"OUR WOMEN, OUR STRUGGLE" by MELISSA MONTERO OUR WOMEN, OUR STRUGGLE is a compelling hour-long documentary currently in production that chronicles the lives of four Puerto Rican women activists -- Isabel Rosado, Lolita Lebrón, Dylcia Pagán and Esperanza Martell, who dedicated their lives to ending social injustice. Collectively these women will speak on the historical struggle of Puerto Rican Independence while also sharing their contributions to the movement. This project is important because it will document and preserve the legacy of these courageous woman and their life long commitments.

	FUNDRAISER -  Join the filmmaker in this grassroots community-based fundraiser to raise production monies to allow her to continue the production phase of this amazing and worthwhile project -- a story that must be told! When: Thursday, April 7, 2006 — 7-10:30PM Where: Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center TEATRO LA TEA 107 Suffolk Street Lower East Side / East Village - NYC Price: $20 cover Music and poetry by: Tato Torres & Yerbabuena Llu Aye Prisionera Sandra Garcia Rivera Mariposa Rafael Landron
Click on graphic above to download flyer.
If you cannot physically attend the event, but wish to contribute toward the production, contact Melissa directly at zoemontero@hotmail.com or contact her project's fiscal sponsor, Women Make Movies (www.wmm.com) and mention "OUR WOMEN, OUR STRUGGLE" as the source of your intended donation. If you visit the website, click on "O" to reach the donation outlet for this project.

	Melissa Z. Montero is a 23-year old aspiring Latina filmmaker living in Queens, New York of Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian heritage.  She along with two other women produced and directed a non-broadcast 10 minute promotional video/documentary on Casa Atabex Ache, a non-profit organization that does healing and transformation work for women of color.  Melissa has also taught video production classes at the Grand Street Settlement After school Beacon Program where she produced and directed a short video on the program’s services.  Melissa is now working as a sub-clipper for NBC News and Archives. Melissa is an alum of NALIP-New York's 2004 Documentary Mentorship Program for Emerging Producers (DocuGroup) and screened part of her work-in-progress at the Anthology Film Archives*.

* ABOUT THE DOCUGROUP INITIATIVE

The Documentary Mentorship Program for Emerging Producers provides 6-7 evolving documentary filmmakers with access to an experienced mentor over a six month period with an emphasis on documentary themes that range from traditional nonfiction form to the verité-style exposé approach, and receive consultations on focusing the project's concept/idea; financing and producing, capturing process-oriented or time defined events; packaging, marketing and distribution, among others. Participants may apply at any phase in their project's life -- from research and development to rough cut. The participants also meet in 15 collective sessions to discuss their project's progress, share resources and self critique each others work. The programs ends with a public screening of the the participant's work-in-progress.