A Night of Inspiration; 2014 "It's My Life' Youth Film Festival!

The 2014 “It’s My Life” film festival was a huge success and a truly inspiring night with young film makers around Atlanta. One unique aspect of the “It’s My Life” film festival is that it’s open to all youth under 23, whether you’re in college, high school, middle, or elementary school. Our youngest film maker was just seven years old this year!

This year we had twelve entries that were selected to be a part of the festival.  Every film maker was given a certificate for being selected and we’re super grateful that WonderRoot Community Art Center awarded every film maker with a free year membership! Young film makers now have access to all sorts of really amazing resources and classes! Big props to WonderRoot for providing this really important resource year after year!

Four films were given special recognition and two received a grand prize:

What If?

By Tameka Campbell and KeSaunna Irby 

Received the Student Career Alternatives Program award presented by Victoria Temple

Home Defenders

By Dillon Meusa and Jahla Jeffry

Received the Occupy Our Homes Atlanta award presented by Mildred Obi

It's My Life Undocumented

By Meredith McKay

Received the WonderRoot award presented by Josie Figueroa

After showing the film took a collection from the crowd to help fund Freedom University

Psychological Warfare

By Taj Omari

Received the Georgia WAND award presented by Becky Rafter

My Life My World

By Rich Will

Received the over 18 grand prize awarded by Dawn Gibson of the Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition

Show Me My Options

By Thalia Butts and Sydney Seabron

Received the under 18 grand prize awarded by Kamau Franklin with the American Friends Service Committee

Check out all the other “It’s My Life’ film festival selections here

We want to give a special thanks to:

All of our AMAZING volunteers, you all made this happen!!

Our Sponsors:

WonderRoot Community Art Center

Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition

Georgia WAND

Occupy Our Homes Atlanta

…and a big thanks to the Plaza Theater!

Be sure to join the new "It's My Life" facebook page to keep in touch!

An Open Letter to Governor Deal

Dear Governor Nathan Deal,

As of last night, at the stroke of midnight, the clock of human progress turned back decades. You have caused unfair, unjust and harmful consequences for regular everyday Georgians with the passage of HB 990, HB 772, HB 714 and SB 98.

Sadly, your inaction has and will continue to cost real lives and hardships for Georgians who are already struggling.  You have chosen politics over principle, a short term view of narrow self-interest over a long term vision of what's actually best for Georgia, making public policy turns that further marginalize our most vulnerable citizens while also crippling the state's prospects for economic recovery and prosperity. 

Your lack of regard and compassion for the 650,000 hard working Georgians who would benefit from Medicaid expansion is very troubling. You have signed death warrants for thousands who will die needlessly every year without it. Out of your office we continued to hear the same justification for not accepting Medicaid expansion; Georgia couldn't afford it. While repeating a lie over and over again might work in your political universe it doesn't make it less of a lie. Medicaid expansion would turn the 650,000 hard working Georgians that are forced to go to the emergency center as their only means to healthcare into paying customers with access to preventative care. It would bring over 45 billion dollars of revenue and over 70,000 good paying jobs to our state.  As it turns out, doing what's morally right is also economically smart.

When we and future generations look back in history, we will see a Governor who failed to understand this.  That is why he restricted affordable healthcare and expanded gun rights, publicly celebrating the most dangerous and irresponsible gun bill to be passed in the country. We will see a Governor who allowed and supported attacks on the rights of women by further limited access to reproductive choice.  A governor, who condoned removing unemployment benefits to the same bus drivers that protected our children during an unnecessary snow crisis. We will see a Governor that supported drug testing of food stamp recipients and continues to place road blocks against the Affordable Care Act. You have continually shown your support for the few rich at the cost of the overwhelming poor and working class Georgians by capping income taxes, and restricting loans and scholarships for our states students.

Georgia deserves better than this Governor Deal. When we look at the past legislative session through a moral lens we see our state's priorities with deep concern. We see a Governor more concerned with

party agendas than the welfare and progress of the people he represents. Although this is of deep concern to us, we are hopeful that moral responsibility will be reflected in the future legislation of Georgia, and we are willing to organize toward that end. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, " We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."

Reverend Raphael Warnock

Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church

Dr Francys Johnson

NAACP Georgia President

Jackie Rodriguez

Georgia Now President

Tim Franzen

American Friends Service Committee

La’die Mansfield

Global Organizing Institute

Dianne Mathiowetz

Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition

Neil Sardana

Atlanta Jobs With Justice

SunTrust Bank Evicting Small Business

Brunetta Nelson and her family have worked to make D’BABS Construction a staple in Atlanta’s construction industry for the past 26 years. When their point of contact at SunTrust left abruptly Brunetta and her family struggled to find a new place to make payments. When her realtor called to tell her about the foreclosure Brunetta was completely caught off guard.

SunTrust stole their tenants and now they’re trying to steal the land right out from under the sisters of D’BABS. This small, black women-owned Construction Company is facing immediate eviction at the hands SunTrust Bank.

“It is so painful for my sisters and I to walk into our office and see that everyone has been run away and how much we have suffered over this mishandling of a small family business that was built brick-by-brick for 25 long years. I can’t count the toll of the sleepless nights of crying, the loss of my hair, and the choices made as a result of this disaster”, stated Brunetta.

On Wednesday Brunetta and other D’BABS workers joined OccupyOur Homes Atlanta and American Friends Service Committee to deliver a petitionsigned by over 2k community members to SunTrust Bank's national headquarters in Atlanta. After SunTrust PR executives accepted the petition Brunetta and supporters held a press conference outside SunTrust Bank. Senator Vincent Fort, who represents the East Point community where D’BABS presides stated, “The community will not allow SunTrust Bank to destroy this vital family owned business; they will have to go through us first.”

SunTrust representatives claimed they would look into the matter but today in court it was made clear that they intend to evict in the next seven days. A community coalition plans to return to SunTrust with greater number next week if the bank doesn’t make right on their commitment to work with D’BABS.

Sign the petition to save D’BABS here.

"It's My Life" Film Festival Hit's Atlanta 4/29!

Join us at our 4th annual screening of the "It's MyLife" Youth Film Festival!

FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

6:30-- filmmakers walk the red carpet, take photographs, "Make the Connection" intros with youth justice & arts organizations

7:00--screening immediately followed by awards ceremony

afterward--networking in the lobby

"It's My Life" challenges youth filmmakers age 23 and under from around metro Atlanta to think about tough social justice questions and express their solutions creatively through 3 minute films. Every submission is shown on the big screen at the Plaza Theatre, and winners will be announced in person at the event.

This free event is a great networking opportunity for young filmmakers, family, friends, teachers, youth workers, and the community. Let's celebrate local youth using their talents to think about how to make change for peace and justice!

The dealine to enter is 4/24 at midnight, still time! Youcan also see info for the 2014 contest, including the guidelines and themequestions here.

Like our page and learn more about the festival here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @itsmylife_atl for news and updates!

Prizes are provided by our wonderful sponsors:

American Friends Service Committee

Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition

Georgia WAND (Women's Action for New Directions)

Occupy Our Homes Atlanta

WonderRoot Community Arts Center