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Home My WebLink AboutIR 028 (3) INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 23-028 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council February 7, 2023 Page 1 of 4 i i7 Y SUBJECT: FORT WORTH HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION'S rrn MOVIES THAT MATTER PROGRAM The purpose of this informal report is to provide Mayor and Council a historical background of Movies That Matter program in Fort Worth, share the process for documentary film selection, and present the 2023 slate of films. Fort Worth Movies That Matter ("MTM)" is a free, bi-monthly documentary film series (February, April, June, August, October and December) highlighting cultural awareness and issues impacting human and civil and human rights. Each event features a film screening followed by a moderated discussion with local subject matter experts in academia and from community organizations engaged in work related to the issues addressed in the documentary film. The documentary films undergo robust "fact-checking" and research on any updated and current statistical information discussed in the documentary film. Additional screening events with community partners are sometimes held throughout the year by special arrangement. MTM is a program of the Fort Worth Human Relations Commission ("HRC") and is managed by the Diversity & Inclusion Department. Background The program began as a one-time event in 2010 to commemorate International Human Rights Day celebrated worldwide on December 10. In January 2011 the HRC voted to establish MTM as a quarterly series with a "Special Event" in December to commemorate Human Rights Day. Just three years later, the National League of Cities presented MTM with the City Cultural Diversity Award which recognizes programs that encourage citizen involvement and shows an appreciation of cultural diversity. In 2016, the HRC expanded the film series to a bi-monthly schedule, and a year later MTM Latino was launched, as a quarterly pilot, in partnership with Artes de la Rosa. The pilot ran for two years before ending due to budget cuts, but was re-launched in 2022. Since MTM's inception, more than 7,000 people have attended a MTM film screening, with an average audience attendance of 75. Selection Process The films for each MTM screening are reviewed, and approved, by the HRC. The process typically begins with Diversity and Inclusion staff identifying a slate of films to be presented to a HRC ad hoc committee for consideration. The HRC ad hoc committee then views each documentary in its entirety to ensure it meets the program's mission and guidelines before presenting the proposed slate to the full HRC for approval. Since the program began, more than 500 films have been identified for consideration. For the 2023 program, due to multiple vacancies on the HRC that delayed the appointment of an ad hoc committee until December 2022, the films were selected by staff, approved by the Diversity & Inclusion Director, and are being presented to City Council in the form of this Informational Report. The established process, with the addition of an IR to City Council, will resume for the 2024 program. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 23-028 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council February 7, 2023 Page 2 of 4 i i7 Y SUBJECT: FORT WORTH HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION'S rrn MOVIES THAT MATTER PROGRAM 2023 MTM Program The slate of films for MTM 2023 are as follows: Thursday, Feb. 9: The Antidote, 2020, NR (language), 102 minutes Trailer: https://rocofilms.com/films/the-antidote/ Directors: Kahane Cooperman & John Hoffman Executive Producer(s): Kahane Cooperman & John Hoffman Summary: Made in response to the times we are living in, THE ANTIDOTE is a feature documentary that weaves together stories of kindness, decency, and the power of community in America. It's about everyday people who make the intentional choice to lift others up, despite the fundamentally unkind ways of our society, which are at once facts of life in America and yet deeply antithetical to our founding ideals. Directed by Academy Award-nominee, Kahane Cooperman, and six-time Emmy winner, John Hoffman, THE ANTIDOTE aims to drive a national conversation about the roles that kindness, decency, compassion and respect play in a civilized, democratic society. While it's easy to court despair in the face of monumental, structural problems, THE ANTIDOTE tells stories of compassionate people intentionally leveraging the resources within themselves and their communities to give others a chance at a better life. THE ANTIDOTE isn't about an idea or a policy; it is about how we treat each other. It is about who we are. Thursday, April 13: Wasted! The Story of Food Waste, 2017, NR (language), 90 minutes Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcVNFJn7Ngl Director(s): Anna Chai and Nari Kye Executive Producer(s): Anthony Bourdain, Christopher Collins, Joe Caterini, Nari Kye, Lydia Tenaglia Summary: Every year 80% of the world's water, 40% of the world's land, and 10% of the world's energy is dedicated to growing the food we eat, yet in the same year 1 .3 billion tons of food is thrown out. That's a third of all food grown around the world being wasted before it even reaches a plate. WASTED! The Story of Food Waste sheds a light on the pressing issue of food waste. Executive Produced by author and chef Anthony Bourdain, the film doesn't simply focus on the problem, but offers solutions like reorienting consumer perspectives on the food that is normally cast aside, and what changes we can make to our food production chain to create a more sustainable food system. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 23-028 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council February 7, 2023 Page 3 of 4 i i7 Y SUBJECT: FORT WORTH HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION'S rrn MOVIES THAT MATTER PROGRAM Thursday, June 8: Ernie and Joe: Crisis Cops, 2019, TV-MA, 96 minutes Trailer: ittps://rocofilms.com/films/ernie-and-moe-crisis-cops/ Director(s): Jenifer McShane Executive Producer(s): Jenifer McShane Summary: Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops is an intimate portrait of two Texas police officers who are helping change the way police respond to mental health calls. The film takes audiences on a personal journey, weaving together their experiences during their daily encounters with people in crisis. Guns tucked away, Ernie and Joe de-escalate confrontations, divert people to desperately needed mental health services, and save lives. Thursday, Aug.: 10 Paper Tigers, 2015, PG-13 (strong language, offensive slurs and violence), 102 minutes Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pum2J4Kallk Director(s): James Redford Executive Producer(s): Karen Pritzker Summary: 'Paper Tigers' chronicles a year in the life of Lincoln High School in the community of Walla Walla, Washington. The kids who come to Lincoln have a history of truancy, behavioral problems and substance abuse. After Lincoln's principal is exposed to research about the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), he decides to radically change the school's approach to discipline. With the aid of diary camera footage, the film follows six students. From getting into fights, grappling with traumatic events in their lives, and on the cusp of dropping out, they find healing, support and academic promise at Lincoln High. Thursday, Oct. 12: Mission: Joy — Finding Happiness in Troubled Times, 2021, NR, 90 minutes Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woPE01 i6H8 Director(s): Louie Psihoyos & Peggy Callahan Executive Producer(s): Mark Monroe & Peggy Callahan Summary: Deeply moving and laugh-out-loud funny, Mission: JOY is a documentary with unprecedented access to the unlikely friendship of two international icons who transcend religion: His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu. In their final joint mission, these self-described mischievous brothers give a master class in how to create joy in a world that was never easy for them. They offer neuroscience-backed wisdom to help each of us live with more joy, despite circumstances. Inspired by New York Times bestseller The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, the film showcases the exchange between these two Nobel Peace Prize winners that led to that book. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 23-028 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council February 7, 2023 Page 4 of 4 i i7 Y SUBJECT: FORT WORTH HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION'S rrn MOVIES THAT MATTER PROGRAM Thursday, Dec. 14: One Day on Earth, 2012, NR, 104 minutes Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihJb6PkwZls Director(s): Kyle Ruddick Executive Producer(s): Tony Goldman & Jessica Goldman Summary: One Day on Earth is the first film made in every country of the world on the same day. We see both the challenges and hopes of humanity from a diverse group of volunteer filmmakers assembled by a participatory media experiment. The world is greatly interconnected, enormous, perilous, and wonderful. A documentary that captures the same 24-hour period throughout every country in the world. Any questions regarding this informal report should be directed to Christina Brooks, Chief Equity Officer and Director of Department of Diversity and Inclusion 817-392-8988. David Cooke City Manager ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS