Film Screening and Discussion: Company Town

Date: 

Tuesday, April 24, 2018, 5:30pm to 8:30pm

Location: 

Rubenstein 306, HKS, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

Company Town filmWhat do you do when the company you work for, and live near, is making you sick? Company Town is a groundbreaking investigative documentary that tells the story of a modern day David vs. Goliath.

Filmed over nearly four years, following one man’s journey to save his town. He’s up against one of the nation’s largest paper mill and chemical plants, Georgia-Pacific, owned by billionaire brothers Charles Koch and David Koch of Koch Industries, a company neighbors worked their entire lives for making products like, Angel Soft, Brawny Paper Towels, Quilted Northern, and Dixie paper cups.  He galvanizes the town, revealing untold stories of cancer and illness.

Join Director, Natalie Kottke Masocco, Co-Director, Erica Sardarian, Executive Producer, David G. Johnson, and Producer, Adam Paul Smith from Act 4 Entertainment for a discussion following the film screening.

David JohnsonDavid Johnson is the founder of Act 4 Entertainment, a filmed entertainment and new media content company created to inspire social action. David has executive produced The People Speak, Angels in Exile, and Company Town; and produced The Man Nobody Knew: In Search of My Father, CIA Spymaster William Colby. He produced the live stage musical version of American Psycho in London and on Broadway. Act 4 is in development on approximately twenty feature film, television, or new media projects. David was previously senior executive vice president of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. Prior to MGM and he was a partner of the law firm White & Case. David is a Life Trustee and former Chair of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. David is also a board member and former Chair of Public Counsel Law Center, the nation’s largest public interest pro bono law firm where, he founded its Opportunity Under Law project. David also serves on the boards of California Institute of the Arts, Demos, Human Rights Watch (California), KCETLink, the Smithsonian National Board, and the Yale
School of Drama. He is a graduate of Yale College and Harvard Law School.

Natalie Kottke-MasoccoNatalie Kottke-Masocco
Natalie Kottke-Masocco is a documentary filmmaker, writer, and activist. She co- directed Company Town. Natalie learned about Crossett’s story in 2011 while working on the documentary Koch Brother’s Exposed. Feeling connected to the brave community’s fight for justice, and a moral responsibility to the people and the issue, she dedicated five years to investigating and documenting the town’s fight for clean air and water, gaining access to the community, workers, and a whistleblower. She received a documentary investigative journalism grant with The American Independent Institute in Washington, D.C. and she partnered with Act 4 Entertainment, a film entertainment company created to inspire social action. She created social impact partnerships with organizations such as; Van Jones’s Dream Corps, The Waterkeeper Alliance, Ouachita Riverkeeper, Sierra Club, and Environmental Working Group. Natalie’s produced documentaries for film and television, including Netflix’s Emmy-nominated documentary series Chef’s Table, YouTube Red, National Geographic Channel, National Geographic’s Explorer, CBS, and Comcast. She’s produced multiple award-winning feature investigative documentary films including, Brave New Films: Unmanned: America’s Drone War, War on Whistleblowers: Free Press & The National Security State, and Koch Brothers Exposed. She’s produced and written digital content on women’s rights, voting rights, and immigration and healthcare reform. Her passion is telling underreported stories, shining a light on social issues. She lives and works in Los Angeles. 
 

Erica SardarianErica Sardarian
Erica Sardarian is a filmmaker based in Los Angeles. She co-directed and produced Company Town. Erica received an investigative journalism fellowship with The American Independent Institute, and partnered with Act 4 Entertainment, a film entertainment company focused on social change and well crafted stories that inspire and lead to action. She began her career in digital media and television, producing for the Travel Channel, History Channel, A&E, Cooking Channel, FX, and Fox Movie Channel. Her experience spans from notable programs including the long-running educational series Modern Marvels for the History Channel to the investigative two-hour documentary O.J. Speaks: The Hidden Tapes. She has written and directed two short films about living in New York City and recently directed a short documentary about loss, healing, and hope.  Erica is also the creator of Sweet Little Nothings xo, a greeting card company whose mission is to spread love and kindness by a simple, thoughtful gesture. She continues her fulfilling work telling human stories and is passionate about creating awareness and social change in the world. 

 

Adam Paul SmithAdam Paul Smith
Adam Paul Smith was born in Harare, Zimbabwe, raised in South Africa during the Apartheid and now an immigrant to United States, clearly shaping his world view; his perspectives on politics, activism and through his appreciation for the power of storytelling led him to his current role as a producer a writer and development executive for Act 4 Entertainment, a filmed entertainment and new media content company created to inspire social action. He is the creator behind Act 4’s “What Can I Do?” social action platform, focused on bridging the gap between inspired audiences and meaningful action. Involved in both the business and creative aspects on multiple narrative and unscripted projects, most recently producing the feature length documentary film ‘Company Town’ on the issue of environmental justice in the US, which premiered at the Los Angeles International Film Festival, garnering national attention with coverage from The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Guardian, Newsweek, Huffington Post. Previously he produced the award-winning feature documentary ‘Angels in Exile’, about street kids of Durban, South Africa narrated by Academy Award Winner© Charlize Theron. Prior to joining Act 4, he worked at International Creative Management (ICM) in the Motion Picture Literary Division and then the Motion Picture Independent & International Department, where he assisted with the financing, packaging and sales for distribution of feature films.  He serves on the Board of International Classroom Fund (ICF) established to provide vulnerable children around the world access to education, with a current focus on the Maasai in Tanzania. Adam has a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and continues his education at UCLA in filmmaking and story.