Spark Media

Established in 1989 by director and producer Andrea Kalin, the company specializes in creating socially conscious media used to raise public awareness in America and throughout the world.{{cite web|url=http://www.jwi.org/Page.aspx?pid=484|title=Andrea Kalin|publisher=Jwi.org|accessdate=11 January 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/dome/0301/close_up.cfm|title=DOME: Almost a Miracle|publisher=Hopkinsmedicine.org|accessdate=11 January 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302102051/http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/dome/0301/close_up.cfm|archivedate=2 March 2012}} The company has produced over a dozen films, including the documentary short Public Defender and twelve{{Cite web|url=http://sparkmedia.org/about/who-we-are/|title=Who We Are - Spark Media|website=Spark Media|language=en-US|access-date=2016-03-09}} {{Cite web|url=http://sparkmedia.org/|title=Award Winning Documentary Production Company Washington DC|website=Spark Media|language=en-US|access-date=2016-03-09}} feature-length documentaries: Scattering CJ,{{Cite web|title=Documentary Depicts Mother's Quest To Give Son A Worldwide Journey After His Suicide|url=https://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2020/11/12/scattering-cj-suicide-documentary|access-date=2021-04-19|website=www.wbur.org|language=en}} First Lady of the Revolution (Reel South on PBS),{{Citation|title=First Lady of the Revolution {{!}} REEL SOUTH|url=https://www.pbs.org/video/first-lady-of-the-revolution-ybanpz/|language=en-US|access-date=2018-08-01}} Red Lines (Free Speech TV),{{Cite web|url=https://www.freespeech.org/RedLines|title=Red Lines|website=Free Speech TV|access-date=2016-03-09}} No Evidence of Disease (American Public Television, WorldChannel, V-me),{{Cite web|url=http://worldchannel.org/programs/episode/ned-no-evidence-disease/|title=N.E.D.: No Evidence of Disease {{!}} The Strength of Women|website=World Channel|access-date=2016-03-09}} Soul of a People: Writing America's Story (Smithsonian Channel),{{Cite web|url=http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/shows/soul-of-a-people-writing-americas-story/0/135396|title=Soul of a People: Writing America's Story|website=Smithsonian Channel|access-date=2016-03-09}} Worlds of Sounds: Ballard of Folkways (Smithsonian Channel),{{Cite web|url=http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/shows/worlds-of-sound-the-ballad-of-folkways/0/135487|title=Worlds of Sound: The Ballad of Folkways|website=Smithsonian Channel|access-date=2016-03-09}} Talking Through Walls (PBS),{{Cite web|url=http://cherryhillsun.com/2010/05/15/talking-through-walls/|title=Talking Through Walls|website=The Cherry Hill Sun|date=15 May 2010|access-date=2016-03-09}} Prince Among Slaves (PBS),{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/34165/freedom-doc|title=Freedom Doc: Andrea Kalin gives an enslaved prince's story a new lease on life. - Washington City Paper|work=Washington City Paper|date=29 November 2007|accessdate=11 January 2015}} Allah Made Me Funny (theatrical release),{{Cite web|url=http://www.allahmademefunny.com/about/|title=AMMF {{!}} About AMMF|website=www.allahmademefunny.com|access-date=2016-03-09}} The Pact (American Public Television), and Partners of the Heart (PBS American Experience).{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/partners/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021227124604/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/partners/|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 27, 2002|title=American Experience {{!}} Partners of the Heart|website=www.pbs.org|access-date=2016-03-09}}

Partners of the Heart, narrated by Morgan Freeman, aired on PBS’s American Experience in February 2003 and was rebroadcast in March 2005. Partners of the Heart went on to win the Erik Barnouw Award for Best History Documentary in 2004{{Cite web|url=http://www.oah.org/programs/awards/erik-barnouw-award/erik-barnouw-award-winners/|title=Organization of American Historians: Erik Barnouw Award Winners|website=www.oah.org|access-date=2016-03-09}} and was later turned into the Golden Globe-nominated{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386792/awards|title=Something the Lord Made (2004 TV Movie) : Awards|publisher=IMDb.com|accessdate=11 January 2015}} HBO film Something The Lord Made starring Mos Def, who also narrated Prince Among Slaves. As part of their 50th anniversary celebration, the National Endowment for the Humanities highlighted Partners of the Heart as one of 50 top grant projects that have enriched and shaped American lives.{{Cite web|url=http://www.davidson.edu/news/160223-neh-honors-partners-of-the-heart-documentary|title=NEH Honors 'Partners of the Heart' Documentary|website=www.davidson.edu|access-date=2016-03-09}}{{Cite web|url=http://50.neh.gov/projects/black-surgeon-the-age-of-jim-crow|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002171053/http://50.neh.gov/projects/black-surgeon-the-age-of-jim-crow|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 2, 2015|title=A Black Surgeon in the Age of Jim Crow|last=Humanities|first=National Endowment for the|website=NEH 50th Anniversary|access-date=2016-03-09}}{{Cite web|url=http://50.neh.gov/projects|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002012011/http://50.neh.gov/projects|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 2, 2015|title=Featured Projects Gallery|website=NEH 50th Anniversary|access-date=2016-03-09}}

