Our Story

 

The Mixed Roots Film & Literary Festival - www.mxroots.org - celebrates and encourages storytelling of the Mixed racial and cultural experience through film screenings, readings, workshops and live performance.

 

The inaugural festival took place in June of 2008 and has entertained over 3,000 participants, sharing the works of such notable authors and filmmakers as Rebecca Walker, Kip Fulbeck, Maria P.P. Root, Angela Nissel, Karyn Parsons, and Kim Wayans.  At the 2011 festival we were honored to include the sister of President Barack Obama: Dr. Maya Sotoero-Ng.

 

The Festival - always held in June to commemorate the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Courts Loving decision is a fiscally sponsored project of the New York Foundation for the Arts.

 

The Impact

 

Census figures reveal that multiracial individuals are the fastest growing demographic in the U.S., yet many multiracial storytellers are told that they and their work must fit into traditionally defined categories in order to find an audience.  By establishing a new genre with this one-of-a-kind festival, we are boldly stating that there is a demand for stories that explore this experience.  We have provided opportunities to more than 100 established and emerging authors, filmmakers and performers to proudly showcase the complete, complicated story behind their Mixed identity. 

"The Mixed Roots team [is] dismantling racism in a unique and powerful way."
- James McBride, author

 

"I feel very proud to be a part of the Mixed Roots Festival."

- Jenny Lumet, screenwriter

 

"Thank you and the Festival for the Award. I think film is such a powerful vehicle."

-  Maria P.P. Root, leading scholar of the Mixed experience

 

"Educating people about things like Loving v. Virginia is really incredible and that's why Festivals like this are really needed."

- Kip Fulbeck, scholar, spoken word artist, author

 

I want to thank you so much for all of your workfor all of the different things that youve done to bring joy and beauty and openness and our stories into the public.

-  Rebecca Walker, author

 

"Thank you, again, for this distinguished honor...I encourage you to keep up your good work and hopefully, one day, race will not continue to be something that limits a person's ability to succeed, but will, instead, be something that enhances one's ability to make his or her dreams a reality."

- Hines Ward, NFL MVP

 

What We Need & What You Get

The non-profit festival is run by a very small group of passionate people who spend their own time and money to make it happen.  Although we receive generous donations from the Japanese American National Museum (where the festival is held each year), zerflin.com (responsible for our graphic design), and have been awarded grants from Social Justice Works! The Aaronson Fund (2009) and the Puffin Foundation (2010), our fundraising efforts ended last year under budget.   If everyone who ever came to the Festival gave $5, we'd reach this modest goal.

 

What We Need:

$2,000

This will allow us to print our programs.  The program is a beautifully designed, full-color-keepsake that includes pictures and bios of all of the participating artists.  It is also an important document for us to use throughout the year in grant proposals, for marketing purposes, and as an historical document of stories of the Mixed experience.

 

$1000

This will pay for the cost of food, drinks and service for our Loving reception, which is followed by the Loving awards and the live performance on Saturday evening. 

 

$600

This will pay for the cost of food for our hard-working volunteers throughout the two days.

 

TOTAL: $3600

 

What You Get:

See the PERKS column to the right!

 

Other Ways You Can Help

There are many more ways in which you can help with the Festival.  Here are just a few more:

 

1)  forward this page and spread the word to everyone in your address book!

2) click here and like our page on facebook

3) Follow us on twitter @mxroots

4)  Sign up to volunteer during the festival to work at the info tables, to help move furniture, to pick up food for the volunteer staff.  Email mxrootsfest@gmail.com with 'Volunteer' in the subject line

5)  We gladly accept in-kind donations of food, drinks or other services