JBFC FILM & VISUAL LITERACY PROGRAMS
College Students

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World Crew was successfully piloted in Uganda in 2007, when college students documented several remarkable stories, including that of a 14-year-old AIDS orphan solely responsible for his family, and a former child soldier slowly rebuilding his life.

This summer, students explored the rich and diverse cultures in our own part of the world, particularly Latino immigrants living in the New York metropolitan area. In the process of research and filming we were able to raise students’ awareness of their local community and deepen their understanding of its many residents.

Through a highly competitive application process, we selected eight college students to participate in this summer’s program. In three groups, the students researched and produced short films that focus on compelling and diverse characters: Anna, a Chilean exile trying to organize Latina housekeepers in Sleepy Hollow; Marco, who despite running a successful contracting business, is still undocumented after ten years in Ossining and every day runs the risk of being deported back to Ecuador; and Martha, a 16 year old high school Junior struggling to balance her Mexican and American identities after crossing the border four years ago. Each narrative is unique, but the three are bound together because each character exemplifies the strength, creativity and focus it takes for immigrants to negotiate the day-to-day challenges of a transnational existence.

The three films will be screened at a red carpet premiere at the Jacob Burns Film Center in January 2009. We plan on featuring these films in our Global Watch Film Series, which will also be in January 2009.

World Crew 2008 was taught by Dave Davidson, an independent documentary filmmaker for 25 years and the founding Director of the MFA in Media Arts Production program at The City College of New York (CUNY). He was supported by JBFC’s Director of International Programs, Susan Todd. Susan is an Academy Award nominated filmmaker, an educator and founder of Archipelago Films. Classes were held from 9 am to 4 pm for four weeks, from July 7 through August 1, five days a week. The curriculum included conducting and sharing research; learning how to operate sound and camera equipment through collaborative filmmaking exercises; scouting and filming in the field; editing; and group critique.

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