Spark Media's films have won numerous awards, among them Emmys, CINE Golden Eagles, Gracies, as well as a Writers Guild of America nomination.{{cite web|url=http://www.tbd.com/blogs/tbd-arts/2010/11/federal-writers-project-doc-takes-top-honors-at-peer-awards-video--4684.html|title=Federal Writers' Project doc takes top honors at Peer Awards (video) - @TBD Arts|work=TBD|accessdate=11 January 2015}}{{cite web |url=http://www.cine.org:80/archives/winner-archives/pdfs/2006-CINE-Winner-Directory.pdf |title=CINE Golden Eagle Film & Video Competition |accessdate=2017-10-12 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.thegracies.org/past-award-winners.php |title=Past Award Winners |work=The Gracies |publisher=American Women in Radio & Television |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100505083736/http://www.thegracies.org/past-award-winners.php |archivedate=2010-05-05 |accessdate=2017-10-17 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.tellyawards.com/winners/|title=The 36th Annual TELLY Awards - Winners|publisher=Tellyawards.com|accessdate=11 January 2015}}{{cite web |url=http://www.tivadc.org/index.php?/Peer-Awards/ |title=2010 DC PEER Award Categories with Winners |last=TIVA |publisher=TIVA-DC |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203033414/http://www.tivadc.org/index.php?%2FPeer-Awards%2F |archivedate=2011-02-03 |accessdate=2017-10-17 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.sparkmedia.org/ht/d/sp/i/1330/pid/1330 |title=SPARK MEDIA'S RECENT AWARDS |work=Sparkmedia |publisher=Sparkmedia |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110221054116/http://www.sparkmedia.org/ht/d/sp/i/1330/pid/1330 |archivedate=2011-02-21 |accessdate=2017-10-17 }}

In 2024, the documentary short Public Defender premiered at Mountainfilm in Telluride, Colorado, where it won the Moving Mountains Award for social justice and impact.{{cite web |title=Moving Mountains Award |url=https://www.mountainfilm.org/festival/awards/moving-mountains-award/ |website=Mountainfilm}} The film tells the story Heather Shaner, a public defender in Washington, D.C., who has spent 40 years representing people who can’t afford a lawyer. On January 6, 2021, Shaner’s empathy is challenged when a violent mob supporting outgoing President Donald Trump storms the Capitol to stop the peaceful transfer of power to President-elect Joe Biden. The goal of the film is to address America’s epidemic of division and misinformation, showing how to restore trust and accountability one conversation at a time.{{cite web |title=Mountainfilm |url=https://www.mountainfilm.org/films/public-defender/ |website=Mountainfilm 2024 |publisher=Mountainfilm}}

Following the festival premiere, Public Defender was published by The New Yorker on October 9, 2024. In addition to The New Yorker, the documentary was also broadcast in Israel by yes,https://www.yes.co.il/content/tv/movies/public-defender/ in Japan by NHK World-Japan,{{Cite news|last=Hitoshi Omae|url=https://mainichi.jp/articles/20241122/k00/00m/030/171000c|title=トランプ氏支持者を理解できるか　敏腕映画監督が新作で出す答え|work=mainichi.jp|date=2024-11-25|access-date=2024-12-25|language=Japanese}} by Scripps News in the United States on November 3, 2024 as part of their Emmy-winning documentary series, "In Real Life,"{{Cite news|last=Miossi|first=Molly|url=https://scripps.com/press-releases/season-seven-of-scripps-news-award-winning-documentary-series-to-include-soledad-obrien-other-award-winning-journalists/|title=Season seven of Scripps News’ award-winning documentary series to include Soledad O’Brien|work=scripps.com|date=2024-10-02|access-date=2025-01-02|language=en-US}} and by WETA-TV.https://weta.org/watch/shows/public-defender-0

