CCSU Film Student to be Broadcast on NESN’s NEXT PRODUCER and at Fenway Park
For Sintia Arelus, college was never about late-night hours in an editing lab….but last semester, changing that would transform everything. In the Fall of 2016, producers of New England Sports Network, (NESN) contacted CCSU in-search of college students, who might be interested in developing sports-related films for their NEXT PRODUCER competition. While normally, this would not be an appropriate fit for a first-semester Film student, certain times call for extreme efforts.
Wanting to participate, Sintia immediately chose to accelerate her learning. She focused on issues of race and spent a mass of hours, filming, editing, fixing errors, along with regularly sending midnight images for feedback. Slowly, her story-telling technique was growing.
With only 7 weeks to cram in 16 weeks of work, Sintia engaged in basic directing, illuminated scenes and dramatically increased her production abilities – accomplishments all students are capable of. Though frustrating, (if not excruciating under such a deadline), the uptick in work and learning was worth it. In fact, she produced her first film within the short deadline.
Today, we are pleased to announce Sintia Arelus is now amongst the top–three for NESN’S Next Producer Competition.
Currently, Sinta’s film is scheduled to be broadcast at Fenway Park in Boston. An amazing accomplishment!
Posted by Jeff Teitler, Associate Professor – Filmmaking – Department of Communication, Central Connecticut State University.
To see the write up in the Hartford Courant, CLICK HERE
Posted by, Professor, Jeff Teitler – CCSU Film Program – Department of Communication
On behalf of the cast and crew of The Sweetest Land, we would like to the Lower East Side Film Festival for the recognition and desire to bring a new conversation to NYC.
Brown, who founded Mothers United Against Violence in 2003, agreed. “We’re forgotten in our own community. We are a forgotten people,” Brown said. “It’s frustrating to see the different response among different groups of people. We don’t have that support because we’re people of color.”
Featured at The Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, NY, we are so pleased to announce that THE SWEETEST LAND was the festival winner at Queens World Film Festival. Thank you, 
Studies show that roughly 2 percent of Hartford’s population commits most of the criminal acts. From firsthand experience, I know historically, and most likely now, there has been no plan for a brighter future or any extensive efforts to effectively reach those individuals (or those who will become that 2 percent). Much of what you hear are band-aid fixes, new program names and reliance on “hope” for what I see as a chronic sucking chest wound within the city.
We all have advocated for more resources and jobs at one time or another. But even successful prevention programs cannot compensate for the many other funded programs that repeatedly fail our youths, do not advance practice and provide low quality care for those in dire need. Overall, there is a gaping lack of accountability and oversight within these prevention initiatives, their methods and outcomes. We lose lives, miss opportunities and misspend millions without quality assurances and studied results. For example, crime prevention nonprofits submit self-evaluations and self-monitoring reports to receive funding while few watch for accuracy, data proof and outcome. I’ve seen it.
Many years ago, I presented a number of ideas to then-Mayor Eddie Perez, which I believe could have changed Hartford’s dynamic; one of them being a citywide referral database by which all nonprofits receiving funding within the city would be required to register and share information with each other. This could help our community to better assess and serve youth and families in much more comprehensive ways, while providing the services they need. I also suggested we use out-of-state evaluators, who have no political ties or agendas. Doing this would ensure true compliance, value and service for the millions of prevention dollars being flooded into the same sections of the city. While I received no response from my presentation, it is more important to acknowledge that Hartford is not advancing as much as it should. In fact, history is repeating itself.
I was mad. I had thoughts of retaliation. So did my friends. Although ours might be a typical response to trauma (or a preventable future act of violence), there were no follow-up services from any community-based organization or gun violence intervention program offered to my family, friends or me. In fact, aside from one underfunded reverend, several mothers who also lost their children to violence, and my family, there was no one to help.
Through private consultations with research-based organizations, a rough cut of THE SWEETEST LAND was presented to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center’s Injury Prevention Center. In a rare and brave statement, the Center’s Director, Gary Lapidus wrote the following:
Gary Lapidus PA-C, MPH – Director Injury Prevention Center – Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Public Health, University of Connecticut’s School of Medici
Film for me at CCSU has changed my thoughts and perception of production. I have gone beyond the fear of handling the camera and approaching subjects. Most recently, through film, I explored issues of gender and identity in an extremely personal way. This resulted in over 6000 views within week of posting and a mass of positive feedback on issues of gender.