Inspiring Good, One Film at a Time

In keeping with brandchannel's cinematic theme today, we're thinking you may be tired of glitzy glam and Hollywood hype, so here’s a refreshing alternative: the Media That Matters film festival, which selects a dozen short films each year to inspire projects and action around timely social issues.

It's a fresh take on game-changing ideas and social trends which may inspire brands looking to get more in touch with their social conscience.

Projects in its 2009 winning group of digital shorts include The Next Wave (above), about the Carteret Islanders, the first so-called ‘climate refugees,’ who are depicted fighting for survival as they're uprooted from their Papua New Guinea home.

Twelve films are showcased annually, each no longer than 12 minutes, and made by directors who are mostly under 21 years old.

The festival was started by a group of artists and media activists with a mission to bring “high-impact shorts and Take Action tools to audiences around the country all year long through the distribution of the jury-selected collection on DVD and by web streaming, broadcasts and community screenings.”

They’ve been in business for ten years, and tonight (in New York) is the official premier for its 2010, which will be subsequently posted online. Don't miss it.