Even if you had no idea about today’s historic events at the U.S. Supreme Court, you’d be blind not to notice a movement swelling online. In the nation’s capital, oral arguments began yesterday on California’s Prop. 8, which amended the state Constitution to ban the right for same-sex couples to marry, and the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which [...]
About Erica Schlaikjer
Erica Schlaikjer is the Creator and Curator of Benevolent Media. She lives in Washington, D.C. Follow her on Twitter: @benevolentmedia and @eschlaik.
International Women’s Day: Gaining Momentum
Happy International Women’s Day! The global movement was created to inspire women and celebrate their achievements worldwide. The commemorative occasion originally started in the United States as a way for female laborers to demand shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. Now, people all over the world are organizing thousands of events, including political rallies, business [...]
For Valentine’s Day, D.C. Artists Reflect on Love
For our February community event, we’re hosting The Loving Market to support local nonprofits in Washington, D.C. dedicated to love-themed causes. It includes an online auction, pop-up shop (with a scheduled panel discussion and craft-making activity), art exhibit and evening reception, all to benefit Becky’s Fund and Break the Cycle, which both advocate for freedom from domestic violence, and [...]
Film Review: In “The Square,” the Revolution Will Actually Be Televised
This post is part of Benevolent Media’s ongoing coverage of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. For more information, read “The Benevolent Guide to the Sundance Film Fesitval.” Filmmaker Jehane Noujaim‘s riveting firsthand account of the Egyptian revolution, “The Square (Al Midan),” took home the Audience Award for World Cinema Documentary at [...]
New Film Shows Girls Rising from Plight to Power
This post is part of Benevolent Media’s ongoing coverage of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. For more information, read “The Benevolent Guide to the Sundance Film Fesitval.” “Educate girls, change the world.” That’s the simple and powerful mission of the new documentary film and social action campaign Girl Rising, which was [...]
Filmmakers Take a Stand for Social Justice
This post is part of Benevolent Media’s ongoing coverage of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. For more information, read “The Benevolent Guide to the Sundance Film Fesitval.” What would it take for you to put everything on the line? At the Sundance Film Festival’s Filmmaker Lodge, a panel talk called “Taking [...]
Register for 2013 Media That Matters Conference
Media that Matters is an annual conference presented by the Center for Social Media in Washington, D.C. It is designed for established and aspiring filmmakers, nonprofit communications leaders, funders, and students who want to learn and share cutting-edge practices to make their media matter. The theme of the 2013 conference is “Measure for Measure,” focusing on [...]
Winners Announced for $200,000 Focus Forward Filmmaker Competition
CYBORG FOUNDATION | Rafel Duran Torrent from Focus Forward Films on Vimeo. This post is part of Benevolent Media’s ongoing coverage of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. For more information, read “The Benevolent Guide to the Sundance Film Fesitval.” Spanish director Rafel Duran Torrent took home the $100,000 Grand Jury Prize [...]
Meet the Filmmaker: David France
This post is part of Benevolent Media’s ongoing coverage of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. For more information, read “The Benevolent Guide to the Sundance Film Fesitval.” When journalist-turned-filmmaker David France set out to make a documentary about the early days of the HIV/AIDS activist movement, he didn’t intend to start [...]
The Benevolent Guide to the Sundance Film Festival
Ah, Sundance. The premiere indie film fest, where people all over the world descend on Park City, Utah to partake in the parties, the talks, the free swag, the networking, the snow bunnies, oh yes, and the movies. This year, we are keeping our eyes peeled for films and panels that explore ways to drive [...]
Telling the Story of Jyoti Singh Pandey
Her name is Jyoti Singh Pandey. The 23-year-old female medical student was brutally raped by six men on a private bus on her way back from watching a movie in New Delhi on December 16. She died from her injuries two weeks later in a Singapore hospital. The crime has sent India and the world [...]
Weekly Roundup: Trends and Predictions for 2013
Welcome to the first Friday of 2013! To kickstart the new year, we’re proud to launch a new weekly roundup series, compiling ideas, trends, news and research from benevolent media creators worldwide. Here’s what people have to say about upcoming trends and predictions for the year ahead. Have anything to add? Share them in the [...]
Top 12 Happenings of 2012
Dear friends and fans, What started as a “passion project” of mine, inspired by my dream job title of “benevolent media creator,” has grown beyond my expectations into a thriving community of change-seekers and media-makers like you. I am honored to have hosted, promoted and advised on storytelling and design projects in D.C. and beyond. [...]
“Let’s Color Project” Making the World Better One Shade at a Time
This post is made possible thanks to the Taiwan Youth Travel campaign, sponsored by the National Youth Commission in Taiwan. Founder and Editor-in-Chief Erica Schlaikjer was chosen as a Taiwan Trek Ambassador to document street art and urban vibrancy in Taiwan cities. Around the world, artists are literally painting the town red—and a rainbow of [...]
Update: Vote for “Rags to Pads” in $200,000 Filmmaker Competition
We have an update from filmmaker Chithra Jeyaram, the Grand Prize winner of Benevolent Media’s inaugural Pitch Night: Chithra Jeyaram’s short film “Rags to Pads” is a semifinalist in the $200,000 Focus Forward Filmmaker Competition, a new series of 30 three-minute stories about innovative people who are reshaping the world through act or invention. Her [...]
How to Design a “Transcendent Brand” for Social Impact
This article is part of our coverage of the 2012 Net Impact Conference in Baltimore. It originally appeared on Triple Pundit. “What is your true purpose, my friend?” asked Udaiyan Jatar to a panel of entrepreneurs at the Net Impact Conference in Baltimore. He was leading a discussion on Transformational Innovation & Iconic Branding: Scaling Social & Business [...]
