The Nothing Is Impossible Producers' Award Finalists w/ SaatchiNY's Sheldon Levy
SaatchiNY has sponsored the NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE Producer’s Award at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival for the past two years. The MVAAFF initiative is very near and dear to my heart. It has been a true pleasure screening these films. The triumphs and hardships the filmmakers experienced in their quest to make their vision come to life on screen are truly inspiring.
This year we kicked it up a notch, bringing the Producer’s Award Finalist Screening Series to Hudson/Houston for the first time ever. Today we’re screening the fourth and final film in the series. Introducing, the feature Joy Road, an engrossing story that captures the struggle a public defender faces when he represents a reputed leader of a notorious gang in a high profile murder trial (Running Time 88 minute).
The Screening will run from 5:30-8:00pm in the 16th Floor Boardroom off the Atrium
As we take a look back at the series, I thought it would be cool to get a feel for people’s reactions to the series, step-by-step, film-by-film.
THE JUDGING PROCESS
As a society, we learn so much about ourselves through the film medium and the African American perspective lends great insight into what it means to be a multi-cultural nation. The films we have seen have surprised and moved us and capture the epic meaning of our shared experience. I anticipate more extraordinary stories from MVAAFF that will open my mind to ideas
- Steve Mitsch, SVP Creative Director & SaatchiNY Film Jury Member
In addition to being an excellent way to introduce new creative talent to the agency, the screenings have also helped build Saatchi culture by giving us all a reason to take a break and hangout together.
– Kwame Taylor-Hayford, VP SISOMO Producer
Each of the screenings featured a fresh, original cinematic experience and engaging storytelling. Followed by inspiring and surprisingly personal Q&A sessions with the filmmakers. I’m glad I went.
– John Sullivan, Creative Director
FILM #1 – RACE
We kicked off this series on October 8th with the documentary Race, produced and directed by Katherine Cecil. The film was an instant success, engaging the SaatchiNY audience in the racial and class politics of the highly mediated post-Katrina mayoral election.
As a foreigner who was living in another country while this mayoral election took place, the documentary Race was hugely educational and eye opening. It had me gripped from first minute to last. Great work.
- John Doris, Producer
FILM #2 – THE ROE EFFECT
Next in our program was this year’s winner of the NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE Producer’s Award. The Roe Effect, screened October 19th, is a poignant love story of a girl who must choose between exposing a painful truth or losing the girls she loves. It is a graphic short that really entrances you, to the point where you want to look away but can’t.
The Roe Effect was beyond words. I stopped breathing a couple times while watching because it was that captivating and thought provoking. I truly enjoy films that elicit emotion out of me and this film did that to the umpteenth degree. Kudos to Kiel Scott and his talented team!
- Ashley Johns, Account Leadership
FILM #3 – WAKE
Our third installment, Wake, had a Halloween vibe and thus screened October 27th. This short is an eerie gothic tale of a woman who uses murder and folk magic to eliminate a domineering father and to create a perfect lover.
I was really surprised- shocked actually- by the level of film-making skill and vision. There’s some scary young talent out there.
- Eric Korte, Head of Music Department
Wake has definitely been a fan favorite, despite the technical difficulty that we experienced. The technical glitches reoccurred so often that we had to go offline twice and then reboot on a lap top. Oy Vey! But our SaatchiNY audience stuck with us, and we had a great Q & A with the lovely Bree Newsome.
JOIN US
Come and enjoy this very special experience. We have food, we have drinks. We’ll have fun. And above all come and meet the filmmakers whose creative process often defies the laws of both finance and physics, and thus truly captures the spirit of Nothing is Impossible.
Thank you to everyone for your support on this project.
Tags: Joy Road, Martha's Vineyard African American Film Fest, SaatchiNY
No Comments