This past weekend at the Maryland International Film Festival, a child abuse prevention short film produced by San Mar Family & Community Services and the Bester Community of Hope initiative titled “Just Call” was presented with a regional Emmy award by The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, National Capitol/Chesapeake Bay Chapter. The project was directed and overseen by Josh Youngbar & Pieter Bickford of High Rock Studios, with local actors from the Authentic Community Theatre, that was made possible with a targeted grant from Casey Family Programs (Seattle, Washington), and ongoing local collaboration with the Washington County Department of Social Services and the Alice Virginia & David W. Fletcher foundation.
In addition to the Friday night film festival screening of “Just Call” & Emmy presentation, San Mar also sponsored a Saturday screening of the documentary film “Broken Places” by Roger Weisberg. “Broken Places” which follows many families served by the foster care system over two decades in Brooklyn, New York, and how local community based responses addressed resiliency and made a difference focused on the individualized needs of local families.
San Mar CEO Keith Fanjoy explained,” ‘Just Call’ promotes action by bringing greater awareness regarding the pervasive problem of abuse & families struggling with the symptoms of poverty in our community everyday. ‘Broken Places’ is about being more intentional about how we respond that focuses on what works, and just as important, what doesn’t work. We are protective of the privacy of the local families we work with everyday, but this powerful film helps convey the real experiences being lived out every day in our local community, and thanks to partners like the Washington County Department of Social Services & the Fletcher Foundation, we’re able to help families and neighborhoods earlier.”
