Downtown Community Television Center
The Downtown Community Television Center or DCTV is a community media center located in the former Engine Company 31 firehouse in Manhattan's Civic Center on Lafayette Street. It was founded in 1972 by spouses documentary film director Jon Alpert and Keiko Tsuno.
Mission
[edit]According to their website,[1] DCTV "introduc[es] members of the community to the basics of electronic media through hundreds of free or low-cost production courses and access to broadcast-quality production equipment." DCTV conducts classes enabling people from less privileged backgrounds to learn to create video productions and operates studios available to them for low cost. These programs are funded in part by earnings from DCTV's own documentary films which have won 16 national Emmy awards and many other honors.
Facilities
[edit]DCTV is based in Firehouse, Engine Company 31, a landmarked firehouse at 87 Lafayette Street in Manhattan, constructed in 1895 and purchased by DCTV in the 1980s.[2] It offers unique and versatile multi-use venue rentals.
Firehouse Cinema
[edit]In 2022, DCTV opened Firehouse Cinema as a documentary-only, art house movie theater.[3] The cinema screens first-run films as well as specialty programming throughout the year.[4] Dara Messinger serves as the director of programming.[5]
Programs
[edit]By providing professional training and tools, access to critical equipment and public exhibition space in Manhattan, DCTV gives youth, aspiring and emerging filmmakers and communities of all backgrounds greater voice and platforms through documentary film.
PRO-TV (Professional Youth Media Training) is a program designed to train students from New York City's underprivileged communities in media arts, using state-of-the-art equipment.[6]
Films
[edit]DCTV's productions include:
- 1980 – Third Avenue: Only the Strong Survive[7]
- 1983 – Invisible Citizens: Japanese Americans[8]
- 1986 – Junkie Junior[9]
- 1986 – The Philippines: Life, Death & Revolution[10]
- 1987 – Hard Metals Disease[11]
- 1987 – Hunger in the Suburbs[12]
- 1989 – One Year in a Life of Crime: Part I[13]
- 1991 – Rape: Cries from the Heartland[14]
- 1991 – The Story of Vinh[15]
- 1994 – Chiapas: The Fight for Land and Liberty[16]
- 1994 – Snakeheads: The Chinese Mafia & The New Slave Trade[17]
- 1995 – High on Crack Street: Lost Lives in Lowell[18]
- 1995 – Lock Up: The Prisoners of Riker's Island[19]
- 1998 – Canal Street: First Stop In America
- 1998 – A Cinderella Season: The Lady Vols Fight Back"[20][21]
- 2001 – Campaign Confidential[22]
- 2001 – Papa[23]
- 2002 – Afghanistan: From Ground Zero to Ground Zero[24]
- 2003 – Bridge to Baghdad I[25]
- 2003 – Bridge to Baghdad II[26]
- 2003 – Coca and the Congressman[27]
- 2003 – Latin Kings: A Street Gang Story[28][29]
- 2004 – Dope Sick Love[30][31]
- 2005 – Bullets in the Hood: A Bed-Stuy Story[32][33]
- 2005 – The Last Cowboy[34][35]
- 2005 – Off to War (1–10)[36][37]
- 2005 – Siberian Adoption Story[38]
- 2005 – Venezuela: Revolution in Progress[39][40]
- 2006 – Baghdad ER[41][42]
- 2006 – India Journal[43]
- 2007 – The Bridge
- 2007 – The Russians are Coming!!![44][45]
- 2008 – Dirty Driving
- 2008 – A Woman Among Boys: A Brooklyn Basketball Story[46]
- 2009 – China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province[47]
- 2009 – "Section 60: Arlington National Cemetery"
- 2010 – "WARTORN: 1861–2010"[48]
- 2017 – Cuba and the Cameraman
- 2018-2021 – Axios
- 2020 – Raising Baby Grey
- 2021 – Life of Crime: 1984-2020
- 2022 – Shut Up and Paint
References
[edit]- ^ DCTV's Mission Statement and History – Downtown Community Television
- ^ Lower Manhattan : News | Historic Downtown Firehouse Gets Wired by DCTV Archived October 3, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Culgan, Rossilynne Skena. "A documentary theater is opening in Chinatown's historic Firehouse Building". Time Out New York. Archived from the original on 2025-02-25. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
- ^ Morfoot, Addie (2022-09-21). "Firehouse Theater Dedicated to Documentary Films Opens Its Doors in NYC's Chinatown". Variety. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
- ^ "An Independent Spirit: Dara Messinger Discusses DCTV's Firehouse Cinema | International Documentary Association". www.documentary.org. 2024-01-05. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
- ^ "Media Organizations". PLURAL+ Youth Video Festival. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
- ^ Third Avenue, DCTV shopping cart Archived February 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Invisible Citizens: Japanese Americans, DCTV shopping cart Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Junkie Junior, DCTV shopping cart Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ The Philippines, DCTV shopping cart Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Hard Metals Disease, DCTV shopping cart Archived October 8, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Hunger in the Suburbs, DCTV shopping cart Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ One Year in a Life of Crime, DCTV shopping cart Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Rape: Cries from the Heartland, DCTV shopping cart Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ The Story of Vinh, DCTV shopping cart Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Chiapas: The Fight for Land and Liberty, DCTV shopping cart Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Snakeheads, DCTV Shopping Cart Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ High on Crack Street, DCTV shopping cart Archived January 29, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Lock Up: The Prisoners of Riker's Island, DCTV shopping cart Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ A Cinderella Season, DCTV shopping cart Archived April 12, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ A Cinderella Season, DCTV official website Archived April 12, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Campaign Confidential, DCTV shopping cart Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Papa, DCTV shopping cart Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Afghanistan: From Ground Zero to Ground Zero, DCTV shopping cart Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Bridge to Baghdad I, DCTV shopping cart Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Bridge to Baghdad II, DCTV shopping cart Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Coca and the Congressman, DCTV shopping cart Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Latin Kings: A Street Gang Story, DCTV shopping cart Archived September 9, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Latin Kings, DCTV official website
- ^ Dope Sick Love, DCTV shopping cart Archived April 21, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Dope Sick Love, DCTV official website
- ^ Bullets in the Hood: A Bed-Stuy Story – Pro-TV / DCTV Production – Award-winning Youth Documentary Program
- ^ Bullets in the Hood, DCTV official website
- ^ The Last Cowboy, DCTV shopping cart Archived August 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ The Last Cowboy, DCTV official site Archived July 8, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Off to War (1–10) The Complete Box Set, DCTV shopping cart Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Off to War, DCTV official website Archived July 8, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Siberian Adoption Story, DCTV shopping cart Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Venezuela: Revolution in progress – A DCTV & Discovery-Times Production Archived April 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Venezuela, DCTV official website Archived April 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Baghdad ER Archived 2007-09-26 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Baghdad ER, DCTV official website Archived 2007-09-26 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ India Journal, DCTV shopping cart Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ The Russians are Coming, DCTV shopping cart Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ The Russians are Coming!!!, DCTV official website
- ^ A Woman Among Boys, DCTV Shopping Cart Archived December 17, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province". Archived from the original on 2010-12-23. Retrieved 2010-02-11.
- ^ "Television review: 'Wartorn: 1861-2010' | Los Angeles Times".