Teenage Filmmakers, Skilled Panelists, Engaging Discussion |

Thank you to DCTV Presents and LoMAL for a successful screening and panel discussion yesterday! Our panelists, Richard Aborn, Shaina Harrison, Maria Hinojosa and Clarivel Ruiz, tackled some very complex topics, and they were all deeply knowledgable about the issues. There were even a few disagreements, which is always the sign of a good conversation.

The collection of videos included Ivana Todorovic's beautiful film, "A Harlem Mother", several short videos from BeyondBullets.org, and a short video about the "Iron Pipeline", made by first-time teenage filmmakers through our Summer Media Intensive. The videos worked together to create a thorough examination of gun violence, its causes, effects and solutions. We hope people left the screening feeling optimistic that there are so many good people trying to prevent gun violence in their communities, and ready to pitch in and help out themselves.

Some interesting ideas came out of the discussion, as well. Perhaps we should start training and employing local youth in areas with high rates of gun violence to become the leading sources for information on this issue. When a reporter comes to cover a shooting, instead of picking the easiest person on the block to talk to, maybe they could go to an informed teenager instead?

We were so pleased to see our partners at United Playaz in the audience, as well as New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, American Friends Service Committee and Street Corner Resources. It's so good to know that the gun violence prevention community is so tight.

Thanks to everyone who came out, and to our panelists for keeping the conversation alive! And special thanks to Jean Corbett-Parker and Ivana Todorovic for allowing us to screen "A Harlem Mother." The event would not have been the same without that film.