Steve Cossman's Lounge Discussions

Good afternoon : I just wanted to introduce myself on the Stage 32 Platform and share a bit of information for those in the Greater NYC area. My name is Steve Cossman, I'm a filmmaker, community organizer and activist in Brooklyn New York. 10 years ago, I started a non-profit cinema arts organization called MONO NO AWARE. Our mission is connectivity through cinema thinking of the cinema as a space for shared experience. We teach traditional film making, rent film equipment, import and distro film stock, organize screenings for traveling filmmakers and more. Last year we received a donation-in-kind of an entire motion picture laboratory from Filmworkers Lab in Dallas Texas, and with our 501c3 status, this allows us the unique opportunity to open the first ever full service non-profit motion picture lab in the United States completely dedicated filmmakers and artists of the moving image. This is an unprecedented donation and a major shift for film makers worldwide working on 16/35MM film. Our vision of affordability and accessibility will give filmmakers the opportunity to shoot, process, project, scan or print and preserve film for decades to come. Our professional facilities will allow us to further support filmmakers of all genres and budgets. There are less than half a dozen motion picture laboratories functioning in the US today. Now is a critical moment in the history of film and it makes this opportunity that much more exciting. Learn more about us here: http://mononoawarefilm.com/ We're currently running our 10th annual film festival with 5 of 21 screenings remaining at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, EAI, BRIC Media Arts Center, and a 2-day blow out of expanded cinema in Bushwick, its all FREE to attend so if you are in the area, or have friends in NYC, feel free to share or come out yourself and say hello. http://mononoawarefilm.com/calendar/?view=calendar&month=November-2016 Best, Steve Cossman