This Weekend: First "Lights. Camera. Help." Fest

I was fortunate to meet David Neff, Director of Web and Interactive Strategy for the American Cancer Society and the main man behind Sharing Hope.tv when he presented his "User Generated Content: Listen Up or Fade Away" talk at BarCampAustin III last year. I was quite excited when David started talking about his new project, the Lights. Camera. Help. festival. It comes as no surprise that one of the local advocates of "Social Media for Social Good" would put ideas into action by hosting a film festival dedicated to social causes.

Tickets are still available for the Lights. Camera. Help. festival, which will run Friday and Saturday evenings with a wrap-up party on Sunday. Check the fest website for more details, including the lineup.

I am looking forward to Fowl Play, especially after our podcast last week where Jette and I discussed the power of film in making informed decisions about food choices. This 52-minute film by the organization Mercy for Animals focuses on factory farming and the commodification of animals.

As a longtime volunteer for the annual International Holiday Market here in Austin that supports fair trade artisans, I especially want to see Aid to Artisans. As a result of my experience, I am quite familiar with the philosophies of Ten Thousand Villages and SERRV International, but had not heard of this organization before. I am interested in finding out more through their short documentary.

I also look forward to meeting up with representatives from several non-profit organizations, along with their filmmakers and supporters, including United Way Capital Area and Mobile Film School. Check Slackerwood next week for my report on the festival. In the meantime, take a look at Austinist's interview with fest co-founder Aaron Bramley.