MINUSTAH volé kabrit

Images

Website

http://minustahmovie.com

Topics

Human Development: Aid, Capacity Building, Education, International Cooperation, Poverty, Tourism, Urban
Human Rights: Civil Rights, Race Politics, Social Exclusion
Peace and Conflict: Arms & Military, Conflict, Conflict Resolution, Peace, Security, United Nations
Politics: Activism, Civil Society, Codes of Conduct, Democracy, Ethics & Value Systems, Geopolitics, Globalization, Justice and Crime, Law

Project Geography

International: South America

Identity Niches

African, African American, Caucasian, Religious, Student

Budget

Raised to date: $50,000.00
Estimate to complete: $120,000.00
Total Estimated Budget: $170,000.00
The budget numbers above are accurate as of 07/16/2009

Status

Post Production

Media Type

Video

Project End Use

TV

Key Personnel

Rachel Smith
Director/Writer/Producer
Rachel Smith is an emerging writer/director with a background working in TV and new media. She has written/directed/produced the doc shorts, “Ragland” and “The Dance is The Thing,” and the short narrative film “Jessie.” She is the writer of the feature length screenplay “Bloody Warm Regards” and a number of short stories. Recently she has written/produced promos for USA Network, and web videos for Polo Ralph Lauren. Rachel has been the recipient of an Individual Artist Grant from NYSCA, and a Film and Video Grant from the Jerome Foundation, both in support of “MINUSTAH volè kabrit.”

Leslie Norville
Producer
Leslie Norville began her career as an arts educator and went on to develop innovative programs that use film to enrich the educational experiences of youth of color. She conceived and implemented the acclaimed program Tribeca Teaches: Films in Motion which brought film training and elements of the Tribeca Film Festival to students at a charter school in the South Bronx. Leslie has also had tenures at the Toronto International Film Festival, IFP/NY, Icarus Films, and has been integral in growing the first film school in Haiti. She is now taking her unique voice to the creative side of film.

Andre Lambertson
Director of Photography
Andre Lambertson is a New York based photojournalist and filmmaker who is committed to documentary stories of hope, healing, and transformation. Lambertson’s recent projects include: Junta Rations, a documentary about sexual slavery in Sierra Leone, Ausungate, a documentary about the spirit of an Andean peak, and “Scream in the Jungle” a documentary about the lives of Greenpeace workers. Lambertson has been a faculty member for the International Center of Photography’s Photojournalism Department for the past five years. He has also received three Picture of the Year Awards, The World Press Photo Award, and The George Soros Foundation’s Media Grant.

Outreach/Engagement Plan(s)

This distribution and outreach plan is a multi-part strategy and will be launched concurrently:

I. FILM FESTIVALS
II. BROADCAST
III. COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
IV. NON-THEATRICAL AND EDUCATIONAL DISTRIBUTION
V. ONLINE PRESENCE
VI. PUBLICITY


I. FILM FESTIVALS
The first goal is to have the film selected for showcase at film festivals. We will target documentary festivals, festivals that provide prominent spotlight on non-fiction films, independent films and social impact films. Film festivals are an important part of our strategy as it will allow us to generate buzz around the film and use the “event’s” built in publicity to generate interest from the public, broadcasters and film distributors. Film festivals also provide a unique way to garner press and attention, add debate, criticism, and are a unique opportunity to engage with audiences and dialogue around the film.

Ideally we will premiere the film at one of the top tier festivals. Following a successful major festival run we will submit the film to festivals that draw audiences interested in social impact (and African Diaspora) films, specifically:

HUMAN RIGHTS / SOCIAL IMPACT FILM FESTIVALS
• Human Rights Arts and Film Festival
• Global Visions Film Festival
• One World - International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival
• The International Human Rights Film Festival
• Stalker - International Human Rights Festival
• Tri Continental Film Festival
• Document 7 International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival
• Human Rights Watch International Film Festival (London)
• Vermont International Film Foundation
• Human Rights Watch International Film Festival (New York)
• Taos Mountain Film Festival
• United Nations Association Film Festival
• Florence (November): Festival dei Popoli - International Film Festival of Social Documentaries
• We the Peoples Film Festival
• The Davis Feminist Film Festival

AFRICAN DIASPORA FILM FESTIVALS
• Montreal International Haitian Film Festival
• Black International Film Festival
• Buffalo-san Black and Asian Film Festival
• American Black Film Festival (Miami)
• African Diaspora Film Festival (New York)

II. BROADCAST
The second goal is to expand the reach and impact of the film to a wider audience through broadcast distribution. Specifically, the film will potentially be of interest to programmers focusing on social impact films with a verité or character-focused approach, including the following:

• POV
• National Black Programming Consortium
• Sundance Channel
• Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
• BBC

III. COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
The third goal is to educate and generate dialogue surrounding the issues of “security,” as well as leverage support for development efforts in Haiti. The community that we work with in Haiti has defined education as the aspect of development aid that would be most valuable to them. One of our characters has proposed that we assist his community in seeking university scholarships or other educational opportunities. We support this proposal and are working to partner with an established organization to develop a clearly outlined outreach plan that centers on education. To that end working with Haitian studies departments and Caribbean student associations to conceptualize this plan is ideal.

We’ll also focus on connecting with individuals and organizations who can integrate screenings of the film into their work. We will work with these ally organizations throughout the country to host screenings and panel discussion events. Organizations that we would like to reach out to include:

• Haitian Studies Association
• Center for Black Studies Research
• The Journal of Haitian Studies
• The Association for Haitian Women in Boston
• Akolad.com
• Professor Marc Prou
• Association Of Professional Schools And International Affairs
• UN Studies Programs
• Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti
• International Center for Transitional Justice
• Witness
• Inter-American Dialogue
• Facing History and Ourselves
• UN Studies Program at Columbia
• Haiti Democracy Project
• Haiti Progress Newspaper
• National Coalition for Haitian Rights
• Haitian Resource, Development Foundation

IV. NON-THEATRICAL AND EDUCATIONAL DISTRIBUTION
Distribution will give the film a life beyond broadcast and the festival circuit. A distributor can get the film to audiences a small team may not be able to. The creation of a study guide that will accompany the film will be useful for educational distribution. We hope to secure the partnership of an established distributor, but if a distribution deal isn’t secured we will make the film available for sale on the film’s website. We can let people know about the film through social networks, direct online marketing and PR.

V. ONLINE PRESENCE
Part of generating awareness for the film will be done through web-based outreach. We will use the film’s website, email and Facebook, fully utilizing the network that we have built over three years. The website /Facebook will be the thread that connects all our of outreach efforts. We will use our “News” page as a bulletin board to announce our upcoming screenings, to link audiences to Association for the Development of Little Haiti (ADBTH) and other resources we will collect. We will also do targeted blog outreach when the film premieres and for subsequent screenings.

VI. PUBLICITY
Publicity for our outreach campaign will include both traditional and grassroots methods: Facebook, posting to blogs dealing with Haiti, film reviews in educational and policy journals. If funds are available, postcards are an excellent way to let people know about the film. They can be distributed at conferences and mailed to supporting organizations, independent bookstores.

Funders

Location