Andrea Kalin

Andrea Kalin is a documentary director, producer and the founder and executive producer of Spark Media.

Biography

Born in Boston, Kalin graduated Cum Laude from American University, [http://www.sparkmedia.org/ht/d/sp/i/182/pid/182 Spark Media ] ] and began her journalistic career as a radio reporter in the Middle East. She returned to the States, entered television journalism on the Capitol Hill beat as an anchor and producer for WNVC in Northern Virginia and as an assistant producer for Metro Media (later Fox TV). Working as an archivist with filmmaker Ken Burns made her realize the power of story telling and led to the creation of her multi media production and outreach firm Spark Media. [ [http://sparkmedia.org/ht/d/sp/i/182/pid/182 Spark Media ] ] Since its founding Kalin’s work has garnered more than 40 international awards [http://sparkmedia.org/ht/d/sp/i/185/pid/185 Spark Media ] ] including a prime time Emmy, Gracie Allen Award, CINEs, EdPress Awards of Distinction, The Chris Awards, [http://www.chrisawards.org/pages/festivals/1997festival/97bronze.html The Chris Awards - The Columbus Film and Video Festival ] ] a Paul Robeson award and a Gold UNESCO medal at the NY Festivals, among others.” [IMDB]

Her début feature-length documentary film "Partners of the Heart", which she directed, produced, and co-wrote, was inspired by Katie McCabe's Washingtonian article "Like Something the Lord Made" [www.hopkinsmedicine.org/dome/0301/close_up.cfm] [ [http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/5649.html Washingtonian] ] . The documentary aired on PBS’s American Experience in February 2003 and was rebroadcast in March 2005. Narrated by Morgan Freeman, [ [http://www.amazon.com/American-Experience-Partners-Morgan-Freeman/dp/B00008G97L Amazon.com: American Experience - Partners Of The Heart: Morgan Freeman, Dr. Levi Watkins, Dr. J. Alex Haller Jr., John Dryden (IV), Dr. Helen Taussig, Dr. Denton A. Cooley, Courtney B. Vance, Dr. Alfred Blalock, Jane Leuders, Beau James, Dr. Koco Ea... ] ] [ [http://www.neh.gov/news/humanities/2003-01/partners.html Partners of the Heart ] ] "Partners" went on to win the Erik Barnouw Award for Best History Documentary in 2004. [ [http://www.oah.org/activities/awards/barnouw/winners.html OAH Erik Barnouw Award Winners ] ]

Kalin directed and produced "The Pact", a feature-length documentary based on the book "The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream". [ [http://www.amazon.com/Pact-George-Jenkins/dp/157322216X Amazon.com: The Pact: George Jenkins, Sampson Davis, Rameck Hunt, Lisa Frazier Page: Books ] ] The film chronicles the true life story of Rameck Hunt, Sampson Davis, and George Jenkins, who made a pact in their inner-city high-school in Newark, New Jersey, to find a way to go to college and then medical school. [ [http://thepactthemovie.com The PACT - The Movie - The Pact DVD - The Pact Documentary ] ] "The Pact" won Best Documentary in the Boston International Film Festival " [ [http://www.upf.tv/upf06/Films/PrinceAmongSlaves/Biographies/tabid/253/Default.aspx Unity Productions Foundation > Films > Prince Among Slaves > Film > Biographies ] ] , and is slated to be aired on public television in 2008. ” [ [http://www.aptonline.org/aptweb.nsf/vOtherDocs/Press+Release-2008+May+Releases American Public Television: 2008 May Releases ] ]

She also directed, produced, and wrote "Prince Among Slaves", [ [http://upf.tv/upf06/Films/PrinceAmongSlaves/Film/Biographies/tabid/253/Default.aspx Unity Productions Foundation > Films > Prince Among Slaves > Film > Biographies ] ] a feature-length documentary based on the biography of the same name about African Muslim-prince-turned-American-slave Abdulrahman Ibrahim Ibn Sori written by Northern Virginia Community College history professor Terry Alford. [ [http://upf.tv/upf06/Films/PrinceAmongSlaves/tabid/77/Default.aspx UPF :: Prince Among Slaves Official Movie Website - Narrated By Mos Def ] ] [ [http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Slaves-Oxford-Paperback-Reference/dp/0195042239 Amazon.com: Prince among Slaves (Oxford Paperback Reference): Terry Alford: Books ] ] "Prince" won numerous awards including the Best Documentary of 2007 by the American Black Film Festival, [ [http://www.upf.tv/upf06/Films/PrinceAmongSlaves/tabid/77/Default.aspx UPF :: Prince Among Slaves Official Movie Website - Narrated By Mos Def ] ] the ITVA DC Peer Award, Cine Golden Eagle, Grand Goldie Award [http://www.upf.tv/upf06/Documents/Prince/lesson%20plan.pdf] and premiered on PBS on February 4th 2008. [ [http://www.i-newswire.com/pr146532.html. Free Press Release Distribution Center - I-Newswire.com ] ]

Kalin’s other select film credits include: "Too Brief a Child", a short film about adolescent brides that was featured in the United Nations Association Film Festival, [ [http://www.unaff.org/2005/f_too.html UNAFF 2005 : Films : Too Brief a Child ] ] "A Voice of Her Own", shot on location in Cambodia, Bangladesh and the Philippines, [ [http://www.library.upenn.edu/collections/videos/SA_documentaries.html South Asia Documentaries at the Van Pelt Library ] ] which won a Chris Award, "Battered Lives, Broken Trust", a program and outreach campaign on domestic violence, and "Breaking the Poverty Cycle: Investing in Early Childhood Care and Development". [ [http://sparkmedia.org/ht/d/sp/i/184/pid/184 Spark Media ] ] [ [http://www.iadb.org/sds/soc/publication/publication_173_556_e.htm Battered Lives, Broken Trust: When Men Abuse Women ] ]

Kalin is in production of a National Endowment for the Humanities-funded documentary about the Federal Writers Project [ [http://www.neh.gov/news/awards/publicmay2006.html Division of Public Programs, May 2006 ] ] tentatively titled "The Soul of a People: Voices From the Federal Writers Project", which will include interviews with notable project alumni Studs Terkel, Stetson Kennedy, and American historian Douglas Brinkley. [ [http://sparkmedia.org/ht/d/sp/i/236/pid/236 Spark Media ] ]

Filmography (Select)

* " [http://www.thepactthemovie.com/ The Pact] "
* "Prince Among Slaves"
* " [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/partners/ Partners of the Heart] "
* "Talking Through Walls"
* " [http://www.allahmademefunny.com/ Allah Made Me Funny] "
* "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"

References