VOICES OF HOPE PRODUCTIONS NAMED AS "STEVIE AWARD" FINALIST

Consistent with the philosophy that Non-profit organizations should have the same access to effective and successful communications, media and video documentary resources as corporations do, Voices of Hope Productions was named a Finalist in The 2008 Stevie Awards--The American Business Awards.

More than 2,600 entries from companies of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted for consideration in more than 40 categories. Voices of Hope Productions is competing in the Non-profit PR fund raising category for directing and producing the short documentary, Invest in Change, developed as a fund raising tool for New Jersey Community Capital also known as the Community Development Loan Fund. New Jersey Community Capital is a community development financial institution (CDFI) that invests in communities throughout New Jersey providing capital for affordable housing, education, and cultural and health services in low income communities.

"From the very beginning, we knew that Voices of Hope Productions was right for our short documentary fund raising video. We were even more pleased with how well they grasped our industry and how strongly they felt about it,” said Jennifer Bredehoft of New Jersey Community Capital, located in Trenton, New Jersey. “A Certificate of Finalist status in the Stevie Awards confirms their commitment to quality Non-profit storytelling. We congratulate Voices of Hope Productions on their achievement and wish them well in the competition.”

The American Business Awards are the only national, all-encompassing awards program honoring great performances in business. Finalists were chosen by business professionals nationwide during preliminary judging in April through early May. “Being named a Finalist is more of an accomplishment than ever before,” said Michael Gallagher, founder and president of The Stevie Awards. “It means that independent business executives have agreed that the nominee is worthy of national recognition.”

Stevie Award winners will be announced during the annual gala on Thursday, June 12 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. The Global Sponsor of the 2008 Stevie Awards is Dow Jones. Supporting sponsors of The 2008 American Business Awards include FIS Softpro, High Performance Technologies Inc., John Hancock, RCN Corporation, Richardson, and Ultimate Software. Media sponsors include the Business TalkRadio Network, CRM Advocate, and Human Resource Executive.

For more information go to the Stevie Awards website.

VOICES SELECT | FILM | MOTHERHOOD MANIFESTO

Women shouldn't be discriminated against simply because they are mothers... but they are! Hear about true experiences of American mothers, and learn how shared problems can be solved. MomsRising’s intent is to engage millions of women and other caregivers, to educate the public about the problems facing mothers and families, and to provide avenues for civic engagement, as well as common-sense solutions to shared issues.

"Despite all the rhetoric about being family-friendly, we have structured a society that is decidedly unfriendly... What's missing now is a movement. What's missing now is an organization. That's why MomsRising is so important." -- Senator Barack Obama, 9/28/06

“Today, two-thirds of all moms also work outside the home…and government must take your side.” --President George Bush

Find out more about Mom'sRising, the grassroots organization mobilizing mothers across the country. Order the video

THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH

Since I'm attending The New School for interdisciplinary studies this MovieMaker magazine interview is quite fitting. Jennifer Wood interviews Annie Howell and I especially like this quote from her:

"I believe documentary is the interdisciplinary discipline. In addition to spanning academic fields—film studies, anthropology, sociology, to name a few—good documentary engages with both form and content; hopefully content that has real relevance in peoples’ lives. Documentary films allow us to experience situations, meet individuals and understand issues in a personal, emotional or intellectual way that is simply unique, and that tends to have appeal across mediums, fields of study and professions. At The New School, documentary study and practice have always thrived. Institutionally, there is an emphasis on making change in the world as well as on developing a serious art practice within a social and historical context."

I couldn't agree more with Annie Howell's assessment and it's precisely why I decided to return to study media, documentaries and advocacy, and especially why I chose The New School.

Read the Interview