Brave New Films champions social justice issues by using a model of media, education, and grassroots volunteer involvement that inspires, empowers, motivates and teaches civic participation and makes a difference. From exposing the private prison crisis to helping middle-class and poor workers to understand where their tax dollars are going, its groundbreaking social media campaigns have revolutionized activism. Thanks in part to support from Voqal, Brave New Films produced narrative content around immigration reform that mobilized public opinion and public action against the injustices faced by American’s immigrant community.
Brave New Films accomplished this in several ways. It produced and distributed a two-part series exposing the cruelty of the current presidential administration’s immigration policy overhauls and advocacy. In addition, it worked with partner organizations to host impactful community outreach events and reach an even broader audience of over 100,000 people online. Finally, it signed up over 650 individuals, faith groups, communities and educators, to screen films, engage in dialogue and take action with its immigration content and resources.
The impact of this work can perhaps be best seen in the partnerships Brave New Films built with the faith community. A notable example of this is Brave New Film’s work with the Episcopal Cathedral Center to screen the film Immigrant Prisons. This event brought together faith community leaders wanting to learn more about concrete actions they can take with their communities to close detention centers. After the screening and discussion, over 90% of participants agreed they would take action because of the film.
Something that social movements often struggle with is creating narratives that inspire individuals to action. Fortunately, Brave New Films is taking this challenge head-on as they continue to engage local communities with narratives that inspire individuals to engage with a variety of issues aimed at creating a more socially equitable society. Voqal is excited to have been able to support this work and looks forward to Brave New Films continued efforts at building a narrative for progressive social change.