April 3, Wed., 2013
I gave a presentation in the Journalism Dept., at Columbia College, Chicago to Journalism students by invitation of the Editor of “Chicago Talks” Journalist/Assoc. Professor Barbara Iversons’ “Ethics and Journalism” class. The students showed great interest in the questions and discussion. It was my first live presentation on the film.
I showed 2 short clips from the upcoming feature documentary I have been working on (nearing completion)
“Free Speech & the Transcendent Journey of Chris Drew, Street Artist” (80 min - Release, 2013)
The film has tremendous music given Courtesy of Hey Now Records, “Paper Airplane” by Behind the Sun – Andy Alton & David Mansfield.
You can check out the album at
www.heynowrecords.com
This presentation was soley for the students in the Journalism Dept, but when I get a public performance, you will surely be invited. Stay tuned.
Thanks very much for your support and interest.
Hope you will Keep updated with email and the links below. Thanks for all you do for peace and justice,
Be well
Nancy
Nancy Bechtol
APA freelance photojournalist
“Free Speech & the Transcendent Journey of Chris Drew, Street Artist”
Feature documentary (80 min) work in progress, release Spring 2013
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ncu2AjO5ok&feature=share&list=PLFE74E0B074178EA3

American Press Association
http://www.americanpressassociation.com/a_chris_drew_02.php

As seen on YouTube: madpalX channel
“LightRides, Artists, Visions and In the Moment”
“Chris Drew Legacy Interviews”
Access the playlist of 16 videos in this interview series:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ncu2AjO5ok&feature=share&list=PLFE74E0B074178EA3

“The Bechtol Tapes, crazy important”
– Mark Weinberg, Attorney for Chris Drew, Street Artist

(the Bechtol Tapes) “..our secret weapon, if every single argument failed …he (State’s Attorney) could not have avoided the fact that you were there (Nancy Bechtol) recording at the same time”
-Joshua B. Kutnick, Attorney for Chris Drew, Street Artist

The Illinois Eavesdropping Law, which Chris was charged - declared UNCONSTITUTIONAL March 2, 2012) by Judge Sachs.
Chris Drew. Artist/Activist RIP (1950-May 7, 2012)

The Cook County’s State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez, took the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals’ ban on eavesdropping to the Illinois Supreme Court, and LOST!
“Chris is indeed smiling from heaven today knowing that his hard work and sacrifice was not in vain. The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from the Cook County state's attorney to allow enforcement of a law prohibiting people from recording police officers on the job.”-Deborah Drew

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-supreme-court-rejects-plea-to-prohibit-taping-of-police-20121126,0,686331.story

Chicago Tribune November 26 2012, 11:41 AM CST
ACLU American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois Case - Final Judgment on Illinois Eavesdropping Dec 21, 2012: http://www.aclu-il.org/final-judgment-and-permanent-injunction-issued-in-eavesdropping-case/ ACLU of Illinois was supported by several national news organizations, including the Illinois Press Association, the American Society of Newspaper Editors and the Society of Professional Journalists

"American Courtesans" is an Official Selection of the MashRome Fest in Rome Italy, taking place from May 8-11th. For more information about this event go to: http://www.mashrome.org. (More information coming soon)

"American Courtesans" is an Official Selection of the Sacramento International Film Festival and will be screening in Sacramento, CA on Monday April 22, 2103 in Old Sacramento at the Delta King (1000 Front Street, Sacramento, CA). Playing there also will be the acclaimed short "Stalled". For more information about the screening go to: http://www.californiafilm.net/events/american-courtesans. I hope to see you there!

The 2013 Film Skillet Documentary Film Contest
Film Skillet is offering a $2000 cash prize for the documentary that receives the highest number of judges votes. In addition there is a cash prize of $1000 for the film that receives the highest number of member votes.
If you have a great documentary check out www.filmskillet.com/contests If you know some one with a great documentary pass on this message. We look forward to seeing your film.
Best Regards.
Jeremy

Arclight Productions’ Original Documentary premieres at
The Annenberg Space for Photography’s
WAR/PHOTOGRAPHY:
Images of Armed Conflict and Its Aftermath
March 23, 2013 – June 2, 2013

Documentary FIlm accompanies one of the Most Notable Exhibits on War-Themed Photography Ever Assembled

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 15, 2013)-- THE WAR PHOTOGRAPHERS, a documentary film commissioned by the Annenberg Space for Photography will debut with the exhibit, WAR/PHOTOGRAPHY: Images of Armed Conflict and Its Aftermath, set to open on March 23rd. Arclight Productions has been commissioned to produce the original documentary short that will be featured as part of this unprecedented exhibit. The exhibit will open free to the public in Los Angeles on March 23, 2013 and run through June 2, 2013. The film will be shown in vivid detail on two 14’ by 7’ screens in 4K resolution in the Digital Gallery, which is central to the architecture of the Photography Space and the exhibit experience. This exhibition is organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and is made possible with generous support from the Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation and the Annenberg Foundation.

