Impact
Film and media literacy has an immense power to educate mass audiences. It can inspire, motivate, and create social change.
In high school, I began my work with Outside the Lens as an intern during my Junior year. Through this experience, I fell in love with visual storytelling, which has molded me into the filmmaker I am today. Whether it be teaching and coordinating social media + journalism empowerment workshops with Egyptian college students during the Arab Spring, working with San Diego homeless youth on scripted short films, or working with young Syrian women living in Jordanian refugee camps, these experiences have been truly impactful.
Outside the Lens
Cameras Across Cultures: Jordan
In situations such as the Syrian crisis, we too often see stories from the perspective of photojournalists, documentary filmmakers, and foreign media outlets. Rarely do we have the opportunity to see through the eyes of the individuals directly affected by war, displacement, and disconnection. In March 2016, Outside the Lens’s Cameras Across Cultures (CXC) program had the opportunity to amplify these voices by traveling to an Emirati-Jordanian refugee camp along the Iraq border, and Za’atari (the world’s most populated refugee camp) on the border of Syria. The Emirati-Jordanian refugee camp is a primary point of reception for almost six thousand Syrian refugees who have recently fled their country. In partnership with the Norwegian Relief Council and the United Nations Population Fund, Outside the Lens hosted a photography workshop for young Syrian women affected by this crisis in a women and children’s safe space within the camp.
Where the Clouds Collide is a culmination of their photography, and poetry work, an immersive storytelling experience brought to us through their eyes. By creating contexts in which artistic expression is cultivated, critical thinking is fostered, and responsible activism is supported, we empower youth to create change within themselves, their community, and their world. outside the Lens CXC program continues its mission to make all of us rethink the way we listen to our youth and the causes they advocate for.
I served as a Program Coordinator.
Learn more on the CXC: Jordan Website
Cameras Across Cultures: Bosnia-Herzegovina
Every year, Outside the Lens partners with The MMF School + Mediteran Film Festival in Široki Brijeg, Bosnia-Herzegovina to hold an intensive 2-week film workshop for U.S. and Bosnian high school students. Through the course, students learn how to produce, script, location scout, pitch, film, and edit their own short film. The final short film is screened at the Mediteran Film Festival. This program continues to foster the importance of digital storytelling amongst the youth while exploring the universal language of film. I
I served as a Program Coordinator.
Learn more on the CXC: Bosnia-Herzegovina Website
Films produced by students:
From Incarceration to Education (FITE)
Film Screenings in prisons, jails, and college campuses around the nation.
FITE Film (From Incarceration to Education) delves into the lives of four formerly incarcerated students at UC Berkeley, and their journeys to higher education. The film features the experiences of the formerly incarcerated, highlighting the barriers individuals must face post-incarceration, and their successes. Our mission is to spread these unheard success stories (trials and tribulations included), motivate and empower currently and formerly incarcerated populations, and to catalyze change by informing the public of the deeply urgent issues of mass incarceration and recidivism. While 2.3 million people are incarcerated, most crimes in America are committed by individuals who have previously committed crimes: within three years of release, 67% of state prisoners and 40% of federal prisoners face re-arrest. These numbers affect everyone: even a modest reduction in the recidivism rate would prevent thousands of crimes; save millions of dollars in taxpayer funds; and give hundreds of thousands of formerly incarcerated individuals a chance to contribute productively to their communities. In order to make the biggest impact, we have begun holding organized screenings + Q&A panels in prisons, jails, youth detention centers, and college campuses. We believe that through the power of film, we can spark dialogue, and inspire those who need it the most. To date, we have had successful screenings in San Quentin State Prison (with Prison University Project), San Francisco County Jails #2 & #5 (with Five Keys), CMF Vacaville Prison, UC Berkeley, UC Los Angeles, CSU Long Beach, Santa Clara Reentry Center, Laney College, Merritt College, Berkeley City College, University of Southern California, Compton College (PACT), Sacramento State University, CSU San Marcos, Vera Institute, The City of Chula Vista, and more. For more information on our premiere - Featured In.
For screening info, visit our website: fitefilm.com
Blackfeet Reservation
PHOTO + FILM WORKSHOPS
While we film our feature length film on the Blackfeet Reservation in Browning, Montana, we hold photography and film workshops for the girls on the reservation. The school system on the reservation does not have photography or film education, so this is an important program for the girls to be able to be empowered to express themselves. As filmmakers not from the community, it is important to us that we make a positive impact - and not just come for their story, and leave - like journalists often do.
