Generous MF Donor Fights Poverty in Brazil
The 2008 festival was particular Domino-liscious. This story is the first of several examples of Mountainfilm's direct positive impact on the world, stemming from the 2008 festival, that I will be posting on the blog in the coming weeks. For more Mountainfilm Domino Effect stories click on the Domino Effect category to the right.
THE MOMENT:Sylvia Johnson is a young filmmaker who was granted a fellowship in Brazil to chronicle the lives of poor kids who lived in slums in Brazil. Mountainfilm is one of the first film festivals to accept her short film, Alagados, which profiles Renato, an ex-criminal who chooses to defy the stereotype and engage in the active development of his own identity. A photography series called The Alagados Project, which puts cameras into the hands of some of Brazil’s most underprivileged and challenged young people, is part of the Gallery Walk.
Renato, criminal turned musician. Featured in the MF 2008 film Alagados
THE RESULT: Sylvia’s film and the work of the Alagados Project inspire a MF sponsor to commit $60,000 to the effort, giving the non-profit an enormous financial boost. The Alagados donation, says Johnson, will “put three kids through college and give them a real shot to work their way out of poverty.”