Population loss and industrial collapse scar cities around the globe. People in post-industrial, blighted neighborhoods are taking action to make their communities a better place to live. While transitioning their cities from polluted wastelands to environmentally sustainable communities, these urban heroes tell an international story we all share.

Director Carrie LeZotte and John Gallagher will lead a discussion following the screening of the 30-minute work-in-progress.

Featuring Detroit, where urban agriculture is a star.  Small community gardens help reclaim blighted neighborhoods that displace drug dealers and prostitutes.  Larger garden projects provide locally grown food to people who don’t have access to many healthy choices in their neighborhoods, while also uniting people across various ethnic groups.

Reit Schumack, moved into one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Detroit, one with the highest murder rates, and put a community garden next to a drug house – it was just the beginning of her work.  She rides through her neighborhood of small bungalow homes on the tractor she uses to maintain abandoned lots, “these people have been behind locked doors for the last twenty, thirty years, and are now coming out.”

Malik Yakini of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network and Patrick Crouch of Earthwork Farms literally get their hands dirty with their work in agriculture, and provide a historical and activist perspective to the work.  Attending community meetings with Malik and visiting the last black-owned supermarket in Detroit are on the list of additional footage required for production.  Gary Wozniak stands at the site of a future tilapia farm and envisions a new place of employment for residents of Detroit, who like himself, are recovering addicts.

Community arts installations have also had a big impact, like the 25 year-old, internationally renowned Heidelberg Project that millennial Jessica Williams is engaging the next generation in, mentored by executive director Jenenne Whitfield.

The event is free to the public, but seating is limited and attendees must rsvp to:
rsvp@oneofusfilms.org

The documentary project is made possible in part by our hosts for the event,
Quicken Loans and the following;

The Michigan Humanities Council
DTE Energy Foundation
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation
The Kresge Foundation
Michigan Department of Housing Development

Additional funding is being sought for the production of the film. See for more details on the project’s focus and status: http://media.gfem.org/node/12680

About our host location:
http://bedrockmgt.com/madison.html

Also, if you can’t make the screening and would LOVE to get your hands on a copy of the film, please take a look at the project we have running at Indiegogo. If you contribute at the $10 level, we will also send you a DVD copy of Hunting Blind.

In Development
The Reimagining Detroit doc project keeps plugging along, with another grant just awarded from Quicken Loans – thanks, Quicken! If you think someone you may know would be interested in getting involved as a sponsor please send them along to this page where they can download our partners kit.

DPTV
As some of you may know, Carrie LeZotte has started moonlighting at Detroit Public Television. Her title there is Executive Producer, Content and Community Engagement, and she’s been charged with managing the content and relationships around education. Those projects currently include Great Teachers, American Graduate and Early Childhood.

Lora Probert has already been called in to support one of these projects and One of Us Films will tap into our network as needed. It’s a terrific place for the “content with a conscious” philosophy that One of Us Films includes in its mission. LeZotte also supported the coverage of the Mackinac Policy Conference, which was broadcast for the first time. All of the content, as public media, was shared for free with other organizations across the state. You can see over 30 hours of on-demand content, here.

Interns
We’re always looking for good interns, especially those with an interest in marketing and design. See our employment opportunities for more details.

When John tries to talk to his brother Bill about a tragic accident in the past, his refusal of help leads him down a path of self-destruction. When the brothers encounter a trespasser on their land, Bill finds what he has been looking for all along. Shot on location in Michigan.

Hunting Blind to screen with Certain Essential Elements, After you Left, Slow Curve, CaroLOLiver, Bullies on Vacation, and Vampires. Tickets only $5. Detroit Windsor International Film Festival

Hunting Blind has been submitted and rejected from several festivals.   Most don’t provide feedback, but thanks to the Cleveland Film Festival, who did!  Of the three judges, the last one didn’t “get it” and probably kept us from getting accepted.

Congratulations to all involved in creating the work.  The process was well worth it.  Here’s what the judges said:

1. A classic mexican stand off! Right out of  The Good, The Bad, and The
Ugly. The characters are very well portrayed by very good acting and a
good short concept style script. The film’s tension-filled short conflict
captures the viewers interest and holds it until the final ending
“shot”-pun intended. Technically the film looks good and is edited to hold
all of the unpredictable results. My one negative comment is that the film
ends unresolved, although some viewers may love this. This was a very
enjoyable, exciting and gripping short drama, which will make a nice
addition to any festival.
2.The foreshadowing at the beginning, along with the soundtrack set the
mood very well.  I went back and forth between sympathizing with the main
character and fearing him. The altercation in the woods was confusing and
the end was shocking with where it cut off. I felt like it could have been
longer, or the main characters’ backstories could have been better
developed. The viewer gets a shallow background, but I don’t think it was
enough to make the viewer care what happened to him in the end.
3.This was a tough story to follow. I didn’t get that they were brothers,
and couldn’t really understand the backstory. Dialogue was weak, and the
music wasn’t given too much thought. Need to pay attention to detail, too:
they were too clean-shaven to be believable as ‘long weekend’ hunters.
Maybe providing more of a backstory would help develop the characters, and
this film.

