FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Third World Newsreel (TWN) Announces Fall Launch of Historic Newsreel Retrospective (1968-1972)
Archive of 1960s-70s Activism Offers Lessons for Today's Movements
NEW YORK, NY – Third World Newsreel (TWN), the long-standing media arts center dedicated to nurturing social justice media by and about historically marginalized communities, announces the fall launch of its Newsreel Retrospective (1968-1972). This groundbreaking collection features sixty digitally preserved films documenting the social movements of the late 1960s and early 1970s—a period that mirrors our contemporary moment of rights under attack and collective futures under threat.
The Retrospective is now available for bookings by film festivals, educational institutions, and cultural organizations worldwide. Programmers can screen Retrospective films between November 2025 and 2026; initial screenings confirmed this fall at prestigious venues including BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), Maysles Cinema, and Anthology Film Archives in NYC, as well as DOK Leipzig in Germany.
"While the current political landscape feels unprecedented, historically people have faced and battled authoritarian and undemocratic forces before," observes JT Takagi, Executive Director of Third World Newsreel. "We're excited to launch our Newsreel Retrospective and uplift authentic stories of activism led by Black, Indigenous, and people of color, women, and other marginalized communities fighting for liberation, empowerment and justice. This is the moment to examine the past and use it to energize and activate people and communities today."
60 Films Revealing Societal Transformation
The Newsreel collective, now Third World Newsreel, produced over sixty films during its most prolific period from 1968 to 1972. Formed by a group of filmmakers who came together in 1967 to produce films that would show the reality of the various anti-war and people's liberation movements, and activate the people, chapters developed across the country. These films captured pivotal moments of resistance and community organizing with an immediacy and authenticity that mainstream media could not provide.
Third World Newsreel has digitally preserved this archival film collection featuring activists from the Black Panthers, Young Lords, anti-war groups, and feminist organizations as well as stories of community struggles, housing justice, community solidarity, and labor movements.
Historical Parallels for Contemporary Audiences
Newsreel arose in a time when there were only three television channels, and the work of these early filmmakers presented alternative and truer narratives of social issues, showcasing both harsh realities and community struggles that were routinely ignored or misrepresented in established news programs. The impact was immediate and visceral—when "Columbia Revolt" was first screened, students watching it immediately stood up and protested their own campuses' complicity with the Vietnam War, leading to numerous campus shutdowns nationwide.
Today, as communities again face threats to democratic institutions, civil rights, and social justice, these films offer both historical context and tactical inspiration for contemporary movements fighting similar battles.
Thematic Programming Available
The Retrospective offers diverse programming options organized by movement and theme:
- Student and Anti-War Movement Films (25 films)
- Women's Movement (6 films)
- Black & Brown Power Movements (9 films)
- Third World Struggles (6 films)
- Housing Justice & Community Solidarity (12 films)
- Labor Movements and regional Newsreel chapter programs
Featured films include:
- "Columbia Revolt" (1968) - Documentary of the first major campus revolt of the Civil Rights/Vietnam War era
- "The Woman's Film" (1971) - Collective production documenting the origins of the modern women's movement
- "Black Panther" (1968) - One of Newsreel's most widely distributed films featuring Black Panther Party leadership
- "El Pueblo Se Levanta" (1971) - Portrait of Young Lords organizing in East Harlem
- "Break and Enter" (1971) - Documents housing reclamation movement in New York City
About Third World Newsreel (TWN)
Since 1968, Third World Newsreel has advanced movement storytelling and media arts for cultural and social justice. We champion the self-representation of historically marginalized communities—including Black, Indigenous, Latine, Asian, Pacific Islander, African, Middle Eastern, Mixed/Multiracial, People with Disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ individuals—through diverse genres and forms of media, such as documentary, experimental, and fiction. Our comprehensive support includes hands-on training, fiscal sponsorship, educational distribution, and preservation, all designed to advance cultural justice and societal change.
Booking Information
The Newsreel Retrospective is available for theatrical screenings, film festivals, educational institutions, and cultural organizations. Programmers may select individual films or work with TWN to create custom thematic programs. Former Newsreel members are available for in-person or virtual speaking engagements.
Booking Contact:
Zenzelé Clarke
zenzele.clarke@gmail.com
Press Contact:
JT Takagi
twn@twn.org
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