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AN IMAGE CAPTURES A FEELING. A STORY CONVEYS A MESSAGE. A MOVIE BECOMES A MOVEMENT.

In the right hands, images, stories and movies have the power to change the .

We’re committed to raising awareness and generating action around some of today’s most pressing social issues, through the power of images, stories, and . We support, produce, distribute and promote the use of independent media of consequence. In doing so, we’ve become a trusted source of ‘media that matters’—helping shape the conversation around some of the most critical issues in our world. Through our programs we connect filmmakers and media artists with advocates, educators and the general public to address concerns that are often ignored by mainstream media.

WE ARE ARTS ENGINE. THIS IS OUR STORY. ARTS ENGINE: AT A GLANCE “Arts Engine made it possible for me to focus “It’s amazing on my craft, to tell the story I needed to tell. They what you can took a genuine interest accomplish with in my work and gave me the right people a platform I never could have had to complete my and a lot of project and get the work passion. Arts out in the world.” Engine has both. —Young Filmmaker Sure, we face challenges. But our team has the “I’ve been using Media energy and the That Matters™ films in my resolve to keep classroom for years, and my students are riveted plugging away every time. It’s not just a until we get the day at the movies. They’re job done— engaged, animated and they want to learn more because we after seeing these films. know how much 1997. Two visionary activists form a partnership to create They want to get out there is riding on our social-issue documentaries, driven by the belief that if you tell a and do something.” efforts.” compelling story about human issues, using powerful images, —Educator you can affect societal change. Katy Chevigny and Julia Pimsleur —Arts Engine Staff Member planted the seeds for the organization that is now Arts Engine, with a commitment to core values and beliefs that continue to inform our mission and our programs to this day: “Arts Engine is a rare breed. Nobody else is Inspiring creativity and innovation. really doing all that they do in such a cohesive way. Building communities. They’re not just committed Empowering individuals. to and technology, Promoting diversity of voice. but to spotlighting the Creating a more just world. work of social justice organizations and providing an alternative Cut to today. The landscape has changed a lot since 1997. chorus to what we hear in Technology has advanced dramatically, with new media and more the mainstream media voices emerging and competing for attention. But the work of every day. By amplifying independent media makers still shines a light on critical issues our voices they’re getting that are often overlooked by the mainstream. And Arts Engine our message heard by remains a trusted source for media that matters. These days, we more people and still create feature-length documentaries, but we do a lot more, as enhancing our work in you’ll see in the pages that follow. And through it all, we continue a profound way.” to follow the vision set by Katy and Julia: to drive change by —Activist connecting film, technology and community. ARTS ENGINE: MEDIA THAT MATTERS™ “We no longer have to rely on major corporations for things to be seen— we have Media That Matters™ to distribute new material and new voices and new points of view.”

—Tim Robbins, Actor

March 2, 2010. University of campus police A mother fights for her right to health care. A Guantanamo NUMBERS officers storm the apart- detainee struggles to heal after wrongful imprisonment. ment of graduate student A poet transforms into cultivation in the middle of THAT MATTER Kofi Adu-Brempong, a Los Angeles street. tasing him three times, then shooting him in the 2 MILLION+ face with an assault rifle. • YouTube viewers He lost his tongue and jaw. Every year, Arts Engine curates and presents a new collection per year He nearly lost his life. of films through Media That Matters™, the premiere showcase for short films designed to stimulate dialogue and generate so- 100+ Later that same year in cial engagement around some of today’s most critical social is- • Public screenings Gainesville, Florida, Media sues. We reach millions of viewers worldwide online, in theaters, per year That Matters™ screened on the air, and in other venues. We provide films to educational, I AM SEAN BELL, a film nonprofit, social justice and youth groups, and other organiza- 180+ focusing on racial justice, tions of influence. Community screenings are followed by facili- • Films in the Media to bring attention to the tated discussions to promote action. Online, the entire collec- That Matters™ collection local problem of police tion of films is streamed through the Arts Engine website and on brutality, as evidenced YouTube, where Media That Matters™ ranks as one of the most THOUSANDS in the case of Kofi Adu- viewed nonprofits of all time. • Distributions among Brempong. Present to schools, youth groups, speak about the issue was Media That Matters™ also produces workshops for filmmakers, film festivals and a representative from the artists and social activists; and publishes a monthly newsletter other organizations local Coalition Against with information about the arts and social change. Police Brutality (CAPB), a group working for citizen From classrooms to boardrooms, movie theaters to home the- review of campus and local aters, hundreds of events take place every year, igniting action police forces. Through the on issues ranging from AIDS in to water rights in , impact of the screening, the youth vote, LGBT issues, peace, and more. CAPB generated increased support for its efforts, to help prevent future incidents like the one that nearly killed Kofi Adu-Brempong. ARTS ENGINE: FILMS

