Social Cinema Presents "Spotlight on Immigration" at USC, the Power of Cinema to Influence Public Policy

Los Angeles, CA, April 09, 2018 --(PR.com)-- The Social Cinema Project (SCP), an innovative social justice initiative that uses film to promote social awareness to spark change, is presenting "Spotlight on Immigration" (the power of cinema to influence public policy) during University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts Talent Week, Monday, April 9, 2018, for a screening of short films at 4:00 p.m., followed by a discussion.

The event is presented in conjunction with The Media Institute for Social Change (MISC) and moderated by California Immigration Policy Center’s Deputy Director, Jyotswaroop Bawa with panelists including actor Bambadjan Bamba and filmmaker Alejandro Vela. Spotlight on immigration will showcase five shorts capped off with a solutions-oriented dialogue with two artists joining the fight to support the DACA movement.

“We are living in anxious, often frightening times,” observes SCP founder/curator Ralph Scott. “There has to be newfound ways to get messages of right and responsibility to those that make changes in our public policy. Art has always been a powerful force in gaining that recognition.”

The films to be presented reflect the DACA and Dreamers movement in that they explore important contemporary social topics from critical perspectives from established voices.

MISC is a non-profit, Emmy Award-winning organization focused on promoting the use of media for positive social change through content creation, scholarships, education and research to present and future media content creators. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Social Cinema on this important conversation. We will showcase​ films to promote social awareness to spark change in our current immigration policies,” according to MISC.

For further information and to be a part of the project, contact Ralph Scott, President and Founder of the Social Cinema Project, at social.cinema.llc@gmail.com.

Moderated by:

Jyotswaroop Bawa - California Immigration Policy Center
CIPC’s Deputy Director. The experience of immigrating from Punjab to Los Angeles as a teenager has fueled Jyotswaroop’s passion for immigrant rights. Jyotswaroop joins CIPC with over 10 years in economic and social justice work, including advocating for South Asian immigrant survivors of domestic violence in New York city, organizing tenants in South Los Angeles, and most recently developing a national youth politicizing and organizing training program for young Sikh Americans.

Special Guests:

Bambadjan Bamba: Actor
Bambadjan Bamba is an actor and filmmaker who immigrated from the Ivory Coast with his family fleeing political persecution in 1992. He learned English by listening to hip-hop greats like Biggie Smalls and watching cartoons like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Upon finding out that he was undocumented as a high school senior, Bambadjan worked his way through drama school without any financial aid. Since then, he’s qualified for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and worked his way up in Hollywood. He has over 30 A-list film and television credits. "Greys Anatomy," "Suicide Squad," "Sopranos" and many more. He is now recurring on NBC’s "The Good Place" and has a supporting role in the Marvel blockbuster "Black Panther."

When the Trump administration announced it would be repealing the DACA program, Bambadjan decided he could no longer stay silent. Since then, he has become a prominent voice for Dreamers and an immigrant activist sharing his story in hopes of shedding more light on America’s outdated and dysfunctional immigration system.

He serves as an ambassador for Define American, www.defineamerican.org/bamba, and as a board member of the African Artists Association, www.the3as.org.

Alejandro Márquez Vela: Filmmaker
Alejandro was born and raised in the city of Guadalajara, Mexico. After graduating from college, he directed television commercials for a couple of years before being awarded the Fulbright Scholarship to study his MFA at USC's School of Cinematic Arts, where he was later awarded the Jon Juston Scholarship for Directing, and is currently enrolled in his third year of the Film & Television Production program.