By ROBERT GOLDRICH
ROCK THE VOTEaA GROUP founded by members of the recording industry nearly nine years ago with the purpose of encouraging voter registration among young people across the countryais at a strategic crossroads. Credited in some circles with helping to drum up the vote that helped Bill Clinton get elected President in A92, Rock The Vote now has to try to help reverse a recent trend in voter decline. Turnout among young voters dipped in the 96 election, and its feared such slippage will be exacerbated by greater apathy and general disgust over D.C. machinations in the Clinton/Lewinsky/Starr fiasco.
Quoted in the Los Angeles Times several weeks ago, Rock The Vote president Seth Matlins summed up the situation with a simple query: How do you sell political participation at a time when the state of politics is just so repulsive?
Thankfully, Rock The Vote has an answer, one that was formulated well before impeachment proceedings began. It was a strategy devised to address not only voter decline but also, just as importantly, the long period between trips to the voting booth. Rock The Vote decided to reduce the number of PSAs with big name pop music stars promoting the importance of voting. Now being introduced into the mix are PSAs that instead position civic-minded youngsters as the stars. The PSAs will advocate youth activism as a means to positively impact communities.
While SHOOT reported on one of the early entries unveiled last year, its a project thats worth revisiting in that it embodies the new Rock The Vote approach. The spot centers on six Latin American womenaages 16 to 18awho formed an organization called Gates, a food cooperative that helps bring affordable, fresh produce to young mothers in South Central Los Angeles. In the PSA, a Gates founder explains, Instead of waiting for someone to do something, we did it ourselves. The public service message was directed by Joseph Kahn who is now repped for spots and videos via bicoastal Holiday.
Another adaculled largely from stock footageashows young men skateboarding across concrete slabs. A voiceover breaks into the punk-rock soundtrack: Call them what you want, but these guys asked the City Council for a skateboard parkaand got it. The ad was based on a true story about how youngsters worked with local public officials in Santa Cruz, Calif., to get zoning clearance and approval for the opening of the park.
The notion of young people empowering themselves to make a positive difference is perhaps the best weapon against the disappointment and disillusionment engendered by a political process that has become just too political. And sadly, getting lost in the shuffle seemingly are what should be the real priorities such as public education, healthcare and public safety.
The conceptual underpinning of the Rock The Vote campaign is that young people can help improve society. The spots show that rather than being alienated by the sad state of political affairs, young Americans can use that negative as a positive catalyst to work to make things better. And once they are engaged in their local communities, its more likely that they will see the value of voting. Towards that end, Rock The Vote realizes that its campaign needs to entail more than just a spot blitz every four years. The organizations message needs to be conveyed year-round and shouldnt be confinedalike politicians promisesato just election time.
“Memoir of a Snail” Takes Top Prize At London Film Festival
The Official Competition jury said: “Our jury was incredibly moved by Adam Elliot’s Memoir of a Snail, which is a singular achievement in filmmaking. Emotionally resonant and constantly surprising, Memoir tackles pertinent issues such as bullying, loneliness and grief head-on, creating a crucial and universal dialogue in a way that only animation can. The jury is delighted to recognize an animated film alongside its live-action peers.”
Rounding out the winners of this year’s films screening In Competition are:
- Winner of the Sutherland Award in the First Feature Competition – On Falling (Dir. Laura Carreira)
- Winner of the Grierson Award in the Documentary Competition – Mother Vera (Dirs. Cécile Embleton, Alys Tomlinson)
- Winner of the Short Film Award in the Short Film Competition – Vibrations from Gaza (Dir. Rehab Nazzal)