Mitigation
Film Collective

Everyone has the power to begin a new story.

The mitigation film collective empowers that beginning.

What is
Mitigation Film?

Mitigation film shows your client, their family, and their community in the process of telling their deepest truth. It is shown to prosecutors and judges to invite them into the process of witnessing a person achieve dignity and purpose within the context of the criminal justice system. 

What is
Mitigation Investigation?

“Mitigation investigation is the process of building relationships, collecting records, and integrating the past from a place of presence so the deeper truth of a person’s experience can be told and their future can be imagined.”
- Katie Carter from Holistic Defense: A Practice

Advocacy.

Our collective does direct service work of creating mitigation film. If you or someone you know could benefit from a mitigation film and are struggling to find funding or filmmakers, please reach out.

community.

Our collective aims to create the conditions for practitioners to intersect and share their experiences so we may all find comfort, belonging, and inspiration within one another’s advocacy.

education.

Our collective conducts trainings in storytelling and mitigation filmmaking. We are building a mitigation film toolkit as well as a mentorship cohort for advocates who wish to create mitigation film.

Testimonials

  • Jessica Naclerio, Attorney

    "How do you tell a story in a compelling manner? How do you express who your client really is? They say a photo is worth a thousand words and Katie's film did just that. She brought to my client's story to life. She made a beautiful film illustrating my client's journey from arrest to today. Her video captured my client's interactions with her children, community, and support system in a way that words never could. I am confident that the positive outcome in my case was a direct result of Katie's work. She was compassionate and empathetic to my client's struggles and passionate about her craft. The end result was a truly beautiful film illustrating the transformation of a truly remarkable client."

  • Jarrell Daniels, Reform Advocate

    "The criminal justice system is designed to reduce a whole person to their lowest point, just existing as a case file and docket number. Instead, his team reverse engineered a typical ending to court proceedings by introducing a documentary film that brought a whole community into focus as part of their sentencing advocacy… After being incarcerated in MDC for two years, he was released to the community… Without a doubt, the judge made this decision because she was provided with a whole synopsis of the challenges in his environment and his plan to move forward."

  • Client

    "The day I was getting sentenced and walking in that courtroom to be in front of the judge, I was nervous but more confident than ever because of the support I was surprised I had behind me sitting in them seats to back me up… It was my family, positive influencers, students, and mentors there to back me up. That day of my sentencing, my whole mindset and aura had changed from before my incarceration. When I was in that courtroom I was mentally prepared for whatever energy the judge threw my way because of my confidence. But it came out to be one of the best sentencings in the judge’s career because of my video… the good energy in the room gave me time served and I came home the next day. "

  • Jim Castle, Attorney

    "They say a picture is worth a thousand words. A mitigation video by these talented people is worth a million. They tell a story that is enduring and powerful. I can't imagine doing a mitigation presentation any other way now."