GroundSpark

We ignite change through film. groundspark.org Much of this work focuses on creating schools and communities that are safe and welcoming for all children.

Our name, GroundSpark, communicates the initiative, energy, activism, and vibrant personality of our organization and what we set out to accomplish. It reflects our commitment to fundamental change, our partnerships with communities, and the tremendous momentum set in motion by our campaigns. Working closely with educators, activists, national and local organizations, we ensure that our films are

used to inspire meaningful social change. GroundSpark’s landmark program, The Respect For All Project, seeks to do just that. The Respect For All Project provides youth and the adults who guide their development the tools they need to engage in age-appropriate discussions about human difference, preventing prejudice and building caring communities. The project offers a comprehensive set of resources for educators and youth-service providers, including award-winning documentary films, high-quality curriculum guides, and a comprehensive workshop series for professionals and community members. GroundSpark’s films and educational programs have addressed a variety of social issues including:

*Bullying, Name-Calling, & Prejudice
*Addressing Bias Through Education
*Education & Technology
*Changing Family Life in America
*Gender-based Stereotypes
*Housing & Community Development
*Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Equality
*Nuclear Weapons & the Environment

12/20/2025

PROGNOSIS movie helps us envision “dream teams of community care”. Donate at bit.ly/dc-legacy to bring Debra Chasnoff's PROGNOSIS: Notes on Living into living rooms across America via PBS. Together, we’ll reach families before crisis hits, when there’s still time to plan for how we’ll care for each other through life's toughest moments.
Oscar Winner Debra Chasnoff's final film, is a collaborative filmmaking effort by GroundSpark and Citizen Film from producers Nancy Otto, Carrie Lozano, Lidia Szajko, and Joan Lefkowitz , and co-director & producer Katharine Meredith Stilley. Thank you to our funders Koret Foundation and Fleishhacker Foundation, and all our individual contributors, for helping us create an impactful documentary and conversation campaign for PBS and beyond.

12/15/2025

Will you donate a Respect for All film for a school that needs it? https://bit.ly/give-lgbtq-film
LGBTQ+ youth urgently need resources in their school to promote conversations about bias and bullying. But not all schools can afford it. For every film donated, we'll help a school in need. To choose which school gets your donation, or for questions, email [email protected]

12/04/2025

The secret to living (& dying) well? Community care - & connected roots of support! Donate at bit.ly/dc-legacy to bring le***an filmmaker & activist Debra Chasnoff's film PROGNOSIS: Notes on Living to PBS & ignite conversations about community care. PROGNOSIS illustrates community care at a time when we need it urgently. Your tax deductible donation to the Debra Chasnoff / Groundspark Legacy Initiative at Citizen Film helps make this possible.
Oscar Winner Debra Chasnoff's final film, is a collaborative filmmaking effort by GroundSpark and Citizen Film from producers Nancy Otto, Carrie Lozano, lidia.szajko, and Joan Lefkowitz, and co-director & producer Katharine Meredith Stilley. Thank you to our funders Koret Foundation and Fleishhacker Foundation, and all our individual contributors, for helping us create an impactful documentary and conversation campaign for PBS and beyond.

09/19/2025

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Thanatology Around the World Wednesday, April 30th, 2025, 7pm – 8:30pm ET Our February webinar is open to all INELDA members as part of membership *September Webinar* Thanatology Around the World

09/10/2025

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Viva La Revolucion! Catch Debra Chasnoff classic films - “One Wedding and a Revolution” and “Deadly Deception” - screening this Saturday on Governors Island in NYC. BIG PROPS to Filmshop & Kate Levy for presenting this landmark event that explores 50+ years of feminist & social justice filmmaking at New Day Films!

The retrospective includes films from Liane Brandon, Amalie Rothschild, Jezebel Productions, Viviane Silvera, Chithra Jeyaram, Deaf Jam and Charles Ablemann.

Saturday, 09/13 - 12:00-4:00 - FilmShop House at Governors Island

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-day-the-evolution-of-a-feminist-social-justice-film-collective-tickets-1664843835729?aff=oddtdtcreator

11/12/2024

On this day 40 years ago, Debra Chasnoff and Mimi Kim Klausner released “Choosing Children,” a culture-shifting documentary about the pioneering le***an parents of the 1980s 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦 While thinking about our future, let’s take a moment to honor the trailblazers who worked to get us to where we are today 🏳️‍🌈 You can stream “Choosing Children” for free from Kanopy: kanopy.com/product/choosing-children

10/03/2024

09/24/2024

07/16/2024

Did you know that you can watch thousands of high quality films for free through your university or public library? 🤩 This includes our suite of films made by legendary Oscar winner Debra Chasnoff 🏆 Stream her collection from New Day Films on Kanopy today 😍 www.kanopy.com/category/1180

02/13/2024

Debra Chasnoff’s work used the power of film to celebrate marginalized groups and generate necessary social change. In that same spirit, we recognize and applaud films that take part in this legacy— like Sophie Constantinou’s “Trans.” See the film on Saturday night at the Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive, as part of Jenni Olson’s Masc series co-curated for The Criterion Collection.

01/18/2024

The Debra Chasnoff / GroundSpark Legacy Initiative at Citizen Film is thrilled to help spread the word about Masc at the Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive! These groundbreaking films contribute to a rich filmography of trans men, butch le***ans, and gender nonconforming heroes in cinema. We are especially excited to see our friends and colleagues Jenni Olson, Sophie Constantinou, and Susan Stryker involved in the program ❤️

Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime screening series spanning decades of masc stories on film! Co-curated by our friend Jenni Olson for the The Criterion Collection, the Masc series will be screening at the Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive this January.

Check out the full program—including “Trans” by our own Sophie Constantinou—and get your tickets here: bampfa.org/program/masc

Address

San Francisco, CA
94114

Telephone

+14156414616

Website

http://groundspark.org/

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