By Carol Price-Williams
Lady Light's "on-the-scene-DFW-connection"
Sunday, April 6, Ladylight Spotlight's "on-the-scene-connection" in Dallas attended a panel discussion, IMPACTING YOUTH, presented by Art House Dallas and FilmMatters, in partnership with the Dallas International Film Festival.
The panel discussed how Filmmakers can responsibly and effectively message and communicate to youth using the power of film and media with a special emphasis on peer created content.
The moderator was Keith Maitland, director and producer of Emmy nominated THE EYES OF ME. Panelists were: Sharon Amezcua, involved with creating Juntobox Films, a collaborative film studio that unites social development with traditional film production; Leslie Ferrell, president of Big Idea Entertainment, a children's media company that produces "Veggie Tales," and Trevor Hall, president, Creative Visions Foundation.
Amezcua is very excited to have a platform that creates a community for youth to develop industry and social tools and knowledge to collaborate artistically with experienced industry mentors.
Ferrell's company focuses on content that assists parenting needs coupled with a message about faith. The content provided creates nuggets for children to walk away with which helps build character and knowledge . She also said that market research has shown that children as young as two years old can learn to demonstrate behaviors of gratitude.
That's good news for parents struggling with the terrible twos and threes. They really get it, even if they don't act like it.
Hall was very optimistic about our Millenium generation. He said they get a bad reputation about being addicted to technology, having a short attention span but he believes that this generation's the most generous and compassionate about world and social concerns.
I was really impressed with Hall's answer to Maitland's question about which movie impacted their lives to motivate them to be come a filmmaker. Hall said, Boys in the Hood. ( I was like--Whaaat?!)
Hall grew up in south side Chicago. He lived in a neighborhood that was only a block or one street divided between him and the Cabrini Green housing projects ( For those that don't know - that was the housing project they show in Good Times ,ya'll).
He was told growing up to never, ever cross that "imaginary barrier" because "they're not like us." After watching Boys in the Hood, he said that it closed the divide of the us vs. them, for him.
And proof of that impact today is Hall's Creative Visions Foundation. It uses media and the arts to create meaningful change in the world. CVF has provided fiscal sponsorship, mentorship, inspiration, fundraising, connectivity and more.
This panel discussion confirmed my belief that under resourced and affluent children can watch or create quality TV, shorts, full-featured films and documentaries that can help us facilitate dialogue with our youth to engage in or to expand on meaningful art and education to create and act on community and global change.
