PicMo Monthly Reel: July/August 2020

The average length of uninterrupted work time for working parents is 3 minutes, 24 seconds. If that’s all the time you have, please use it to donate to Brown Girls Doc Mafia here instead of reading our newsletter.

If you have more time, read on! There’s some good stuff 🙂

Warmly, Team PicMo

Support RAICES In Their Fight to Keep Families Together & Safe

One of the leading voices fighting family separation at the border, RAICES provides legal services and social programs to immigrant families, children, and refugees. Last month, we were honored to work alongside RAICES to launch a collaboration in partnership with Magnolia Picture’s new film, The Fight. Through the organization’s virtual cinema, $5 of any $12 rental fee will go toward supporting their work on behalf of immigrant children and families. You can also watch a special conversation with their Directors of Family Detention Services and Litigation, as well as some of the RAICES team members who spent time on the ground at the detention centers. Watch the film here and learn about other ways to take action and to demand that families at the border be released together here.

Public Trust Unites Activists to Save Our Public Lands

Patagonia’s latest environmental documentary, Public Trust, examines our nation’s public lands as well as the impacts of extractive industries and the politicians in their pockets. Together with Patagonia, we produced three virtual events. Thousands of activists watched the film together while simultaneously sharing resources and actions within the live chat, as well as discussing why public lands should remain protected and safe for all. These events inspired hundreds to begin organizing their own virtual screening events!

Thousands of Organizers Screen Story Of Plastic Worldwide

This month marked the end of our worldwide digital campaign for The Story of Plastic, culminating in a coalition of 50,000 activists, educators, and community members who have mobilized to take action and end plastic pollution. When the world shut down, the digital-only campaign provided institutions with tools and ways to adapt, connect, and inspire climate change action while social distancing. We also learned that plastic pollution is truly a global crisis as leading stakeholders from 86 countries speaking 33 languages viewed the film, facilitated expert-led discussions, and joined the film’s movement partner #BreakFreeFromPlastic.

Sharing The Life & Legacy of Marie Curie Through Radioactive

Radioactive is an Amazon Original feature film and biographical journey through Marie Curie’s enduring legacies, her passionate partnerships, scientific breakthroughs, and the consequences that follow. We facilitated a series of pre-release virtual screening events with educators, women in science groups, and cultural centers to share the life and legacy of Marie Curie. One screening with Women in Nuclear Medicine had over 1000 attendees! Now that the film is available to stream on Amazon, we’re facilitating educator webinars to showcase the film’s accompanying lesson plans from BlueShift Education, providing teachers and students with exciting opportunities for digital learning this fall!

PicMo Team Member Snapshot

Meet Lillie Fleshler! Lillie is our Impact Distribution Manager based in NY who manages our grassroots screening tours, expanding the reach of our film campaigns and ensuring they make an impact.

Her hometown:
I grew up in New York City – both a blessing and a curse because I have tried and failed to live anywhere else – so I will probably never leave!

What brought her to PicMo:

I’ve always been interested in how film and impact intersect. I had an internship with Participant Media’s social action department while PicMo’s president Wendy Cohen was there, so PicMo has always been on my radar and I was determined to join the team one day! After graduating from college with a film degree, I joined a workforce development nonprofit and then worked as an Associate Producer at documentary production company Insignia Films. I also shared an office space with PicMo at one point during this period! Transitioning into the impact film space, I landed a role at Film Sprout where I helped facilitate screening tours for films like Knife Skills and Matangi / Maya / M.I.A. It felt like fate when I finally joined the PicMo team in 2018 as part of the acquisition of Film Sprout!

What she is working on:
Currently, I am running screening tours for Public Trust and Athlete A. I really enjoy connecting with educators, nonprofits, activists, and community leaders who are doing incredible work on the ground. I have had unforgettable conversations through this job, and a really valuable facet of our work is that we can provide these changemakers with films they can use as a tool to further their work and mission.

Her favorite recent film:
Sam Feder’s Disclosure. I learned so much about trans representation in film and TV from trans perspectives, and it has really impacted how I will view all media moving forward.

Her quirky hobby:
I can truly spend hours reading Wikipedia bios. So far this week I’ve covered: Edward VII, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Amelia Boynton Robinson, and Steve Jobs’ entire extended family.

Say hello! lillie@picturemotion.com

PicMo’s Summer Playlist Picks

The PicMo team have each picked out a couple of our favorite songs of the summer. From Kylie Minogue’s Get Outta My Way (“When I need an extra boost of energy to get tasks done and outta my way”) to Shakira’s Rabiosa (“When I want to get that quick cardio in between calls, this song always gets me moving”) to Stop The World from the cast of Come from Away (“A great reminder of the kindness and hope that can be found amidst really sad and scary times”).

Download our playlist on Spotify!

Public Trust will be available to stream on YouTube on September 25, one day before National Public Lands Day! Sign up to host a virtual screening and discussion before the public premiere here, and learn how to take action to protect our public lands by visiting the Patagonia Action Works page.
Join the movement to Break Free From Plastic!
Stony Brook has announced their new virtual Stony Brook University Social Impact Filmmaking certificate program – an 8 month, 3 hour/week program to prepare creatives to participate in this historic battle to transform perspective, initiate change, and inspire people to act. Stony Brook will also award a handful of Robert Sklar Diversity Fellowships for incoming students, particularly to those activist students who can contribute to the diversity of Stony Brook.
Take advantage and spread the word about the ACLU’s new Let People Vote (by Mail) tool that offers info on the date of the next election, options for mail-in ballots, deadlines, tips for voting safely during COVID-19, and more.
Brown Girls Doc Mafia has launched a fundraiser with a goal to raise $400K for grants, programs, staff, and operations for the remainder of this year and throughout 2021. Visit their GoFundMe to donate and learn more about the great initiatives that you’ll be supporting – then spread the word to your network!
Visit Vote Save America to sign up to vote by mail, be a poll worker, volunteer, or donate!

765 people attended a special digital impact event screening and panel conversation around Public Lands, A Place For Recreation that we executed with Patagonia.
30 virtual screenings of Public Trust took place across the country this month, plus 2 additional drive-in screenings!
198 virtual screenings of The Story of Plastic were hosted around the world throughout July
100+ attendees attended a virtual screening of College Behind Bars with Lehman College, which was followed by a Q&A with a Bard Prison Initiative alumnus and the film’s Director.
1 PicMo team member celebrated a PicMo Anniversary – Happy 2 years to Ellis!