‘Freelancers — Mexico’: Join us for Dec. 14 screening, discussion with film director, associate producer

Freelancers — Mexico

… is a film about the daring and tech-savvy freelance journalists who cover some of the most challenging and complex countries in the world.

!!UPDATED information on panel discussion to follow the film. See below.!!

WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019
TIME: 2 – 4:30 p.m.
WHERE: The Newseum
Documentary Theater, Concourse Level
555 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20001

RSVP on Eventbrite here.

 

Join the Washington, D.C., Pro chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists for a free showing and discussion of the film Freelancers—Mexico. This is the first in a planned documentary series about the daring freelance journalists who work in some of the most challenging countries in the world.

 Admission to the film and discussion is free. Those wanting to tour the Newseum before or after the showing will need to pay museum admission. Seating is limited and registration is required.

The event will be held at the Newseum on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, Dec. 14, starting at 2 p.m. The film will be shown in the documentary theater on the concourse level.

About this Event

Daring and tech-savvy freelance journalists are filling the void left by news media cutbacks to cover some of the most challenging and complex countries in the world. These determined reporters, photographers, filmmakers and fixers often struggle to bring critical issues to light as they operate without the traditional support or security of staff correspondents during a era when the news media is often under attack. Freelancers—Mexico looks at the lives and work of freelancers working in Mexico where at least 175,000 people, including more than 100 newspeople, have died in the drug war. See the film trailer here.

The documentary includes:

  • Ioan Grillo, British freelancer for The New York Times and Time Magazine, who has covered the drug war for the past 15 years
  • David Agren, Canadian freelancer for USA Today and The Guardian, who is covering the Mexican elections
  • Janet Jarman, a freelance U.S. filmmaker whose clients include The New York Times for which she is doing a documentary on women’s reproductive health.

*** DISCUSSION OF FILM and related topics: Following the 54-minute film, stay for a discussion with the film’s director Bill Gentile, an Emmy Award-winning veteran foreign correspondent; associate producer producer Matt Cipollone; Tracy Wilkinson, a foreign affairs correspondent for The Los Angeles Times; and Fernando Pizarro, the Washington Affiliates correspondent for the Univision Television Group.

Tracy Wilkinson is a foreign affairs correspondent for The Los Angeles Times, working out of the Washington bureau. She has covered wars, crises and daily life on three continents. From 2008 to 2015, she served as The Times’ Mexico bureau chief, where her coverage was part of a team Overseas Press Club Award and a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award. Wilkinson was also the 2014 winner of the Maria Moors Cabot Award for coverage of Latin America. Before moving to Mexico, she worked in Rome, where she covered two popes, and did several stints in Iraq. Previously, she worked in Jerusalem and Vienna, where she covered the war in the Balkans, winning the George Polk Award in 1999. She first joined The Times in 1987, first as a writer on the Metro staff, then as a foreign correspondent based in San Salvador. @TracyKWilkinson

Fernando Pizarro is the Washington Affiliates correspondent for the Univision Television Group. A multiple Emmy Award-winner and nominee, he has covered Capitol Hill, the White House and the federal government for 16 years. His analysis has appeared in the Washington Post, NPR, 1A, On Point, BBC, WNYC, Public Radio International, The Diane Rehm Show, and radio and print media in Spain, Mexico, and Central and South America. He has worked as a freelance correspondent for CNN en Español, producer for Associated Press Television and U.S. correspondent for National Television of Chile. Previously, he was a sports anchor at ESPN International, NBC Latin America, Telefutura and Pan American Sports Network. @FPizzaro_DC

Questions? Email spjdcchapter@gmail.com.