The Mill Hollow Works Media Initiative provides opportunities to view, discuss and explore films and to actively engage in filmmaking. Utilizing the power of Media and Film to empower individuals, unite our community and educate kids, this initiative works to spark innovative, cinematic expression, share local history through documentation and promote media literacy.
Providing specialized training, filmmaking workshops, media events and studio space, we work to bring stories to screen. By educating through Film and Filmmaking, we help individuals develop media literacy skills while providing community engagement opportunities with a variety of subjects such as history, music, art, science, literature, languages, and social studies.
EDUCATION THROUGH FILM AND FILMMAKING
The Mill Hollow Media Initiative’s film education goals include three elements: Critical Thinking (understanding and analyzing media), Cultural Engagement (widening learner’s experience in languages, customs, time periods, ideas and global issues) and Creative Involvement (learners make films). Currently we are pursuing these goals through three, key programs; “Long and Short of it:Stories of New England”, Young Filmmakers Series, and the Community Outreach Series.
“Long and short of it: Stories of New England”
New England has a rich tradition of oral storytelling – stories are handed down through generations depicting historical events, local people, geography, and local myths. Mill Hollow Works Media Initiative aims to collect, share and preserve these stories of rural New England in a comprehensive digital resource accessible to all. Working with media students to collect and document these stories, we hope this series becomes a generational bridge, engaging the younger generation with their local culture through filmmaking.
Young Filmmakers Series
This education through film / youth development program, harnesses the power of film as a tool for social and global awareness, encourages critical and creative thinking, and promotes self reflection. The Young Filmmakers Series (6 week course) enables students to build upon their own extensive experiences with film, TV and video to develop new insights and understanding. Teaching kids storytelling techniques, providing technical training along with professional mentorship and guidance, kids are given the opportunity to explore themes, stories, and topics relevant to their own lives through the objective lens, and are enabled to produce their own films. Additionally this learning through film program brings in age-appropriate films/documentaries to introduce the participants to world topics (will involve round table type discussions), promote cultural understanding and ease racial tensions.
Community Outreach Series
Mill Hollow Works Media Initiative provides free public film screenings, presented with topic-relevant instruction, across a wide variety of subjects and genres. Films are selected that provide an opportunity for discussion and engagement with subjects such as history, music, art, literature, science, languages, and social studies. By bringing in guest speakers to introduce the film, theme, time period or point of discussion, films are given a specific context to the community and become a portal for education.