05 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=14142 The view from the corner office is of a region that weathered the most recent recession better than a number of other parts of the country. Profits are increasing and Pittsburgh is beginning to climb back into the national spotlight with a glow of self-confidence. The “Eds and Meds” that replaced the traditional manufacturing base here have been mentioned as one of the possible reasons for the good fortune.

The view from the service entrance, not unexpectedly, is quite a bit different. It is a view of growing wage inequality, in step with national trends. This trend is particularly hardest on low-wage workers, who struggle to keep pace, and have little to no chance of improving their lot in the employment market.

I am reminded of Dickens’ opening lines in A Tale Of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”

In an attempt to put faces on the stories that get relegated to the margins of the Business pages, the documentary film will focus on the Adjunct Faculty Association’s organization effort at Duquesne University and other higher ed institutions in the region, and UPMC’s campaign against its own workers attempts to unionize. The film will examine real-world issues, avoid the abstract and place the struggle into a historical context.

Through access to people who wish to tell a different story, I hope to do so in a manner that will start a meaningful conversation in our community about shared struggles and what might be done about the widening disparity in our “two cities.”

Learn more about Tale of Two Cities at johnricefilms.com

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Tar Baby Jane http://video.sproutfund.org/tar-baby-jane/ Thu, 21 Nov 2013 16:58:21 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=75 “Tar Baby Jane” is an observational documentary that creates a lean but complex and intimate portrait of Vanessa German, an awarding winning multi-disciplinary artist based in Pittsburgh. The film captures the intricacies of Vanessa’s personality by following her as she prepares for a solo exhibition of her “tar babies”; gives the first performance of her one woman show, “Root”, at the Vineyard Playhouse in Martha’s Vineyard; gives public performances of her poems; helps build a playground in one of Pittsburgh’s poorest neighborhoods; travels to Washington D.C. to participate in a Green for All Academy meeting and lobby on Capital Hill; and interacts with her partner, Michelle.

Through observation and interviews, “Tar Baby Jane” reveals how Vanessa is constructing her own identity as an artist and woman as she pieces together and gives life to the tar babies, poems and performances that define, shape and reveal her life. Vanessa’s work is profoundly insightful in its confrontation with America’s legacy of white supremacy, black iconography, hatred, fear and brutality while tenderly demonstrating our connectedness to the past and each other. Ultimately, Vanessa’s story serves as an inspiration for people who find themselves in similar situations, fighting similar demons.

Learn more about Tar Baby Jane at tarbabyjane.com

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Uptown Stories http://video.sproutfund.org/uptown-stories/ Fri, 22 Nov 2013 08:10:06 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=14155 Uptown Stories is a web-­based interactive series of seven personal stories that will be released in three episodes.  It will document the stories of people who live and work here (or who spent significant time here in the past), telling a timely history of a neighborhood in transition. Uptown Stories is organized by Unabridged Press, a brand new journalism organization. Although Uptown is one of Pittsburgh’s most geographically important and prominent neighborhoods, it is often overlooked and underserved. The series will solicit personal stories, and amplify local voices. The purpose of the project will be to tie different perspectives together in a unique way, showcasing the people and personalities of Uptown in serialized form.

As newspaper readership has declined, and the media landscape has been shaken up in recent years, offering new opportunities for trying innovative approaches, we’ve studied many new models of journalism around the country and found inspiration for this project. Uptown Stories will look to engage residents in different ways, organizing events at the deaf social club, Jubilee Soup Kitchen service center for the poor, at an Uptown Community Garden, and the Paramount Theater space being redeveloped in Uptown.

As well as looking at the issues already getting press here, the project will give a more balanced and nuanced portrayal of life in Uptown. And we’re really breaking new ground-­-­other recent video projects have focused on justifying funding into the area. Uptown Stories is an effort to explain the state of a diverse community in transition through the stories and life of the people who make up the neighborhood.

Learn more about Uptown Stories at unabridgedpress.com

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What’s Your Favorite Thing About Pittsburgh? http://video.sproutfund.org/whats-your-favorite-thing-about-pittsburgh/ Thu, 21 Nov 2013 17:06:46 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=80 What’s Your Favorite Thing About Pittsburgh? (working title) is a proposed series of 10 animated shorts profiling a selection of Pittsburgh’s fascinating residents and their hobbies, lifestyles and interests. The shorts will be created by recording off-the-cuff interviews with locals about the things they love about Pittsburgh, and using their stories and anecdotes as material for stylized original 3D animations.

The project will use eye-catching animation and an exciting, quick-paced editing style to capture the minds and hearts of viewers. Similar animated storytelling projects, such as NPR’s StoryCorps, have found great success online and in the short film community in the past few years, but none of these projects have the local outreach or community impact built into them like this series. Pittsburgh has a lot of stories to tell. If we had the resources, we could do all 300,000 residents. As it stands, 10 short films is a good place to start.

Learn more about What’s Your Favorite Thing About Pittsburgh at julianglander.com

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When I Go: The Healing Power of Music http://video.sproutfund.org/when-i-go-the-healing-power-of-music/ Fri, 22 Nov 2013 08:11:51 +0000 http://video.sproutfund.org/?p=14156 Inspired by personal experiences and countless stories recounting the positive impact of music as it relates to traumatic life events and illness Confluence Productions is committed to driving awareness to the healing power of music and the organizations that exist to promote it.

In 2014 Confluence Productions will launch another installment of the Future Filmmaker’s Initiative aimed at highlighting the healing power of music. Working with talented young filmmakers, Con Pro Films will create a documentary and coinciding community action event to focus on the positive impact music as a therapeutic tool to mourners, patients, veterans and practitioners of song.

With the support of the Sprout Fund, Confluence Productions and the Future Filmmaker’s Initiative, focused on the heart of personal stories, will bring much needed attention to the stories of those impacted by the healing power of music and the organizations resurrecting the positive emotions often degraded by traumatic experiences.

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