WAR/PHOTOGRAPHY encompasses over 150 images going as far back as 1887 through present-day and is arranged by themes presenting both the military and civilian point of view including the advent of war, daily routines, the fight itself, the aftermath, medical care, prisoners of war, refugees, executions, memorials, remembrance and more.

Exclusive to the Los Angeles exhibit will be the Annenberg Space for Photography’s original short documentary, THE WAR PHOTOGRAPHERS, directed by Steven Kochones and featuring the stories and images of six acclaimed contemporary war photographers: Alexandra Avakian, Carolyn Cole, Ashley Gilbertson, Edouard H.R. Glück, David Hume Kennerly and João Silva.

The film offers intimate interviews and stunning imagery that reveal experiences of sacrifice and courage as well as the life-threatening situations faced by war photographers and their subjects. The stories include photographer João Silva revisiting sites in his native South Africa, recalling the violence that led up to that country’s first democratic elections in 1994. Ashley Gilbertson is filmed in Midland, Texas, on the final shoot of his emotional project documenting the bedrooms of young soldiers who never returned home from war. Other photographers share their experiences covering conflict in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan and the Middle East.

The film features the work of award-winning photographers and photojournalists:
ALEXANDRA AVAKIAN - Photojournalist Alexandra Avakian has been published in National Geographic, Time, LIFE, The New York Times Magazine and more. Her photographic and written memoir, Windows of the Soul: My Journeysin the Muslim World, was named as one of American Photo's year-end best.
CAROLYN COLE - Carolyn Cole is a multiple award-winning photographer and a staff photographer for the LosAngeles Times. She has covered conflicts in Iraq, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Haiti and Liberia, where she earned the Pulitzer Prize for her coverage of the siege of Monrovia.
ASHLEY GILBERTSON - Ashley Gilbertson is a recipient of the National Magazine Award for Bedrooms of the Fallen and the Overseas Press Club’s Robert Capa Gold Medal for his work in Fallujah. Gilbertson’s first book, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, chronicles his arrival on the eve of the U.S. invasion of Iraq as a 25 year-old photojournalist.
EDOUARD H.R. GLÜCK - American photojournalist Edouard H.R. Glück began his photographic career as an American soldier in the Iraq War. His work has been published in the International Herald Tribune, the Wall Street Journal, GQ, the Guardian, Newsweek and Time. He is a contributor to the Associated Press and Bloomberg.
DAVID HUME KENNERLY - David Hume Kennerly won a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the Vietnam War. He has been shooting on the front lines of history for more than 45 years and has photographed 8 wars, as many U.S. presidents, served as Chief White House photographer for President Gerald R. Ford and was named “One of the 100 Most Important People in Photography” by American Photo.
JOÃO SILVA - Award-winning photographer João Silva co-authored The Bang-Bang Club: Snapshots from a Hidden War, a factual account of news photographers in South Africa who covered the end of apartheid. Silva was severely wounded in October of 2010 after stepping on a land mine while on assignment for The New York Times in Afghanistan, sustaining life-threatening injuries and losing both legs.

Behind the scenes in South Africa, the Arclight Productions crew filmed in historically important sites that were hotbeds of violence during the end of apartheid in 1994 -- the very same locations where João Silva’s colleagues and friends were wounded and killed. The film includes rarely seen archival footage of the events that unfolded during that volatile period.

The film also covers Ashley Gilbertson’s journey to Midland, Texas, to meet the family of a young soldier who was killed in Afghanistan. Here, Gilbertson’s documents the personal side of war by photographing the young soldier's bedroom, untouched by the family since his death, for a project called Bedrooms of the Fallen. The Arclight Productions crew secured special permission from Gilbertson and the soldier’s family to record this very personal project that was conceived to tell the story of war, and in this case, its aftermath.

This film production is designed especially for the Annenberg Space for Photography’s one-of-a kind Digital Gallery. The gallery was built to present photography at high resolutions using the full color spectrum that is associated more with photographs than films. Consequently, because the film makes use of high-resolution still images, the live action production must match the visual quality. The sound mix is also designed expressly for The Annenberg Space for Photography’s custom 8-channel sound system. Conformed on workstations custom-built for Arclight Productions, post-production of the film is performed both at Arclight Productions and onsite in the Photography Space.

WAR/PHOTOGRAPHY arrives in Los Angeles from The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston before it travels to the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., and the Brooklyn Museum.

The photographs in this exhibition may not be suitable for all visitors.

