Spark Media

10/10/2025

Today is , when we shine a spotlight on mental health around the world and mobilize efforts in support of mental wellness.

Though we should always be paying attention to mental wellness, today is a good opportunity to have those important and potentially life-saving conversations.

Raising awareness for mental health and su***de prevention is why we produced the documentary Scattering CJ. The film is now available for free on YouTube and Tubi (see the links below).

We hope this documentary will help foster connection and facilitate discussions!

YouTube: https://youtu.be/GbuMNry6uz8?si=bu9r7Vw8UVoIAHzS

Tubi: https://tubitv.com/movies/100005088/scattering-cj

If you or someone you know is in crisis, text or call 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org.

After losing her son to su***de, a grieving mom puts out a request on social media to honor his memory by scattering his ashes around the world.

10/03/2025

The marker honors author Ralph Ellison, who penned the landmark novel "Invisible Man."

10/01/2025

Our friends at Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop are organizing an evening of creativity and reflection next Tuesday, October 7th at 7pm at St. Mark's Episcopal Church- Capitol Hill!

At this special event, members who are formerly incarcerated will join other Free Minds supporters and community members to share personal reflections before each participant reads and responds to poetry by incarcerated writers. Responses will be collected and mailed to the poets following the event.

Come join this amazing exchange of creativity, inspiration, and hope! The event is free. You can RSVP at https://freemindsbookclub.org/event/write-night-october-7/

09/29/2025

We were so moved by Hallie Twomey’s conversation with Dr. Karen Wyatt on the End of Life University podcast. They discuss how Hallie’s Scattering CJ project, created when she lost her son CJ to su***de, started a worldwide community and sparked much needed discussions on su***de prevention and mental health.

This is a powerful conversation and we hope you tune in!

You can listen to the End of Life University podcast wherever you get your podcasts or directly on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmdWEkPghpM

If you or anyone you know is in need of support, please reach out to the 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline by dialing or texting 988.

09/26/2025

Our friends at IIncite Agency for Change are organizing wellness retreats in 2026. The different retreats have different themes – like “Finding Hope, Resilience and Strength during Turbulent Times” in April 2026 at BBreitenbush Hot Springs Retreat and Conference Center in Oregon.

Incite Agency for Change is an amazing group that focuses on inspiring hope, encouraging individual and collective action, and creating change for healthy communities where all people can thrive. We participated in one of their training workshops, and we can definitely recommend it. Charlette and Michelle are excellent facilitators and we learned so much.

Learn more about their wellness retreats at https://www.inciteforchange.org/retreats

09/25/2025

It’s Hispanic Heritage Month, and we are excited to share that our award-winning documentary First Lady of the Revolution / Primera Dama de la Revolución is now available for FREE on a number of streaming platforms.

While visiting an aunt and uncle in the exotic countryside of Costa Rica, a young Southern belle from Alabama accepted a ride on the back of a motorcycle belonging to a local charismatic farmer — a ride that would propel her down narrow mountain roads and into history.

Winner of Best Documentary at the Oxford Film Festival and Audience Awards at the Sidewalk Film Festival and Fairhope Film Festival, First Lady of the Revolution is now available on:

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii94oLKLs38&t=22s

Xumo TV:
https://play.xumo.com/free-movies/first-lady-of-the-revolution/XM0XI3HICU9K0K

WOCOO:
https://wocoo.tv/en/watch/first-lady-of-the-revolution-3320

Fawesome.tv:
https://fawesome.tv/movies/10669679/first-lady-of-the-revolution

:
https://www.mymoviesplus.com/first-lady-of-the-revolution

09/24/2025

September is Su***de Prevention Month, a time for us all to unite in raising awareness, strengthening prevention efforts and normalizing conversations about mental health.

We produced the Scattering CJ documentary to shine a light on this important cause, and we hope the film will help prompt much needed discussions.

Scattering CJ is now streaming on a number of platforms - many of which are free. Here is the full list below:

YouTube (free with ads)
Local Now
Stash TV
Biblio +
Fubo
Hoopla
Cineverse
Fawesome
Infobase
OTT Studio
Tubi
Xumo
Apple TV
Popsy on Plex
Amazon

https://youtu.be/GbuMNry6uz8?si=bu9r7Vw8UVoIAHzS

If you or someone you know is in need of support, don’t hesitate to contact 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline by dialing or texting 988. You are not alone!

A grieving mom puts a call out on social media after losing her elder son to su***de. Her request: to honor CJ's memory by scattering his ashes in as many pl...

09/22/2025

Now open Tuesday through Sunday, the Boyle Heights library is filling a growing need for a safe, accessible space amid public library closures and recent ICE raids.

09/18/2025

Fall Sale!! 20% OFF award-winning documentaries from Spark Media for educators and librarians.

Trusted by educators nationwide for over 35 years, Spark Media’s documentaries have helped engage students in course material and topics in a way that SPARKS conversation, fosters critical thinking, and creates meaningful connections in classrooms and communities.

Use code SPARKFALL20 for 20% off these select films:

Public Defender
The Pact - Documentary
Red Lines
Partners of the Heart
Scattering CJ
First Lady of the Revolution / Primera Dama de la Revolución

Click here to learn more: https://mailchi.mp/sparkmedia/educational-docs-fall25

09/16/2025

Calling all N.E.D. heads! N.E.D.'s next show is on December 6th at The Cutting Room in New York City!

Taking healing and arts to a new level, N.E.D.’s mission is to raise awareness and education of women’s cancers through the healing power of music. We were honored to be able to work with them on our documentary No Evidence of Disease the Movie, and continue to be inspired by their commitment to raising awareness for gynecologic cancers.

Learn more and buy tickets here:
https://www.eventim.us/event/NED-or-No-Evidence-of-Disease/654428?fbclid=IwY2xjawM2VUdleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFMeG5OOWxqeG84c1VVemhjAR7pG-q0a9j-MTS3JHNn5D6aRKmbZYoUyh-xp7raT9aOc8NMaNtuZbj-OxG7fw_aem_0UwnnULR9STQMeOEbDXCNw

09/15/2025

Hispanic Heritage Month starts today!

Celebrate by revisiting First Lady of the Revolution / Primera Dama de la Revolución – the remarkable story of Henrietta Boggs, a Southern belle whose marriage, democratic ideals, and journey through civil war transformed her into Costa Rica’s First Lady, captivating audiences worldwide.

The award-winning documentary is now available for free on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii94oLKLs38

You can also read Henrietta’s story in her own words in her autobiography, now available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0GjZMaN

09/11/2025

There’s a great symposium at Busboys and Poets this Saturday, Sept. 13th, called “The Poetry & Folklore of Sterling A. Brown.” Created with support from Humanities DC and DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, this all-day symposium has four panels featuring an award-winning group of poets, fiction writers and scholars. We’re particularly interested in the 1pm panel about Brown’s work on the Federal Writers’ Project!

We touch on Sterling A. Brown’s work on the Writers’ Project in Episode 2: A New Kind of History and Episode 3: A Lost Cause, available now wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

We’re excited to check out the symposium this Saturday. It’s free, but registration is required. Learn more here: https://www.busboysandpoets.com/events/th-evt-51988340/