MEANINGFUL MIXER

SATURDAY, AUGUST 2ND
3-5 PM

Join us for our Meaningful Mixers. Each month we'll focus on a socially relevant media topic and serve you yummy drinks.

Who: Those committed to changing the world through media. You know who you are.

What: Since this is our kick-off meeting, we will leave the agenda open and give you the opportunity to learn about us, meet one another, and let us know what you want most out of Meaningful Media. More

When: The 1st Saturday of each month (3-5 PM)

Where: Meaningful Media Courtyard, 10825 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

Featured Beverage: Meaningful Margaritas

Meaningful Member of the Month

Luba Lukova is internationally recognized as one of the most distinctive image-makers working today. She spotlights universal social themes like peace, hunger, and ecology. The rich simplicity of her images transcends language, culture, and politics. Luba's work has been commissioned by The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Adobe Systems, Sony, and Harvard University. Her latest project, Social Justice 2008, a portfolio of passionate visual reactions to many of the pressing issues of our time.
Read more about Luba's artwork!

Meaningful Review: THE VISITOR

Sparks Rating*
Social Issue Themes: Immigration, Human Rights
Actors: Richard Jenkins, Haaz Sleiman, Danai Jekesai Gurira, Hiam Abbass
Writer/Director: Thomas McCarthy
Producers: Michael London, Mary Jane Skalski
Production Company: Groundswell Productions, Participant Productions
Distributor: Overture Films

THE VISITOR is a remarkably compassionate and intelligent character drama. The film effectively reveals injustices in the U.S. immigration system through the unlikely friendships that develop between its central characters. We are drawn into their lives through twists of fate that bring them together, then prematurely separate them. More

* The Sparks System is based on the film's quality and ability to effectively address social issues.

If you are interested in becoming a Meaningful Movie Reviewer, email connect@meaningfulmedia.org.
We offer $25 per published review.

Meaningful News Flash

Lights, Camera, Eco-Action! Tired of summer blockbusters that lack a meaningful message? An increasing number of high-profile films feature eco themes. Check out Grist’s list of current and upcoming films with a green spin. More

Planet Green vs. Sundance Green: Discovery Networks recently launched "eco-lifestyle" channel Planet Green. Wondering how Planet Green stacks up to The Green programming strip on the Sundance Channel? So were we. Find out more.

Docs, Get a New Game Plan: This year even the highest profile documentary films have turned in meager box office returns. “Documentaries Lose Box Office Muscle,” a recent and insightful Los Angeles Times article, explores some of the reasons why recent docs have failed at the box office. More

Meaningful Resources

Social Issue Films: Powerful Not Preachy: Check out the slideshow from the recent Women in Film Masterclass. The class examined box office trends and presented case studies for theatrical social issue films. Class taught by Emily Meyers, Executive Director of Meaningful Media.

Social Citizens: The Case Foundation recently launched a blog around their paper, “Social Citizens: Civic Participation in a Digital Age,” which explores the Millennial Generation's use of new technologies to impact the civic landscape. Join the dialogue.

Common Craft: Ever wonder what an RSS feed is or what Twitter does? Why is everyone talking about Social Media or Amazon’s Kindle? Common Craft shows you the ins and outs of new technologies in "plain English" through simple videos.

Ever wonder why fiction features have dozens of categories but documentaries are lumped under one large umbrella? Well, Lore Sjöberg from WIRED has finally come up with a solution by creating a novel categorization system and reminding doc makers not to take things too seriously. Take a look:

Educational
First off, there's the sort of documentary you can get high school extra credit for watching. These are about old things, or scientific things. These are easy to spot, because the title tells you what the movie's about and why you should care.

Irritational
The second sort of documentary involves a director who wants you to throw off the shackles of convention and/or oppression and get really steamed about some variety of injustice. For some reason, these titles are always weird half-puns. I'm not sure why lackadaisical wordplay goes hand-in-hand with social activism, but that's how it works.

Cultivational
The third type of documentary is about some semi-obscure band, artist or quirky person with a cult following. These are marketed to people who are already fans of the subject, so the moviemakers don't need to explain what the documentary is about. In fact, the more obscure the title, the better -- that makes the fans feel smart for "getting it."

Dare to Share

Producing Impossible to Produce Films
Contributor: Mitchell Block

"Producing with Passion: Making Films That Change the World"
is the book I've been looking for to use in the classes I teach at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. It provides an easy to understand, step-by-step guide for documentary producers. From idea to funding, production, distribution and outreach, this book is an invaluable resource for turning your passion into a finished product.

Mitchell Block has handled the marketing and distribution of over 60 Oscar winning and nominated documentaries, shorts and animated films.

Meaningful Opportunities

Our team is growing! We are hiring a part-time Director of Development and a part-time Assistant. We are always looking for smart, capable Interns to join our team. Contact us at connect@meaningfulmedia.org if this sounds like you.

Email us at connect@meaningfulmedia.org if you have news, resources, opportunities or experiences that you'd like to share with the Meaningful Media community.

Meaningful Media is a vibrant network of people committed to changing the world through media. We do this by BRINGING TOGETHER creators, distributors, viewers and advocates of meaningful media; EMPOWERING members with tools and resources to succeed; RESHAPING the media landscape through research, education and dialogue.

Join the 1000+ people in our dynamic network, and start enjoying the benefits today. Members receive: INVITATIONS to our networking events, meaningful film screenings, seminars, workshops and panel discussions; ACCESS to our resources, including the Meaningful Movies Database, movie reviews and news updates.

Membership is free, so JOIN NOW!