Collective Eye Blog

Collective Eye Films is an educational film distribution and production company that represents compelling documentaries that explore the untold stories of our time.

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Check out April's New Release, FIELD BIOLOGIST!

"Field Biologist takes your breath away. First the mindbogglingly beautiful nature shots inspire your awe, and then protagonist Tyler Christensen goes and steals your heart. A must-see for any nature lover.” — Rebeka Ryvola, Festival co-director, Environmental Film Festival at Yale

NOW AVAILABLE for educational institutions & public libraries! CLICK HERE for more information.

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http://www.collectiveeye.org/products/eating-alabama-community-screenings

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Spring NEW RELEASES!

CLICK HERE for more information on these great NEW RELEASES, or to MAKE A PURCHASE.

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Honoring Women's History Month: Words of Wisdom from our Female Filmmakers

Sadly, Women's History Month is coming to a close. BUT that doesn't mean we have to stop celebrating the awesomeness of ladies! To commemorate such an awesome month, we asked our female filmmakers a few questions. What they had to say is enlightening, inspiring, and insightful...

Q: How do you feel your experience as a woman has impacted the way you approach filmmaking? A: In two major ways. In terms of my connection to my film's subjects, I think my being a woman has allowed my film subjects to trust me and have a level of personal connection and intimacy during interviews that has been a positive result of my gender. On the business side, I think being a woman has forced me on a few occasions to be tougher than I would normally want to be - there are occasionally men who you have to work with, who will treat you in a lesser way because you're a woman. In those cases, you have to step up your guard and your direction, and make your focus and intent very directly clear to them. But most male co-workers have been very supportive while working with me and its not been an issue.

Q: In your opinion, what steps must be taken in order for the film industry to make room for more female voices? A: This is hard because I think the industry reflects the culture and until we change the culture, the industry will remain challenging in some areas. I do think that women need to support one another and not fall into the trap of seeing one another as competition. I think festivals and other curators should include more females, as these are the gatekeepers to who succeeds and who flounders. But again, I hesitate to say what anyone should do, as I would prefer that the cultural expectations make these things happen rather than dictating quotas or other systems without helping people understand why this is for the benefit of all.

Q: What would you say to any aspiring female filmmakers out there? A: As a queer-identified, mixed-race daughter of immigrants, I believe in working with people whose stories and experiences are largely ignored, minimized, marginalized, or distorted. I feel we have a responsibility to make sure we are contributing our stories to this evolving narrative of the human experience. Because there is something profoundly liberating and validating about seeing aspects of your self, your experience, your truth, reflected back at you from the page, from the canvas, from the screen. In order to truly honor our stories, we must become the Subjects of our own stories, instead of the Objects of someone else’s. And for the circles I move in—for immigrants, for queer folks, for women and girls, for people of color, for survivors—we often struggle with believing that we have the right to take up space with our story. But the world needs our stories, told in our own voices, from our unique point of view. Every time we contribute our story to this evolving human narrative, we radically shift the conversation, creating a more expansive, inclusive portrait of humanity. And when other people see their lives visibly represented and reflected back at them, they’re reminded that their stories do matter. And hopefully in turn, they will feel more inspired and entitled to find their own creative way to tell their story. This is a ripple effect of story telling that I believe in and feel truly inspired by. —Eliaichi Kimaro

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FMTV will feature some of our best-selling titles like WATERSHED, THE GREENHORNS, INGREDIENTS, QUEEN OF THE SUN, and more!

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A serious loss to the film industry. Rest In Peace, Harold Ramis. You gave us all some wonderful laughs through the years— a truly great gift.

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Interview with Dan Susman: Director of Growing Cities

Interview by Jessica Mostad

In Growing Cities, you highlight several different methods of urban farming being employed today across the country. How did you decide on the places you featured?

We did a lot of research at the beginning of the process, so we made a lot of calls, sent emails, and searched a bunch on the internet. That said, we gave ourselves enough time while traveling to explore because you inevitably have people on the ground tell you that you have to check out XYZ farm ... and sometimes those were the best ones.

What were some of your biggest challenges when making Growing Cities?

We had basically zero budget starting out. We slept on couches, ate veggies from farms, and even borrowed Andrew's (my filmmaking partner) mom's minivan to execute the trip. Then filming at the farms - it was super hot, noisy, fire ants and other bugs attacking you - all and all not easy, but definitely worth it.

  

Speaking of food: what are some of your favorites? And do you think that food tastes better when it is homegrown? 

Of course! I love kale (before it was cool), growing pumpkins, and eating pretty much every type of veggie.


How would you like to see our society shift in terms of food production, distribution, and consumption?

I think we need a shift to where everyone grows something where they live - whether that's planting a tomato for the first-time or teaching kids about healthy foods, everyone can Grow Where They Are. That's kind of our mantra - no matter who you are or what kind of space you have, you can make a difference in your community.

  
How would you recommend someone with little or no experience go about growing food?

Start small, don't overextend yourself - and grow things you like to eat! For more tips see our Grow Where You Are infographic or watch some of our short videos.

  
Talk a little bit about your festival experiences thus far: what it's been like to see your film on the big screen and interact with your audience.

This is probably my favorite part - it's wonderful to see something you created spark ideas, conversation, and action - especially among audiences who don't have a ton of experience with this stuff already!

  
Who are some of your inspirations – as a filmmaker, as an advocate, or otherwise?

Scott Stokoe (the farm manager at Dartmouth College), the King Corn guys, and all those urban farmers out there!

  
What advice would you give to all the aspiring filmmakers out there?

You just gotta go out and do it - there are so many books and tutorials and things to learn, but the best way to learn is by going out there and making a film! It doesn't have to be perfect, and probably never will be. CLICK HERE for more information about GROWING CITIES, including a trailer, pricing, and awards & quotes. CLICK HERE to purchase an educational copy of GROWING CITIES Visit the GROWING CITIES official website.

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Honoring MLK Day & African American past, present, & future

January 15th marks the birth of one of America's most important historical figures, Martin Luther King Jr, and on the 20th we will all enjoy a day dedicated to the impact he had— and continues to have— on our country. In honor of this, and in anticipation of African American History month this coming February, we'd like to extend a special offer to all of you!

Click here to view the films in our African American Studies Collection

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Holiday Discount on Docs for the Classroom!

As the late Nelson Mandela said, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." At Collective Eye, we really believe that documentaries are an essential part of the educational process; they incite conversations and inspire students to help change the world with their passion. In honor of all the hard work that goes into educating and empowering the minds of the future, we are offering 20% off our entire educational collection through the month of December! Order before December 25th and receive free shipping (domestic orders only).

Happy Holidays!

More art, music, & design titles...

See all environmental & agricultural titles...

See all LGBT & gender studies titles...

See all multicultural titles...

See all human rights titles... DON'T FORGET: Order before December 25th & receive FREE SHIPPING (domestic orders only).

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Collective Eye Films honors School Librarian Day!

Here at Collective Eye, we deeply appreciate librarians, those hardworking individuals and teams behind every library desk. These wonderful personalities are absolutely essential to today's education, guiding the minds of tomorrow to the right book, the right film, the right article that will spark the imagination and enliven the every-day learning experience. In honor of School Librarian Day on October 16th, we'd like to show our gratitude by offering a special discount on some of our best documentaries. We invite you all to take advantage of this excellent opportunity to expand your library's collection with these award-winning films, all of which have been highly recommended by Video Librarian.

CLICK HERE for more information about these titles.

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CLICK HERE for more information, or to purchase one of these great new releases!