Harlem International Film Festival - The Right to Read

605 W 125th St,New York NY 10027

20 May, 2023

Description

Harlem International Film FestivalJoin us for a day of screenings and conversations, featuring short and feature-length documentaries on a variety of topics. The Harlem International Film Festival and the Zuckerman Institute invite you to a day of film and conversation. Check out one film, or stay for all five. Right to ReadThe stories of a courageous NAACP activist, a teacher, and two American families, who fight to provide our youngest generation with the most foundational indicator of life-long success: the ability to read. Immediately following the film, we will have a talkback with director Jenny Mackenzie, learning specialist Lisa Woody, and the mothers of the two families featured in the film, Teresa Hunter and Melinda Staples. *This will be the New York City premiere.* Read more about the Right to Read film here. ----- Doors open at 3:50PM. This event is free and open to the public. Register now to guarantee entrance. Accessible Entrance Address: 605 W. 125th St New York, NY 10027 About the panelistsJenny MackenzieJenny Mackenzie is a documentary filmmaker who produces films that promote social change. Her films include Kick Like a Girl, Where’s Herbie?, Sugar Babies, Lead with Love, Dying in Vein, The Opiate Generation, and the 2018 Sundance & Emmy-award winning film Quiet Heroes. The Right to Read is her most recent film. Mackenzie’s films have aired on top broadcast and VOD channels such as HBO, HULU, PBS, and Amazon, and have received praise in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Boston Globe. Her films have received grant support from Chicken & Egg Films, Artemis Rising Foundation, The Sorenson Legacy Foundation, Fledgling Fund, The Larry H. Miller Foundation & The Eccles Foundation. She has a bachelor's degree from Brown University and a Ph.D. from the University of Utah. Mackenzie has worked in collaboration with the Utah Film Center for over 15 years and is an assistant professor in documentary film production at Utah Valley University. Lisa WoodyLisa Woody is a Learning Specialist with over 15 years experience in reading and mathematics remediation in elementary, middle, and high school levels within the U.S. and abroad. She is a recent graduate of the Neuroscience and Education Master’s of Science program at Teachers College, Columbia University; has a Master’s of Arts degree in Special Education from George Washington University and is a proud alumni of Spelman College with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics. Currently she is the Upper Division Learning Specialist at Horace Mann School, a private college preparatory school located in the Bronx, New York, and is a well sought after private tutor as well as mentor. Her principal areas of focus are neuroscience education, learning differences, and executive functioning. Prior to entering the field of education, she was a private banker, development officer, and international corporate auditor with assignments in the Philippines, Japan, and Egypt. Melinda AdamsMelinda and Fred Adams met in Jackson, Mississippi and moved to the Delta with their two children. They worry about Fred Jr.'s education given that only 21% of children can read at grade level in their district. Melinda signs Fred Jr. up for an educational technology program that focuses on kindergarten readiness, and is rooted in evidence-based instruction. The family will do anything to ensure their children receive the education they need. Teresa HunterTeresa Hunter is a trainer for the LENA early language program in Virginia Beach that helps set children up for reading success. By focusing on increasing children’s vocabularies and the numbers of words spoken in homes, the program helps set children receive foundational tools for early literacy. After graduating from the program with her husband Isaiah and their daughter Ivy, Teresa was inspired to become an early literacy advocate. Teresa is hoping to re-enroll in college and get her degree in early childhood education once Ivy starts school.