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Emerging Creatives Break Into Film Industry with Chicago Track Launch
Emerging Creatives Break Into Film Industry with Chicago Track Launch

On Saturday, November 17th Industry Pathways held their annual launch of The Chicago Track, a program series of industry workshops and master classes for emerging creatives seeking opportunities in film, media and television and premiere of "Fuzzy Legs", a capstone film project of the 2018 Industry Pathways Cohort.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Events
Fuzzy Legs & Ahimsa Screening
Jan 19
Fuzzy Legs & Ahimsa Screening

SAVE THE DATE: WTTW + DCASE, in collaboration with Free Spirit Media are hosting a screening on January 19th at 2:00pm of Fuzzy Legs, a short coming of age story about a Pakistani American girl, and Ahimsa, a documentary highlighting the journey of five young Peace Builders during their travels to India.

FOCUS 2019
May 30
FOCUS 2019

Join Free Spirit Media for FOCUS 2019! Stay tuned for location, program, and more details!

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LATEST

ORGANIZATION NEWS

Featured
Emerging Creatives Break Into Film Industry with Chicago Track Launch
Emerging Creatives Break Into Film Industry with Chicago Track Launch

On Saturday, November 17th Industry Pathways held their annual launch of The Chicago Track, a program series of industry workshops and master classes for emerging creatives seeking opportunities in film, media and television and premiere of "Fuzzy Legs", a capstone film project of the 2018 Industry Pathways Cohort.

Read More →
YAS! Fest features special musical guests and centers youth talent
YAS! Fest features special musical guests and centers youth talent
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Founders' Circle brings together leaders and creators to engage in Crucial Conversations
Founders' Circle brings together leaders and creators to engage in Crucial Conversations
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Douglas Park Screening celebrates media produced by Free Spirit and School of the Art Institute
Douglas Park Screening celebrates media produced by Free Spirit and School of the Art Institute
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Free Spirit Media End of Summer Celebrations
Free Spirit Media End of Summer Celebrations

To end an exciting summer, Free Spirit Media hosted four events celebrating and honoring youth artist work.

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FSM News South's crew members speak out at gun violence prevention press conference and roundtable with Senator Duckworth and Congressman Rush
FSM News South's crew members speak out at gun violence prevention press conference and roundtable with Senator Duckworth and Congressman Rush

RECAP: On August 7, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Bobby L. Rush (D-IL-01), hosted a press conference and roundtable discussion on gun violence prevention at Gary Comer Youth Center, where our FSM News South programming is hosted. 

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FSM News West participates in cultural exchange with WorldChicago visitors
FSM News West participates in cultural exchange with WorldChicago visitors

RECAP: For the past few years, WorldChicago,  a nonprofit organization "dedicated to promoting citizen diplomacy through programs that connect the Chicago community with the world,"  has facilitated two visits to the FSM News West summer documentary program. This year, our teen participants welcomed around 10 visitors from Saudi Arabia on July 23rd and 11 British teens from the UK-US Youth Dialogue Programme on July 25th. 

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Free Spirit Media's Mid-Summer Fun Fest brought new friendships and connections
Free Spirit Media's Mid-Summer Fun Fest brought new friendships and connections

PHOTOS: Free Spirit Media hosted a Mid-Summer Fun Fest to offer a space for new connections and friendships to be made across all of Free Spirit Media's different programs.

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Chicago Community Trust visits Free Spirit Media for a roundtable discussion with North Lawndale community leaders
Chicago Community Trust visits Free Spirit Media for a roundtable discussion with North Lawndale community leaders

RECAP: Chicago Community Trust President and CEO, Helene Gale, and COO, Andrea Sanchez, joined us at The Nichols Tower in Homan Square to have a conversation with local leaders about the North Lawndale community.

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Free Spirit Media's Digital Yearbook 2018
Free Spirit Media's Digital Yearbook 2018

This year has been a great one for Free Spirit Media. We've traveled all over from bustling cities like New York to marches in Washington D.C. to relaxing in rural farms in India. We've won awards, hosted parties, rebranded, and celebrated one another's work.

