Tech Equity Week & Code Oakland

We are SO excited to be a part of Tech Equity Week, which was founded by Qeyno Labs in partnership with the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. Qeyno Labs was founded by Kalimah Priforce, who was the inspiration behind, and is the star of, our short film Code Oakland (watch the trailer here!).

Qeyno is organizing and delivering high-impact hackathons for young people across the United States while helping to put Oakland on the map as the place where technology, transformation and social justice meet.  Yeah, it's cool.

This Friday, we are screening Code Oakland at the Kapor Center (a great philanthropic supporter of tech equity) thanks to local teacher and CodEDAcademy founder Kennan Scott.  You may ask, how did a teacher find time to organize this event? WE DO NOT KNOW. But we greatly appreciate being a part of it! And guess what else....

There will be robot technology. There will be dinner. And two of the youth tech/film stars of Code Oakland (Isaiah Martin and Sasha Williams, who are AMAZING) will join the panel discussion after the screening along with Kennan and film director Kelly Amis.

Register for this free event HERE and let us know if you attend!

Where to Get TEACHED

There are now quite a few ways to watch or screen the TEACHED short films, so we thought we'd make a quick list to make sure you are maximizing the options, most of which are very low-cost if not free (we want everyone to be able to access these films). Also be sure to sign up for our mailing list (on the home page) to get news about new films and screening dates.

THE WHERE-TO-GET-TEACHED CHEAT SHEET (try to say that ten times real fast!)

Online Streaming:

• KANOPY. Over 3,000 universities, colleges and libraries subscribe to this awesome service, which makes viewing FREE for their students, professors and members. 
• VIMEO-ON-DEMAND. We love Vimeo for its high-quality content and presentation. You can rent or buy the TEACHED films here to stream any time without ads. 

Purchase:

• TEACHED VOL. I (The Path to Prison, The Blame Game and Unchartered Territory) and the short film Code Oakland are available on DVD. Go here.

Host a Screening:

• ll five of the current TEACHED short films are available for screening at events, your workplace, faith-based institutions, etc. Go here to get started.

Attend a Screening:

• Keep an eye out for our presence at film festivals (around the world!) and at conferences and special events on our find a screening page.

TEACHED Update Dec. 14, 2016

The Effect of the Uptown Film Festival

     By TEACHED intern Zachary Dorcinville

Justice, self-healing, and cultural expression were some of the main themes along with many others presented at the inaugural Uptown Short Film Festival last month in Harlem, NYC. I walked into the theater with my expectations through the roof, however they were still shattered by the impactful vibe of all of the films.

One of the short documentary films centered around a woman who was sexually molested as a child and terrified of being involved in a relationship ever since. In search of a solution for her chronic depression and anxiety, Anita Kopacz turned to alternative therapeutic interventions and self expression, conquering fear and opening herself up to healing. This film sent a strong message to others who have been in a similar circumstance.

The film that left the biggest mark on me however was "Think of Calvin", a short film by Loudspeaker Films' Kelly Amis about the harsh reality of racial profiling for African Americans (you can watch the trailer here). As the film progressed, I was easily able to identify with the crowd which was mesmerized by the provocative and surprising story. As facts were presented at the end of the film, there was a chilling effect felt throughout the crowd, me included. Film director Kelly Amis received a well deserved second place trophy at the end of the festival, and as an intern I was honored to walk up and congratulate her in a big moment.

From left, Michelle Thomas, Angelica Flowers, Kelly Amis and Zachary Dorcinville.

TEACHED Update: April 19, 2016

April 19, 2016

On the Loudspeaker: David Johns

Growing up in Inglewood, CA, David Johns had to travel hours by bus each day to access public schools that would expect and provide the means for him to excel academically. 

Now, as President Barack Obama's pick to lead the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans, David's mission is to help ensure that all students have access to high-quality schools, whatever their zip code or genetic code. 

We got to follow Mr. Johns to several inspiring events in Washington, DC for this latest addition to our On the Loudspeaker interview series. Don't miss a word in the video here.

WATCH NOW

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#CodeOakland @ASU-GSV

We're sharing some "Oaklandish" thinking at theASU-GSV Summit in San Diego this week, where Loudspeaker Films' Founder Kelly Amis will do a Q&A after a screening of our award-winning short film Code Oakland (at 3:00 pm on Wednesday). 

This huge annual event brings together a multitude of innovators, entrepreneurs, educators and othersto discuss, debate and shape the future of education and technology. Check out the impressive list of speakers, which includes Bill Gates, Common, Sal Khan and one of Code Oakland's stars, Kimberly Bryant.

Code Oakland addresses lack of diversity within the tech sector and shows how Bay Area social entrepreneurs are working to change that by preparing students of color to not just join but become leaders of the tech industry. Watch the trailer here. 

Tickets for this conference are sold-out, but consider organizing your own screening of Code Oakland and tackling tech equity in your community. 

   HOST A SCREENING

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Oakland International Film Festival

The Loudspeaker team was honored to celebrate the West Coast Premiere of the newest TEACHEDshort film Think of Calvin in our home base of Oakland, CA at the 14th Oakland International Film Festival.

Think of Calvin was filmed in Washington, DC but much of its post-production talent is from Oakland: Editor ShakaJamal, Outreach Coordinator Fatima Nasiyr, and Composer Kev Choice all helped finish this provocative film about one family's encounter with racial profiling and its aftermath.

A whirlwind week of entertainment and activities accompanied the festival, with a highlight being a discussion of Oakland's nationally recognized work around African American Male Achievement,with OUSD's Chris Chatmon and Code Oaklandteen film star Isaiah Martin joining filmmakers on stage.

Watch the Think of Calvin trailer here. And click below to see photos from this amazing week. 

VIEW PHOTOS

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Uptown Film Festival

Next up: Think of Calvin will be featured at Uptown Magazine's first annual Uptown Short Film Festival. This film festival, set in the heart of Harlem, NY will showcase work from a diverse group of up-and-coming filmmakers from around the world.

If you are in New York, please join us May 13-15 for the East Coast premiere of Think of Calvinand a chance to meet Director Kelly Amis. As you may know, Think of Calvin was previewed last fall at the Atlantic's Race & Justice Summit; you can watch the extended clip and the panel discussion on C-Span here.

LEARN MORE

Want to host a screening? Contact Outreach Coordinator Fatima Nasiyr at fnasiyr@loudspeakerfilms.com.

Race & Justice in America: An Atlantic Summit

On Nov. 12th, 2015, we will show preview clips from our upcoming short film "Think of Calvin" at a tremendous Race & Justice Summit in Washington, DC being organized by the Atlantic magazine's Atlantic Live program and featuring Atlantic correspondent and author Ta-Nehisi Coates.  TEACHED Producer/Director Kelly Amis will speak at the event. To register, go here.