Hi Esther!

Thanks so much for your comment! Let me address your questions in order:

1. How did it go?
There were lots of successes to celebrate!

• FLUSH was screened coast to coast, from Portland to Ohio to New York, and internationally at the Jamaican Toilet Summit. The film was seen by over 150 people at these live events, and another 500+ watched online.
• Around three thousand unique individuals accessed the site and the materials there.
• We got press mentions in lots of NY locals, plus Irish Times, Daily Kos, Jewschool, in the UN's official World Toilet Day site and more.
• We had lots of partners who came on board, including two foundations that helped with funding, a presenting partner, and corporate promotional support.
• We created an entire (gorgeous) website, educator guide, home and community screening guide, social media content, and outreach campaign - content that we can continue to use.

That said, I would have loved to reach more eyeballs and garner more press. We were operating under a VERY tight timeline - six weeks total - and encountered some fierce delays with the website that set everything further back. I was surprised that press didn't grab on to the story, and wonder if we might be able to get more attention from screenings at other press-covered events, for Earth Day, etc.


2. Is the approach successful / something that could be utilized in the future?

I do think that the content was successful - even people who have been following my work for years found the film enlightening and inspiring. It was an enormous push to release FLUSH in those six weeks (not including the 7 years prior that went into making the film), but all that content is evergreen. The screening and educational guides are still totally useful. The full film and the social media content can all be re-shared at a later date.

I think we could have benefitted from a little more cohesion in our efforts and clarity of message / ask. The social media campaign we created, with short videos that ran on instagram and FB primarily, did a good job of piquing viewers interest, but didn't seem to shepherd people back to the film. The "limited release" aspect was lost on some people, and I'm not sure how well it worked to mobilize folks. Again, I think with more time devoted to spreading the word and cultivating partners, we could have a much bigger spread. Which is also to say, maybe we will for THIS November!

3. Can we still watch FLUSH?

This is the question! And I don't totally have an answer. Simply put, yes. It exists at a link online and I'm open to sharing that information with interested folks, especially those from within the sector. AND I am trying to figure out what is the most strategic thing to do. Should we organize home screenings - for free or for donation, or free film but donate for the guides? Should we license it to other organizations to organize screenings for us? Or try to get a direct distribution through Netflix, at film festivals, or just make the film public online and keep it free? If you have thoughts about what would best serve the work, our audience, and also help us sustain the work financially, I'd love to hear!

Thanks again for your questions. Feel free to be in touch over the forum or over email - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Hi Shawn,

Im a long time follower, first time communicator of your work.

I wondered how the screening of FLUSH went? Was it a hit?

I know that you work on communication and awareness raising of non-sector specialists on WASH and you use a variety of approaches to do this. As someone who works on knowledge Management within the sector I am beginning to investigate some of these approaches but with technical twist. It would be good to know if the approach of FLUSH is a worthwhile and maybe something we could utilise in some way for the future?

I had meant to watch FLUSH but didn't find time while it was available, can we still watch it?

Regards
Esther

Dear SUSANA members,

I wanted to let you know about a resource that will be coming online for World Toilet Day. Set in New York City, it is a deep dive into the theme of "wastewater" and a growing movement to change the way America thinks about its "waste." I hope it will be of interest to you, and can be useful to your World Toilet Day programming. More info below and at www.thepoopproject.org/FLUSH

Shawn Shafner
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

WHAT

World Premiere of FLUSH - The Documentary in honor of UN World Toilet Day. Available streaming online, screening all around the world, and as part of World Toilet Day Celebrations in New York City.

SYNOPSIS

Five years ago, 11 Billion gallons of raw sewage overflowed into New York's waters as a result of Hurricane Sandy. This leaves filmmaker Karina Mangu-Ward wondering if the unprecedented storm damage in her Brooklyn neighborhood, the drought out West, and the future of our food supply has a lot to do with how we flush. So she gives herself a challenge: follow one flush from beginning to end. FLUSH - The Documentary is the story of everything that happens next, and the cultural, political, and corporate forces shaping the way we deal with bodily waste in America today.

WHEN  

Nov. 19: World Toilet Day. New York City celebrations including afternoon FLUSH screening and evening comedy show. Special guests and promotional giveaways from Squatty Potty.

Nov. 15 - 21: FLUSH available free, streaming online. House parties and screenings around the world. Scheduled showings include Columbus Metropolitan Library in Ohio, Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, and Jamaican Toilet Summit in Port Townsend (co-organized by PHLUSH, fellow SUSANA member).

WHERE

NYC World Toilet Day celebrations Nov. 19 at Caveat, 21-A Clinton St, New York, NY 10002. Tickets available now at Caveat.nyc

Film clips, screening guide, and educator resources available now at www.thepoopproject.org/FLUSH . More coming soon. Full film online Nov. 15 - 21.

PLUNGE IN

1. Watch FLUSH. It'll be online free from Nov 15 - 21. Just one hour long. Great for staff professional development! Discussion questions are online, and we're developing more resources for the long-term. We'd love to know how to support you in using this film! (And if you want to attempt a more public event, check out our screening guide for help. Everything at www.thepoopproject.org/FLUSH )

2. Invite your communities to see FLUSH. We know toilets are not always an easy topic to talk about, so we've got newsletter text and images here to help you find the words. Share our social media and tell your communities about #WorldToiletDay. A handy google spreadsheet is updated daily with the latest from our Twitter, FB and Instagram for you to share, RT, etc.

Text/Images at:
docs.google.com/document/d/1RGLKRr0l8Zno...qpQ/edit?usp=sharing

Social media spreadsheet at:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tuQU4eBx...Zd8/edit?usp=sharing

Let us know what you think of FLUSH, and how else we can support you in using this film. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Thanks so much!

More clips at www.thepoopproject.org/FLUSH