Syracuse school children share videos
with school children from around the world
INTERNATIONAL VIDEO POSTCARD PROJECT
The Syracuse International Film Festival Video Postcards project took its inspiration from a program implemented in Israel by Michal Matus, director of the Tel Aviv International Children's Film Festival. In the SyrFilm version of video postcards, students in schools from six locations around the world sent each other five-minute videos, with sound but without dialogue or narration, on "Our Neighborhood." Each video was first sent via mail to students at a partner school. When all the schools received their video postcards, all the pieces were posted on a website, where students could see everyone's work, communicate with each other, and perhaps share more video greetings. Partner schools include Grant Middle Shool in Syracuse, which is partnered with Ironi Alef High School of Arts in Tel Aviv, Israel; Brooklyn KIPPS:AMP, which is matched with the Dakar Media Centre in Dakar, Senegal; and students from the Oneida Nation, who are paired with a country school in Pertunmaa, Finland.
Pertunmaa, Finland: a town of about 200 in the Finnish countryside.
Students: Pirita Kämppi, Leenu Ahtiainen, Wille Volanen, Eeli Paakkari, Akseli Hokkanen, and Aatu Paakkari.
Minna Mokkila-Halenin is a kindergarten teacher and works as a preschool teacher in Mäntyharju, Finland. She is also a musikpedagog. She sings, plays the piano and Clarinet. She continues her studies towards a degree of Producer of Culture.
Kaija Juurikkala a film director, drama pedagogue, and visual artist, she also holds a degree of classroom teacher. She is a film and television director, screenwriter and dramaturge and runs her own production company, Gentle Film Ltd.
Syracuse, New York: Grant Middle School
Students: Victoria Greco, Damian Smith, Salaam Hargrove, Lexus Hines, Anika Alam, Bobbieann Eckert,
Christie Le, Nicolas Saralegui, Musa Dolley, Jonathan Hooper, and Lareina Reyes
Kenzie AR Miller is a 7th grade social studies teacher. He’s also a mentor teacher, Syracuse University pre-service host teacher, and an in-service teacher. Ken also has years of experience as an adventure educator and ropes course facilitator.
Timothy J. Brachocki is an educator and co-founder and coordinator of the Syracuse Alternative Media Network a not-for-profit video production cooperative. He teaches video production at Central New York schools, including Grant Middle School and the Onondaga Nation School.
Tel-Aviv, Israel: Ironi Alef High School of Arts
Noa Regev is teaching the course "Cinematic Language" at the Open University and at Ironi Alef High School of Arts. She is a member of the producing staff of the Tel-Aviv International Children's Film Festival at The Tel-Aviv Cinematheque since it's establishment in 2005.
Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York: KIPP:AMAP Academy
Students: Asia Grant, Crystal Haynes, Deja Fisher, Amber-Lee Brown, Tiana Lino, Brandy Younge
Jenna Shapiro was a New York City Teaching Fellow and a founder of Art4Now, a non-profit that provides free arts education to public school students. She is a founding member of KIPP: AMAP Academy, a public charter school. She teaches 6th grade English and is Dean of Teaching and Learning.
Dakar, Senegal: Dakar Media Center
Students: Awa Diallo, Amar Fall, Daouda Thiam, Fatima Hanne
Moussa Gueye facilitates access and training of young people in the use of modern media technologies: camera, sound, editing, photography and screenwriting. The students stay for 8-10 months. Their final film projects are shown during the Dakar Hood film festival held every year from December.
Oneida Nation, Oneida, New York
Students: Alexander Steeprock, Wesley Halsey, Cameron Shenandoah, Ciara Oakly, David Oakly, Austin Thomas, Sage Thomas, Brooke Thomas, Levi Confer, Cheyanne Fisher, Katelyn Jocko, Chelsea Jocko, Alyssa Lynch, Thomas Lynch, Tina Lynch
Kandice Watson, a member of the Oneida Indian Nation’s Wolf Clan, is Director of Education and Cultural Relations for the Nation. She coordinates programs with area colleges and working with school districts and colleges to enhance curriculum in American Indian history and culture.
Lorraine Hennings is the Executive Project Manager for the Oneida Indian Nation. Lorraine joined the Oneida Nation in 2001. As Project Manager she oversees various outreach development initiatives for the Nation. Lorraine holds a B.S. and M.B.A. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy.
Ron Patterson is the Recreation Supervisor for the Oneida Nation, was in charge of planning and overseeing the participants in the Video Post Card project along with Carice Raney. Ron is a member of the Nation’s Wolf Clan. He is in charge of the Nation’s Youth Development and Lacrosse programs.
Kevin Meegan led the filming and editing for the project. He is part of the creative team of Four Directions Productions, a media component of Oneida Nation Enterprises. In addition to this project Kevin has an independent film screening at the Syracuse Film Festival, Janet Planet.
Syracuse International Film Festival: Project and Education Coordinator
Len Fonte retired from the Syracuse City School District. A playwright and director, he directed award-winning scholastic theater for twenty-nine years and directed the world premiere of Jeff Kramer's Lowdown Lies for Armory Square Playhouse (2007).
Sponsors:
Foundation: New York State Council on the Arts
Community: Syracuse University and Partners in Arts Education