Arts Engine’s Big Mouth Productions was founded in 1997 by Katy Chevigny and Julia Pimsleur to 2010. Arts produce provocative, engaging social-issue documentaries. Big Mouth films have covered topics ranging from Engine the criminal justice system to alternative healing. Along the way, we’ve worked with pre-eminent filmmakers releases like Academy Award winner Ross Kauffmann (BORN INTO BROTHELS), won prestigious awards, gained the docu- national recognition and reached audiences in the millions. Here’s a brief look at a few of our Big Mouth films: mentary, PUSHING THE ELEPHANT. Through the story of Rose Mapendo, a Congolese refugee separated ARCTIC SON In the tiny village of Old Crow, 80 miles north of the Arctic Circle, a father and his from her five-year-old daughter son are reunited after almost 20 years apart. They share a name and a bloodline, but the Nangabire when violence engulfed they know and the lifestyles they lead are as different as their respective hometown climates. the Democratic Republic of Congo, Stanley Sr. is a hunter, a rugged man of the land steeped in native traditions. -raised the issues of women’s and refu- Stanley Jr. immerses himself in hip hop music, games, and drunken debauched nights. gee rights are addressed while the Embedded within this moving father–son story is a larger exploration of the complex relationship. long-term and often hidden effects of war are explored. (A)SEXUAL follows the growth of a community that experiences no sexual attraction. In 2000, David Jay came out to his parents. He was asexual and was fine with it. And he was not alone. This film has been used extensively Studies show that 1% of the population is asexual. But in a obsessed with sex, how do you by nonprofits and others advocating deal with life as an outsider? Combining intimate interviews, verite footage, and animation with for women’s rights, and was pre- fearless humor and pop imagery, David and our four other characters grapple with this sented at the United Nations as universal question and the outcomes might surprise you. part of the 2011 Commission on the Status of Women. It was also DEADLINE , Fall 2002: Governor George Ryan faces shocking findings about flaws in his screened on Capitol Hill as part of state’s system that call his long-held beliefs into question. Suddenly, he must the International Violence Against make one of the most difficult decisions of his life—to ignore this disturbing evidence, or to trans- form the entire Illinois capital punishment system. The stakes of this decision are the lives of Women Act (IVAWA) Coalition, com- over 170 people, and Ryan’s own political career. And he has only a few months to issue his final prised of more than 100 internation- decision. DEADLINE captures the ensuing dramatic series of events as they unfold. al non-governmental organizations including Amnesty International. ELECTION DAY Forget the pie charts, color-coded maps and hyperventilating pundits. What’s the street-level experience of voters in today’s America? In a triumph of documentary , The film has proven to resonate ELECTION DAY combines eleven stories—shot simultaneously on November 2, 2004, from dawn with audiences and to promote until long past midnight—into one. Factory workers, ex-felons, harried moms, Native American social change at home and over- activists and diligent poll watchers, from to Florida, take the process of seas. In the U.S., the IVAWA cam- into their own hands. The result: an entertaining, inspiring and sometimes unsettling tapestry of paign resulted in the presentation citizens determined on one fateful day to make their votes count. of a bill to Congress to end violence against women, which received an JOURNEY TO THE WEST examines the roots of traditional Chinese medicine, its incarnation in overwhelmingly positive response. modern-day China, and its adaptation in the . Rare footage of traditional medical In Africa, after a screening for the practices in the People’s Republic of China is intercut with interviews of some of the leading UN Secretary General’s conference Chinese medical practitioners here in the United States. to end violence against women, many African women said they were NUYORICAN DREAM chronicles the struggles and aspirations of a New York Puerto Rican fam- inspired by the film to stand up for ily as they contend with the devastating effects of urban poverty. The film follows Robert Torres, their rights and reach out to others. Marta’s eldest son and the only one of his to finish high school and college. College was supposed to lead to the American Dream, but the experience of transcending class has had the PUSHING THE ELEPHANT has been result of alienating Robert from his family. broadcast on PBS’s Independent Lens series and was viewed by OUTSIDE LOOKING IN: TRANSRACIAL ADOPTION IN AMERICA captures the complexity of over a million people. It has been being physically bonded to one race and emotionally bonded to another through the lives of three screened at over a dozen film festi- with transracially adopted children of three different generations, growing up in three different regions of the country. As America struggles to understand and address its own racial vals around the world, including the history, OUTSIDE LOOKING IN supplies a voice to those directly affected by adoption and explores Human Rights Watch Film Festival larger topics facing our society: race, family and identity. and the International Festival Amsterdam. ARTS ENGINE: FILMMAKER AND PRODUCTION SERVICES PRODUCTION HIGHLIGHTS

• Directed and produced two organizational for Johns Hopkins University’s Project Restore: a collabora- tive research study to develop new therapies for neuroim- munologic disorders such as multiple sclerosis.

• Produced PSAs for The National Institute of Mental Health about the rise of depression in men, with There’s more to our story… director Leslie Weiner.

Arts Engine is also a New York-based Production Company, • Followed Alvin Ailey American offering a range of work-for-hire services for corporations, non- Dance Theater abroad to profits, broadcasters and other organizations. produce a film on the company. For this project, we hired crews and coordinated shoots Through our extensive experience in film and strong network of in Russia and New York. We creative talent, Arts Engine Production Services packages help also oversaw editing, assisted others to produce original content for multi-platform works with archival research and including: acted as fiscal sponsor.

