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Martha Foster

Chicago Metro area

Executive Director, Living Earth Television

Tags: distribution  docs about the arts  documentary history  education  emmy awards  environmental issues  festivals and markets  funding  international television  media arts organizations  nonprofit organizations  public television  television  u.s. broadcast television  u.s. cable television  u.s. public television  

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Title/Occupation:  Distributor  Educator  Executive 

Services Provided:  Media Arts Organization 

Gender: Female

Race: None

Citizenship: USA

Brief Message to Members: Living Earth Television (nonprofit) works with local documentary filmmakers in communities around the world to bring their documentaries to international audiences. www.letv.org. I welcome any input/support/collaboration from other IDA members.

Biography: Martha Mitchell Foster Intercultural Documentary Educator EDUCATION Northwestern University – Evanston, Illinois, USA Bachelor of Arts Degree (1965-69) Department of Anthropology Concentration: Archeology Art Institute of Chicago – Chicago, Illinois, USA Non-degree (1973-74) Department of Photography University of Illinois at Chicago – Chicago, Illinois, USA Master of Arts Degree (1974-78) Department of Anthropology Concentration: Visual Anthroplogy/Documentary Thesis: “Working With Spirits.”16mm color, sync sound, 28 minutes film with study guide, shot in Ghana, West Africa Columbia College Chicago – Chicago, Illinois, USA Master of Fine Arts Program (1993-98) Coursework completed for MFA Department of Film and Video Concentration: Documentary PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Living Earth Television NFP Evanston, Illinois (11/2002-present) Founder/Executive Director • Developed concept for international nonprofit broadcasting model for documentary programming originating around the world • Incorporated as nonprofit organization, November 2002 • Received 501(c)(3) status from IRS, March 2005 • Acquire and license documentary programs for international television broadcast • Initiate relationships with broadcasters • Supervise translations and contextualization • Recruit, train and supervise staff and volunteers in production, public relations, fundraising, administration • Interact with board, recruit new board members • Represent the Living Earth Television at conferences and public and private events WTTW Chicago Public Television Chicago, Illinois (2000-02) Story Developer/Associate Producer, Chicago Stories • Developed story ideas for an ongoing series of documentaries on Chicago history • Worked with freelance producers to provide research and production support • Initiated and maintained working relationship between WTTW and the Chicago History Museum • Produced five mini-portraits of winners of Making History Awards, 2002 Windy City International Documentary Festival Chicago(1994-99) Founder/Director • Created concept for first international, juried, exclusively documentary festival in US • Recruited and managed student and volunteer staff • Conducted international call for entries • Invited jury participation from major cultural and grassroots organizations • Supervised judging of programs submitted and selection of award winners • Programmed screenings of selected films and videos at major cultural venues Columbia College Chicago (1990-2003) Instructor • Introductory documentary history and video production • Senior Seminar on Media and Values Columbia College Chicago (1993-98) Manager, Documentary Center • Hired and supervised student staff • Oversaw daily operations of production and editing facilities Silver Images Film Festival Chicago (1991-92) Festival Director • Directed and programmed major festival on positive images of aging Field Museum Chicago (1977-93) Documentary Film and Video Consultant • Moderated screenings for traveling Margaret Mead Anthropological Film Festival • Programmed film series for The Art of the Motorcycle exhibit • Programmed Field Museum Festival of Anthropology on Film Smithsonian Institution Washington D.C. (1980-82) Ethnographic Film and Video Consultant • Programmed fourteen-part film series to accompany temporary exhibit Celebration at Renwick Gallery • Researched ethnographic film materials for use in video modules in exhibit University of Illinois at Chicago (1979-80) Film and Video Programmer • Assisted faculty with selection and scheduling of classroom film and video Loyola University Chicago (1977-78) Instructor • Introduction to Anthropology African Studies Association Newsletter Chicago (1974-77) Editor • Interviewed Midwestern scholars, artists, etc. regarding Africa-related work • Wrote articles and edited articles submitted • Printed and distributed newsletter Wesley Girls High School Cape Coast, Ghana (1971-72) Instructor • Taught English, Geography PhD Candidate Paul Breidenbach Cape Coast, Ghana (1971-72) Research Assistant • Assisted with doctoral research on Twelve Apostles Church, syncretistic Christian sect founded in 1910-11 Film and Video Festival Participation • World Mountain Documentary Festival, Xining, Qinghai, China 2008, Juror • Sichuan International Television Festival, Chengdu, China 2003 and 2001, Juror • Silver Images Film Festival 1988-91, Juror • Children’s International Film Festival 1989, Programmer; 1982-88, Juror • Chicago International Film Festival – Chicago, Illinois, USA 1982, Juror, Documentary Category Selected Lectures and Panel Presentations • Conference on Globalization for the Common Good, Chicago, Illinois 2009 • Conference of the Campaign for a Department of Peace, Chicago, Illinois 2008 • Images and Voices of Hope Summit, Peace Village, New York 2007 • Shanghai International Television Festival Magnolia Forum, Shanghai, China 2007 • Shanghai University, Shanghai, China 2007 • Communication University of China, Beijing 2007 • Communication University of China, Nanjing 2007 • China Education Television, Beijing 2007 • Conference on Media Reform, Memphis, Tennessee 2007 • Earth Charter Summit, Chicago, Illinois 2003, 2005 • Parliament of the World’s Religions, Barcelona, Spain 2004 • Sichuan International Television Festival, Chengdu, China 2003 • Sichuan University, Chengdu, China 2003 • Fujian Television, Fuzhou, China 2001 • Dalilan Television, Dalian, China 1999 • Zhejiang Television, Hangzhou, China 1999 • Shanghai Television, Chengdu, Sichuan, China 1999 • Shanghai University, Shanghai, China 1999 • Sichuan Television, Chengdu, China 1999 • China Television Program Exhibition and Market, Academic Symposium, Beijing, China 1999 SELECTED PUBLICATIONS “Intercultural Documentary and the American Audience.” Tobias, Michael, editor: The Search for Reality: The Art of Documentary Filmmaking. Michael Wiese Productions 1998; 237-244 “Modern China’s Ancient Charm.” Network Chicago City Talk, Volume 15, #38, December 21, 2001 HONORS, AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS • Chairman’s Grant, Benton Foundation, Washington D.C., 2008 • Appointment as Senior Consultant to the Western Branch of the Documentary Films Academic Committee of the China Television Artists Association, 2008 • Nomination, Award of Appreciation from Images and Voices of Hope, 2007 • Judge for applicants for the Roy W. Dean Film and Video Grants, 2001-03 • Influential Women in Business Award, National Association of Women Business Owners, 2003 • Emmy Awards, National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Chicago/Midwest Chapter, for:  The Eastland Disaster, 2002  How Chicago Rocked the 60s, 2002  The Pullman Porters: From Servitude to Civil Rights,2001  Remembering 47th Street, 2001  Bear Crazy: How the ’85 Bears Captured Chicago, 2001 • Emmy Nominations, National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Chicago/Midwest Chapter, 2001-02, for:  Mary Mitchell One-on-One  Midway Airport: Crossroads of the World  Pablo and the Boss: The Amazing Story of Chicago’s Picasso  The Richard Nickel Story  The Staples Singers and the Civil Rights Movement  Golden Gloves Boxing  Chicago’s Harlem Globetrotters  Riverview  A Break in the Clouds: Chicago’s 1933 World’s Fair  The Union Stockyards; Bessie Coleman: Pilot Pioneer • American Association for the Advancement of Science Mass Media Fellowship, 1977 • Production Support Grant, Smithsonian Institution Center for Anthropological Film, 1975 • Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, 1969 INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL • North America: US, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico • Europe: England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Spain, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Austria,Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Hungary • Africa: Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Benin • Asia: China PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS • International Documentary Association (IDA) 1994-Present • Images and Voices of Hope 2007-Present • University Film and Video Association (UFVA) 1994-99 • Society for Visual Anthropology (SVA) 1976-82 • American Anthropological Association (AAA) 1976-82 • Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers (AIVF) 1974-83