In early 2019, Spark Media completed production on Scattering CJ, the story of CJ Twomey, a seemingly happy Air Force recruit who violently ended his own life at age 20, whose passing plunged his family into unrelenting grief and guilt. Years later, in a moment of desperate inspiration, his mother put out an open call on Facebook, looking only for a handful of world travelers who might help fulfill her son's wish to see the world by scattering some of his ashes in a place of beauty or special meaning to them - a call that 21,000 would answer.{{Cite news|url=http://sparkmedia.org/projects/scattering-cj/|title=Scattering CJ - Spark Media|work=Spark Media|access-date=2017-04-06|language=en-US}} Scattering CJ had its world premiere at the Camden International Film Festival in September 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sunjournal.com/2019/09/14/it-was-beautiful-documentary-about-auburn-man-premieres-at-film-festival/|title='It was beautiful': Documentary about Auburn man premieres at film festival|last=Journal|first=Lindsay TiceSun|date=2019-09-15|website=Lewiston Sun Journal|access-date=2019-11-14}}{{Cite web|url=https://filmmakermagazine.com/107965-with-a-focus-on-story-and-power-camden-international-film-festival-announces-its-2019-program/|title=With a Focus on "Story and Power," Camden International Film Festival Announces Its 2019 Program|last=Macaulay|first=Scott|website=Filmmaker Magazine|date=19 August 2019|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-14}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theyoungfolks.com/review/136464/2019-camden-international-film-festival/|title=The Most Fascinating Films from the 2019 Camden International Film Festival {{!}} The Young Folks|date=2019-09-15|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-14}} On November 21, 2020, the filmmakers hosted a live virtual conversation about the film and suicide prevention to commemorate International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day.{{Cite web|title=Documentary Depicts Mother's Quest To Give Son A Worldwide Journey After His Suicide|url=https://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2020/11/12/scattering-cj-suicide-documentary|access-date=2021-04-19|website=www.wbur.org|language=en}} Scattering CJ premiered on public television in September 2022, including a national broadcast on PBS WORLD Channel on September 16, 2023.{{cite news |title="Scattering CJ" to be shown on public television |url=https://www.centralmaine.com/2022/09/07/scattering-cj-to-be-shown-on-public-television/ |access-date=22 November 2023 |publisher=CentralMaine.com |date=September 7, 2022}}

Spark Media is also producing an adaptation of Rita Dove's Sonata Mulattica, about George Bridgetower, a black musician and friend of Ludwig van Beethoven. The film, also entitled 'Sonata Mulattica,' will detail Bridgetower's life and relationship with Beethoven, and contrast that story to a contemporary young black musician, Joshua Coyne.{{cite web |url=http://fetzer.org/work/projects/virtuosity-love-and-loss-sonata-mulattica |title=Virtuosity, Love and Loss: Sonata Mulattica |publisher=The Fetzer Institute |accessdate=2017-10-16 }}{{cite news |last=Nollen |first=Diana |url=http://easterniowalife.com/2010/12/09/cedar-rapids-native-to-be-showcased-in-documentary/ |title=Cedar Rapids native to be showcased in documentary |work=Eastern Iowa Life |date=2010-12-09 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710164418/http://easterniowalife.com/2010/12/09/cedar-rapids-native-to-be-showcased-in-documentary/ |archivedate=2011-07-10 |accessdate=2017-10-16 }}

Spark Media is also in post-production on Klandestine Man, about Stetson Kennedy, the folklorist and social justice activist who famously infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan in the 1950s with the goal of dismantling the violent white supremacist group from the inside out.{{Cite news|url=http://sparkmedia.org/projects/klandestine-man/|title=Klandestine Man - Spark Media|work=Spark Media|access-date=2017-04-06|language=en-US}}

With funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities Office of Digital Humanities, Spark Media began production on Project Maestro (now known as [https://humanities.games/ humanities.games]) in 2019, an open-source platform that "empowers educators and students with limited computer access to make digital humanities games."{{Cite web|title=NEH grant details: Project Maestro|url=https://apps.neh.gov/publicquery/default.aspx?f=1&gn=HAA-266565-19|access-date=2021-04-19|website=securegrants.neh.gov}}{{Cite web|title=Announcing New ODH Awards (August 2019)|url=https://www.neh.gov/blog/announcing-new-odh-awards-august-2019|access-date=2021-04-19|website=The National Endowment for the Humanities|language=en}} The platform was first created for Spark Media's game The Search For Harmony, a web game about the rich, forgotten historical legacy of classical musicians of African descent.{{Cite web|title=NEH grant details: Project Maestro|url=https://apps.neh.gov/publicquery/default.aspx?f=1&gn=HAA-266565-19|access-date=2021-04-19|website=securegrants.neh.gov}}

