The Global Film Initiative promotes cross-cultural understanding through the medium of
cinema.
History repeatedly points
to the importance of great storytelling in chronicling and
influencing human affairs. Even today, a powerful, authentic
narrative can foster trust and respect between disparate cultures
and mitigate the social and psychological impact of cultural
prejudice. In recent times, no medium has been as effective
at communicating the range and diversity of the world’s
cultures as the cinematic arts. But this vital contribution
to cultural diversity has been threatened by shifting economic
conditions in the areas of film financing and distribution,
a situation largely prompted by the international success
of the American film industry. Filmmaking in the developing
world has suffered most from these changes; traditional funding
sources have all but disappeared and worldwide distribution
channels have collapsed.
Ironically, it is the United
States, and especially its youth, that suffers disproportionately
from this lack of exposure to other cultures. The stability
of America’s ethnic mosaic depends on deep cross-cultural
understanding, particularly between young Americans and the
children of recently arrived immigrants. A comprehensive effort
to give value to stories from every corner of the world plays
a vital role in promoting tolerance in all areas of human
behavior.
The Initiative has developed
four complementary programs to promote both the production of authentic and accessible
stories created in the developing world and their distribution
throughout the schools and leading cultural institutions of
the United States.
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