Search Results

Want to help our youth producers on their journey to becoming an artist, active citizen, and lifelong learner? We need volunteer participants for our end-of-the-semester Portfolio Roundtable Presentations, a unique opportunity for our students to publicly show evidence of their best work and assess their skill development in dialogue with members of their community: teachers, advisors, principals, researchers, producers, artists, parents and friends like you. Your participation provides the real-world experience our youth producers need to succeed in college and career. Slots are now available from Monday, January 12, through Wednesday, January 15. To sign-up for a roundtable, please click here or contact Co-Directors Christine & Tanya: youthdocworkshop@evc.org.

The Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Educational Video Center Invite You to…A Retrospective of EVC’s Award-Winning Films Program 1: Youth Culture and the Arts When: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 At 3 pm and 6:15 pm Where: The Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center Amphitheater 144 West 65th Street HopStop Map for 144 West 65th Street Buy Tickets: At the FSLC Web Site Check out these great blogs for the latest reviews of EVC’s Retrospective: Film Society of Lincoln Center and What Kids Can Do. Spanning three decades worth of extraordinary work, the EVC retrospective documentary series captures moments in New York City’s history through the fresh, but unblinking eyes of emerging teen filmmakers. All of the eleven short pieces, to be presented in three programs from March to May 2012, were produced through the award-winning Educational Video Center’s Youth Documentary Workshop. “EVC’s student films are assertive and astonishing. These teens have a lot to say about their world. They boldly go where angels fear to tread,” says FSLC Programming Associate Isa Cucinotta who programmed the retrospective with fellow Programming Associate Marcela Goglio. “EVC gives teens the knowledge and facility to create telling documentaries about the social issues they deal with daily. The openness and honesty with which they explore these stories show us ever more clearly how universal their desires are.” Hip Hop: A Culture of Influence.1999; 28 minutes Commissioned and exhibited by the Brooklyn Museum of Art, this exploration of the emerging culture of hip hop includes conversations with a young Mos Def (now known as Yasiin) and Talib Kweli of Black Star, and other artists early in their careers, as well as critics concerned with the growing trends of materialism and misogyny in the music. Street Art: From the Can to the Canvas.2004; 16 mins. Exploring the controversy of whether graffiti is art or vandalism, EVC youth producers contrast the opinions of world-renowned graffiti artists, city officials and police officers, while presenting their own perspectives on the debate. That’s What They Call Art! 1993; 32 minutes New to the world of downtown art galleries and Fifth Avenue museums, EVC’s young filmmakers chronicle the making (and subsequent unmaking) of the controversial 1993 Whitney Biennial, interviewing curators and artists as they are installing and, in some cases, even creating their artwork. A short version of this documentary was on continuous display in the Whitney Museum’s lobby throughout the exhibition. *************************************** Each program will be screened twice at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center Amphitheater (with an afternoon screening for school audiences and an evening screening for general audiences). Question and answer sessions with the producers will follow each of the programs. Tickets are priced at $10 for the general public, $7 for FSLC members, and $8 for students and seniors, and can be purchased online at Filmlinc.com or in person at the box offices of The Film Society of Lincoln Center at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center. EVC’s Youth Documentary Workshop is a 15-week credit-bearing course that teaches high school students from across New York City to research, shoot, and edit compelling documentaries that examine community and youth-related issues. EVC’s Youth Documentary Workshops and school programs are generously supported by: the Bay and Paul Foundations, the Brenner Family Foundation, the Brightwater Fund, the Gerald & Janet Carrus Foundation, HBO, Hyde and Watson Foundation, Milton A. & Roslyn Z. Wolf Family Foundation Teacher of Conscience Fund, National Board of Review, the Robert Bowne Foundation, Time Warner, Inc, W. Clement and Jessie V. Stone Foundation, and Wellspring Foundation; with public support from the National Endowment for the Arts, NYC Department of Education, New York State Council on the Arts – Arts Education General Program Support and Electronic Media and Film, and the NYC DYCD Summer Youth Employment Program; and individual donors; and with in-kind support from Benjamin Moore & Co, Claudia Giselle Design LLC, Gray Matters NYC, the Lawyers Alliance for New York, and Satellite Academy High School. For more information, visit www.evc.org or contact Paul Vitale, Special Events Coordinator.

