Leading Creators Unite To Help Combat America’s Growing Polarization Through Entertainment and Groundbreaking Storytelling
The Center for Entertainment & Civic Health, a newly launched Los Angeles-based organization dedicated to a mission of national depolarization through storytelling and entertainment, has confirmed veteran producer Abigail Disney (“The Armor of Light”, “Independent Lens”), writer and executive producer of “The Conners” Dave Caplan, writer Dean Batali (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “That 70s Show”), as well as Korie and Willie Robertson (“Duck Dynasty”, “At Home With the Robertsons”) and many others to join the panel line-up for the Center for Entertainment & Civic Health’s virtual kickoff event: “Hollywood and Storytelling In a Divided America” being held on Saturday, October 16th, 2021, from 10:00am to 1:00pm PST/1:00pm EST to 4:00pm EST.
The event is free, online, and open to the public. Registration is live and interested attendees can secure a virtual seat at the following link: https://bit.ly/cfechcon
“Our country is at a critical moment, and entertainment can play an important role in helping bridge the gap between left and right in America. The Center for Entertainment & Civic Health is a new center of gravity for Hollywood to explore entertainment’s impact on polarization and its potential to foster civic health and pluralist norms,” said Dave Caplan, showrunner for the hit ABC show “The Conners.”
This event, presented by the Center for Entertainment & Civic Health (CFECH), with support from nonpartisan grant maker Civic Health Project and others, marks a first for Hollywood by convening notable content creators, entertainment executives, social scientists, and leading nonprofit practitioners for a candid, cross-partisan exploration of the question: “Can popular entertainment help save a fracturing America?” Through a mix of interactive panels, fireside chats, and ‘hot takes,’ attendees will gain inspiration and insight about how to strengthen a splintering nation. All attendees are encouraged to join the discussion and learn about narrative depolarization strategies and successful case studies from some of Hollywood’s most recognizable names in TV and film.
Some confirmed panelists include: Pete Nicks (Emmy Award-Winning Cinematographer, Producer, & Director), Abigail Disney (Documentary Film Producer & Philanthropist), Dean Batali (Writer & Executive Producer, “That 70s Show,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), Eric K. Ward (Executive Director, Western States Center), Lena Slachmuijlder (SVP, Search for Common Ground), Dr. Dave Caplan (Writer & Executive Producer Co-Showrunner, “The Conners”), Dr. Peter T Coleman (Professor of Psychology and Education Columbia University), Shamil Idriss (CEO, Search for Common Ground), Riaz Patel (Executive Producer, Axial Entertainment), Melissa Weintraub (Executive Director, Resetting the Table), Rob Long (Writer & Producer, “Cheers” & Co-Founder, Ricochet), Kristin Hansen (Executive Director, Civic Health Project), Jeff Chao (VP of Finance, Digital Domain), Betsy Levy Pauck (Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs, Princeton University, Macarthur “Genius Award” Winner), Christina Lindstrom (Head of Impact Measurement & Assessment, SIE Society), Yolanda T. Cochran (SVP of Live-Action Long-Form Production, ViacomCBS), Korie and Willie Robertson (A&E’s “Duck Dynasty”+).
To learn more about the Center for Entertainment & Civic Health and to see an updated list of speakers, visit www.cfech.org
