We are thrilled to announce that Coming Home: The Dry Storm, about the struggle of local activists in the face of the demolition of nearly all public housing in New Orleans, has been awarded the Jury Prize for Best Film at the 2010 PATOIS New Orleans Human Rights Film Festival.

Coming Home was produced and directed by Michele Stephenson of the Rada Film Group.  Executive producers are Catherine Albisa and Tiffany M. Gardner of the National Economic and Social Rights Initiative (NESRI) and Sam Jackson of Mayday New Orleans.

As news of the win came in, Coming Home Executive Producer Tiffany M. Gardner of NESRI reported from the UN Habitat World Urban Forum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil that the film is garnering much interest among international housing advocates.

For more information visit:

http://nesri.org

http://maydaynolahousing.org

http://unhabitat.org

Coming Home: The Dry Storm follows Sam Jackson, a longtime resident of public housing in New Orleans, as he and other activists oppose the city’s decision to demolish most of the public housing units in the city - even those buildings not damaged by Hurricane Katrina.  Issues of race, class, displacement and redevelopment erupt in the shadows of the half-demolished housing projects and a YouTube video prompts a visit from a United Nations fact-finding mission on forced displacement as Mr. Jackson and his community fight for the human right to housing.

Produced and Directed by Michele Stephenson of the Rada Film Group and Executive Produced by the National Economic and Social Rights Initiative (NESRI) and Mayday New Orleans, Coming Home will be featured in the Seventh Annual Patois New Orleans Human Rights Film Festival. The festival runs from March 12 - 21st, 2010 at various venues throughout the city.  For a complete schedule of films, click here. 

Coming Home screening (part of “Fighting for Home: Housing Struggles Across the U.S.”)

WHEN: Sunday March 14th at 4:00pm

WHERE: Zeitgeist Multidisciplinary Arts Center, 1618 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. New Orleans, LA

COST:  $8 (Festival passes are available for $40)