Art professor creates film to raise awareness on combating homelessness
Art professor creates film to raise awareness on combating homelessness
March 10, 2021
Inspired by the rise of homelessness in and around the state, Community College of
Rhode Island adjunct professor Brian O’Malley is putting the finishing touches on
an animated short he hopes will raise awareness to assist families struggling from
such housing insecurities.
O’Malley, who teaches digital art at CCRI and in 2020 founded the Rhode Island Independent
Animators (RIIA) collaborative, plans within the next month to release Unsheltered, a six-minute animated film that tells the story of a 10-year-old boy who loses both
of his parents and winds up homeless in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Crossroads Rhode Island, approximately 4,000 people per year experience
homelessness in the Ocean State, and one of every four are children. O’Malley – the
sole writer and director of the film – hopes Unsheltered will help raise awareness and influence others to contribute financially to help
end homelessness. In addition, he will donate half of the funds raised by the film
to The Holy Family Home for Mothers and Children, a homeless shelter in Providence;
next week, he will make an initial donation of $1,200, which he solicited through
a fund-raising video posted on the crowdfunding site Indiegogo.
O’Malley developed the concept for the film in March of 2020, shortly after the first
few cases of coronavirus reached Rhode Island, and loosely based the protagonist’s
story on his own youth; while never homeless, O’Malley admits to living “hand to mouth,”
driving cross country while at times living out of his car. The film also features
on original score from Providence-based composer Peter Scartabello.
“When I heard the statistics on homeless in Rhode Island, it blew my mind,” O’Malley
said. “People need help, and if I can raise a small portion to give back to our community,
I’m happy to do that.”
Once the film is completed, O’Malley will release a trailer to the public and then
submit the finished product to various independent film festivals. The next step,
depending on COVID protocols this summer, is to revive the RIAA collaborative – six
of his seven scheduled events were canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic – and premier
the film in Rhode Island at public screenings. O’Malley hopes his upcoming $1,200
donation is the first of many in 2021.
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Introduction to Utilities – free to anyone who meets eligibility requirements through funding from Rhode Island Energy – is a seven-hour introductory course that provides participants with foundational skills and knowledge to explore career pathways within the utilities sector, specifically with Rhode Island Energy.
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