MS: It's as easy as it can be, for a monthly membership starting at $8.99 per month, you can either rent any film in person or have it sent to you by mail, keep as long as you like, and return using a prepaid envelope. The membership also gives free admission for two people to films screening at Facets, and discounts on much else.
JB: So, even people outside of Chicago can also participate by using your film by mail program. Nice! In addition, you have lots going on for kids. Can you tell us more about that?
MS: We have always programmed and shown films for kids. For the last 31 years, the heart of this is the Chicago International Children's Film Festival, which has grown from very modest beginnings to becoming the oldest and largest festival of films for children in North America, and the first children's film festival in the world to become an Academy-qualifying festival. This means that the winning films in our live action short and short animated film categories are eligible to compete for the Academy Award - and we have a pretty good track record of premiering films which went on to be nominated or win an Oscar.
The Festival, which this year screened 290 of the best films for children from 43 countries, is juried by professional juries and separate juries of children and youth. To serve on a jury, kids must first graduate our Facets Kids Film Camp, which offers five different sessions for two different age groups each summer. This week-long "boot camp" takes kids from learning how to look at film critically to learning the grammar and syntax of film and working in diverse teams to conceive, script, storyboard, act, shoot, direct and create sound effects for a short video by the end of each week. This is then complemented by a wide range of year-round programs, both in-school and after-school, with workshops, classes, and long-term (10 week) immersions. We want kids to have the 21st century tools to be able to navigate (and communicate effectively) the media-saturated universe in which they live.
JB: It all sounds fabulous. I'd love to be one of those lucky kids! And, in fact, you have a Kickstarter campaign going to improve your Facets for Kids offerings. What are you trying to do?
MS: To date we've shown over 8,000 films for children to audiences of over 500,000 kids. The films we discover at the Festival then disappear; there is no "market" in the U.S. for creative, imaginative films which challenge kids to think in a children's media universe dominated by Disney or by often child-inappropriate content. This is what we want to change -- by making "smart" films which we discover at the Festival to kids everywhere. Hence, Facets Kids -- an app through which kids can stream and watch these films at any time. Facets Kids is safe by being age-appropriate (a child will not see films outside the age range specified by their parent), global, and with an innovative emotional interface.
We've built the first generation of the app, which works on an iPad. But we need to take it to the next step - by making it available on other platforms (Android, desktop), build out the educational features. We also want to expand the library from the current 400 to 1,000 films, and GIVE the app away to 1,000 schools and libraries.
JB: Impressive! So tell us more about your campaign. I've heard of Kickstarter but I don't understand exactly how it works. When's your deadline? What's your ask?
MS: Kickstarter is a crowd-funding platform - a website where individuals from all walks of life can join to help fund creative ideas. We are trying to raise $50,000 to get Facets Kids to the next step: 1,000 films,1,000 users and 1,000 apps donated to schools and libraries, and to build out the functionality on other platforms other than the iPad. We've made a video and constructed a website around the campaign.
We are almost half-way there, but have only until November 22 - a little over two weeks to go - so the pressure is on. Under the Kickstarter rules, unless we meet the goal, we don't get any of the money pledged. The point we are trying to communicate to parents, filmmakers and those who care about the capability of the next generation to save our planet which we are entrusting to them in a pretty messy state, is that Facets Kids can be a key element in transforming children's lives, by engaging them as smart, global citizens and empathetic individuals capable of understanding, compassion, problem-solving and action. That's why we are trying to engage as much of the universe as we can in joining our movement, and helping us reach our goal, in whatever capacity they can.
JB: What a great goal. I'm hoping that movie-loving OpEdNews readers and other concerned citizens out there will respond to your campaign. Anything you'd like to add before we wrap this up?
For me, the most beautiful moments in life are to see a child's face light up when she connects to another culture, another life, and to herself through film. It's palpable, visible, beautiful and energizing. It's what gives me hope. It's heartening to hear from so many parents, teachers, librarians, filmmakers that for them, too, smart, creative films can make a difference in their future, and that together, we can give them that opportunity.
JB: Lovely. Facets is a wonderful resource and a national treasure, Milos. I hope you make your goal. Thanks so much. It's been a pleasure talking with you.
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