For immediate release: December 4, 2019
Contact: Alayne Unterberger, alayneu@ficsinc.org or 8134772882
Florida Institute for Community Studies (FICS) Premieres the Documentary Witness At Tornillo at the Tampa Theatre with a Community Conversation on Immigration Saturday 12/7/19, 11 AM
Tampa, FL – Throughout 2018 and 2019, Tampa Bay had many volunteers go to the Homestead Temporary Influx Center and these volunteers have continued to work towards ending child detention, and a newer focus on the “Migrant Protection Protocols.” Together with partners at CAIR, Henning Law, WMNF and many local donors, Florida Institute for Community Studies (FICS) presents the new Documentary, Witness at Tornillo, for FREE on Saturday 11/7/19 at 11 AM. Doors open at 10 AM. (Interviews may be arranged). We are able to translate to Spanish.
We invite the press and public to join us for the screening at 11 AM followed promptly at 12 for the panel discussion. The protagonist of the Documentary, Joshua Rubin, will be speaking, along with Pamela Gomez, Florida Immigrant Coalition and immigration attorney Norma Henning of Henning Law and CAIR. The event is moderated by Cloe Cabrera, FICS board member and communications director at Organize Florida. Tables by CAIR, FLIC, Pinellas Coalition for Immigrant Justice and FICS will be set up to share information about upcoming events and actions, including ways to get involved locally, regionally and internationally. The event will end at 12:45 PM.
Besides the aforementioned organizations, we thank the families of Maria Antonieta Revello and Elise Gres Ippolito for joining the Circle of Friends to bring the film to Tampa! Special thanks to Carbon Trace Productions and Executive Producer Andy Cline for making this possible.
Documentary Witness’ official page:
One man from Brooklyn sits alone in the West Texas desert, compelled to witness the injustice of family separation and child detention on the border with Mexico. His goal is to shut down this American concentration camp and free these children. It’s a lonely vigil, and he’s forced to ask himself, “How can one man spur this sleeping nation to act?”
Witness At Tornillo film page on Facebook
Witness At Tornillo film on Twitter
Witness At Tornillo was produced by Carbon Trace Productions in Springfield, Missouri
Producer: Shannon Cay Bowers
Director: Shane Franklin
Editor: Taye Taye
Executive Producer: Andy Cline
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About FICS: The Florida Institute for Community Studies (FICS) is a 17 year old statewide non-profit (FEIN 59-3712006) dedicated to partnering with communities to help them achieve their goals through research, services, education, training and the arts. We are in the process of rewriting our community plan for Town n Country with a focus on wellness due to research indicating high rates of vulnerability in health and mental health. FICS is working out of the Morgan Woods Recreational Center, where we have begun an evidence-based STE(A)M afterschool program, intergenerational wellness activities, tutoring/mentoring, community chess and now the first Town n Country Community Theater Project, with assistance from the Patel Conservatory of the Straz Center. We are bilingual and multicultural, have an active website at www.ficsinc.org and urge you to like our Facebook page www.facebook.com/florida-institute-for-community-studies and can be reached at 813-801-6844.
To donate free on FB: https://www.facebook.com/donate/539012883540859/
To volunteer at FICS and our community wellness initiatives: fics@ficsinc.org
Florida Institute for Community Studies (FICS) is pleased to announce the expansion of our signature program, Partners in Well-Being, through a new SAMHSA grant, to continue addressing identified gaps in health and mental health in the communities we serve.
FICS celebrated its Annual Holiday Celebration with a visit from Santa and Hillsborough County School Board Member Ms. Karen Perez