A Mothers’ Cry, a Time to Heal.

HELLO THERE:

I AM KHADIJAH BINT COSTELLO, CEO OF NEWARK SPEAKS 2U.

WHO ARE WE AND WHAT DO WE DO?

WE ARE A MULTIMEDIA COMPANY, DEDICATED TO SERVE THE SMALL COMMUNITIES

IN AND AROUND NEWARK NEW JERSEY. CREATING CONTENT THROUGH FILM,

PHOTOGRAPHY AND NARRATIVE, LOCATED IN NEWARK NEW JERSEY.

AS A JOURNALIST, A PARENT AND MEMBER OF THESE  COMMUNITIES I SAW

A NECESSITY TO TAKE ACTION.

OUR FIRST PROJECT:

A MOTHERS’ CRY.  

THIS YEAR I DIRECTED, PRODUCED AND FILMED A SHORT DOCUMENTARY BASE ON THE TRUE STORIES

OF MOTHERS WHO HAVE LOST THEIR SONS TO GUN AND STREET VIOLENCE IN NEWARK NEW JERSEY

I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT MY FILM IN NEW YORK CITY,

WITH SOME TALENTED FILMMAKERS,WHO HAVE ENCOURAGED

ME TO CONTINUE CREATING CONTENT IN THE FORM OF EPISODES.

EACH EPISODE HAVING DIFFERENT TOPICS AS

THEY RELATE TO GUN AND STREET VIOLENCE. AS WE ALL KNOW THIS IS NOT

A LOCAL OR NATIONAL PROBLEM, BUT A GLOBAL EPIDEMIC, THAT NEEDS OUR ATTENTION.

TO BECOME A RESIDENT ARTIST IN THE INITIATIVE AND COLLABORATING

SPACE OF EXPRESS NEWARK.  THE PROGRAM RUNS FOR SIX MONTH AT

A TIME, APPLICATIONS ARE SUBMITTED AND EVALUATED IN ORDER TO

RETURN. AT THE PRESENT TIME I AM APPLYING FOR PARTNERSHIP,

WHICH WILL GIVE MY COMPANY MORE ACCESS TO THE STUDIO AND OTHER AREAS OF THE  COLLABORATING SPACE.

IN ADDITION, WITH THE COLLABORATION OF ANOTHER AGENCY NEWARK SPEAKS 2U DEVELOPED A SUMMER MEDIA CAMP,

THE FIRST EXPRESS NEWARK EVER OFFERED TO THE COMMUNITY IN NEWARK.

WE MADE HISTORY BY BECOMING THE FIRST MEDIA CAMP IN THIS SPACE. WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUE WORKING DURING THE WHOLE YEAR AS WE WERE GIVEN THE SPACE TO COME BACK AND CONTINUE WORKING WITH THE MEDIA CAMP. OUR MEDIA CAMP WON THE AWARD OF THE BEST YOUTH DOCUMENTARY IN NEWARK INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL, AGAIN WE MADE HISTORY.

MY SHORT WAS SUBMITTED AND SELECTED TO BE VIEWED AT THE NEWARK INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL.

HOW WAS  A MOTHERS' CRY FILMED?

A MOTHERS' CRY WAS FILMEDWITH NO BUDGET, A ONE CREW CAMERA PERSON, AN IPHONE, A ZOOM Q4 MINI

CAMERA AND AN EDITOR. EVERYONE WHO WORKED WITH NS2U DONATED THIER TIME AND EFFORTS TO CREATE THIS

PROJECT DURING A VERY HOT SUMMER DAY. OUR PHONES WILL HEAT UP AND CRASH. OUR CAMERAS

WILL HEAT UP AND STOP WORKING, BUT WE SAW A VISION COMPLETED THE WORK.

WHY DOES NEWARK SPEAKS 2U NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT?

NEWARK SPEAKS 2U WANTS TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH THESE COMMUNITIES.

IN ORDER TO PRESENT THE PROBLEMS, SOLUTIONS AND TRIUMPHS THAT ARE NEVER SPOKEN ABOUT.

LIKE ALL THE CHALLENGES FACED EVERYDAY AS THEY RELATE TO THE CHANGES HAPPENING WITHIN

OUR CITIES AND TOWNS. 

IN ORDER TO CREATE QUALITY CONTENT AND NEW EPISODES FOR A MOTHERS’ CRY,

NEWARK SPEAKS 2U NEEDS FILMING AND EDITING EQUIPMENT. 

WE NEED  TO PURCHASE

1. CAMERAS
2. LENSES
3. BATTERIES
4. LIGHTING GEAR
5. SD CARDS
6. EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE
7. A DRONE
8. INSURANCE
9. SOUND EQUIPMENT
10. LAPTOPS WITH EDITING SOFTWARE .

DO YOU WANT TO BE PART OF THIS PROJECT?

IF YOU ARE  A SOCIAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATION, MOTHERS WHO HAVE LOST THEIR SONS OR DAUGHTERS TO GUN OR STREET VIOLENCE, LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, AND WILL LIKE TO BE PART PLEASE CONTACT US AT [email protected] or newarkspeaks2u.com