Amizade Course Film Wins National Competition
A film produced by students in Amizade’s summer 2008 Introduction to Social Documentary course won the top prize at the Cinemocracy Film Festival held in Denver Aug. 25 in conjunction with the Democratic National Convention.
"Democracy: A Steady, Loving Confrontation," is three-minute short film based on the oral histories of former civil rights activists collected in Alabama by seven college students under the direction of Amizade instructor Jen Saffron and facilitator Monica Cwynar. A panel of film industry professionals chose the Amizade film from among 10 finalists screened in front of an audience of 4,000 at Denver’s Red Rocks Amphitheater. The film won the Starz People's Choice Award for Best Short and a $2,500 cash prize.
As in all Amizade programs, local partnerships were key to the success of the film and the depth of the students’ experiences. Louretta Wimberly of the Alabama Historical Commission’s Black Heritage Council and other community leaders featured in the film provided guidance. The Rosa Parks Museum and a number of other Alabama organizations will receive an edited version of all 30 interviews the students conducted for their archives.