The Downtown Community Television Center or DCTV is a community media center located in the former Engine Company 31 firehouse on Lafayette Street in the Civic Center of Manhattan, New York City. It was founded in 1972 by spouses documentary film director Jon Alpert and Keiko Tsuno.
Mission According to their website,DCTV's Mission Statement and History – Downtown Community Television DCTV "introduc[es] members of the community to the basics of electronic media through hundreds of free or low-cost production courses and access to broadcast-quality production equipment." DCTV conducts classes enabling people from less privileged backgrounds to learn to create video productions and operates studios available to them for low cost. These programs are funded in part by earnings from DCTV's own documentary films which have won 16 national Emmy awards and many other honors.
Facilities DCTV is based in Firehouse, Engine Company 31, a landmarked firehouse at 87 Lafayette Street in Manhattan, constructed in 1895 and purchased by DCTV in the 1980s.Lower Manhattan : News | Historic Downtown Firehouse Gets Wired by DCTV It offers unique and versatile multi-use venue rentals.
Firehouse Cinema In 2022, DCTV opened Firehouse Cinema as a documentary-only, art house movie theater. The cinema screens first-run films as well as specialty programming throughout the year. Dara Messinger serves as the director of programming.
Programs By providing professional training and tools, access to critical equipment and public exhibition space in Manhattan, DCTV gives youth, aspiring and emerging filmmakers and communities of all backgrounds greater voice and platforms through documentary film.
PRO-TV (Professional Youth Media Training) is a program designed to train students from New York City's underprivileged communities in media arts, using state-of-the-art equipment.
Films DCTV's productions include:
1980 – Third Avenue: Only the Strong SurviveThird Avenue, DCTV shopping cart 1983 – Invisible Citizens: Japanese AmericansInvisible Citizens: Japanese Americans, DCTV shopping cart 1986 – Junkie JuniorJunkie Junior, DCTV shopping cart 1986 – The Philippines: Life, Death & RevolutionThe Philippines, DCTV shopping cart 1987 – Hard Metals DiseaseHard Metals Disease, DCTV shopping cart 1987 – Hunger in the SuburbsHunger in the Suburbs, DCTV shopping cart 1989 – One Year in a Life of Crime: Part IOne Year in a Life of Crime, DCTV shopping cart 1991 – Rape: Cries from the HeartlandRape: Cries from the Heartland, DCTV shopping cart 1991 – The Story of VinhThe Story of Vinh, DCTV shopping cart 1994 – Chiapas: The Fight for Land and LibertyChiapas: The Fight for Land and Liberty, DCTV shopping cart 1994 – Snakeheads: The Chinese Mafia & The New Slave TradeSnakeheads, DCTV Shopping Cart 1995 – High on Crack Street: Lost Lives in LowellHigh on Crack Street, DCTV shopping cart 1995 – Lock Up: The Prisoners of Riker's IslandLock Up: The Prisoners of Riker's Island, DCTV shopping cart 1998 – Canal Street: First Stop In America 1998 – A Cinderella Season: The Lady Vols Fight BackA Cinderella Season, DCTV shopping cart A Cinderella Season, DCTV official website 2001 – Campaign ConfidentialCampaign Confidential, DCTV shopping cart 2001 – PapaPapa, DCTV shopping cart 2002 – Afghanistan: From Ground Zero to Ground ZeroAfghanistan: From Ground Zero to Ground Zero, DCTV shopping cart 2003 – Bridge to Baghdad IBridge to Baghdad I, DCTV shopping cart 2003 – Bridge to Baghdad IIBridge to Baghdad II, DCTV shopping cart 2003 – Coca and the CongressmanCoca and the Congressman, DCTV shopping cart 2003 – Latin Kings: A Street Gang StoryLatin Kings: A Street Gang Story, DCTV shopping cart Latin Kings, DCTV official website 2004 – Dope Sick LoveDope Sick Love, DCTV shopping cart Dope Sick Love, DCTV official website 2005 – Bullets in the Hood: A Bed-Stuy StoryBullets in the Hood: A Bed-Stuy Story – Pro-TV / DCTV Production – Award-winning Youth Documentary ProgramBullets in the Hood, DCTV official website 2005 – The Last CowboyThe Last Cowboy, DCTV shopping cart The Last Cowboy, DCTV official site 2005 – Off to War (1–10)Off to War (1–10) The Complete Box Set, DCTV shopping cart Off to War, DCTV official website 2005 – Siberian Adoption StorySiberian Adoption Story, DCTV shopping cart 2005 – Venezuela: Revolution in ProgressVenezuela: Revolution in progress – A DCTV & Discovery-Times Production Venezuela, DCTV official website 2006 – Baghdad ERBaghdad ER Baghdad ER, DCTV official website 2006 – India JournalIndia Journal, DCTV shopping cart 2007 – The Bridge 2007 – The Russians are Coming!!!The Russians are Coming, DCTV shopping cart The Russians are Coming!!!, DCTV official website 2008 – Dirty Driving 2008 – A Woman Among Boys: A Brooklyn Basketball StoryA Woman Among Boys, DCTV Shopping Cart 2009 – China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province 2009 – "Section 60: Arlington National Cemetery" 2010 – "WARTORN: 1861–2010" 2017 – Cuba and the Cameraman 2018-2021 – Axios 2020 – Raising Baby Grey 2021 – Life of Crime: 1984-2020 2022 – Shut Up and Paint
References
External links DCTV official site DCTV's YouTube site DCTV's Instagram Firehouse Cinema's Letterboxd