Tag

Documentary

Journalism, Non Fiction, Social Issues

Apr 27: Why We Fall For Hype with Gabrielle Bluestone

How Con Artists, Grifters and Scammers are Taking Over the Internet – & Why We’re Following

Gabrielle Bluestone shares her insights into why scammers do what they do, and why – despite overwhelming evidence calling them out – we blindly believe what we’re told without researching the source.  She says we are at the natural end of a society primed to trust their own emotions over objective, verifiable facts.” 

From celebrities to politicians, to the little-known, we discuss why we get sucked into their spiel. Where social media and influencers factor in. The rise of cancel culture, where seemingly harmless messaging and soundbites create images that can make or break reputations and campaigns. Why Fyre was the greatest festival that never happened. Where greed plays a role. And why you shouldn’t trust cosmetic surgery photos because even they are often digitally altered.

About Gabrielle Bluestone

A journalist and licensed attorney from New York, Gabrielle Bluestone’s writing has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, New York Observer, Sunday Times Magazine, and more. She’s the Emmy-nominated producer of Netflix’s  documentary Fyre. And the associate producer of Different Flowers, winner of the 2017 Kansas City FilmFest Festival Prize.

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Journalism, Non Fiction, Social Issues

JUN 16: Gabrielle Bluestone with Hype (& Why We Fall For It)

How Scammers, Grifters, & Con Artists are Taking Over the Internet – & Why We’re Following

Gabrielle Bluestone says we are at the natural end of a society primed to trust their own emotions over objective, verifiable facts.”   She joins us to share insight into why scammers do it, and why – despite the availability of myriad resources – we blindly believe what we’re told without verifying facts.

From celebrities to politicians, and the little-known, we discuss why we get sucked into their spiel. The role of influencers and social media. How messaging and soundbites create images that can make or break reputations and campaigns. Why Fyre was the greatest festival that never happened. Where greed plays a role. And why you shouldn’t trust cosmetic surgery photos because even they are often digitally altered.

About Gabrielle Bluestone

Gabrielle Bluestone is a journalist and licensed attorney from New York whose writing has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, New York Observer, Sunday Times Magazine, and more. She’s the Emmy-nominated producer of Netflix’s  documentary Fyre. And the associate producer of Different Flowers, winner of the 2017 Kansas City FilmFest Festival Prize.

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Conservation, Environment, Journalism, Social Issues

DEC 10: Award-winning Filmmaker John de Graaf

John de Graaf is one of the good guys in our world, always right there with the next important, life-affirming idea,” says The Giraffe Project’s Ann Medlock.  Beginning in the late 70’s, John embarked on an award-winning documentary film career that continues to this day.

Today we’ll explore John’s extensive career as a filmmaker and activist, and why he does what he does. We’ll hear about his latest film, REDEFINING PROSPERTIY, and some of the activism he’s engaged in. We’ll discover how John chooses projects, and how he navigated his own prolific creative path while still making a difference in people’s lives.

“I’m an author, filmmaker, speaker, and activist with a mission to help create a happy, healthy, and sustainable quality of life for America,” reads John’s mission statement.

With over 40 documentaries and countless shorter films to his credit, he has received over 100 regional, national, and international awards for filmmaking.  15 of his films have been broadcast nationally in primetime on PBS, and he has taught filmmaking at the University of Washington, Evergreen State College, and Boston University’s Center for Digital Imaging Arts.

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Biography, Conservation, Non Fiction, Social Issues

DEC 18: Dian Fossey: Secrets in the Mist & The Collected Letters of Alan Watts

Filmmaker Zara Hayes takes an in-depth look at Dian Fossey, from her lonely childhood to what drove her to endanger her own life for the sake of the gorillas of Rwanda.  Dian Fossey: Secrets in the Mist reveals the inside story of the tragically murdered activist.

Zara is a British filmmaker who works between the UK and the USA.  The production of Dian Fossey: Secrets in the Mist was aided by National Geographic and is voiced by Sigourney Weaver.

Today, we’ll also take a journey into the mind of British author and philosopher Alan Watts, who greatly influenced 60’s counter-culture with his interpretations of Buddhism and Zen philosophy.  His daughter, Joan Watts, captures the colorful and controversial life of her father in The Collected Letters of Alan Watts.

For this collection, Watts’s letters were curated by two of his daughters, Joan and Anne Watts, who have added behind-the-scenes biographical commentary.

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