Global Girls & WorldScene

Building Job Skills & Empathy through Film Festivals

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Credit: BeckerMedia.com

Global Girls

Global Girls is a life-changing 4-month film residency. It helps marginalized young women and girls identify, examine, and rise above commercial media’s stereotypes of females.

They watch and discuss quality films, from across the world, that show strong, smart, empowered women. They tackle important topics like career, identity, self-esteem, relationships, body image, bullying, friendship, and decision making. 

By curating their own film festival and making their own film, participants gain strong prosocial skills, personal agency and self-confidence. 

To date, Global Girls has reached 2800 youth. It has two versions, one for girls (11-14) and another for young women (14-21).

Women's View

Focused on ethnically diverse, justice-involved women 18+, Women’s View strengthens personal agency, life-skills and self-determination.  Acting as a professional film jury, the women view, rate and discuss top-tier international films about topic relevant to women. Women’s View culminates in a film curated by participants who earn Certificates of Achievement and gain important job skills.

What participants say:

- S. Travis

“I know how it feels to be called out or made fun of for disabilities I can’t control. I used to feel humiliated by my disabilities but now that I’ve come to accept my flaws, I wouldn’t change it. This was truly and inspiration.”

- J. Perez

“For me to make a movie was really different. We are still people and our lives matter. Now that I’ve watched Global Girls, I know I can be who I want to be if I put my mind to it!”

- L. Corwin

“It helped me not only build emotion but also build teamwork and learn how to get along with the other girls. Even though our situation is bad, it can get better. It can make you see things differently. I really liked the program because I got to see what’s going on in other people’s lives.”

- S. Travis

“I know how it feels to be called out or made fun of for disabilities I can’t control. I used to feel humiliated by my disabilities but now that I’ve come to accept my flaws, I wouldn’t change it. This was truly and inspiration.”

- J. Perez

“For me to make a movie was really different. We are still people and our lives matter. Now that I’ve watched Global Girls, I know I can be who I want to be if I put my mind to it!”

- L. Corwin

“It helped me not only build emotion but also build teamwork and learn how to get along with the other girls. Even though our situation is bad, it can get better. It can make you see things differently. I really liked the program because I got to see what’s going on in other people’s lives.”

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WorldScene Festival and Residency

This 14-week arts immersion program can be held for co-ed and male youth.  It includes:

  • Bi-weekly screenings and discussions of award-winning multicultural short films
  • A two-session filmmaking workshop
  • Training on marketing & PR for their festival, and
  • A professional film festival curated, promoted, and hosted by the youth.

Why it’s Important

Commercial media often promotes negative stereotypes towards youth of color, damaging their self-image, self-esteem and relationships. WorldScene helps such youth tackle those stereotypes through peer-to-peer dialog while they learn important job skills by organizing and marketing their own film festival. 

Films cover topics such as overcoming challenges, nonviolent conflict resolution, developing empathy, and making positive connections with friends, family and members of the opposite gender.

To date, WorldScene has reached at-risk 220 youth and over 300 detainees in the Cook County Jail system. 

What participants say:

– Froilan Sanchez, DOC Program Manager for Mental Health Advocacy and Community Reentry Programs

“Not only did it offer the men exposure to different cultures and points of view through an expertly curated selection of world cinema, it also helped build job skills that will serve them well when they are released.” 

- B. Jackson

“The films seen in WorldScene helped me to understand issues of social justice as universal dilemmas.”

– A. Stevenson

“It has broadened my horizons to a much higher level and helped me to become a human with care and compassion toward my fellow man.” 

– K. Battinus

“This is something really good. I can feel my mind changing, like there really are new parts of it opening up.”

– Froilan Sanchez, DOC Program Manager for Mental Health Advocacy and Community Reentry Programs

“Not only did it offer the men exposure to different cultures and points of view through an expertly curated selection of world cinema, it also helped build job skills that will serve them well when they are released.” 

- B. Jackson

“The films seen in WorldScene helped me to understand issues of social justice as universal dilemmas.”

– A. Stevenson

“It has broadened my horizons to a much higher level and helped me to become a human with care and compassion toward my fellow man.” 

K. Battinus

“This is something really good. I can feel my mind changing, like there really are new parts of it opening up.”

Participants in both programs receive hands-on training and Certificates of Professional Achievement.

For more information or to schedule these programs, email info@icmediacenter.org or call 773-528-6854.