About Us
We advocate for personal storytelling from underrepresented communities in documentary film and nonfiction media.
By underrepresented, we include those from diverse racial/ethnic, religious, LGBTQ+, youth/senior, rural, and other backgrounds who are not often represented in mainstream media in the ways we see ourselves. Personal stories are those focused on the lives of individuals, families, and communities. Although social issues may intersect with their lives, these stories are not primarily social issue narratives.
We are empowered when we tell our own stories in a deeply authentic way.
OUR STORY
Re-Present Media began over henna hair sessions between Sabereh Kashi and Jennifer Crystal Chien.
Our name was created by Ina Adele Ray.
In ancient Persian, African, Indian, and Chinese cultures, women used the henna plant for body art and hair dying. In some places, women would gather in bath houses and share stories and ideas while using henna to dye each others’ hair. This practice continues today, from which Re-Present Media was born.
We launched our work with a filmmaker screening and panel discussion at the 2017 United States of Asian America Festival presented by the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center.
For the first two years, Jennifer Crystal Chien and Sabereh Kashi served as Co-Directors. In February 2019, Sabereh left Re-Present Media with Jennifer continuing as the Director.
OUR APPROACH
We value:
- personal stories that are grounded in our communities and express shared human experiences.
We promote:
- work by media makers from underrepresented communities with perspectives and subject matters that they themselves identify as important, relevant, and timely.
We create and connect:
- to new ways to distribute documentary film and nonfiction media to wider American audiences.
We support:
- community-building through place-based programming.
We foster:
- dialogue in the industry to create new opportunities for personal storytelling.