Today we celebrate legislation that has been passed to protect young people from sexual exploitation with the passage of the Allow States and Victims to Fight Sex Online Trafficking Act of 2017. We celebrate especially those advocates, featured in our film The Long Night, known to us as Natalie and Nacole, who fought tirelessly to make this happen. As she stood by the President's side to sign this legislation into law, Natalie finally reclaimed her name: Jessika. Jessika, the fifteen-year old girl from suburban Seattle who was forced into prostitution and is featured in The Long Night, has been an advocate in this cause, claiming that her pimp used the website Backpage.com to fuel his business, and her enslavement. She helped to shut down backpage.com last year and now has worked for legislation that "makes it easier for prosecutors and victims to sue social media networks, advertisers and others that fail to keep sex trafficking and…

The Investigative Reporting Program at UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism is now accepting applications for a workshop for independent filmmakers, to be held September 23-25. Details and instructions to apply are here, and more details are below. Independent filmmaking is flourishing, but stories can be undermined when filmmakers and journalists don’t bulletproof their stories against powerful critics or opponents. The goal of this workshop is to elevate the journalistic standards of independent filmmakers, increase the impact of their stories and help them break new ground. Topics covered will include: Interviewing and storytelling techniques to strengthen creativity Fairness: how to prepare for public information/distortion of your reporting Ethics: recreation of events, point of view scenes, use of hidden microphones and cameras, use of studies and polls, providing recording equipment to third parties, use and limits of releases, privacy and trespassing, payments and licenses, advance screenings Sources: relationship with sources, use of confidential sources,…

This year, the W.Eugene Smith Memorial Fund is offering $49,000 for projects that highlight untold stories, for a purpose. Photojournalism and documentary photography are more important than ever, in a time where individuals can control media and publications, and information is wealth. Applications are due May 1.  ©Krisanne Johnson, winner of the 2011 W. Eugene Smith Grant  Students can now apply for the  new W. Eugene Smith Student Grant, a $4,000 grant to support collegiate-level photography students in finishing a longer-term project that has the power to sway social dialogue and uses modern technology and image sharing platforms to affect change. To encourage entries from all around the world, submission fees for the student grant are only $1. The W. Eugene Smith Grant Recipient will receive $35,000 in funding to complete a long-term documentary project and one finalist will receive $5,000towards their project. Non-photographers, editors, and researchers can apply for the Howard…

For the past six years, MediaStorm has been honored to partner with the International Center of Photography and Harbers Studio to produce films that honor the winners of the annual Infinity Awards for their contributions to the field of photography and visual culture. The films MediaStorm produced for this year’s winners are: Lifetime Achievement: Bruce Davidson; Applied: Alexandra Bell; Art: Samuel Fosso; Artist's Book: Dayanita Singh, Museum Bhavan; Critical Writing and Research: Maurice Berger, Race Stories column for the Lens section of the New York Times; Documentary and Photojournalism: Amber Bracken; Emerging Photographer: Natalie Keyssar; and for Online Platform and New Media: Women Photograph. Each year, the ICP recognizes these outstanding artists at a fundraiser that supports a full range of programs, including exhibitions, collections, community outreach, scholarships, and the ICP School. MediaStorm’s films have been highlighted as the signature moment of the event. Since the first presentation of the films at the…

We are thrilled to be bringing our Storytelling Masterclass to Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism on April 20, 2018. This workshop is perfect for visual storytellers who are looking for inspiration on the work, or a practical guide on starting your own business. Brian Storm draws from his experience building a sustainable company and working in the rapidly changing media landscape for over twenty-years, so that you can join the ranks of independent creators and publishers that are breaking new ground. For more information and to apply, see here.   We have been telling stories and building an-award winning business for over a decade and we want to share our lessons with you. Our immersive trainings have helped so many, from the most seasoned journalists and filmmakers, to those just entering the field. 2018 marks our 11th year of training at MediaStorm. Each year our courses attract leading industry professionals looking to advance…