Firelight Media

Pete Nicks' The Waiting Room, Shortlisted for the Oscars

Pete Nicks’ The Waiting Room has been shortlisted for the Oscars!

Here is what Pete said in an interview with Variety:

"I can't tell you how many times we walked up to people and told them what we were doing, and they'd say, 'My story doesn't matter -- why does anybody care about my story?' This recognition is really special to me; it's a validation that their story does matter." Pete Nicks has also been nominated for the following prestigious awards:

2012 Gotham IFP nominee for Best Documentary

2013 Independent Spirit Awards double nominee: Best Documentary & Stella Artois Truer Than Fiction Award

2013 Cinema Eye nominee: Outstanding Achievement in a Debut Feature Film

This film is currently in theatrical distribution in selected cities around the country and will broadcast on PBS’s Independent Lens in the 2013-2014 season. Please click here to see the current schedule.

The Waiting Room, which follows the life and times of patients and caregivers at Highland Hospital, a public hospital in Oakland, CA, was picked as New York Times and New York Magazine Critics Pick, won the Golden Gate and Audience Award at the San Francisco Film Festival, a Silver Docs and True or False official selection, and won the Guggenheim Emerging Artists Award at Full Frame.

A huge congratulations to Pete from Firelight Family!

Black Youth Vote! Screens Freedom Riders!

On April 5, 2012, a diverse group of youth and elders gathered for a screening of Freedom Riders at the African American Civil War Memorial and Museum in Washington, D.C.

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Recap from the POV & Firelight Media Summit: Sustaining a Career as a Public Media Maker

The following blog post first appeared on POV's blog thanks to our very own Shoshone Johnson! In this post, Shoshone shares highlights of the “Sustaining a Career as a Public Media Maker” summit co-hosted by Firelight Media's Producers' Lab and POV last Friday.

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A Word of Thanks from Stanley Nelson

Click here to check out this note of gratitude from our Executive Director, Stanley Nelson. It includes a 2011 Year-in-Review for Firelight.

United in Courage: A Community Resource Guide for the film Freedom Riders

Firelight Media's Community Action Division is pleased to announce United in Courage: A Community Resource Guide for the film FREEDOM RIDERS. United in Courage includes tips on how to work with local Freedom Riders, sample discussion questions, a glossary of organizing terms, and essays from Stanley Nelson, Marian Wright Edelman, and youth and adult community organizers. It also includes examples on the many ways the film can be a tool to educate and engage your community–especially young people–to take action on issues like immigrant rights, voter disenfranchisement, educational reform and literacy. Our goal is to share this guide with as many people and organizations as possible so that you too can incorporate the powerful story of the Freedom Riders into your work.

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Congrats to Filmmaker Shukree Tilghman!

Congrats to filmmaker Shukree Hassan Tilghman! Tilghman's film More Than A Month was acquired for broadcast by the PBS series Independent Lens and will air in February 2012. More Than A Month will also be part of the ITVS Community Cinema program, an outreach initiative that promotes Independent Lens films through free public screenings in over 100 cities prior to broadcast.

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Filmmaker Yoruba Richen Receives ITVS Funding

Congrats to filmmaker Yoruba Richen! Yoruba Richen's latest documentary, The New Black, which examines homophobia in the black church, was recently awarded production funds from ITVS. She expects the film to be completed in early 2013.

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NEW YORK TIMES FEATURES STANLEY NELSON

Click here to check out the New York Times feature article on Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and Executive Director of Firelight Media, Stanley Nelson. Author Mike Hale calls him "An Explorer of Black History's Uncharted Terrain" and writes: "The breadth and seriousness of his work documenting black life in America, assembled with little fanfare and sometimes less money, place him in a select group of filmmakers..."

Nelson's most recent film, Freedom Riders, airs on PBS Monday, May 16th at 9 PM. Check local listings. Nelson's films can be purchased on this website. Click here to go to our shop and receive special discounts. Click here to donate to Nelson's work to support and mentor independent diverse producers in Firelight's flagship program The Producers' Lab.

Photo: Stanley Nelson
Photo credit: Chester Higgins jr./ New York Times

Community Engagement Media Conference a Success!

Firelight Media, The Open Society Institute (OSI) and the National Center for Media Engagement (NCME), held a highly successful two-day conference on March 30-31, 2011. Over 60 producers and 30 panelists and speakers attended this gathering entitled: “How to Develop Community Engagement Strategies for your Media Project.” There were in-depth workshops, stimulating and engaging panels, inspiring speakers and great interaction between panelists and producer participants.

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