Lisa was awarded a FY 2008 New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) grant for MYTH OF THE MOTHERLAND.
BIOGRAPHY:
Lisa Russell is an independent filmmaker whose background in humanitarian and international development work has inspired her to produce films about the health and well-being of our global society. Inspired by the late Jonathan Mann to pursue her Masters in Public Health in International Health in 1998, Lisa has since produced films in Brazil, Burkina Faso, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Niger, Tanzania, and South Africa. While some of Lisa’s work has been broadcasted on public television (including PBS and Channel 4 London), most of Lisa’s films are tied into advocacy, fundraising or legislative efforts with UN and international agencies. She actively screens her films around the country at universities, conferences, festivals and hill briefings and has reached thousands of students, young people and others to spark dialogue about U.S. responsibility in global affairs. In September 2005, Lisa collaborated with Grammy-nominated artist Zap Mama to create “The WOMAN Tour” – a 3-week nationwide initiative of film screenings and musical performances to increase awareness of global women’s health. Lisa was chosen as one of 25 filmmakers for the National Black Programming Consortium's New Media Institute, is a two-time producer for WGBH's Lab Open Call and is a 2008 receipient of a New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) grant. Residing in Brooklyn, NY, she is currently a teaching artist with Urban Word NYC, where she leads a workshop blending film screenings and open mics for young spoken word artists to initiate awareness and dialogue about social issues affecting today’s youth.
FILMOGRAPHY:
MYTH OF THE MOTHERLAND - a fiscally-sponsored project of the IFP and a FY 2008 NYSCA
grant recepient - profiles young writers and poets on a creative writing journey to 12 African nations to meet with African scholars, writers, musicians, and others to address myths and biases about Africa and Africans.
IN HER OWN HANDS (Working Title), a short film that profiles women in Ethiopia faced with the challenge of seeking safe abortion care. In partnership with Ipas.
YOUTH ZONE, a collaborative project with UNFPA and Women's Commission that profiles young people who are rehabiliting their communities after conflict and/or natural disasters. Filmed in Lebanon, Liberia, Colombia and New Orleans.
WE WILL NOT DIE LIKE DOGS which profiles African AIDS activists from Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Uganda and Zambia. To be broadcasted on PBS as part of the National Black Programming Consortium's AfroPop series.
BI-RACIAL HAIR, a short film based on one young girl's poem about racial identity. For the WGBH Lab and NBPC Open Call.
LOVE, LABOR, LOSS on obstetric fistula in Niger with music by Zap Mama.
SEEDS OF MALAWI on food insecurity and HIV/AIDS in Malawi for Family Health International.
SETTLING IN SEATTLE which profiles four refugee youth from Sudan, Kosovo, Iraq and Vietnam who have resettled in Seattle, WA.
