1997: EL SAWYER HAD AN IDEA WHILE HE WAS SITTING IN PRISON: TO USE FILM AS A TOOL TO BRIDGE GAPS, INCITE CHANGE, AND HEAL COMMUNITIES.
2003: EL RETURNED HOME AND STARTED HONING HIS SKILLS WORKING WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO DEVELOP FILM CURRIUCLUMS, SHARING AND CARRYING FORWARD HIS EXPERIENCES AND KNOWLEDGE.
2007-2010: JON KAUFMAN, A STUDENT AT TEMPLE UNIVERSITY MET EL AND WAS INSPIRED TO BEGIN LEARNING FILM. HE BUILT A BODY OF MEDIA & FILM WORK, LATER TEACHING THESE SAME SKILLS TO YOUTH AND COMMUNITIES.
2011-2014: RECOGNIZING THE NEED TO TELL HUMAN STORIES OF RE-ENTRY AFTER PRISON, EL, JON, AND SEVEN HALSEMA CREATED THE FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY PULL OF GRAVITY THROUGH AN UNLIKELY PARTNERSHIP WITH THE US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
2014: OUT OF PULL OF GRAVITY AND OTHER COLLABORATIVE WORK MEDIA IN NEIGHBORHOODS GROUP (MING) WAS FORMED. MING PRODUCES INTELLIGENT VISUAL NARRATIVES TOLD THROUGH A LENS OF COMMUNITY JUSTICE.