Debra Chasnoff is an Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and activist whose films address progressive social justice

Social justice

Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...

 issues. Her production company GroundSpark produces and distributes films, educational resources and campaigns on issues ranging from environmental concerns to affordable housing to preventing prejudice.

Filmography

• Choosing Children (1984) Director/Producer
• Deadly Deception (1991) Director/Producer
• Wired for What (1999) Director/Producer
• Homes & Hands (1998) Co-Director
• One Wedding and a Revolution (2004) Director/Co-producer
• It’s Elementary (1996) Director/Producer
• It’s STILL Elementary (2007) Director
• That’s a family (2000) Director/Producer
• Let’s Get Real (2003) Director/Producer
• Straightlaced (2009)

Awards, honors, and nominations

For Let’s Get Real:

• Best Short Documentary, Columbine Award, Moondance International Film Festival
  Moondance International Film Festival
  The Moondance International Film Festival is an independent annual film festival and awards competition that takes place in the fall in Boulder, Colorado...
  
   (Finalist, Best Short Documentary)
• International Family Film Festival (Certificate of Merit, Rochester International Film Festival
• 2005 Notable Children's Video, American Library Association
  American Library Association
  The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
  
  
• 2005 Parents' Choice Silver Award

For That’s a family:

• CINE
  CINE
  CINE is a consortium formulated to depict American life and thought realistically for a global audience. CINE recognizes and fosters the highest quality of non-theatrical film and video production through its semi-annual film competitions....
  
   Golden Eagle Master Series Award, Non-Broadcast Films
• First Place, National Council on Family Relations Media Awards
• Best Documentary, San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
• Audience Award, Best Short Film, Barcelona Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
• Best Short Documentary, Santa Clarita International Film Festival
• Best Short Documentary, Burbank International Children's Film Festival

For It’s Elementary:

• CINE Golden Eagle
• Outstanding Film Documentary, GLAAD Media Award
• Multicultural Media Award, National Association for Multicultural Education
• Best Documentary, Chicago International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
• Best Documentary, Pittsburgh International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
• Best Documentary, Santa Barbara Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
• Best Documentary, Santa Fe Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival
• Best Documentary, San Francisco Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival
• Best Documentary, Turin (Italy ) International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
• Juror’s Choice Award, Charlotte Film Festival
• Audience Award, Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival
• Best Educational Film, Northern Lights (Alaska) International Film Festival
• Best Feature Audience Award, Barcelona International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
• Silver Apple, National Educational Media Network
• Silver Spire, Golden Gate Awards, San Francisco International Film Festival
• Honorable Mention, Milan Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
• Honor Award, Skipping Stones

For One Wedding & A Revolution:

• Best Women's Short, Cleveland International Film Festival
• Special Jury Prize, Barcelona International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
• Best Short Documentary, Fire Island Film and Video Festival
• Audience Favorite, Fresno Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
• Audience Favorite, Pikes Peak Lavender Film Festival
• Audience Favorite and Best Short Film, Santa Barbara Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
• Best Short Documentary, Long Island Gay and Lesbian Film Festival

For Home and Hands:

• CINE Golden Eagle
• Silver Apple, National Educational Film and Video Festival
• Certificate of Creative Excellence, US International Film and Video Festival

For Deadly Deception:

• Academy Award, Best Documentary Short Subject
• Red Ribbon, American Film and Video Festival
• CINE Golden Eagle
• Grand Prize, Ambiente-Incontri International Film Festival on Nature & Environment
• Gold Hugo, Chicago International Film Festival
• Best of Category (Issues of War and Peace), Best of Festival and People's Choice, EarthPeace
• International Film Festival
• Jury Award, New York Expo of Short Film and Video
• First Place (Independent), Marin County National Film and Video Festival
• Silver Apple, National Educational Film and Video Festival
• Promotional Prize, City of Freiburg, Okomedia International Ecological Film Festival
• Honorable Mention, Black Maria Film Festival
• Honorable Mention, Louisville Film and Video Festival
• Honorable Mention, Golden Gate Awards, San Francisco International Film Festival

For Choosing Children:

• Red Ribbon, American Film Festival
• Best Documentary, New England Film Festival
• Best Short Documentary, New York Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
• First Prize, National Educational Film Festival
• Second Place, National Council on Family Relations

External links

• Groundspark
• New Day Films biography