Media That Matters
In the late 1990s, Arts Engine was among the first organization to realize that social justice issues could be brought online to connect people, provide a voice for the voiceless, and distribute independent media. The concept of “media” was being turned on its head. The landscape had changed. In Katy’s online column, Upstream, she describes it this way: “While the dotcom boom of the nineties had come and gone, in its place had emerged a shared feeling, especially in the nonprofit and public media sectors, that the web had the power to connect people …”
It was in this atmosphere that she and Julia developed the Media That Matters Film Festival, one of the very first media festivals to stream video online in 2001, as well as Mediarights.org, a nationwide database of films. The online film festival had broad criteria for the kinds of films they wanted to show: issues that filmmakers cared deeply about—anything from anorexia to poverty.
But what made Media That Matters particularly innovative was its “take action links.” After viewing a short film clip (then clips were tailored to dial-up), viewers clicked on a link to learn more about the issue. It got people thinking about social justice issues in new ways. “Right when you’re filled with indignation you can then go to a petition or volunteer in your community,” says Katy. The festival wanted viewers to really “look at how media can make you feel differently and want to take action differently.”
Today, it’s an idea that we all take for granted. But Arts Engine was the first to do it.
Photo of Arts Engine Founders, Katy Chevigny and Julia Pimsleur
