The RI Film & TV Office, in conjunction with the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts Education Program, and the Rhode Island Arts Learning Network, announces its first Give Me Five youth film showcase, to be held at Bishop Hendricken High School, Saturday, May 9, 2009 at 1:30 PM. Young filmmakers from school and community media education programs will show their work, followed by a feedback session from film professionals about each piece. Steven Feinberg, Executive Director of the RI Film & TV Office, will be the master of ceremonies for the event. Give Me Five is free and open to the public, but seating is limited on a first-come first served basis.
Each participating school or community media program has entered up to three pieces in the showcase, and at least one piece from each participating organization will be shown. The following have entered the showcase: Beacon Charter School, Woonsocket; Bishop Hendricken School, Warwick; New Urban Arts, Providence; Westerly High School; Coventry High School; LaSalle Academy, Providence; Cranston High School West and Portsmouth High School. The purpose of Give Me Five is to network media education programs statewide and build the community of young filmmakers in Rhode Island. Rather than a competition, the focus of the showcase is on media education. The three guest critics who will give feedback on each film are: Gentry Akens, a professional Creative Producer and Production Designer in Television, Film and Live Entertainment; Steven Feinberg, Executive Director of the RI Film & TV Office, and Dana Neugent, a professor of film at the University of Rhode Island.
“The future of the rapidly expanding film, television and new media industry in our Ocean State is related to growing young filmmakers in our education system,” says Steven Feinberg of the RI Film & TV Office. “When I was a child, I was fortunate that my father was a 6th grade teacher because he had the insight to see my early interest in movie making. He and my Mom nurtured my passion and encouraged me to learn as much as I could. With each experience, I fell more in love with film, and it became my life’s work and passion. Working in film and technology is a natural for most kids today, and we have a responsibility to educate them about the art of filmmaking and how they can achieve quality work in this innovative industry.”
“Young people today are inundated with images about them but not by them,” says Sherilyn Brown, Education Director of the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. “Media education is an important part of putting young filmmakers at the center, letting them tell us in images and sound what they think and feel about the world around them.”
Each participant is a member of the Rhode Island Arts Learning Network’s Media Education team. For more information about Give Me Five, or the Rhode Island Arts Learning Network and its Media Education group, call 401-222-6994.