Back in early March, One of Us Films was invited to a special showcase of student work at the College for Creative Studies, held by the Department of Entertainment Arts; Animation + Live Action + Game Art.  The students presented samples of their work in progress in addition to a one-hour compilation reel from the department.  WOW.

Over the years, we have hosted several interns at One of Us Films, many being from CCS, which is just a few miles from our downtown office.  I was so impressed by the work I saw, I immediately was trying to think of a way I could provide an internship to ALL of them!  Knowing that we have the documentary Reimagining Detroit in development, I came up with the idea to have interns riff on the themes of the book.

While our current intern has developed the book jacket into t-shirts, hoodies and tote bags - Reimagining Detroit can go in so many directions, and how fun would it be to showcase the work of young designers and engage the community early in the process of developing the film?  So that’s what we’re doing, which has been a fun creative break for me from writing grants and knocking on doors for financing.

We held our first meeting and will be really getting to work once the school year wraps up.  To follow the work and support the project visit our indiegogo page.

WDHS "kids" with teacher Russ Gibb

One of Us Films hosted a baking day for clients, colleagues, kids and friends.  The goodies were then shared at a WDHS holiday reunion.  WDHS is the television studio at Dearborn High School, that produced alum who currently work in television, film and media.

showing off a Night Before Christmas Mouse

As part of the Mitten Movie Project, a monthly film festival dedicated to screening independent films. Began in 2005, it has evolved into a great venue, outlet, and incubator for independent filmmaking. It regularly attracts 100-150 moviegoers each month.

The Mitten Movie Project screens independent shorts, trailers, student films, documentaries, music videos, experimental shorts, and animations. While the majority of the shorts accepted are from Michigan, the MMP is not limited to Michigan-made shorts as it has screened work from other states and countries. The only requirement is that the short be independent – meaning, not studio backed or with studio distribution.

On screening nights, the night starts off with a pre-screening reception at 6:30 p.m. in the Main Art lobby where moviegoers can mingle with the directors, industry professionals, and film enthusiasts. After the screening, a Q&A session is conducted with the filmmakers in the theatre. An afterglow party is usually held at Mr. B’s, which is within walking distance of the theatre.

An Audience Choice Award winner is selected by moviegoers each month. This Audience Choice Award winner is given the opportunity to include his/her short in the Mitten Movie Show, a public access TV show broadcast in Oakland County to over 140,000 households.

DVD HELPS PARENTS AND EDUCATORS TALK TO KIDS ABOUT PERSONAL BODY SAFETY

One of Us Films announces the release of Daisy Tells a Secret, an animated story about personal safety and body ownership for children four to eight years old. The DVD includes interviews with psychology, safety and medical experts with the aim of helping adults navigate age appropriate conversations with children on the challenging subject of sexual abuse. The DVD was commissioned by HAVEN, which provides domestic violence and sexual assault treatment and prevention services in Southeastern Michigan.


“Daisy tells her story of being sexually assaulted,” reports HAVEN’s President and CEO Beth Morrison. “Within that story, she’s able to talk about sensitive issues while relating to kids in a comfortable and safe manner. In the video, Daisy learns the difference between a good secret and a bad secret, and she helps kids take ownership of their bodies by being aware what’s appropriate and inappropriate in terms of touching.”

With financial support from the Verizon Foundation, HAVEN commissioned One of Us Films to produce the Daisy Tells a Secret for prevention educational programming. HAVEN presently uses Daisy the Raven as their mascot in their successful prevention education programs throughout SE Michigan. This film takes the message to a national audience.

Two versions of the instructional DVDs have been produced–one for parents that retails for $19.95 each and one for use by schools, educators, healthcare providers, and daycare and prevention centers that is available for $49.95 to $195.95. The animation is available in English and Spanish, and a specially edited American Sign Language version. DVD excerpts and purchasing instructions are available at www.daisytellsasecret.com.

Materials on the DVDs include photos depicting good, bad and “mixed-up” touches, a discussion tip sheet and coloring pages. Supporting materials are also available on the website, www.daisytellsasecret.com

Director Lora Probert guided animation and DVD content by working closely with HAVEN’s Director of Prevention Education, Cristy Cardinal. “It’s a difficult subject and can be uncomfortable for adults,” says Probert. “Hopefully, Daisy makes it easier for kids and their parents to talk about it.”

Novi Police Detective Mark Boody appears in the DVD, advising parents of steps they can take to help protect their kids. “Let them know that it’s okay to talk,” he says, “that they can disclose if something has happened to them without the fear that they’ve done something wrong or that they’re in trouble.”

One of Us Films is a Detroit-based media production and distribution company. For more information contact Carrie LeZotte at clezotte@oneofusfilms.org and (313)300-8233.

HAVEN is a nationally recognized non-profit that has been giving hope a voice by working towards eliminating domestic violence and sexual assault for thirty five years. The non-profit offers treatment and prevention services as well as educational programs across Oakland County and the surrounding communities. For more information about programs and services visit www.haven-oakland.org, or phone (248) 334-1284.  For more information about HAVEN, please contact Melissa Bunker at marketwrite@comcast.net and (313) 886-9074.