Nancy
Recently named one of the “10 Filmmakers to Watch in 2011” by Independent Magazine, Nancy’s work explores the intersection of sexuality, new media, and the complexities of modern relationships. She is the director and producer of the documentary films The Line (Media Education Foundation, 2009) and xoxosms (May 2011). She is in development on several projects involving young people and sexuality.
A catalyst for social change and an innovator for women’s rights, she is part of the winning team in the Apps Against Abuse Technology Challenge – a national competition sponsored by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contest was launched in July 2011 by Vice President Joe Biden and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The Circle of 6 app will be available in January 2012.
Using cutting edge media tools for story telling and activism, she is the founder and Executive Director of The Line Campaign, Inc a 501 (c) 3 dedicated to empowering young leaders to end sexual violence using original media to inspire action. Drawing on her experience in the field of transmedia activism and advocacy, she is a much sought-after speaker, traveling to colleges, conferences, community centers, high schools and non-profits in the Unites States and internationally, including at Yale, Brown, Stanford, M.I.T., Sex::Tech, Media That Matters, and more. Using film, PSAs and workshop discussions, Schwartzman challenges thousands of students to “think twice” and to change normative sexual behavior among college youth.
Schwartzman opens up a dialogue about desire, consent, agency and boundaries, advising student groups, law enforcement, faculty and administration on how to foster healthier, safer and more inclusive communities. As a campaign builder and new media consultant, she works with films and non-profits on their communications strategies, their branding and messaging, and finding the right new media platform to maximize audience engagement. She is currently the Advocacy Director for Sundance Film Festival winner, “The Invisible War”. An early adopter, in founding NYC-Safestreets.org, an initiative active from 2003-2005, she combined cutting edge mapping technology with community surveys and business participation. Schwartzman’s work is rooted in a passion for story telling and her activism is rooted in feminism and human rights.
Schwartzman’s first documentary film, The Line (2009), premiered at the International Women’s Film Festival in Tel Aviv and has screened in Toronto, Ankara, Taiwan, Liberia and continues to play nationally around the world. It is a fearless 24-minute documentary that chronicles one woman’s personal journey after she is raped – exploring the line of consent, justice, accountability and today’s media saturated “rape culture”. Launched in tandem with the film, The Line Campaign is an interactive space for dialogue about boundaries and consent. It has been lauded by the Center for Social Media and the Fledgling Fund.
Schwartzman’s newest documentary film, xoxosms, follows the lives and modern love of two young adults, and explores the digital intimacy that comes with social networking technology. The film highlights the internet as a bridge for lost souls, a lifeline for long distance relationships, and a place where love happens. The project is supported by the CineReach Reach Film Fellowship and recently had a premiere at the New Orleans Film Festival.
Schwartzman’s work has been featured in The New York Times, Feministing, Ms. Magazine, Time Out New York “Sex Issue,” Gawker, The Village Voice, NY Daily News, MTV.com, The Feminist Review, Jezebel, Good Vibrations Magazine, Women & Hollywood, Feministe, Washington City Paper, “The Sexist Blog,” HEEB, WBAI Radio “HealthStyles,” Prevention Connection. Her blog posts have been reprinted on RH Reality Check, The Daily Kos, the MTV Act blog, Cinereach Blog, the Fledgling Fund blog, The Center for Social Media and more.
Schwartzman is the recipient of grants from the Fledgling Fund, the Playboy Foundation for Social Justice in Film, the Cinereach Reach Film Fellowship, the Progressive Women’s Voices program and the Sea Change Residency.
She is a graduate of Columbia University and lives in Brooklyn, NY with her partner and cinematographer, Isaac Mathes.
For more on Nancy please see her personal website.
To schedule a college screening or speaking engagement contact:
Kevin R. MacRae
MacRae Speakers & Entertainment, LLC
(781) 829-6500 – Office
(781) 858-4210 – Mobile
kmacrae@macraespeakers.com
Check out upcoming events and screenings here.