• Industrial and Organizational Videos • Commercials and PSAs • Advocacy Videos CLIENT LIST • Tutorials DocuClub is a membership organization for filmmakers that provides monthly screenings of • Educational Programming • Alvin Ailey American documentaries in progress, followed by group discussions led by leaders in the field. Its goal is Dance Theater to offer vital peer feedback for filmmakers and enable them to perfect their films. We combine creative, cost-effective solutions with hands-on • Johns Hopkins University production at a very early stage to create original work, regardless • Miami Museum of Art of scope and budget. We offer a range of production services to • The National Institute Fiscal Sponsorship enables independent filmmakers and artists to raise funding from various filmmakers and organizations such as: grant-making organizations that require nonprofit status from applicants with non-commercial of Health projects. Additionally, Arts Engine’s fiscal sponsorship program provides filmmakers with a • Concept-to-Completion Production • New York University vehicle to offer tax deductions to the individual donors. The program broadens funding options • Casting School of Law—Brennan and provides an alternative for independent filmmakers and artists to the complicated process • Line Production Center for Justice of establishing their own 501 (c)(3) nonprofit corporations. • Location and Insurance Logistics • Serena Software • Production Crews • The Sundance Channel • Budgeting for Domestic and International Projects • The Teaching Channel • and more... ARTS ENGINE: PROJECTS, PRESS AND PARTNERS

In the News Recognition Arts Engine has received exposure in a variety Best Business—Green/Non-Profit Award, SXSW [2005] STRATEGIC ALLIANCES of national and international media including: DEADLINE | produced by Big Mouth Films: Over the years, we’ve developed collaborative relationships and strong partnerships with a broad • Boston Globe • Emmy Award nominee [2005] range of donors, sponsors, media and social action organizations. These alliances work together in • CINE Golden Eagle Grand Jury Award [2005] a synergistic way to leverage the impact of all of our programs. Through the support of our Foundation • Sun Times • Thurgood Marshall Journalism Award [2005] Donors and Corporate Sponsors, we’re able to continue creating vital works of art as a catalyst for social • Gothamist change; to engage with advocates, artists and educators; and to distribute our work to the communities and • Huffington ostP SUN COME UP | premiered at Media That Matters™ organizations that can make the greatest difference worldwide. Supporters have included: • IndieWire • Academy Award nominee [2011] • Mother Nature Network • Adobe Systems Festival Premieres • New York Magazine • Berlin • The Bay & Paul Foundation • NPR • Human Rights Watch International • The Fledgling Fund • NY1 • IDFA (Amsterdam) • The Ford Foundation • Philadelphia Inquirer • SXSW • Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Foundation • Sundance • Variety • The Harley Film Foundation • Yahoo Movies On the Air • HBO • Cinemax • The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation • HBO • The Nathan Cummings Foundation • Independent Lens • LinkTV • National Endowment for the Arts FILMOGRAPHY • NBC • • POV • New York State Council on the Arts • Sundance Channel • INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN • NYC Department of Cultural Affairs GUILTY [1999] Fiscal Sponsorship Projects • The Surdna Foundation Following are some notable examples of our many fis- • W.K. Kellogg Foundation • NUYORICAN DREAM [1999] cally sponsored projects: • YouTube • JOURNEY TO THE WEST [2001] LEMON • OUTSIDE LOOKING IN [2001] • Premiered DOC NYC [2011] Our Strategic Partners help spread the word about our programs GOOD FORTUNE and use our films and material in their work. Partners include: • BROTHER BORN AGAIN [2001] • Emmy Award [2011] ANPO • Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) • DEADLINE [2004] • Premiered Toronto Film Festival [2010] THE LOTTERY • The Center for Social Media • ARCTIC SON [2006] • Premiered Tribeca Film Festival [2010] • Creative • ELECTION DAY [2007] LIONESS • Human Rights Watch International Film Festival • Broadcast premiere, PBS Independent Lens [2009] • The Paley Center for Media’s Education Department • PUSHING THE ELEPHANT [2010] DREAMING NICARAGUA • Rough-cut screening, IDFA Amsterdam [2009] • POV • (A)SEXUAL [2011] IN A DREAM • School of Visual Arts • Premiered, SXSW [2008] • Tribeca Film Institute • Woodstock Film Festival Awards: Best Feature Documentary and James Lyons Award for Best • Witness SEE MORE! Editing of a Feature Documentary (given to Zagar Scan for new releases and Keiko Deguchi) [2008] As a result of these strategic alliances, our films and associated and upcoming projects! PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL curricula are able to support and complement the work of • Tribeca Film Festival Award: Best Documentary various social action organizations, helping them accomplish www.artsengine.net Feature [2008] their objectives and advance their causes. ARTS ENGINE: GET INVOLVED! BE PART OF THE STORY What issues move you to action? What will you do to help?

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