To commemorate the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the Alliance for the Arts will screen an interactive film that explores how we consume, interpret, and respond to information in an increasingly complex media landscape.
“Sprinkles: Decoded” is an award-winning interactive film and media literacy program that explores alternative media, conspiracy theories and the rise of extremist violence. By reimagining a real-life event taking place in a donut shop, the film looks at misinformation, fake news and how we can create a healthier community through open conversation and a better understanding of the ways new media has rewired the way society communicates.
Following the screening, filmmaker Andrew Korzenik will lead an interactive, apolitical panel discussion that includes sharing a tool kit for navigating these new challenges.
The event takes place at the Alliance for the Arts from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11.
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“Sprinkles Decoded” is being presented as a special edition of the Alliance’s new series, Cinema for Change.
“Sprinkles Decoded” involves more than a traditional film screening. It combines film with conversation and audience participation, encouraging viewers to think critically about new media, the information we encounter every day, and the ways media can influence our understanding of events and one another. Rather than simply watching the film, attendees are invited to actively engage with the ideas presented and continue the conversation.
The program recently received an enthusiastic response in Salem, Massachusetts, where it was presented in partnership with the Salem Athenaeum. Audience members actively participated throughout the event, remained afterward to continue discussing the presentation, and engaged directly with presenter Andrew Korzenik.
“’Sprinkles: Decoded’ is about citizen empowerment, trust in media, misinformation, fake news, elections, and how engaged citizens can push back against extremism,” said the Alliance’s Executive Director Neil Volz.
This politically neutral look at media will focus on the broader ecosystem of news, specifically the difference between journalism and opinion-based content. While alternative media is not inherently harmful, it can become problematic if it spreads unchecked or misleading information.
About Andrew Korzenik
Andrew Korzenik is a filmmaker and writer based in Chicago.
After a childhood spent in New England, Korzenik moved to Chicago where he was introduced to documentary theater and, more broadly, the idea that storytelling could spark real world conversation. After graduating from Ithaca College’s BFA acting program and studying at Second City Hollywood’s Improv Conservatory, he pivoted from performance to directing.
His directorial credits include award-winning shorts like “Knock Knock,” “Sprinkles” and “Mister Abracadabra.” His latest film, “Passed Over,” will be released soon through the SMC Film program. Another project, a short form documentary “nagasakistpaul,” is in pre-production.
Korzenik’s production company, Artist’s Web Productions, is currently working to independently fund and produce a feature film adaptation of “Sprinkles.”
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.
