Newtown (2016)

After joining the ranks of a growing club no one wants to belong to, the people of Newtown, Connecticut, weave an intimate story of resilience. This film traces the aftermath of the worst mass shooting of schoolchildren in American history as the traumatized community finds a new sense of purpose.

Directed by Kim A. Snyder

Genre(s) Documentary Film

9 Documentaries Win Peabody Awards, ‘America ReFramed: Deej’ ‘Chasing Coral’ ‘Indivisible’

[caption id="attachment_28139" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] America ReFramed: Deej[/caption] The Peabody Awards Board of Jurors has selected nine winners in the Documentary category for programs released in 2017. The honorees, part of the annual Peabody 30, include stories that give insight to the lingering grief of communities after mass shootings, the impact of climate change on Earth’s oceans, and young activists fighting for a path to citizenship. The Peabody Awards are based at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. Peabody Award winners, including Carol Burnett, recipient of the first-ever Peabody Career Achievement Award presented by Mercedes-Benz, will be celebrated on Saturday, May 19 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York. Hasan Minhaj, comedian, writer and senior correspondent on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” will serve as host. The presenting sponsor is Mercedes-Benz, the official automobile of the 77th Annual Peabody Awards Ceremony. Supporting sponsor is The Coca-Cola Co. Variety is the exclusive media partner.
2017 Documentary Winners
America ReFramed: Deej A bold step forward in inclusive filmmaking that allows David James (Deej) Savarese, a nonspeaking young man with autism, to tell his own story, focusing on accomplishment and possibility, not limits and barriers. Chasing Coral This surprisingly emotional film expertly documents, through time-lapse underwater photographs, the effects of climate change on the rapid decimation of the world’s coral reefs, events known as coral bleaching that affected 29 percent of the shallow-water coral in the Great Barrier Reef in 2016 alone. Indivisible An urgent, intimate portrait of heartbreak and determination, disappointment and victory as three young Dreamers navigate confusing immigration policy, bad faith on the part of politicians, and the emotional trauma of family separation. Last Men in Aleppo Masterful storytelling by civilian filmmakers at the heart of the Syrian crisis as they follow the volunteer group the White Helmets, who provide emergency services to traumatized residents in the rebel-occupied areas of the city of Aleppo. Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise A vivid portrait of Maya Angelou, who, while best known as one of America’s leading writers, also blazed a brave and original life as a performer, actress, and activist integral to the civil rights movement and the celebration of African-American experience. Newtown Testimonials from survivors of the deadliest mass shooting of schoolchildren in American history document a traumatized community fractured by grief but driven toward a sense of purpose. Oklahoma City Essential viewing that draws a line from armed standoffs at Ruby Ridge and Waco to the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, to tell the story of both the worst act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history and the rise of anti-government hatred and white militancy. The Islands and the Whales An exquisitely photographed documentary that explores the inextricable links between oceans poisoned by coal burning power plants and the direct impact they have on people of the remote Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, who struggle between maintaining their traditional way of life and the long-term health repercussions of mercury poisoning. TIME: The Kalief Browder Story Powerful miniseries illuminating the greatest flaws of our criminal justice system through the tragic events and death of a young African-American who spent three years on Rikers Island without being convicted of a crime.
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NEWTOWN, Documentary on Deadliest Mass Shooting of Schoolchildren in American History, to Air on PBS | Trailer

