Hello Empact Community đź‘‹
Behold—Empact’s second newsletter! We’re back with a lot of new and exciting updates. Let’s dive into highlights from recent campaigns, our official partnerships with film festivals, and ways for you to get involved (referral bonuses).
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❤️‍🔥 Featured Campaign—36 Seconds: Portrait of a Hate Crime🎊 Film Festivals—Partnerships & RecapOfficial Partnership: Climate Film Festival (CFF) | Sep 20-22, 2024 (NYC)Official Awards Sponsor: Conero Film Festival | Sep 6-8, 2024 (Italy)🥟 AAIFF RecapOther upcoming festivals:💌 Special Referral OfferGet Involved: Connect us with your favorite festivals, nonprofits, or impact producers!
❤️‍🔥 Featured Campaign—36 Seconds: Portrait of a Hate Crime
The current state of film distribution is stacked against independent filmmakers. Their work, which often tackles pressing and underrepresented issues, struggles to reach the audience it deserves due to capitalist gatekeepers. I mean, check out this reddit thread.
In today's world, it’s easy to fall into the habit of watching whatever pops up on Netflix or other major streaming platforms. But here’s the deal—36 Seconds: Portrait of a Hate Crime is one of those eye-opening indie gems that isn’t going to pop up in your “recommended for you” list.
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What it’s about: For 36 SECONDS, director Tarek Albaba documents the aftermath of a tragedy where three young Muslim American students at UNC were killed in their own home. While the media horrifically paints this as a simple “parking dispute,” this documentary uncovers the truth as the family fights for justice, forfeiting their time to grieve to turn from heartbreak into activism. (See interview with Anderson Cooper)
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Why this matters: Hate crimes are an issue that have been widely dismissed when inflicted upon the BIPOC community, causing them to endure much more violence before receiving proper recognition and help. This unfair occurrence is the result of implicit bias and stigma embedded in the global psyche due to the actions of a few extremists.
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🤝 So we need your help: Invite your friends to our virtual screening TONIGHT, Wed 8/28 at 8pm EDT / 5pm PDT followed by a rare Q&A with the victim’s friends. Help 36 SECONDS rise above the noise. This is your chance to make sure the important stuff gets seen, shared, and talked about.
“Free to watch a special virtual screening of an important movie with me tonight? https://kinema.com/events/36-seconds-portrait-of-a-hate-crime-5rrvik”
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36 SECONDS (Watch on Kinema) has received widespread recognition and accolades including: the DOC NYC Film Festival's Subject Matter Award; the CAAMfest Documentary Audience Award; the Swedish Academy Award for Best Documentary; while receiving honors as an official selection at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival; and awards at the Dubai International Cine Carnival, Arab Film Festival, and Worldfest - Houston International Film Festival.
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Even if you can’t watch, please consider supporting their campaign.
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🎊 Film Festivals—Partnerships & Recap
On a lighter note, tis the season of film festivals 🪅 We’ve got our eyes on over five different film festivals in the month of September alone! To start things off, let’s tip our hats and partner with our top two sustainable underdogs 🌳: CFF NYC and Conero Film Festival.
Official Partnership: Climate Film Festival (CFF) | Sep 20-22, 2024 (NYC)
CFF is dedicated to showcasing films that address climate change and inspire global action. If you’re passionate about environmental issues, this is the perfect festival for you to explore powerful and transformative stories regarding the climate. More to come about this partnership soon!
Official Awards Sponsor: Conero Film Festival | Sep 6-8, 2024 (Italy)
We are also thrilled to highlight our partnership with the Conero Film Festival! This festival celebrates the art of storytelling, bringing together filmmakers and advertisers who push the boundaries of cinema while raising awareness over sustainability practices in the industry. Guests have the opportunity to engage in thoughtful conversations and networking opportunities in a relaxed environment, in Conero Natural Park, Italy.
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🥟 AAIFF Recap
Looking back on Empact’s campaigns, we are proud to look back on our collaboration with the Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) in August, where we led impactful campaigns for two standout films:
- Decoupling: A film that is dedicated to the exploration of issues stemming from the dissonance between Chinese and Chinese-Americans such as identity, nationalism, and geopolitics.
- Inay: A narrative that delves into how the flawed Canadian immigration system has kept many Filipino mothers from their children.
With almost 100 campaign visitors and 20+ interested supporters, these films have made and continue to make a significant impact. We are honored to have been part of their journey.
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Other upcoming festivals:
81st Venice Film Festival | Aug 28 – Sep 7, 2024 | Venice, Italy
The Venice Film Festival is the world's oldest film festival, established in 1932, and is known for its glamorous red carpet events and prestigious Golden Lion award.
49th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) | Sep 5 – Sep 15, 2024 | Toronto, Canada
Founded in 1976, TIFF is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 300,000 attendees annually. TIFF presents several awards, including the People’s Choice Award, which often predicts future Oscar winners. The festival generates an estimated economic impact of $200 million CAD, supporting the local economy and the Canadian film industry.
CIFF25 | Sep 19-20, 2024 | Calgary, Canada
The first Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) was held in 2000 for six days and was attended by 8,000 people. Now, attendance has nearly quadrupled to ~30,000 for the expanded 11-day festival. CIFF is recognized for its commitment to promoting independent films and providing a platform for both emerging and established filmmakers, featuring a diverse lineup of narrative and documentary films.
62nd NYFF | Sep 27 – Oct 14, 2024 | NYC
New York Film Festival (NYFF) has been an enduring part of New York’s rich cultural and historical landscape since 1963. A prestigious non-competitive festival known for showcasing essential cinematic offerings from around the globe.
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đź’Ś Special Referral Offer
Empact wants your help to spread our message! If you know someone who could benefit from our work, refer them to us. We prepared something special for y’all, so when you refer a friend or colleague to book a demo with us, let us know and you’ll both receive a little something extra! It’s easy—just have them use this link and mention your name: Book a Demo
Get Involved: Connect us with your favorite festivals, nonprofits, or impact producers!
We want to hear from you! Are there film festivals or organizations that we should know about or connect with? Let us know by responding to this email—we’re always looking to grow our network and amplify meaningful stories. Join us on Discord!
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Thank you for being part of the Empact community. Your involvement helps us continue to share stories that matter, to truly make an impact. Stay tuned for more updates and opportunities!
Best,
The Empact Team
(written with the help of our wonderful interns Jake Gordon & Pranav Sridhar 🫰🏻)
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