For over a decade, BitterSweet has been telling the stories of those doing good in the world. When the regular newsfeed serves division and despair, theirs has been a constant drumbeat of hope—a counter-narrative to see culture invigorated for good.
The 2021 BitterSweet Invitational Story Festival is a celebration of this good. Photographers and filmmakers were invited to submit a narrative of monumentally ordinary proportions—untold stories that refuse cynicism, defy apathy, and celebrate the right and good.
As a community seeking to center the margins in their work, both amateurs and professionals were encouraged to enter. From concept to format, this festival was engineered to see what we can learn from the unlikely.
Opening Night / Friday 12.10
1262 5th St NE, Washington, DC 20002
7pm - 9pm
Join us for the opening of the Story Festival gallery installation.
Works by photo finalists will be on display, as well as a selection of BitterSweet photography and storytelling from the past 10 years.
Meet the creatives behind BitterSweet’s counter narrative, including entrants to the festival and finalists.
$60 / Tickets (proceeds go towards BitterSweet Monthly story-telling efforts)
Festival Day / Saturday 12.11
1262 5th St NE, Washington, DC 20002
11am-9pm
Saturday is a full day of celebrating story. Come and enjoy workshops and panel discussions with BitterSweet Creators while taking in the work of Story Festival photography finalist during the day.
The evening will bring on the mountaintop of the evening - screenings of select BitterSweet films, along with our Story Fest Finalist and we’ll end the day awarding grand prizes to winners!
Scroll down for full schedule.
Full Schedule & Registration / Saturday 12.11
Workshops with BitterSweet Creators
11:15am - 12pm (Before & After)
Discussion: Erica Baker
It’s easy to imagine a practice of photography that begins with settings and ends with a shutter. But that can be a dangerous practice, both for the subjects of our work and—even more often overlooked—ourselves.
Erica has been at the helm of some of our biggest and frankly most challenging (subject-wise) BitterSweet stories—like the ones about One Heart Worldwide and the Morning Star Foundation.
Let’s take a minute to talk about the practices that come before the settings are dialed and after we hit the shutter— the hours, days, and weeks on either side.
Not just gear and shot lists, but the harder heart and head work—the work we need to do for ourselves, our collaborators, and our families.
3:30pm - 4pm (Love Dad)
Short Film Screening
Film Maker: Brandon Bray
Sit with Director Brandon Bray and watch the beautiful short film, “Love Dad,” which was made for the BitterSweet story Sweetness In The Garbage Slums of Cairo. Directors discussion following the film led by BitterSweet’s founder Kate Schmidgall.
12:15pm - 1pm (Telling Stories of Impact)
Discussion: Jake Rutherford
You are assigned to create a series of robust, connected stories that reveal the impact of an organization. You know how to tell a great story but wonder:
“Do these anecdotes reflect the organization’s work and the people or cause it serves?“
“What does the organization not know about its impact?”
“How do I weave these stories together to explain the breadth and depth of the organization?”
As an assignment story producer and content creator, it can be overwhelming.
To help carry these burdens, BitterSweet creator Jake Rutherford has developed a method to root stories in impact models in a way that clarifies, integrates, and produces in-depth content—and perhaps (if you’re lucky), even contribute qualitative insights to help the organization evaluate its impact. In this workshop, Jake will share his perspective, experience, challenges, and opportunities, for impact-model-based storytelling.
4:15pm - 4:45pm (House of Brave)
Short Film Screening
Film Maker: Dave Baker
Sit with Director Dave Baker and watch “House of Brave,” a short film made for the BitterSweet story The Strongest Little Beats in Beijing. Directors discussion following the film led by BitterSweet’s founder Kate Schmidgall.
1:15pm - 2:30pm (One Story in 1 Hour)
Workshop & Story Walk
Join us for an exercise in seeing. We often think the story is far away. We chase the rush in Europe, or Congo, or Nepal. But the most compelling and beautiful narratives, the ones that can truly build and sustain community are right here in our back yards.
Participants will be invited to head out into the Union Market area (as far as your legs can take you in an hour) with their cameras, phones, and/or pens to find a story to tell. Photograph, film, and/or write it. Then come back and share it with your peers.
This exercise is community over competition embodied. Walk it alone, or with a crew—either way let’s tell and share a story.
5pm - 6pm (Provocations : Always Timely, Never Sensationalistic)
Short Film Screening & Discussion
A screening of ‘the Ache’, the first episode of a deeply reflective six-part series released at the start of the pandemic in May 2020 when BitterSweet stories were no longer possible and things worth saying felt few.
Discussion following the film facilitated by Obiekwe Okolo with Executive Producer & Founder, Kate Schmidgall.
7pm - 9pm (BSISF Finalists Screening & Awards Ceremony)
Finally, the celebration of the anti-block buster. We’ll throw the doors open to the public as we celebrate finalists and announce the winners of the inaugural Story Festival.
If you can’t make any other part of the festival, make sure to mark your calendars and join us for a movie night and meet the creators of this year’s finalist film makers and photographers. Hear their stories, and get a glimpse into their inspiration and process. Then we’ll cap the night with awards and accolades!