I've recently partnered with Facebook and co-authors Linda Phillips and Dr. BJ Fogg to write the Facebook for Educators Guide!
The guide is also available in Spanish, Portuguese and German.
Inspired, in equal measures, by Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton, The Wizard of Oz, and a love for books, “Morris Lessmore” is a story of people who devote their lives to books and books who return the favor.
Morris Lessmore is a poignant, humorous allegory about the curative powers of story.
Using a variety of techniques (miniatures, computer animation, 2D animation) award winning author/ illustrator William Joyce and Co-director Brandon Oldenburg present a new narrative experience that harkens back to silent films and M-G-M Technicolor musicals. “Morris Lessmore” is old fashioned and cutting edge at the same time.
“The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” is one of five animated short films that will be considered for outstanding film achievements of 2011 in the 84th Academy Awards ®.
Sundance Institute's Documentary Film Program and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have teamed up to present a series of short documentary films to inspire global action.
All six films—running between five and ten minutes and covering issues from public health to poverty—are now available to watch for free here.
The final film to be released, Youth Build: Building Youth, will also premiere at the first-ever Building a Grad Nation Summit in Washington D.C. this week.
Filmmakers Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern created this film, drawn from a longer documentary which highlights Youth Build's innovative approach to supporting young under-served urban Americans as they work to graduate high school and continue their education.
Click here to read more about the Youth Build program, or watch the short film.
Over the next two weeks, The YouTube Screening Room will be showing short films from the Sundance Film Festival --past and present.
Among the films currently availbe for streaming is Skateistan: To Live And Skate Kabul, a beautifully shot film that follows the lives of a group of young skateboarders in Afghanistan.
Skateistan is Afghanistan’s—and the world’s—first co-educational skateboarding school. Operating as an independent, neutral, Afghan NGO, the school engages growing numbers of urban and internally-displaced youth in Afghanistan through skateboarding, and provides them with new opportunities in cross-cultural interaction, education, and personal empowerment.
Skateistan's students come from all of Afghanistan’s diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. They not only develop skills in skateboarding and skateboarding instruction, but also healthy habits, civic responsibility, information technology, the arts, and languages.
The students themselves decide what they want to learn—we connect them with teachers who will enable them to develop the skills that they consider important.
Since Skateistan has been active in Kabul, we’ve seen that Afghan youth of all ethnicities, genders, and socioeconomic backgrounds love to skateboard. Skateistan brings them together, equipping young men and women with the skills to lead their communities toward social change and development.
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And now a message from indie singer/songwriter and on-the-verge pop star Chris Mann:
"Are you a dreamer? What is the craziest dream you’ve always wished would come true that hasn’t? Do you have a wild reoccurring dream? (I had a dream once that a lion ripped my stomach out as i got out of a limo to walk on a red carpet. I digress (this about YOU!).
My boy Scott Simons produced a really cool cover of me singing the song ‘Dreams’ by Gabrielle …you know…the one from the 90′s. I wanna make another DIY video with MANNfan’s help. YOU made the 'Heartless' Video such a success and I have an idea for the next installment.
So like i was saying…What is your biggest dream? What did you always wish would come true? What is your worst nightmare?! Are you scared for the world? Does a crazy ghost from the 1800′s try to ‘tap that ass’ in your sleep? That’s part one…
Part 2–what dream HAS come true for you? What did you work hard for that you achieved? What thing, ever so simple, are you so greatful for? Who did you sleep with to get what you want? wait…no. What are you MOST thankful for? WHO are you most thankful for? That’s part two…"
Click here to get Part 3 and all the other details......good luck!
Related Chris Mann Links
Remember back a few years when Flickr introduced video and everyone freaked out and lamented the "YouTube-ization" of Flickr?
Well thankfully indie media artist and photographer Matthew Parsons ignored the weeping and wailing and got to work creating videos that prove short form video does indeed have a place on Flickr.
Matthew, who goes by Fanboy30 on Flickr, RedBubble and Twitter, has created a short film titled "Immersed" that is nothing short of amazing.
Lean forward and watch this mesmerizing bit of indie filmmaking.
It's that most wonderful time of the year: Time for '80s rock hits to get mashed up with Rankin/Bass stop-motion classics to create new Christmas carols for the Interweb age.
Enter "Roxanne Versus The Red-Nosed Reindeer," a new viral hit combining two beloved odes to crimson illumination into one singalong that's suitable for all seasons.
Sure, one of the original songs is about a lady of the evening (the Police's "Roxanne") and the other is about a quadruped of the night ("Rudolph," of course). But somehow this mashup just works.
Shout it out with glee: Let the reindeer games begin!
via Yahoo! Music
Mike Schmid is a talented and accomplished indie singer-songwriter. His songs have been played on "So You Think You Can Dance," "The Real World," "All My Children," "The Bad Girls Club," "Felicity," "The Black Donnellys" and more.
He is currently working on a new album of children's songs.
In addition to playing keyboard and touring with Miley Cyrus, he has played with the Jonas Brothers, Sheryl Crow, the Corrs as well as many independent singer/songwriters, such as Connie Kim, Right the Stars and Renee Stahl.
In 2006 Mike recorded a Christmas EP titled 'Snow Day." The album features some original new holiday tunes and covers of some traditional Christmas tunes. Here, have a listen...
So light up the fireplace, grab some nog, download a copy of 'Snow Day' (or one of his other albums), support indie music (Santa will put you on the "Nice" list if you do!) and get in the holiday spirit!
Get to Know Mike Schmid
The NYTVF was founded in 2005 as the industry's first recognized independent television festival, providing a platform to elevate the work of artists creating for the small screen.
Held annually each fall in New York City, the birthplace of modern television, the Festival unites artists, executives, industry figures, and fans together in one forum to celebrate the medium and to help shape its future.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live someone else’s life? Find out when MTV introduces viewers to “The World of Jenks,” the brainchild of award-winning documentary filmmaker Andrew Jenks.
This new MTV docu-series follows Jenks as he shadows a complete stranger in each episode – exploring their lives, interacting with their family, hanging with their friends and living life through their eyes.
Whether he is on the road with rapper Maino, spending time behind bars at a juvenile detention center or living on the streets with a homeless teen, Andrew Jenks keeps the cameras rolling every hour, every day. “The World of Jenks” premieres on MTV this summer.
Throughout the series, Andrew’s experiences continuously change how he perceives and interacts with the environment around him. For every new journey, Jenks brings the audience closer to understanding someone else’s reality.
Connect with Andrew Jenks
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Header Artwork by BT Livermore
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