We are pleased to announce that EVC’s Youth Documentary Workshop is partnering again this semester with award-winning documentary filmmaker Eugene Jarecki and his team at Charlotte Street Films. Jarecki commissioned the EVC youth to produce a segment that will be streamed online as a special feature on their website as part of their newDrug Wars(working title) project, a feature-length documentary commissioned by the BBC and funded in part by ITVS. EVC previously collaborated with Jarecki in 2005 when EVC’s team produced youth perspectives on Iraq War military recruitment segments for his documentary Why We Fightthat went on to win the Grand Jury Prize at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and the 2006 Peabody Award. EVC’s full documentary All That I Can Be won awards at the Media That Matters Film Festival and the Council on Foundation Film and Video Festival, among others. Eugene Jarecki is an award-winning dramatic and documentary filmmaker and author. Called “required viewing for every American” by Walter Cronkite, his documentary Why We Fight has been broadcast in over forty countries and released theatrically to over 250 cities in America. Winner of the 2002 Amnesty International Award, Jarecki’s prior film, The Trials of Henry Kissinger, was also released to critical acclaim in over 130 U.S. cities, and was broadcast in over 30 countries.

We are thrilled to welcome Natalie Cosby as EVC’s new Youth Documentary Workshop Program Manager. With a B.S. in Chemistry from Xavier University of Louisiana, graduate studies in Education at Lehman College, and Media Studies at the New York Film Academy, Natalie brings a rich background in media and education to EVC. She has taught high school math and science in New York City and Kentucky schools as well as in Upward Bound programs. Previously, Natalie was a member of EVC’s EEP (External Education Program) team providing professional development training in video for teachers in Alternative high school extended day programs. She is a documentary maker in her own right producing Harlem’s Hustle, a documentary about street vendors and Canady’s Project, a documentary about HIV and women.

Another school year is beginning, which means EVC is as busy as ever offering documentary filmmaking programs to New York City high school students.  We are excited to share these updates from our fully virtual programming and other important organizational news. EVC CELEBRATES LGBTQ HISTORY MONTH AND HISPANIC HISTORY MONTH In honor of LGBTQ History Month and Hispanic History Month we are making two 2019 documentaries available that center the experience of our students. All Gays Go To Heaven features EVC youth producers exploring the connection between their religious upbringings and their sexuality. The Ones Who Bought Bushwick centers on gentrification and development in Brooklyn’s largest Hispanic-American community. You can watch these documentaries for free  until October 15th. EVC STUDENTS PRESENT AT JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL EVC students from our Spring 2020 semester had the honor of showing their film Quaranteens at the Uno Port Art Films Festival in Okayama, Japan and participating in a virtual Q&A session with Japanese high school students on October 3rd. We are so grateful for these opportunities for our students to participate in cross-cultural exchange. Now in their 10th year, Uno Port Art Films shows “edgy yet gentle” independent films from around the world under the theme “Life, Art, Film.” EVC SUMMER STUDENTS EXPLORE MEDIA CAREERS For the first time, we launched a virtual career exploration series, featuring media industry professionals who joined our New Media Arts students to speak about career pathways in the media world. Students had the opportunity to learn from a variety of people including journalists, independent documentary producers, and industry insiders from HBO, BronxNet, Mala Forever, and NBC. We are so grateful to the professionals who joined to help our students grow. DOCS AND DIALOGUES CONTINUES Our Docs & Dialogue screening series will continue on Thursday, October 29th at 6pm ET with a special screening of Journeys Through the Red, White, and Blue (2009). Get your tickets to this special documentary screening about the youth vote here. WE WELCOME OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS We are excited to announce that the EVC family has grown and are eager to introduce our newest Board members Tiffany Harrington from HBO and Jahaad J. Martin from JPMorgan Chase! Meet Tiffany and Jahaad here.

