Christina B. (writer/director) here, checking back in with a new post about our adventures in screening the film so far.
Back in May, between the blur of days after the premiere of "Jemila's Tale" at our class thesis screening on May 13th, 2011, the JT crew thought it would be great to really get as many people in Ithaca, NY to see the film. Could we find another place to screen it? Could we do it for low cost? And most of all, would people, other than our college peers want to see it (again)? Turns out it was a YES to all three!
First up was the first-ever "HerStory Screening" - May 18th, 2011
Within a matter of days really, 9 film teams (featuring females film students in primary crew positions) gathered to screen their thesis films publicly at the Women's Community Building in Ithaca, NY. It was rushed, stressful, and almost silent. Note: always make sure your screening venue has functioning speakers. The end result was an intimate venue where an array of films, including "Jemila's Tale" could reach new audiences and also provided a chance for filmmakers to provide insight about their productions in an impromptu Q&A.
Then came the GIAC screening for Cynthia B's youth group - May 20th, 2011.
48 hours from graduating from college, the JT team was thrilled to finally screen the film for the students at the GIAC community center. It was after all the place where I met Cynthia B., our talented actress. I was actually pretty nervous to screen to the kids. Would they like the film? What if the story only worked with adults and college-age peers? It turned out that the film was a hit! I looked around the room as the screen lit up with Cynthia playing in the fairytale world and every child's face was glued to the screen. Even when the credits rolled and the lights came up, a student who had been a background extra came up to the team at the end and said "That was really good. I'd never been in a movie before!" Best review ever.
Most recently, there was the "SisterFriends" screening - June 24th, 2011
I was invited to the screen the film for JT supporter Ithaca college Professor Elisabeth Nonas and her colleagues, a group of women community educators and administrators called "SisterFriends". This venue proved most insightful as I have been seeking other opportunities for the film to go out into the world, aside from film festivals. I was very grateful for the supportive comments and compelling dialogue that occurred immediately after the film played. Many of the women suggested bringing the film into their school syllabi and tolerance/cultural competency discussions with kids, teachers, and even librarians. By the end of the week, I'd made a copy of the film for each of the SisterFriends, sincerely excited about their requests to possibly implement the film as an additional resource in their education planning. My hope is that the JT team can find even more ways to use the film for doing some real good.