About Arclight Productions
Founded in 1997, Arclight Productions is an award-winning film production company specializing in documentaries, commercials and behind-the-scenes. The Arclight team has produced original content for Warner Bros., Focus Features, Universal, Anchor Bay, Columbia Pictures, HBO, IMAX, Dreamworks, Disney, Summit Entertainment, 20th Century Fox and more. Arclight has produced nine films and multimedia installations for the Annenberg Space for Photography since the venue’s 2009 debut including: L8S ANG3LES, EXTREME EXPOSURE, DIGITAL DARKROOM, the multi-award winning “WATER: OUR THIRSTY WORLD,” produced with National Geographic magazine, and the hit “WHO SHOT ROCK & ROLL: THE FILM,” which broke all attendance records. Arclight has also worked with major museums such as the California Science Center, the non-profit Will Rogers Institute, and renowned artist David Hockney. With a professional staff at full-service facilities in the heart of Hollywood, Arclight also boasts finishing capabilities at high resolutions, high frame rates and 3D.

About the Annenberg Space for Photography
The Annenberg Space for Photography is a cultural destination dedicated to exhibiting photography. The Photography Space conveys a range of human experiences and serves as an expression of the philanthropic work of the Annenberg Foundation and its Directors. The intimate environment features state-of-the-art, high-definition digital technology as well as traditional prints by some of the world’s most renowned and emerging photographers. It is the first solely photographic cultural destination in the Los Angeles area.

Annenberg Space for Photography
2000 Avenue of the Stars, Century City, CA 90067
Tel: 213.403.3000
www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org

Wednesday through Friday: 11 am – 6 pm Saturday: 11 am – 7:30 pm
Sunday: 11 am – 6 pm
Closed Monday and Tuesday with the exception of Memorial Day, Monday, May 30th
Admission is free. Parking with validation is $3.50 Wednesdays - Fridays and $1.00 on weekends.

Contact

Trish Vasquez
310.279.8586t.vasquez@blcommunications.net

For Annenberg Space for Photography, please contact:
Camille Lowry, clowry@annenbergfoundation.org, 310.209.4568
Janie Hoffman, jhoffman@planetatp.com, 424.228.4979

I stepped out of my comfort zone and filmed a documentary short as part of the 2013 HRTV Film Festival at Santa Anita Park. I hope you will watch it.

There are some techinical difficulties with the way all of the films are buffering and loading. Just hit the pause button for a few seconds as it loads.

Thank you!

Anticipating a Day at the Races by Teresa Trujillo 

http://www.hrtv.com/videos/film-festival-contest/?VideoId=UpFmO3xbpOJDfHWiW6O4yeycjuwSpdZIwXy%2fBcHl8a8%3d

After a special US premiere screening at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, The Revolutionary Optimists begins its nationwide theatrical run on March 29th in New York at Cinema Village and April 19th at the Laemmle Santa Monica, along with 58 ITVS Community Cinema screenings around the country throughout May.

Edited by IDA member Andrew Gersh, The Revolutionary Optimists draws us into the world of two 11-year olds with no access to clean drinking water, a girl forced to labor inside a brick kiln, and a teenage dancer on the precipice of choosing child marriage to escape from her abusive family. From these fragile lives, lawyer turned change-agent Amlan Ganguly mines the strength and vision to build a most unlikely revolution. The film follows Ganguly and 4 children from Kolkata's poorest slums on an intimate journey through their adolescence. Together they fight seemingly insurmountable odds to build a better future for themselves and their community, challenging the notion that marginalization is written into their destiny.

Read reviews in The Village Voice and The Hollywood Reporter and get more information at the official website.

Screening of 30 minute documentary, "When The Shooting Stops" by IDA member, Lisa Davis Larry at the Santa Monica Library in Santa Monica, California on Thursday, March 28 at 7 pm. This video is an intimate portrait of 4 families (including mine) sharing their stories about the aftermath of gun violence and how they became actively involved in their communities to make positive change. 
 
This 30-minute documentary looks at a diverse group of victims/survivors to show that anyone can be affected whether it be on a military base, drive-by shooting, car jacking, a store robbery, or an ex-gang leader shot by a friend at a party.  "When The Shooting Stops" is about raising social awareness about gun control and taking action.

A discussion will follow the screening with Suzanne Verge, President of the LA Chapter Brady Campaign to Prevent Handgun Violence, Margot Bennett, Executive Director of Women Against Gun Violence, Lisa Davis Larry, Producer/Director and Randy Vandegrift, Producer/Editor/Camera Operator from "When The Shooting Stops."

Please join us in a reception after the discussion. RSVP to Lisa at whentheshootingstops@gmail.com.

American Courtesans, the feature documentary will be playing Mar 20-24 in Miami, FL at the 2013 Women's International Film and Arts festival. The film is a documentary about the lives of 11 Sex Workers here in the US. Each of us stepping forward in order to debunk current stereotypes and myths about us and our profession. Every wonder what life is really like for a sex worker? Well, this is your chance to hear straight from us. Hope to see you there... k

Release date scheduled for April/May 2013. (after several a couple of major twists in the road to completion) Indy ain't easy, but the journey is worth the goal. recent interview with Ill. State Rep. Diane Nekritz, who sponsored the revisions to the draconian Ill. Law finishes that segment of the 'Chris Drew Legacy Interviews'

total 16 interviews and the trailer
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFE74E0B074178EA3

I am in full motion on this - will keep you updated.