New Orleans Filmmakers Document a City Worth Rebuilding; Collaborative Local Filmmaking Effort to Present Duality of Life in Post-Katrina New Orleans

New Orleans Filmmakers Document a City Worth Rebuilding; Collaborative Local Filmmaking Effort to Present Duality of Life in Post-Katrina New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS, June 20 /PRNewswire/ -- In a new approach to telling stories from the front lines of post-Katrina New Orleans, the New Orleans Video Access Center (NOVAC) has collaborated with local filmmakers to produce a series of short documentaries on the people, culture and spirit that make New Orleans an American city worth rebuilding. In addition, NOVAC is producing a one-hour documentary called The Drive. It's an extensive driving tour through four of New Orleans' most devastated neighborhoods supported with maps, interviews, and an original score by Emmy nominated composer, Gil Talmi (http://www.giltalmi.com/ ).

"A painful irony is how few people throughout the country understand the extent of what has happened to New Orleans. In many respects, things are progressing. Families are moving home, cultural activities are abundant and, in some neighborhoods, life has a sense of near normalcy; however, a short drive in almost any direction provides a different picture. The magnitude of flooding was incomprehensible and nearly 10 months later, New Orleans has many challenges to overcome. We hope that this project conveys the duality of life in post-Katrina New Orleans and presents New Orleans as a city worth rebuilding," says Tim Ryan, NOVAC director/producer.

The documentaries are available for free viewing on YouTube.com (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=8080681AD2517F7E ) (keyword: NOVACDOC). The entire series is also available on DVD at cost ($4.75 + shipping) through a partnership with Customflix.com (http://www.customflix.com/210796 ). In addition, FriendsofNewOrleans.org (http://www.friendsofneworleans.org/ ), a non-profit devoted to the rebuilding of New Orleans, features a trailer of The Drive on their website.

The project is funded by the Greater New Orleans Foundation; Newman's Own Foundation; The RosaMary Foundation; Matt, Suzanne, Andy and Betty Wisdom; Cambridge Community Television; and other private funders. NOVAC continues to accept tax-deductible donations to support ongoing production.

For more information and links to view project, visit http://www.novacvideo.org/ .

About NOVAC

The New Orleans Video Access Center (NOVAC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit media center. For 34 years, NOVAC has supported the democratization of video by providing tools, technical training and production resources for both children and adult filmmakers in New Orleans. Following Hurricane Katrina, NOVAC's role becomes even more relevant, as we work with local filmmakers to document this historical time in New Orleans. Visit http://www.novacvideo.org/ .

Source: New Orleans Video Access Center

CONTACT: Tim Ryan of New Orleans Video Access Center, +1-504-339-4350,
or tim.ryan@novacvideo.org

Web site: http://www.novacvideo.org/
http://www.giltalmi.com/
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=8080681AD2517F7E
http://www.customflix.com/210796
http://www.friendsofneworleans.org/

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