Empowering Communities

Developing a bilingual communications program for the Raise the River campaign

Since working on our 2012 feature film WATERSHED, The Redford Center remains an active member of the Raise the River Coalition working to restore the Colorado River Delta. In 2022, to deepen engagement with Mexican and Mexicali Valley community members, the local Raise the River team launched a dedicated Mexico communications program that has introduced a Spanish-language social media presence, media bulletins interviews a monthly newsletter, and a series of monthly workshops to explore best practices for the use of the declining Colorado River water supply in its delta region.

At the same time, ongoing media outreach resulted in feature stories in the Los Angeles Times, Denver Post Associated Press New York Times, and Sierra Club Magazine.

Driving support to frontline leaders during the filmmaking process

In a compelling article published in the spring 2022 issue of Orion Magazine Executive Director Jill Tidman detailed the story behind our grantee film IMPOSSIBLE TOWN a feature documentary about the spike in resident cancer diagnoses and deaths in Minden, WV. The article received notably high readership and garnered early attention and support for the in-production film, the local community and the film’s main subject Dr. Ayne Amjad, who is leading the fight to move her community off of the poisoned land.

"While the courts are important and we need to hold up the importance of our judicial system, there are also many other ways that everyone can get involved in holding our government accountable on climate change. We hope that this film [YOUTH v GOV] inspires and empowers young people, in particular, to know that their voice matters and that they can be engaged and involved at so many different levels."

Christi Cooper Filmmaker, Redford Center Grantee