FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 12, 2018 CONTACT Farrell Howe Marketing and Communication Manager Kalamazoo Public Library 269-553-7879 Join us for Back-to-Back Blockbuster KPL Events This Weekend! Kalamazoo, MI – Monday, March 12, 2018. This weekend is all about Kalamazoo Public Library<http://www.kpl.gov/> (KPL) as it hosts two of its biggest annual programs back-to-back. 2018 Reading Together: Meet Author Matthew Desmond On Friday, March 16, 7-9 pm, the 2018 Reading Together<http://readingtogether.us/> featured author Matthew Desmond will visit Chenery Auditorium<http://www.cheneryaud.com/>. Desmond will discuss his research and motivation for his book Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, which won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize, National Book Critics Award, Carnegie Medal, and PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction. This Meet the Author event is free and open to the public. No ticket is required. Copies of Evicted will be available for purchase from Michigan News Agency<http://www.michigannews.biz/>. A book signing will immediately follow the presentation. In his brilliant, heartbreaking book, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, Matthew Desmond takes us into the poorest neighborhoods of Milwaukee to tell the stories of eight families on the edge. Based on years of embedded fieldwork and painstakingly gathered data, this masterful book transforms our understanding of extreme poverty and economic exploitation while providing fresh ideas for solving a devastating, uniquely American problem. Its unforgettable scenes of hope and loss remind us of the centrality of home, without which nothing else is possible. About Reading Together: One Book, One Community The purpose of Reading Together is to build a stronger community with deeper connections through the common experience of reading the same book and exploring its themes together. When we do that, we engage and learn, not only about ourselves, but more importantly about each other and the world around us. Learn more about Reading Together and this year's list of events at readingtogther.us<http://readingtogether.us/>. KPL thanks the 2018 Reading Together sponsors, Friends of Kalamazoo Public Library<http://www.kpl.gov/friends>, Irving S. Gilmore Foundation<http://www.isgilmore.org/>, Kalamazoo Community Foundation<http://www.kalfound.org/> and Stryker Johnson Foundation<https://www.strykerjohnstonfoundation.org/> as well as many community partners<http://www.kpl.gov/reading-together/2018/sponsors-partners.aspx>. 15th Annual Teen Filmmaker Festival On Saturday, March 17, Kalamazoo will roll out the (metaphorical) red carpet for the 15th Annual Teen Filmmaker Festival<http://www.kpl.gov/teenfilmfest>. Film finalists will be screened at this special event open to movie fans of all ages. Join us at 12 pm at the Judy K. Jolliffe Theatre<http://www.kalamazooarts.org/venue/judy-k-jolliffe-theatre-formerly-epic-theatre/>. Enjoy plenty of movie snacks and cast your vote for the People's Choice Award. This event is free and open to the public. Public Media Network (PMN) will broadcast all entries chosen for the festival, the awards presentations, and interviews with the winners beginning March 26 through April 1. Visit kpl.gov/teenfilmfest<http://www.kpl.gov/teenfilmfest> for the broadcast schedule. DVD's of the festival coverage and filmmaker interviews will be available for purchase at cost to interested filmmakers and fans. For more information visit publicmedia.org<http://www.publicmedia.org/>. Film Finalists will be presented by Master of Ceremonies Aubrey Rodgers, and judged by Katherine Mumma, James Choi, and Joshua Courtade. The People's Choice Award will be chosen by the audience. Awards are based on nine categories and will receive gift cards from Norman Camera<http://www.normancamera.com/> in the following amounts: * Best Film: $750 * Judge's Choice: $500 * People's Choice: $100 The following categories will win a Norman Camera gift card worth $50: * Best Experimental Film * Best Music Video * Best Short Film (less than 3 minutes) * Best Technical Merit * Best Cinematic Merit * Young Filmmaker Award If you miss the festival, the complete list of winners will be posted on kpl.gov/teenfilmfest<http://www.kpl.gov/teenfilmfest> by March 23. About the Teen Filmmaker Festival Since 2003, the Teen Filmmaker Festival has featured films produced by Michigan teens aged 12-19. Films must be entirely produced by teens and be no more than 10 minutes long. In 2016, a Young Filmmaker Award was created for Michigan's youngest filmmakers, aged 10-12. The 15th Annual Teen Filmmaker Festival is brought to you by Kalamazoo Public Library<http://www.kpl.gov/>, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts<http://www.kiarts.org/>, Public Media Network<http://www.publicmedianet.org/>, Campaign Pictures and James & Springgate, PLC<http://www.jscpas.com/>. Photography for both events is provided by John Lacko Photography<http://www.lackophoto.com/>. Images will be posted by KPL on Flickr<https://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamazoopubliclibrary> by March 26. Kalamazoo Public Library thanks the Kalamazoo community for many years of continued support for Reading Together and Teen Filmmaker Festival. Please enjoy both events this weekend. ####