Past projects 2
Outdoor Screening Student Films
Funded May 6, 2022We had a great screening at the end of the school year. It started out a little rough, getting everything set up outside, but we eventually got the show going. It was wonderful being together again. Now we will be able to have more outdoor screenings throughout the years.
We did not get to use the red carpets yet. There was not enough time to organize a red carpet walk, but we will work to start a tradition with them this year. In addition to adding flair to our screening, the lights now give just enough illumination to our classroom, and because they can be controlled wireless via the phone, they are perfect for quickly turning on the light in the room after a movie has finished.
Moving into this new building has been incredibly challenging, and this contribution is adding to the warmth and positive culture of the class. It is helping build community as we heal from the years fractured. Thank you.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mokry
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 6 other donors.Diversity in Movie Posters for Film Production Class
Funded May 5, 2021Thank you so much for funding the purchase of new posters from films that represent diverse people and their stories. We have had quite an ordeal trying to get settled into the classroom in our new location. It seems we are continuously taking two steps forward and one step back with setting up technology, bearing through AC problems, reconfiguring furniture in this smaller space, and general "I can't find something I need because lots of things are still packed." My classroom is supposed to be fun and draw students in as the cool film classroom, but until we got posters up on the walls, it did not feel like a welcoming place. We were fortunate enough to have some parents and students give their time on a Saturday to help teachers struggling to get set up. I am very grateful to everyone who came to help, including one student who spent hours decorating my room with posters, positioning them in just the right spot. Monday morning when my students came to class, they made lots of excited comments about all the posters. They are making the room begin to feel like it's ours.
I wanted the posters on the walls of our classroom to be more representative of the students that sit within it everyday. The posters connect to the changes I have made in the film curriculum as well. Instead of using the scenes from the classic white men film auteurs like Scoresese, Coppola, Hitchcock, Spielberg, etc) as many other film courses have used for decades, I am now teaching with Gerwig, Waititi, Jenkins, Coogler but still a little Spielberg too, honestly. The posters on my walls and the movies we screen now represent White filmmakers, women filmmakers, Black filmmakers, LGBTQ filmmakers, Mexican filmmakers, East Asian filmmakers, Indian filmmakers, Iranian filmmakers and we are growing.
We appreciate the dreamlike cinematography of symbolic reds, greens, and blues in Moonlight. We are turned around by the dutch camera angles that shake things up in Do the Right Thing. We cheer for Cher as she breaks the mold of what a female character can do and say in Clueless. We are in awe of the milestones reached by Bong Joon-ho with Parasite and the distinct sound design of doors, representing the difference between the haves and have-nots. We love Gal Gadot bringing her own identity to Wonder Woman. Thank you for contributing to our classroom and allowing all students to catch a glimpse of something that resonates with them inside our walls.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mokry
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 3 other donors.