Other LanguagesPersonal stories of NW families struggling to make ends meet & avoid foreclosure highlight the need for community involvement to help Pierce County families struggling to stay in their homes
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) and the Office of Attorney General Bob Ferguson are pleased to announce the screening of American Winter at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 24 at the Grand Theatre in Tacoma. The documentary, directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Joe and Harry Gantz (Taxicab Confessions, The Defenders), follows the personal stories of eight families struggling in the wake of the economic downturn. Shot over the winter of 2011-12 in Portland, OR, this powerful film reveals the human impact of budget cuts to social services, rising poverty and economic inequality, and the fracturing of the American Dream.
American Winter premiered on HBO in March 2013 and won Best Documentary Award at the Portland International Film Festival. Most recently, American Winter won "Best of the Festival" at the Workers Unite!
Film Festival.
Guests are invited to stay following the film for a reception at Corina Bakery next door to the Grand Cinema, as local experts and co-director Joe Gantz talk about how the themes of American Winter are relevant in our community, and learn more about the resources available in Pierce County to help prevent foreclosure and its consequences.
Reserve your seat – tickets are FREE - at: americanwintertacoma.eventbrite.com or call (253) 572-5134 or e-mail vls@tacomaprobono.org for more information.
This screening is brought to Washington by the partners of the Pierce County Foreclosure Prevention Roundtable – including: Seattle University School of Law's Foreclosure Mediation & Outreach Project, Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association's Volunteer Legal Services Program and Home Justice Project, Northwest Justice Project's Foreclosure Prevention Unit, Washington Attorney General Consumer Protection Division, Washington State Housing Finance Commission, Columbia Legal Services, Associated Ministries, Washington Department of Financial Institutions, Washington Association of Justice, South Sound Outreach, Parkview Services, Pierce County Center for Dispute Resolution, Puget Sound Mediation, and others including housing counselors, mediators, paralegals and attorneys.
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About DFI ▪ www.dfi.wa.gov ▪ 360-902-8700 ▪ 877-RINGDFI (746-4334)
The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions regulates a variety of financial service providers such as banks, credit unions, mortgage brokers, consumer loan companies, payday lenders and securities brokers and dealers. The department also works to improve financial education throughout Washington through its outreach programs and online clearinghouse www.dfi.wa.gov/financial-education. In addition to posting information about licensees and administrative actions, DFI uses the Web and social media to provide financial education information: www.twitter.com/FinEd4All ■ www.twitter.com/DFIConsumers ■ www.finlit.blogspot.com ■ www.youtube.com/user/WADFI ■ www.homeownership.wa.gov
About the AGO ▪ www.atg.wa.gov ▪ 1.800.551.4636 (Consumer Protection Hotline)
Attorney General Bob Ferguson is the chief legal officer for the state of Washington with attorneys and staff in 27 divisions across the state providing legal services to roughly 200 state agencies, boards and commissions. The Washington Attorney General’s Office is a national leader on mortgage and foreclosure issues, most recently serving on the executive committee of the historic National Mortgage Settlement, which has provided more than $50 billion in relief to borrowers affected by unfair and deceptive mortgage servicing practices by the nation’s five largest banks. Visit www.atg.wa.gov or www.nationalmortgagesettlement.com to learn more. The AGO uses social media and the Web to provide consumer information: www.twitter.com/agowa ■ www.atg.wa.gov/all-consuming-blog ■ /safeguarding-consumers
Contacts:
Angeline Thomas, Foreclosure Mediation & Outreach Project Attorney, Seattle University School of Law, 206-398-4304
Lyn Peters, DFI Director of Communications, 360-902-8731
Janelle Guthrie, Attorney General’s Office Director of Communications, 360-586-0725