"In a perfect world..." Social Change Film Festival

Background Information:

The year 2016 is the 100th Anniversary of YWCA Clark County. What began as a lunch counter for working women in 1916 has evolved to become a force of empowerment and safety for women, children and youth in our community. For the past 100 years we have continued to adapt and respond to an ever-changing society. We have come from grassroots activism to advocate for the rights of women as workers, wives, mothers and citizens to being associated with an international services organization playing a critical role in promoting women’s suffrage, women’s rights in the workplace and at the forefront of the civil rights movement since the 1960’s.

Today, the YWCA Clark County’s mission is to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, dignity, and freedom for all. We develop innovative programs to strengthen mind, body and spirit for those suffering from abuse and oppression. We have achieved so much and impacted hundreds of thousands of people throughout our history. It is a story of not only women helping women, but the whole community coming together to create a more peaceful and just society.

As we reflect back on all we have accomplished, we must also look ahead to the work still needed to fully empower women, and eliminate racism, violence, and oppression in our communities. We must re-dedicate ourselves to the mission of our organization and find new ways to engage the community in our efforts. We must ask every citizen to join us in this transformative work as volunteers, advocates, supporters, and partners.

Film Submission call:

The Social Change Film Festival highlights film and video created to institute change around the world, promoting a global culture where equality is achieved from an individual to global level.

The Call for Entries for the “In a perfect world…” Social Change Film Festival opens January 4, 2016. Submissions will be due March 18, 2016, and are to be submitted through FilmFreeway.com. We are open to all genres and judge on content and quality. We are looking for projects that have a vision, a story, and are created with passion.

The “In a perfect world…” Social Change Film Festival to be held at a one night event on April 14, 2016 at Kiggins Theater in Vancouver, WA.

“In a perfect world…”

YWCA Clark County’s mission is to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, dignity, and freedom for all. YWCA Clark County’s six core values are:
- Empowerment
- Diversity
- Commitment
- Teamwork
- Service
- Respect

We are calling for film submissions featuring content and themes surrounding one or more of YWCA Clark County’s six core values. Films that complete the phrase “In a perfect world…” Film submissions may reflect on the past and the current challenges of oppression, however, the central focus should be what the future looks like if we achieve our mission.

Additional prompt information:
 Tell your story (optional)
 Submissions are to be future-focused, thinking of the next 100 years.

Questions to think about:
 How have I/someone experienced oppression and how was it overcome?
 What does social change mean to me?
 What do I want the future to be?
 What is my vision of the future?
 What would make the world a better place?
 What does the next 100 years look like for social justice?