CATEGORY
2016-Panorama
Poverty, Inc
Michael Matheson Miller
USA, 2015, 91′, English
Turkish Premiere
Photography: Simon Scionka
Editing: Simon Scionka
Music: Tune Society
Sound: Simon Scionka
Producer: Mark Weber
Salhane, 14.10.2016 Friday, 20.00 – 22.00
Synopsis: The West has positioned itself as the protagonist of the development narrative. But the results have been mixed, in some cases even catastrophic, and developing world leaders have become increasingly vocal in calling for change. Drawing on perspectives gathered from over 150 interviews shot over 4 years in 20 countries, Poverty, Inc. explores the hidden side of doing good. From disaster relief to TOMs Shoes, from adoptions to agricultural subsidies, Poverty, Inc. follows the butterfly effect of our most well-intentioned efforts and pulls back the curtain on the poverty industrial complex – the multi-billion dollar market of NGOs, multilateral agencies, and for-profit aid contractors. Are we catalyzing development or are we propagating a system in which the poor stay poor while the rich get hipper?
Biography: Michael Matheson Miller is a Research Fellow at the Acton Institute and the Director and Producer of “Poverty, Inc.” Previously Michael was the Director of Media and Director of Programs International at the Acton Institute and has appeared in various video curricula including “Doing the Right Thing”. Before coming to Acton he taught philosophy and political science at Ave Maria College in Nicaragua and was the chair of the philosophy and theology department. Michael holds graduate degrees in philosophy, international development, and international business.Michael speaks extensively on themes of international development, entrepreneurship, political economy, and moral philosophy. He has been featured on FOX Business, CNBC, and numerous radio shows. He has been published in The New York Post, The Washington Times, The LA Daily News, The Detroit News, and Real Clear Politics Connect at www.michaelmathesonmiller.com
Festival
Austin Film Festival (TX)
International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA)
Thessaloniki International Documentary Film Festival, Greece
Fife International Environmental Film Festival, France
Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Fest, Malaysia
Free Spirit Film Festival, India
Addis International Film Festival, Ethiopia
Leeds Film Festival, U.K.
Chagrin Documentary Film Festival, Ohio
RiverRun International Film Festival, Winston-Salem
Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival
Salento International Film Festival, Italy
Cinema Festival Africa Mostra-se, Lisbon, Portugal
Festival International du Film PanAfricain de Cannes, France
Workers Unite! Film Festival, NYC
EKO International Film Festival, Nigeria
Bahamas International Film Festival
Winnipeg Real to Reel Film Festival, Canada
World Unite Film Festival, U.K.
Irvine International Film Festival
San Luis Obispo International Film Festival
Africa World Documentary Film Festival, Barbados
FirstGlance Film Festival Philadelphia
Chicago International Social Change Festival
Social Impact Media Awards, Los Angeles
iRepresent International Documentary Film Festival, Lagos, Nigeria
Slum Film Festival, Kenya
FICMA International Environmental Film Festival, Spain
I Will Tell International Film Festival, London
Awards
The Emerging Filmmaker Award, Chagrin Documentary Film Festival, Ohio
The Best Film, Topanga Film Festival
$2500 Grand Prize, Audience Choice Award, Excellence in Filmmaking, Anthem Film Festival
The Best Film, Docutah Film Festival, Utah
Audience Choice Award, Workers Unite!, NYC
Spirit of Freedom Award for Best Documentary, Bahamas International Film Festival
Best Documentary Runner-up, Winnipeg Real to Reel Film Festival, Kanada
Audience Choice Award, FirstGlance Film Festival, Philadelphia
Special Jury Prize, Social Impact Media Awards, Los Angeles
The Most Creative Documentary, International Christian Film Festival, Orlando
The Best Documentary Prizes and Distinctions, I Will Tell International Film Festival, London
Winner of the Templeton Award