Advertisement
Our next meetup will be Friday, May 10, and will feature the next installment of the seasonal Spotlight series, which invites a filmmaker with finished work to come share a film or two and take part in an in-depth discussion. For our Spring Spotlight, we welcome Mike Shum, who will share his PBS documentary POLICE ON TRIAL (more info below) and discuss the making of the film and its impact. Once again, this month's Docuclub will be a hybrid event! That means we'll be meeting in-person at FilmNorth AND we will link up via Zoom with any attendees who are out of town or are unable to be there in-person. If you're unable to attend the event in person, please tune in via Zoom at 6:30pm for a brief introduction, a full rough-cut screening, and a post-screening feedback session. More info below! In-person 5:30pm, Zoom 6:30pm.
Please note our current policy on addressing the group: If you have an event you wish to promote at the meeting, or if you wish to offer your services or seek a collaborator for a project, please let me know before the meeting so I can include you on the schedule. If approved, you’ll have a brief 90-second slot to address the gathered group. (This is in lieu of the 'round-the-horn introductions that were commonplace at Docuclub — we have phased that out in the interest of time.)
INFO FOR IN-PERSON ATTENDEES (5:30pm):
There is no official membership. All are welcome, filmmaker or not. If you're in the Twin Cities metro area and are able to join us in-person, please come to our usual space at FilmNorth in St. Paul. Social hour for in-person attendees begins at 5:30pm.
The FilmNorth space is 550 Vandalia St, in St. Paul. Enter the building via the main building doors, across the plaza from Lake Monster Brewing (near the base of the big water tower). If you arrive late and the building doors are locked, you can text or call me. I WON'T be checking my email during the event, so please feel free to email me ahead of time at the address below to get my contact details. Once in the building, follow the corridor to the left; we’ll be in Suite 120.
- At 5:30pm, we'll start the evening with a social hour / potluck. Very relaxed and informal. BYOB and please bring a shareable food.
- At 6:30pm, we'll then move into the screening room, where we'll connect with our Zoom participants on the big screen. After brief introductions, we'll begin screening the film.
- After the screening, we'll participate in a feedback session with the filmmaker.
- More info: [email protected]
- (Please scroll down for a public health notice.)
INFO FOR ZOOM PARTICIPANTS (6:30pm):
If you haven't yet received an email with the Zoom link for this meeting, please send an email to request the link:
[email protected]
In an effort to accommodate any folks unable or hesitant to attend in-person events, and to welcome our many Docuclubbers around the state, and participants around the country with Minnesota ties, we are making this another hybrid Docuclub!
The hybrid portion of the event will begin at 6:30pm. Online participants will experience the event as a regular Zoom meeting, with one camera capturing the roomful of in-person participants at FilmNorth. The Zoom meeting will be projected on the big screen for in-person participants.
In order to avoid trespassers crashing our Zoom, I'll be sending the meeting info via the email above. Even if there is a small chance you'd like to join us, please send an email to the address above to receive the Zoom link. Please try to send an email before 5pm May 10. (If you are just reading this on May 10 after 5pm, you can still send an email, but I may not see it as I'll be hosting the meeting.)
Please bear in mind that there may be technical and logistical hiccups, and we'll do our best to manage them promptly, but please be patient as we navigate this format.
MORE INFO ABOUT THIS MONTH’S FEATURED FILMMAKER AND FILM:
Our Spotlight filmmaker Mike Shum (b. Denver, CO, 1985) is an independent filmmaker who specializes in documentary cinematography and journalism. He started his career in video news reporting, filming and producing for The New York Times, France 24, CNN, Time Magazine and National Geographic.
In 2017, he made his first feature length documentary, HONDROS, as producer and director of photography which was distributed by Netflix. He then transitioned into television, collaborating with Al Jazeera’s Witness Series and PBS Frontline.
As an Asian-American born to immigrant parents from Hong Kong, he looks to incorporate empathy and curiosity with the goal of challenging normative perspectives in the media landscape today.
The documentary POLICE ON TRIAL draws on unique on-the-ground reporting and filming, from the earliest days after George Floyd’s death, to documenting the trial and murder conviction of former police officer Derek Chauvin, to ongoing struggles for police accountability and reform in Minneapolis.
MORE INFO ABOUT THE SEASONAL SPOTLIGHT SERIES:
In an effort to expand our programming and provide learning opportunities for our attendees, Docuclub MN launched a new series of Spotlight screenings in 2023. This will be an occasional series, held 2-4 times a year. Each Spotlight event will look and sound just like any normal Friday evening Docuclub meetup, with social hour, classroom discussion, and hybrid participation.
What differs from our usual format is that the featured film is not a work-in-progress but a notable completed film, and therefore the post-screening discussion will be the form of an in-depth question-and-answer session and not a feedback session, with the goal being an understanding and appreciation for new approaches to documentary filmmaking.
On some occasions, and where appropriate, the featured Spotlight filmmaker may decide to also show works-in-progress. The discussion following works-in-progress may or may not include a feedback component.
Please note, the launch of this new series does not replace our traditional format of feedback for works-in-progress – we will continue Docuclub feedback screenings just like we always have! If you have a documentary work-in-progress you wish to submit for consideration for our feedback screenings, please send an email to: [email protected]
PUBLIC HEALTH NOTICE:
With several respiratory viruses circulating, including COVID, we request that all in-person attendees follow this guidance:
- Masks are recommended for those who are unvaccinated, immunocompromised, or at high-risk for complications associated with COVID-19 and similar diseases.
- People may choose to mask at any time.
- People with any symptoms associated with COVID or influenza, a positive COVID or flu test, or exposure to someone with these illnesses should PLEASE STAY HOME and consider joining us via Zoom.
Hope to see you there, and please let us know if you have any questions!
Advertisement
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
FilmNorth, Carina Photographics, 550 Vandalia St, St Paul, MN 55114, United States,Saint Paul, Minnesota