Dear EVC Community, In the face of the unprecedented crisis caused by COVID-19 in our communities, EVC’s goal is to continue to support the young people and families that we work with as we have over the last three decades. In accordance with the decision to close NYC public schools until at least April 20th and transition to web based learning, EVC staff are now working remotely. We are in the process of converting our workshops to an online learning experience for our students to provide minimal disruption to our programming. We are taking sensible precautions aligned with the recommendations of the NYC Department of Health, NYC Department of Education, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) including social distancing and will continue providing updates on our programs as necessary. More than ever, New York City’s most vulnerable students need our support. Our staff will remain connected to our students and their families and provide support, resources, and referrals. COVID-19 will most affect those already struggling with deep systemic inequities. EVC will do everything in our power to advocate for our students, connect them to government and community based resources. Now is a time for distance, not isolation. To survive this crisis we need to find ways to connect to each other and support vulnerable young people. EVC has always taught students to loudly advocate for themselves and their communities and we will continue that work. As the realities of an extended period of social distancing sets in, I’m drawn to a reflection EVC Youth Producer Mikey wrote at the end of last semester: “[EVC’s] whole process impacted me personally by doing [what] I feel like most people wouldn’t have the courage to do. I stepped up to take on something out of the normal for me and to have faith and confidence in myself in what I want to do and achieve as a person. It made me reflect on myself how I should present myself and talk to others.” For 35 years we’ve been taking inspiration from our youth producers on how to step up and be present for others, and now is no exception. Let’s be like Mikey, and find courage and confidence within ourselves. This is a time to boldly face an uncertain future with the voices and stories of youth leading the way. In Solidarity, Ambreen Qureshi Executive Director

Dear Friends, As you may know, EVC Founder and Executive Director Steve Goodman plans to transition from his role in early 2018. Please help us find an outstanding leader who can ensure EVC continues to grow and deepen its impact. EVC’s Board of Directors is committed to identifying an Executive Director who will shepherd the next era of Educational Video Center and continue to evolve this extraordinary, mission-based organization. EVC’s next Executive Director must believe that the voices of young people matter– a visionary leader who is dedicated to youth development, filmmaking, transformational educational spaces, and social justice. EVC is committed to a diverse workplace and is an enthusiastic equal opportunity employer. As Steve wrote in announcing his transition, “I have been the founding executive director of the Educational Video Center for close to 35 years. This role has been the greatest honor of my life. It is, therefore, with great pride and confidence that I announce my plans to hand the reins over to someone else to lead the organization into the future. It is a good time to make this change. After more than three decades of continuous growth and evolution, through many successes and some of the most challenging times our nation has ever faced, EVC is strong, relevant, and continues to be one of the most innovative organizations of its kind.” (Read Steve’s full message here) Please help us spread the word about this exciting opportunity among your networks so that we can find the best leader for EVC. The position description, and instructions for consideration, can be found here: evc.org/leadersearch Thanks in advance for your help. If you have any questions, please contact me at cdevery@evc.org Best wishes for a safe and happy Thanksgiving, and strong, vibrant future for EVC! Sincerely, Colleen Devery EVC Board Chair

Dear EVC friends and family, The EVC Board of Directors is proud to announce that Ambreen Qureshi has joined the organization as Executive Director after our founder of 35 years, Steve Goodman, retired earlier this year. Ambreen has extensive leadership experience in the non-profit and media industries including Magnum Photos, Associated Press and PixelPress. She received her Masters from the New School with a concentration in media and culture. Previously as the Deputy Executive Director of the Arab-American Family Support Center, a trauma informed Settlement House, Ambreen spearheaded the development of innovative youth media programs focusing on social justice including a participatory youth filmmaking program, a photography campaign combatting bigotry, and a large scale film installation and dance action to protest the travel ban. We are excited to build on Steve Goodman’s vision and to take EVC to new heights under Ambreen’s leadership. She brings extensive fundraising, programmatic and staff development experiences to the organization at this pivotal moment. A devotee of all things tea, Ambreen is usually never far from a steaming cup of leaves and is currently studying Kintsugi, the traditional Japanese art of repairing broken ceramics with gold. You will get a chance to meet her in the next month, as we will have many events premiering the powerful documentaries EVC students have created over the semester. Details will arrive in your inbox shortly! Please take a moment to stop by, introduce yourself, and welcome Ambreen to EVC. Sincerely, Colleen Devery EVC Board Chair