In December 2020, Spark Media in collaboration with UXR Tech completed production on El 48,{{Cite web|title=who we are – El 48 Virtual|url=https://el48virtual.com/who-we-are/|access-date=2021-04-19|language=en-US}} a virtual reality experience based on the abolition of the Costa Rican army. The exhibit was opened on December 1, 2020,{{Cite web|date=2020-11-30|title=Productora estadounidense revive en realidad virtual la abolición del ejército en Costa Rica|url=https://glendaahora.com/2020/11/30/productora-estadounidense-revive-realidad-virtual-la-abolicion-del-ejercito-costa-rica/|access-date=2021-04-19|website=Glenda Ahora|language=es-ES}} the anniversary of the abolition of the military, is currently housed at Museo Nacional de Costa Rica and is the first of its kind at the museum. {{Cite web|last=Staff|first=Tcrn|date=2020-12-04|title=Tico National Museum Opens Virtual Reality Exhibition|url=https://thecostaricanews.com/tico-national-museum-opens-virtual-reality-exhibition-on-the-abolition-of-the-army/|access-date=2021-04-19|website=The Costa Rica News|language=en-US}}

In 2024, Spark Media released a podcast series called The People's Recorder which explores stories first unearthed by Works Progress Administration writers and artists in the 1930s. Spark Media is producing the podcast with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities,{{cite web |title=National Endowment for the Humanities Grant Awards and Offers, August 2022 |url=https://www.neh.gov/sites/default/files/inline-files/NEH%20grant%20awards%20August%202022.pdf |publisher=National Endowment for the Humanities |access-date=22 November 2023}} Florida Humanities Council,{{Cite web|title=The People's Recorder|url=https://sparkmedia.org/projects/the-peoples-recorder/|access-date=2021-04-19|website=Spark Media}}{{Cite web|url=https://floridahumanities.org/2020-june-community-project-grants-awards/|access-date=2021-04-19|website=floridahumanities.org|title=2020 June - Community Project Grant Awards}} Virginia Humanities,{{Cite web|title=The People's Recorder|url=https://sparkmedia.org/projects/the-peoples-recorder/|access-date=2021-04-19|website=Spark Media}} Wisconsin Humanities,{{cite web |title=Grants Awarded |url=https://wisconsinhumanities.org/grants/grants-awarded/grants-awarded-2021/ |website=Wisconsin Humanities |publisher=Wisconsin Humanities |access-date=22 November 2023}} California Humanities,{{cite web |title=List of California Documentary Project Grants |url=https://calhum.org/grant-deadlines-overview/california-documentary-project/list-of-california-documentary-project-grants/ |website=California Humanities |publisher=California Humanities}} and Humanities Nebraska.{{cite web |title=2022 Grant Recipients |url=https://humanitiesnebraska.org/2022-grant-recipients/ |website=Nebraska Humanities |publisher=Nebraska Humanities}} A second season of the podcast is currently in production, supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities.{{cite web |title=NEH Announces $26.2 Million for 238 Humanities Projects Nationwide |url=https://www.neh.gov/news/neh-announces-262-million-238-humanities-projects-nationwide?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2556oFDeGfIdBH_QeG-jIIEuW0wvVT3IdtIPIOVM8kOcoyhMuZtvYYNpw_aem_AeYq3lL7-PfxNxvgf63dj20mFAybDlOcHe_G4VyvcuNSjThVT072ZxQsvmnBwfi4gaSzPxFSz1ZPgpgE9yD7Uykv |website=National Endowment for the Humanities}}

{{columns-list|colwidth=35em|* Public Defender

• Scattering CJ
• My America
• Syria: A Decade of Atrocities
• Resolute: Leading in Turbulent Times
• Celebrating ChangermakHERS: GirlTrek
• First Lady of the Revolution
• Red Lines
• No Evidence of Disease
• What Every Woman Should Know
• People Will Carry Your Story
• Worlds of Sounds: Ballard of Folkways
• Soul of a People: Writing America's Story
• The Pact
• Prince Among Slaves
• Partners of the Heart
• Talking Through Walls
• Allah Made Me Funny: Live in Concert
• Asia’s Water Crisis: The Struggle Within Each Drop
• Battered Lives, Broken Trust: When Men Abuse Women
• Too Brief a Child: Voices of Married Adolescents
• Breaking the Poverty Cycle: Investing in Early Childhood
• Bridges: Southeast Asians’ American Journey
• Wired for Change: Information Technology for Development in the Americas
• A Voice of Her Own: Women and Economic Change in Asia
• From Rage to Recovery: Society’s Search for Peace
• World Bank HUNGER Public Service Announcement

}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website}}
• [https://www.imdb.com/company/co0021533/ Spark Media on IMDb]

Category:Film production companies of the United States

Category:Mass media companies established in 1989

Category:Documentary film production companies

Category:Mass media companies based in Washington, D.C.

Category:1989 establishments in Washington, D.C.