Media That Matters Fest Has Issues

Filmmakers on the set of Rapping at Fear, one of the 16 films featured in this year's Media That Matters Festival (Photo: Arts Engine)

By Chris Willard

While their running times may be limited, the 16 short films that make up the seventh annual Media That Matters Festival are hardly lacking in social relevance. The festival was designed in 2001 as an online event aiming to garner attention for emerging filmmakers and to bring awareness of current social issues to audiences around the country. The subjects of this year’s films range from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to gang violence in Colombia to advances in space warfare. To program the festival, a jury comprising educators, film journalists and filmmakers filters through more than 500 submissions each year.

“Our general interest is eclecticism and promoting voices not generally heard," said Enrico Cullen, director of development and external affairs for Arts Engine, the production company that oversees the festival. "It’s not a documentary film festival; it’s really a social issue film festival. At the very least we’re hoping that one or more of the 16 films will attract attention and provide a context for (viewers) to consider an issue in a critical fashion and to take action on it in some form, either by telling friends about the films or helping organizations in their communities focusing on the issue at hand.”

Media That Matters originated as an online-only fest, but it expanded during its third year when the selected films were released on DVD and VHS. “We quickly realized people really want their media the way they want it,” Cullen said. The fest soon became available on the big screen through a series of traveling shows throughout the country. “The multi-platform approach really made a lot of sense for us, and it just developed out of demand from the audience.”

The Media That Matters Festival premieres tonight at IFC Center, where the 16 featured filmmakers will be present for the sold-out show and a post-screening Q&A. The films will also be screened Saturday at the Queens Museum of Art. To view the films online (and for more program and ticketing information), visit the Media That Matters Fest’s Web site.

Posted at May 30, 2007 11:23 AM