Santa Fe Community Read Schedule of Events

From the City of Santa Fe:
The City of Santa Fe is pleased to announce the official schedule of events for Santa Fe’s first Community Read! In January, Mayor Coss announced the communitywide read of the book Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America. The mission of the Community Read is to inspire further discussion on the issue of poverty in Santa Fe and the obstacles to economic security.

Read On Santa Fe! Community Read Schedule of Events: All of the city’s Community Read events are at the New Mexico Film Museum (formerly the Jean Cocteau Cinema)

Saturday, March 3 – Local Film Matinee
Screening of locally-produced films and documentaries about economic struggle. Tickets available beginning at 11:45 a.m. Tickets are free, though donations will be accepted to support the filmmakers and a local youth organization.

FILMS
La Marcha: Working for Economic Justice (Showtime 12:50 p.m.) This is the story of the Santa Fe Living Wage Campaign, which emerged through the efforts of diverse community-based organizations to build a coalition that illustrates core U.S. values of teamwork, fairness, opportunity, responsibility and respect.

Gary and the Angels (Showtime 2 p.m., followed by Q&A with producer Margo Manaraze Wagner) is based on the life of Gallup resident Gary Murphy who struggles with his fetal alcohol syndrome disabilities, alcohol abuse, and homelessness.

Salt of the Earth (Showtime 3:30 p.m.) is based on an actual strike against the Empire Zinc Mine in New Mexico. The film deals with the prejudice against the Mexican-American workers, who struck to attain wage parity with Anglo workers in other mines and to be treated with dignity by their bosses.

Cinderellas of Santa Fe (Showtime 5:30 p.m., followed by Q&A with director Vanessa Vassar) is a documentary film that follows people who are highly educated and/or extremely creative and are recognized in their fields. But, they must still work as cleaning ladies, waitresses and bartenders in order to support their art, their children and their dreams.

American Waitress, new mexico (Showtime 7:40 p.m., followed by Q&A with director Vanessa Vassar and special guests) is a documentary feature film that examines the lives, attitudes, perceptions and experiences of waitresses. More than a film about waitresses, it is a film about life, social structures and human nature.

Tuesday, March 6 – Student and Youth Film Contest
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Screening of short films by local youth and students on the topic of “getting by” in Santa Fe followed by a brief Q&A with the filmmakers. Winning student films will be hosted on www.freenewmexican.com after the showing. The deadline for submissions of films 5 minutes or less is Feb. 28. Call 955-6046 or 955-6629 for more information.

Thursday, March 8 – Panel Discussion
6:30 to 8 p.m.; Reception from 8 to 8:30 p.m.
The Mayor and a panel of community members will discuss the complexities of poverty in Santa Fe in relation to the issues discussed in Barbara Ehrenreich’s book Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America.

Sunday, March 11 – Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America

7 p.m. at the Lensic Performing Arts Center
*This is not a city-sponsored event*

For more information on Community Read events, please call 955-6046 or 955-6629.

Please note that the deadline for the Student and Youth Film Contest is fast approaching. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 28, 2007. Films could touch on topics such as growing up in Santa Fe, employment, working families, education, food, housing, healthcare or any other issue the filmmaker believes corresponds with the theme. Call Laura Banish at 955-6046 or Special Projects Coordinator Becky Lo Dolce at 955-6629 for more information about the contest or the Community Read.