The Digital Moving Image Salon Celebrates 10 Years

The Spelman College Digital Moving Image Salon has been a catalyst to encourage students to explore their interests, satisfy their curiosities and create resulting documentaries that have spanned a gamut of topics from homelessness, women of color in the military, foster parenting, activism, surviving Hurricane Katrina, heterosexism, and more.

In its 10-year history, the program has trained more than 100 young women from a wide range of majors who have produced more than 35 documentary films as well as interactive productions. The students’ work has been viewed by standing room only audiences at its yearly showcase, screened at film festivals and exhibited in communities internationally.

10th Annual Spelman College Digital Moving Image Salon Student Documentary Film Showcase

Three documentaries that chronicle the experiences of women of color were screened at the 10th Annual Spelman College Digital Moving Image Salon Student Documentary Film Showcase on April 24, 2014. Presented by Spelman students, each of the documentaries were conceptualized, researched and filmed during the previous two semesters. In keeping with DMIS' focus on digital media platforms, the films were prepared for viewing on mobile platforms such as smartphones and tablets, as well as for movie theaters and TV.

Stolen
Producers: Alexis Wideman, Erica Lamberson and Mizer Edwards
Documentary topic: Sex trafficking

Love Bytes
Producers: Cydney Fisher, Kiara Arnette, Lauren Brown
Documentary topic: Online dating

Fertile Oasis
Producers: Olivia LaFlamme, Britny Horton, Jemoi Higgins
Documentary topic: Rethinking Atlanta’s West End neighborhood through the eyes women-owned businesses

Program Success Stories

DMIS producers have won awards including an Emmy, graduated from prestigious Master's of Fine Arts degree programs, and are making their mark in the film industry. The program is also a winner of a HBCU Best Fine Arts Program Award for demonstrating innovation and community contributions in research, academic exposition and professional development.

The program was found by award-winning filmmaker and Spelman's first Cosby Endowed Chair, Ayoka Chenzira, Ph.D.