10/11/12

Lectures & Films At SLU Address Safe Schools, Social Justice, 'Filmmaking For Change'

CANTON - Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Debra Chasnoff, whose work has fueled progressive social-change movements in a variety of fields, will be in residence at St. Lawrence University October 23 through 25, as a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow. She will visit classes and offer a public lecture series addressing safe schools, social justice advocacy and filmmaking for change. All of the lectures, part of the University's Contemporary Issues Forum, are open to the public, free of charge.

The lecture series schedule:

- "What it Takes to Create Safe and Welcoming Schools - My 20-Year Dream is Coming True," Tuesday, October 23, 7:30 p.m., Eben Holden. In addition to the lecture, the film Let's Get Real will be screened, along with excerpts from Straightlaced - How Gender's Got Us All Tied Up and It's Elementary - Talking About Gay Issues in School.

- "Forging a Path as a Social Justice Advocate," Wednesday, October 24, 8:30 p.m., Room 123 of the Griffiths Arts Center. The film It's STILL Elementary will be screened at this event, along with excerpts from Deadly Deception - General Electric, Nuclear Weapons and Our Environment and Homes and Hands - Community Land Trusts and Action.

- "Documentary Filmmaking for Change: Tricks of the Trade," Thursday, October 25, 4:30 p.m., Room 123 of the Griffiths Arts Center. At this event, the film One Wedding and a Revolution will be screened, along with excerpts from That's a Family! and A Foot in the Door.

Chasnoff is president and senior producer at GroundSpark, a national social justice media, advocacy and education organization, and co-creator of The Respect for All Project, a program that produces media and training resources to help prevent prejudice among young people. Information about her work and about all of the films may be found on her website.