Over the last few weeks Partners in Health has been collecting Mother’s Day messages for expecting mothers in Sierra Leone. In this war-torn nation, women often labor in their homes far away from health clinics and the expertise of doctors and nurses. Mortality rates are among the highest in the world for mothers and children. PIH is on a mission to end that, and it’s just completed a birth waiting home near the city of Koidu as a start. Here moms can spend their last few weeks of pregnancy, in safety and peace close to a top-notch health clinic where they can deliver their babies when ready ..read more

Thanks to your support – we did it! After a month of receiving your encouragement, positive energy and contributions of all sizes, we successfully completed our Kickstarter campaign to fund a final filming trip for Havana, From On High.  Dozens of people chipped in to help us exceed our target goal. Havana, From On High tells the story of a secret village – the resilient and remarkable world of the people who live on the rooftops of Central Havana, who have been pushed upwards because of chronic housing shortages.  From their perch atop the city, our 7 protagonists have a unique perspective on ..read more

Dear friends, We are over-the-moon thrilled that the film, Havana, From On High, has just been selected as a “Project We Love” by Kickstarter, and we would like to invite you to join the project. Over the last year, I have had the great pleasure of collaborating on a few films in Cuba, including this independent feature-length documentary with my dear, long-time friend, the director Pedro Ruiz. Havana, From On High poetically reveals a secret village – the resilient and remarkable world of the people who live on the rooftops of Central Havana, who have been pushed upwards because of chronic ho ..read more

The other day I stopped by the San Rafael Public Library to pick up a book for my daughter and I saw a poster on their front door reminding everyone that no matter their creed or country of origin, no matter the color of their skin or the language they speak, they are welcome there. If we had a door at Micro-Documentaries, we would post the same message.  But since our offices are virtual ones, we designed some poster templates for you in case you’d like to hang them on your doors. All you have to do is choose from four colors, insert your logo, then print it on 11×17 paper and post it to your ..read more

Every new year presents an invitation for the most passionate and inspired among us to go out and move the world forward. That’s why now, as we forge into 2017, we turn to you. You who are working on the front lines of social change, who are working with compassion and generosity, with forgiveness and with courage. We’ve never needed you more than we need you now. On a daily basis, you are taking the action that so many people would like to be taking but haven’t figured out how to yet. You are working for social equity and justice, for a thriving environment, for excellence in education and h ..read more

Exciting news: We are producing our first ever crowdsourced film: FURTHER RESOLVED – sanctuary in the making. You are invited to participate! This film is a reminder that each one of us has an opportunity to act in a way we know is right, even in the face of cultural, economic, political or personal pressures.   It is a celebration of San Francisco’s resolution to stand as a sanctuary city, as well as a celebration of other communities that have done the same.   If you live in the Bay Area, love San Francisco, or support the resolution, we would like you to be a part of it. We’ve made it easy ..read more

As a storyteller on a mission, one of the greatest impacts your short films can have is to overcome divisiveness and bring people together. Director Mickey Lemle achieved this impressively in his feature documentary, The Last Dalai Lama?, which was screened recently at the Mill Valley Film Festival. It’s a must-watch, uplifting film on a mission. Not only is Lemle’s character an embodiment of establishing common humanity beyond polarization, which he captured beautifully in the documentary, but the filmmaker uses a brilliant storytelling technique to subtly and then surprisingly engage the au ..read more

The United States is built on the values of diversity and inclusiveness, yet in today’s climate we see that many communities in the country are experiencing fear of immigration and people seeking refuge. What would happen to cities if they were to offer a big welcome to people in search of a better future for themselves and their families? This summer, our team at Micro-Documentaries had the opportunity to witness the extraordinary results of what happens when a city opens its doors warmly to immigrants. We produced a short film for Emerson Collective to capture the essence of the Welcoming Mo ..read more

Getting the general public to care about your cause is tough enough; capturing the support of lawmakers to create new policies that move your mission forward — that’s like the Mount Everest of mission-driven work. Short films are the supplemental oxygen on your way up. Just look at the Startup Visa case study. This was one of the first film projects we ever worked on at Micro-Documentaries. Even though iconic companies like Yahoo, Google, eBay and Intel were all founded by immigrants, present-day American visa policies made it difficult, if not impossible, for other foreigners to follow in the ..read more

We all need a little more mindfulness in our lives. Taking a moment to breathe deep, go on a walk, connect with those around us, listen to the ocean waves roll — this is the stuff that can turn daily routines and tedium into happiness and peace. So I was pleased to see major health insurer Aetna integrating mindfulness into its overarching vision of health and wellness — and even more pleased to see them get the word out by way of a piece of strong original video content. In the past two months, “How to be mindful with Mommy Shorts” has racked up nearly 300,000 views. It’s an intimate window i ..read more