Seeking innovative and engaging ways to discuss systemic racism with your employees? Want to learn from young people most impacted by structural violence? EVC works with Corporations, including their Diversity and Inclusion Departments and Employee Resource Groups, to organize virtual screenings of short documentary films produced by NYC high school students about systemic racism and other structural injustices. Our award winning archive of over 200 youth produced films explore topics such as police brutality, inequity in healthcare, environmental racism, unequal education, gentrification, mental health struggles,  LGBTO+ discrimination and more. Twenty minute screenings are followed by discussions that can be customized for each Corporation for any format, length of time, or number of participants. Screenings can be single events or curated as an ongoing series. EVC youth filmmakers, staff and others involved in the creation of these documentaries can be available for the O&A and discussions following each screening. SELECT AVAILABLE FILMS: Cops Are(n’t) Colorblind: Changing the NYPD from the Inside and Out This film follows EVC student Demitrius’ experiences of being targeted by the NYPD and how it made him curious about black history and the roots of racial profiling. The Queer Survival Guide This film examines how LGBTO+ youth can find communities safe from harassment and discrimination. The Colors of Health: Understanding Unequal Care in New York City This film investigates the structural conditions and racial biases that lead to inferior medical care for people of color to understand why they are disproportionately sicker. For more information contact Sarah Nylund, Development Manager, at 212-465-9366 or snylund@evc.org

EVC Presents: Docs & Dialogues, a youth-produced virtual documentary screening series led by EVC’s young people whose lives and communities are impacted by systemic inequities. These individuals will share their stories about the world as they see it – with all its problems and possibilities. For our first monthly screening we will be watching the 2020 documentary Cops Are(n’t) Colorblind: Changing the NYPD From Inside and Out with the Youth Producers who made it. This timely film explores the contradictions of being a Black NYPD officer, and questions whether the institution can be changed from within. Hosted by Christine Mendoza, EVC alumni and Board Member and youth filmmaker! The series is free and open to the public. Please consider donating to support young people changing the world one documentary at a time! There will be additional opportunities to support EVC at the event. About EVC Presents: Docs & Dialogues: Join us on the last Thursday of every month for a youth-produced documentary screening and discussion led by young people impacted by systems of oppression in our society. Cops Are(n’t) Color Blind Trailer: Get your tickets here: Tickets

Since our founding, EVC has been committed to equity in who gets to tell these stories and we invite you to join us for a critical viewing and conversations. Our incredible youth producers have been documenting their experiences with COVID-19 whilst under quarantine and we will premiere our first ever virtually produced films Living with the Enemy: Media, Mental Health & Me and Quranteens. This event is free and open to the public. Tuesday, June 9, 2020 at 5 PM Register Here! Corporate Sponsor

Dear Friends, EVC stands in solidarity with Black communities and young people around the nation fighting to dismantle structural racism, white supremacy, and systems of oppression in all forms. We stand with them today, as we have for decades. Three generations of EVC students have documented the systematic devaluation and dehumanization of Black life at the hands of the police through countless youth produced films including Policing the Police (1988), Disorderly Conduct: Are the Police Killing Us? (1997), Life Under Suspicion: Youth Perspectives on the NYPD’s Stop and Frisk Policy (2012), Policing the Times (2015), Black & Blue: The Traumas of Police Brutality in New York City (2018), Cops Are(n’t) Colorblind: Changing the NYPD Inside and Out (2019). Enough is enough. For 35 years we’ve been following our youth producers’ lead on how to step up and speak truth to power, and now is no exception. As our student Effy reflected, whilst working on a police brutality documentary: “I grew as a person by expanding my strategy of activism and questioning and challenging my environment in order to change it for the better…We are the revolution so we must revolutionize.” Be like Effy. Stand up for what’s right and reflect on what each one of us can personally do to make this a better world. This is a time to boldly re-imagine our society, where all of us are bound joyously together by the principles of love and justice with the voices and stories of youth leading the way. In solidarity, EVC Board and Staff