Heart of the Sea: Kapolioka'ehukai

Hawaiian surf legend, Rell "Kapolioka'ehukai" Sunn carved the way for women in a sport once dominated by men. Her fearlessness, heart and humor inspired many young surfers to follow her lead. By the time she lost her 15-year battle with breast cancer, Rell's legacy had grown far beyond athletic feats. Heart of the Sea tells her greater than life story.

NOTE: Each film was followed by a public forum for discussion and a block party, sponsored by several Española Way restaurants and merchants.

A film by Lisa Denker & Charlotte Lagarde

2002, 57 minutes

Filmmaker Lisa Denker was present.
Community partners: The Wellness Community and Women Make Movies.

The Miami Beach Cinematheque housed an interactive installation of the complete Media That Matters Film Festival.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON 1 PM

A presentation of The Sonic Memorial Project. An interactive archive of sound where you can contribute your thoughts about September 11th.

Directed by Tiffany Shlain (14 minutes)

Therese Williams from community partner: Planned Parenthood was present.

Eight short films that include dramatizations, documentaries, and parodies tackling topics such as: the environment, criminal justice, racial profiling and cultural expectations, AIDS prevention, kids exploring cultural differences and the impact of September 11th, among others.

Kibra Yohannes, Program Director of MediaRights.org was present.

PROGRAM LENGTH: 38:30 minutes

Vision Test

Who would you feel most comfortable with as CEO of a Fortune 500 company? What begins as a routine eye exam turns into an examination of people's subconscious attitudes towards race, gender and power.

Wes Kim, Director. Satirical Short, 6 min.

Winner of the Jury Award Sponsored by SONY

Fed up with police brutality, the organization "Copwatch" decided to keep an eye on big brother. This short film shows how peaceful observation of police behavior can change the way a neighborhood and a police force deal with one another.

Guerrilla News Network, Producer. Documentary Short, 8 min.

Winner of the Media Activism Award

Through a hunger strike and a fierce grassroots campaign, Diane Wilson forced Formosa Plastics and other polluters on the Bay of San Antonio to clean up their act.

Ilana Trachtman, Director / Carole Hart and Marlo Thomas, Executive Producers / Roberta Morris, Coordinating Producer
Documentary Short, 8 min.

Winner of the Woody Harrelson Environmental Award

In this touching video letter exchange, kids from the United Arab Emirates "holla back" to a class of sixth-graders in Washington Heights, New York and show that a stereotype is no match for a smile.

Global Action Project, Producer. Video Dialogue, 8 min.

Winner of the Youth Media Award Sponsored by Sundance Channel

This multimedia animation asks what would happen if the billions of dollars of yearly military spending were directed towards education and world hunger.

Allysson Lucca, Producer, Flash Animation 1 min

Winner of the New Media Award Sponsored by Paola Freccero

When Rodney Hulin set fire to a trashcan, he never imagined he would end up in juvenile prison, serially raped and brutally beaten.

Winner of the Criminal Justice Award Sponsored by Open Society Institute

What happens when a woman tries to turn herself into a bird? Not much. This short video shows how all the feathers in the world can't rebuild an extinct species.

Winner of the Wildlife Preservation Award

SATURDAY AFTERNOON 1 PM

TREE SIT: The Art of Resistance
Directed by: James Ficklin
120 min
A powerful, poignant look inside the Earth First! movement in Humboldt County. Here is the inside story that sets the context for this modern day myth. From the struggle to "Save Headwaters Forest; the assassination attempt of Judi Bari; the pepper spray torture of young activists; to the establishment of permanent "tree-villages" hundreds of feet up; and culminating in the WTO protests on the tear-gassed filled streets of Seattle, this film is historical, exhilarating, informative, and intense!

The soundtrack combines cutting edge "Drum & Bass" electronica, with tribal, pagan folk music. Balance is provided by Native Americans, Rural residents, Loggers, Scientists, Fisherman, and Government agents who all voice their opinions and concerns about the forest and interrelated issues such as Salmon decline, mudslides, flooding, herbicide spraying, labor issues and the globalization of corporate capitalism. Featuring Joan Baez, Bonnie Raitt, Woody Harrelson and Mickey Hart.

Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin

Five years in the making and the winner of numerous awards, Brother Outsider illuminates the life and work of Bayard Rustin, a visionary activist and strategist who was described by Time Magazine as the "unknown hero of the civil rights movement." A disciple of Gandhi and a mentor to Martin Luther King Jr., Rustin was the chief organizer of the historical 1963 March on Washington DC where martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I have a dream" speech. He also dared to live as an openly gay man during the fiercely homophobic 1940's, 1950's and 1960's. Brother Outsider reveals the price that Rustin paid for his openness and chronicles both the triumphs and setbacks of his remarkable and influential 60-year career. The result is a "powerful and startling," (The Advocate), "thoroughly honest," (Village Voice), "alive with ideas," (africana.com) and "a potent and persuasive piece of historical rediscovery." (Los Angeles Times).

Produced by Question Why Films

Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2003 (90 minutes)

Filmmaker Bennett Singer was present.

Spoken word artist Deborah Magdalena presented the film.

Community partners:
The Miami Beach Int'l Lesbian and Gay Film Festival,
The Miami Light Project
and The Gay and Lesbian Foundation of South Florida

Deborah Magdalena
Whether she's hosting a spoken word event, or playing a santera, a deputy, or a vixen, Deborah Magdalena brings authenticity and panache to the stage and screen.

The Puerto Rican actress, sister of Grammy winning Jazz Flutist Nestor Torres - who calls Miami home - has acquired film & television credits these past 10 years which include Sesame Street (CTW), Apollo Comedy Hour (Tribune Entertainment), The Newz (Columbia-Tristar), Safe Harbor (WB), Striptease (Castle Rock), Holyman (Caravan), and For Love or Country (HBO).

Now focusing on her spoken word performances, Deborah has bared her poetic soul by independently releasing her first Spoken CD - Spoken Soul: A Survival Kit of Poetry.