Experiencing Interruptions?

Rebels Against Hunger

While many people know that food can be healthy many people do not think it can be delicious at the same time. Rebel Ventures is a non-profit organization within the Philadelphia area that is working to make food that is both healthy and delicious for people within the Philadelphia Community. Reed Smith’s Rebels Against Hunger is about William Chaney and other people working at Rebel Ventures who explain what they do working there and why they do it. Will’s story gives a powerful portrait of a community in Philadelphia where unhealthy food seems like the only option given.

  • Reed Smith
    Director
    Making of Kakigori
  • Reed Smith
    Producer
    Shari's NVLD Story
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    23 minutes 44 seconds
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - School of Visual arts
  • School of Visual Arts Social Documentary Q and A

    April 2, 2021
Director Biography - Reed Smith

Reed Smith is a documentary filmmaker based in Philadelphia. He developed a deep love and fascination for movies at a young age, which eventually led him to get an MFA in Social Documentary Filmmaking at the School of Visual Arts. During his time at SVA, he worked on eight films including "What’s it in Chinatown," which was featured at DOC NYC film festival. Reed just finished working on his thesis documentary called "Rebels Against Hunger," which follows a non-profit organization in Philadelphia that’s working to serve food that is both healthy and delicious in their community. He has extensive experience in editing, transcription, and creating visual narratives. Reed loves filmmaking and is proud of the ways audiences react to his work.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

One of the high school students that works at Rebel Ventures William (Will) Chaney describes how when he was growing up there would always be corner stores covering the area, where kids would pick up unhealthy food that they would have for breakfast. Will is really happy to have Rebel Crumbles being served as a breakfast as he shows all these different unhealthy food you can get at the corner store such as chips and a soda. Will admits that when he was a little kid he would often eat unhealthy food at the corner store himself but now he is trying to work toward eating healthier.
I want my audience to feel they have come to really understand, Will and Rebel Ventures, and really like them as an organization. I want them to feel the determinism in Will and the group’s objections and to have a great appreciation for how hard it is to get low-income people good healthy food.