The Singing Revolution will have a special screening, along with a choral performance by the Lexington High School Choruses, in Lexington, MA, on Sunday, February 12, at 3:00 pm. The event will be a fundraiser for the chorus and will include a reception with the filmmakers. Tickets can be purchased by contacting Elise Rowley.

The film will also screen at Siena College in Loudonville, NY, this Monday, February 6, at 7:00 pm. This screening is free and open to the public. Get more information here.

Filmmakers James Tusty and Maureen Castle Tusty will be present at both screenings to introduce the film and hold Q&A discussion afterwards.

The Singing Revolution was broadcast over 800 times on PBS stations around the country last year, and is praised by the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the LA Times, the New York Post, the New York Sun, the Washington Post, the Seattle Times, the Toronto Sun, the Village Voice, Variety, and more.

“Imagine the scene in Casablanca in which the French patrons sing ‘La Marseillaise’ in defiance of the Germans, then multiply its power by a factor of thousands, and you’ve only begun to imagine the force of The Singing Revolution.” –New York Times

“The Singing Revolution not only documents the central role the Estonian people had in bringing down the Soviet Union, but it’s also a testament to the human spirit and the power of the human voice…to overcome tyranny and embrace freedom.” -Wall Street Journal

National School Choice Week is happening right now, all over the country. Education reform advocates are gathering together for town hall meetings, movie screenings, expert panels, and more to raise awareness of our failing public schools and lead the charge for school choice.

Last night, The Cartel screened in Louisville, Kentucky and Prescott, Arizona as part of a couple National School Choice Week events, and more screenings are scheduled for tonight and later this week. Check out the list below to see if The Cartel is playing near you:

• Wednesday, January 25, in Lansing, Michigan. Michigan State University Campus Conservatives are showing the film at 5:00pm in Case Hall. RSVP here.
• Thursday, January 26, in Salt Lake City, Utah. A capitol matinee screening will be held for policy makers during the first week of Utah’s 2012 General Legislative Session at 5:30pm at the state capitol. RSVP here.
• Thursday, January 26, in Waipahu, Hawaii. Smart Girl Politics shows the film at Lanakila Baptist Church and School at 6:00pm. RSVP here.
• Friday, January 27, in Wisler, Oklahoma. Smart Girl Politics shows the film at a private residence at 7:00pm. RSVP here.
• Saturday, January 28, in Perris, California. The film will screen at the home of Lisa Snell at 4:00pm, as part of a school choice movie marathon. RSVP here.

The Arlington Patch gives a glowing review of Battle for Brooklyn and covers the film’s debut showing in Washington, D.C. last Friday:

Some critics may claim “Battle for Brooklyn” is a slanted or biased film, but those who do will have ignored a beautiful piece of cinema and a powerful piece of journalism.

“Battle for Brooklyn,” which debuted at the Artisphere in Rosslyn on Friday and plays through the weekend, documents the epic journey of a handful of activists fighting to save their community and property from seizure by eminent domain in Brooklyn, N.Y.

[...]

While the film’s loyalty lies with Goldstein, this is unarguably an objective look at eminent domain abuse and its real-life effects on a community. The facts are not manipulated.

[...]

While the film can be blood boiling, it is ultimately a redemptive tale — and certainly one worthy of patronage.

Read more about the film’s D.C. debut and the warm reception it received in the full article here.

National School Choice Week, an annual, nationwide series of education reform events, is coming up on January 22-28.

To commemorate National School Choice Week, thousands of school choice supporters will gather to raise awareness of our failed public school system and advocate for reform. Organizations all over the country will hold town hall meetings, movie screenings, expert panels, and more exciting events.

Some events will feature a special screening of The Cartel. Click the links below for more information about these screenings:

• January 24, The Galt House, Louisville, KY, 6:30 p.m.
• January 24, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, AZ, 7:00 p.m.
• January 28, home of Lisa Snell, Lake Mathews, CA, 4:00 p.m.

Bob Bowdon, director of The Cartel and MPI’s new education reform project, Choice Media, will host a panel discussion about school choice on January 22 at Franklin L. William Middle School in Jersey City, NJ, at 2:00 p.m.

Watch the trailer below and visit SchoolChoiceWeek.com to learn more about events in your area.

This January, Battle for Brooklyn is playing all across the country:

• January 6 (6:00 p.m.), January 10 (8:00 p.m.), and January 12 (7:45 p.m.) in Chicago, IL, at the Gene Siskel Film Center
• January 7 and 8 in Brooklyn, NY, at IndieScreen at 5:00 p.m.
• January 7 and 8 in Los Angeles, CA, at the Laemmle Monica 4-plex theater at 11:00 a.m.
• January 13 (8:00 p.m.), January 14 (5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.), and January 15 (6:00 p.m.) in Arlington, VA, at the Dome Theater, Artisphere. Filmmakers Michael Galinsky and Suki Hawley will host Q&A at these screenings.
• January 13-15 in Pittsburgh, PA, at the Harris Theater (time TBA)
• January 13 and 19 in San Francisco, CA, at the Roxie Theater at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Visit BattleforBrooklyn.com to get more information on all upcoming screenings.

We want to extend a big Thank You to all that donated to the Battle for Brooklyn Kickstarter campaign. Because of your generosity, the producers surpassed their fundraising goal and are one step closer to securing the Oscar nomination! The five nominees for Best Documentary will be announced January 24, so stay tuned.