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ANNOUNCEMENT: Free Spirit Media Receives $650,000 grant from the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to Strengthen Inclusive Journalism as part of the Jack Fuller Legacy Initiative
ANNOUNCEMENT: Free Spirit Media Receives $650,000 grant from the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to Strengthen Inclusive Journalism as part of the Jack Fuller Legacy Initiative

ANNOUNCEMENT: Free Spirit Media is so humbled and grateful to be a part of the MacArthur Foundation Jack Fuller Initiative. Jack Fuller, former Editor and Publisher of The Chicago Tribune and MacArthur Trustee, was a firm believer that good journalism and civic engagement are inextricably linked.

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The Real Chi: A Rebrand
The Real Chi: A Rebrand

We want to tell REAL stories about REAL people living the REAL realities of the various systemic inequalities plaguing black and brown communities in this city.

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VIDEO SPOTLIGHT

Media Library 2017 Archive
Open House Chicago With Free Spirit Media

On October 14, 2017, Free Spirit Media hosted an Open House as part of the Chicago Architecture Foundation's Open House Chicago, drawing over 200 visitors to the historic Nichols Tower. An FSM News crew covered the event.

Solutions for Chicago: Diversity and Inclusion in the Creative Economy

Free Spirit Media was excited to celebrate and grow our Founders Circle at this year's Solutions for Chicago: Diversity, Inclusion & the Creative Economy panel discussion at the Arts Club of Chicago on Tuesday, September 26.

SUPPORTER SPOTLIGHT

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Robert R. McCormick Foundation

Fostering communities of educated, informed, and engaged citizens.

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INSTAGRAM - @FreeSpiritChi

Damon and Daniel from @airgoradio visit @therealchifsm newsroom as they put the finishing touches on their soundproof recording room for #podcast production! #EverydayFSM
Troy Pryor, Derek Nelson, and Charles Borg from @creativecypher during their visit to FSM News West (@fsmnews). Participants got a chance to show off their #creative work and also hear from this amazing group of people! #EverydayFSM
Free Spirit Media’s dynamic board of directors at our #holiday meeting. Uplifting and powerful discussion from a committee team of leaders and friends 📸: @fsmjeff
2018 @inpathways Cohort Training Program member and photographer, Alex Brooks, test drives an ARRI Alexa camera at Chicago’s AC 101 Workshop by @abelcine. Get involved with InPathways by joining them TOMORROW for The Chicago Track’s The Business & Craft of Writing & Development workshop. #EverydayFSM
Repost from @inpathways - Tickets to #TheChicagoTrack are almost sold out so don't delay! Learn the business and craft of writing & development for film and TV on Saturday 12/15 @columbiachi. #Inpathways members RSVP FREE or use code "IMONTRACK19" for 50% off. Link in bio to RSVP. #ChicagoMedia #ChicagoFilm #ChicagoWriter #WritersRoom
Participants in @hoopshigh can help you dunk right into this high school basketball season. They broadcast @chipubschools high school basketball games, keeping you up to date on YouTube and Facebook 🏀🏀🏀 #EverydayFSM #chicago
Fun and Festivities at the top of the world (aka Nichols Tower). Love to break bread with Homan Square community! ❤️
FSM News South (@fsmnews) Program Coordinator, Mike, having fun with participant Aaron as PBS Newshour @studentreportinglabs Director Ellis Estrada visits the site at @garycomeryouthcenter! #EverydayFSM
Participants in Free Spirit Media’s In- School program (@freespiritmedia_nlcp) at @nlcphs have opportunities to direct, film, edit, and be subjects of their own media projects #everydayfsm #chicago
Last winter, Danielshé and Yarnome from Free Spirit PRO filmed a documentary with @thepeaceexchange in India. Next summer, they will be traveling to Rwanda. Watch for the screening of “Ahimsa” with @wttwchicago on January 19th, 2018 at @chiculturcenter! #everydayFSM
Repost from @studentreportinglabs. Amazing to see SRL at @fsmnews! #opportunityinamerica #newshour #pbs

TWITTER - @FreeSpiritChi

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