Congratulations to director C. Karim Chrobog, whose documentary, "War Child," won the Audience Award at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival this weekend. If you plan to see us in Jackson but missed the film in New York, please make time to see this powerful film.

(As described on our website) WAR CHILD chronicles the tumultuous, inspiring, and ultimately hopeful life of Emmanuel Jal, a former child soldier of Sudan's brutal civil war and emerging international hip-hop star with a message of peace for his war-torn land and his beloved Africa. Jal's life story, in many ways, mirrors his homeland: tragedy and terror mingling with hope and restoration. Jal's life and music, Sudan's modern history, and the African predicament will intertwine in this gripping story that will both haunt and inspire viewers who scarcely understand the conflicts and tragedies roiling Africa.

The film will be playing as part of this year's Global Insight. The Global Insight program's purpose is to build awareness and support for films documenting humanitarian issues and provide filmmakers an opportunity to meet people passionate about their causes. In addition to the films, the Jackson Hole Film Institute will be hosting a summit with the United Nations to bring together different people from all facets of the film industry with the U.N. Secretary General and other senior U.N. officials to discuss important global issues and the role of film and television media in raising public awareness of these problems.

As a former photojournalist, I can't tell you how excited I am about being a part of the festival this year and having the opportunity to be part of such an important event. As magazine, newspaper, and other print publications become more and more scarce, the manner in which we continue to educate ourselves about global issues becomes increasingly important. As a society, we need to continually ask questions and explore important answers to situations which may feel millions of miles away, but are humanitarian issues that ultimately influence us all.