[caption id="attachment_21180" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Newtown[/caption] Kim A. Snyder’s documentary Newtown that tells the story of the aftermath of the deadliest mass shooting of schoolchildren in American history will air on Independent Lens on PBS April 3. On December 14, 2012, a disturbed young man committed a horrific mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, that took the lives of 20 elementary school children and six educators. Kim A. Snyder’s searing new documentary Newtown, filmed over the course of nearly three years, uses deeply personal, never-before-heard testimonies to relate the aftermath of the deadliest mass shooting of schoolchildren in American history. Through raw and heartbreaking interviews with parents, siblings, teachers, doctors and first responders, Newtown documents a traumatized community still reeling from the senseless tragedy, fractured by grief but driven toward a sense of purpose. Newtown premieres on Independent Lens Monday, April 3, 2017, 10:00-11:30PM ET (check local listings) on PBS. There are no words of compassion or reassurance that can bring back those who lost their lives during the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Instead, Snyder delves into the lives and homes of those who remain, all of whom have been indelibly changed by the events. They speak candidly about their grief, anger and disbelief over what occurred and their disappointment that nothing has truly changed with regard to the country’s legal response to gun violence. Newtown bears witness to their profound grief and allows it to reverberate within our collective conscience, exploring what happens to a community after it becomes the epicenter of a national discussion and what it must cope with after the cameras leave. “Working with Kim on this film has been a deeply rewarding experience,” said Lois Vossen, Independent Lens executive producer. “The team was committed to making a film that was incisive without being exploitative. Newtown shows the impact of trauma on a community, the grief gun violence causes and how we begin to heal and move forward.”
About the Participants
in Alphabetical Order: Mark Barden, the father of Daniel, who at age seven was killed at Sandy Hook. Mark’s journey from isolation to reconnection with family, community and ultimately with his murdered son is intimate, raw and informed by strength. Dr. William Begg, ER doctor, Danbury Hospital. Sgt. Bill Cario, Connecticut State Trooper. Abbey Clements, Sandy Hook Elementary School teacher. Sarah Clements, daughter of surviving Sandy Hook Elementary School teacher. Nicole Hockley, mother of Dylan, one of the children murdered at Sandy Hook. Her son, Jake, a third grade survivor, is manifesting symptoms of PTSD. In the midst of all this, her unrelenting conviction to effect change connects her with fellow bereaved parent Mark Barden. Mary Ann Jacob, Sandy Hook Elementary School library clerk. Melissa Malin, Newtown resident and neighbor of the Barden family. Gene Rosen, Sandy Hook Elementary School neighbor. Rick Thorne, Sandy Hook Elementary School custodian. Laurie Veillette, volunteer EMT. David Wheeler, whose youngest son Ben was killed at Sandy Hook.Active in the Newtown community, he shares his story out of the desire to protect the rest of the world from going through what his family endured.
About the Filmmakers
Kim A. Snyder (Director/Producer) Newtown, Kim Snyder’s most recent film, premiered in competition at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and was hailed in Entertainment Weekly as among the “Best of Sundance.” The film will continue to screen at premiere festivals worldwide and is poised to have a theatrical release in September 2016, followed by a national broadcast on PBS’s Independent Lens. Snyder’s last feature documentary, Welcome to Shelbyville, was also nationally broadcast on Independent Lens. In 2007, Snyder co-founded the BeCause Foundation to direct and produce a series of socially conscious documentaries, which have won numerous awards with campaigns furthering the work of the social innovators they highlight. Her award-winning directorial debut feature documentary, I Remember Me, was theatrically distributed by Zeitgeist Films. In 1994, she associate produced the Academy Award-winning short film Trevor, directed by Peggy Rajski. Snyder graduated with a Masters in international affairs from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and resides in New York City. Maria Cuomo Cole (Producer) Maria Cuomo Cole is the award-winning producer of Newtown, which premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. In her career, she has tackled such subjects as gun violence, homelessness, veterans’ PTSD, domestic violence and sexual assault. Most recently, she executive produced The Hunting Ground, directed by Kirby Dick. This Emmy and Peabody Award-winning film has been lauded as a powerful investigation into the epidemic of sexual assaults on college campuses. In 2012, Cuomo Cole worked with the same film team, executive producing the 2014 Oscar®-nominated documentary The Invisible War. This groundbreaking documentary about the epidemic of rape and sexual violence in the U.S. military served as a catalyst for federal legislation and influenced federal policy reforms. Cuomo Cole’s 2011 documentary Living for 32, about gun laws in America, was short-listed for an Academy Award® and premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. In collaboration with national communities of gun violence survivors, faith leaders, political leaders and nonprofits, the film has served as a catalyst for awareness and advocacy on the subject of federal and state legislative reform across the country. Since 1992, she has led HELP USA, the national nonprofit leader in both homeless and permanent supportive service housing and employment programs for veterans, families and survivors of domestic violence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6V0QuGuFf2k
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3 Films To Screen as Centerpiece Program of 2016 Greenwich International Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_11531" align="aligncenter" width="1500"] THE FUNDAMENTALS OF CARING[/caption] The Greenwich International Film Festival set to run June 9 to 12, will screen Rob Burnett’s THE FUNDAMENTALS OF CARING, Sophie Goodhart’s MY BLIND BROTHER and Kim Snyder’s NEWTOWN as part of its Centerpiece program. “We are proud to be featuring these three wonderful films in the centerpiece section of our second edition,” said Colleen deVeer, Founder and Director of Programming for GIFF. “We feel these stories will inspire our audience, while also highlighting social impact themes, an important part of our festival’s mission.” THE FUNDAMENTALS OF CARING tells the story of an unlikely pair who, through their struggles, come to understand the importance of hope and the necessity of true friendship. The film will screen on Saturday, June 11th at The Greenwich High School Performing Arts Center and will be followed by a Q&A with Director Rob Burnett and star Craig Roberts, moderated by actor/comedian Tom Cavanagh (Ed, Scrubs). “I’m thrilled to be a part of the Greenwich Film Festival,” said Burnett. “Greenwich has been my home for 15 years and it’s special to be able to show the film surrounded by friends and family.” [caption id="attachment_13908" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] MY BLIND BROTHER[/caption] Stars Nick Kroll and Charlie Hewson will be joined by Screenwriter and Director Sophie Goodhart on Saturday, June 11th for a screening of their film MY BLIND BROTHER at Bow Tie Cinemas and will be followed by a post screening Q&A. In the film, love for the same woman creates a rift between an over-achieving blind athlete and his resentful brother. “I couldn’t be more excited to be included in this year’s Greenwich International Film Festival! It’s thrilling to be part of this new festival’s journey,” said Goodhart. [caption id="attachment_13909" align="aligncenter" width="1320"] NEWTOWN[/caption] As part of GIFF’s commitment to community engagement, the festival will be screening NEWTOWN, a documentary about the victims and families of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. NEWTOWN will screen on Saturday, June 11th at Bow Tie Cinemas. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Director Kim Snyder, Producer Maria Cuomo Cole, and several of the family members profiled in the film along with first responders, doctors, educators, and community heroes. “NEWTOWN is a portrait of community resilience and hope in the aftermath of heartbreaking tragedy. We thank the families and survivors in our film for their courage, grace and trust in sharing their most personal stories, and we thank the Greenwich International Film Festival for allowing us to share these stories with the local community.”
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Competition and NEXT Film Lineup Revealed for 2016 Sundance Film Festival

Sundance Institute announced the 65 films selected for the U.S. Competition, World Competition and out-of-competition NEXT category set to premiere at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, taking place January 21-31 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.

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