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New Redford Center Short Film Celebrates Bipartisan Victories for the Nation’s First Fully Electric Bus Rapid Transit System

Latest film in Community Power series features infrastructure, justice, jobs, and clean transportation in the city of Indianapolis

Mar 30, 2022

Today, The Redford Center released the third film in a short film series showcasing unity and community power in a collective call for civic engagement around clean transportation to build a healthier, more just future for all. 

Community Power Indiana: Beyond the Line, directed by Indianapolis-based filmmaker Sam Mirpoorian, illuminates how a fully bi-partisan effort created the first, and one of the largest, fully electric bus rapid transit (BRT) systems in the nation; bringing with it faster, more efficient transit, significant infrastructure upgrades, jobs, community benefits, and cleaner air. IndyGo—the Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation—is home to 43 electric buses that provide a safe, reliable, and economically accessible commute alternative. 

As part of The Redford Center’s ongoing civic engagement initiatives, the 2021-22 Community Power short film series, in collaboration with the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and Chispa, spotlights stories that shift perceptions on what it means to be an environmentalist and a voter. Community Power films respond to the urgent need for all Americans to be concerned about environmental injustice. The stories speak to the heart of addressing centuries of environmental inequities – all during a critical moment when historic policy investments in clean transportation, jobs, and justice are being made. 

“IndyGo is a success story of bipartisan impact that defies the narrative that joining forces to create a cleaner, healthier, more just future is out of reach. The city of Indianapolis has lit the path for clean, accessible and rapid mass transportation to be a reality for all of us across the US,” said Jill Tidman, Executive Director of The Redford Center. “This is both a hopeful story and proof that collective action is breaking through, which is why we’re releasing a new community action and resources toolkit for anyone feeling inspired by the film to get involved in advancing clean transportation projects in their own area.”

“IndyGo is committed to not only providing rapid, more efficient transit to the millions of voters in Marion County who asked for it, but we’re doing it with a clean fleet setting the bar high nationally,” said IndyGo President and CEO Inez Evans. “It’s significant that we’re not in Washington DC, or L.A., or Atlanta. Some of the largest transit systems in America are following IndyGo’s lead.” 

About the Community Power Series

The Redford Center’s Community Power series showcases local activists, storytellers, and culture-makers as the visionary leaders needed to build the movement towards a future rooted in environmental justice.​ The series highlights how investing in clean energy, and specifically, clean transportation provides the opportunity to cut harmful air pollution threatening our health and livelihoods, supports people and communities who are too often left behind, and creates millions of jobs that modernize our transportation and energy infrastructure. 

Additional short films in the Community Power series will continue to be released by The Redford Center over the coming months, spotlighting local, clean transportation stories from states across the U.S. Each film will invite the public to become civically active on issues of clean energy, justice, and jobs through a free clean transportation action toolkit, connecting audiences to nonprofit and movement organizations that lead change for clean air, clean energy, justice, and jobs. The Redford Center’s Community Power series is generously supported by Far Star Action Fund.  

About the Film

Community Power Indiana: Beyond the Line

A film by The Redford Center
Directed by Sam Mirpoorian
Run time: 3:09 minutes

The city of Indianapolis is taking a bet on Clean Transportation. Through a fully bi-partisan effort, IndyGo—the Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation—created the first, and one of the largest, fully electric bus rapid transit (BRT) systems in the nation; bringing with it faster, more efficient transit, significant infrastructure upgrades, jobs, community benefits, and cleaner air. IndyGo’s Red Line and forthcoming Purple Line provide a safe, reliable, and economically accessible commute alternative. It’s prompting local families to downsize their single passenger vehicle use, facilitating equitable community revitalization, and activating community by providing direct access to healthcare, employment, education, and entertainment.

Community Power Indiana: Beyond the Line can be viewed at redfordcenter.org/communitypower.

Click here to view the first two films in the seriesCommunity Power Arizona: En Nuestrxs Manos (In Our Hands)directed by Pita Juarez and Community Power Nevada: Unidxs En Acción (United In Action), directed by Nicolas Cadena.  

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AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS:

  • Sam Mirpoorian, Director, Community Power Indiana: Beyond the Line 
  • Inez Evans, President & CEO: IndyGo
  • Maggie Lewis, City County Councilor – Indianapolis (D)
  • Colleen Fanning, Frmr. City-Council Councilor – Indianapolis (R)
  • Michael McKillip, Executive Director: Midtown Indy
  • Ashley Gurvitz, CEO: Alliance for Northeast Unification

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MEDIA CONTACTS: 
Carrie Black, IndyGo
Carrie.Black@IndyGo.net 

Cait Fitzwater, The Redford Center
cfitzwater@redfordcenter.org 

ABOUT THE REDFORD CENTER 

Co-founded in 2005 by Robert Redford and his son James Redford, The Redford Center uses the power of storytelling to galvanize environmental justice and regeneration. Its cross-cutting programs support environmental storytellers and invest in impact-driven narrative strategies. By amplifying and changing the conversations around environmentalism, The Redford Center aims to engage a much broader and more diverse population in the movement. It has produced three award-winning feature documentaries and 30+ short films, supported 95+ film and media projects with grants and other services, inspired 400+ student films, and dispersed more than $10 million to fiscally sponsored projects. Redford Center film impact campaigns have halted the construction of dirty coal plants, reconnected the Colorado River to the Sea of Cortez, and helped accelerate the clean energy revolution in America. To learn more, visit RedfordCenter.org or follow The Redford Center on Facebook,  InstagramTwitterVimeo and YouTube.

ABOUT INDYGO

IndyGo, the Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation, is committed to connecting the community to economic and cultural opportunities through safe, reliable and accessible mobility experiences. The IndyGo Red Line is one of the longest fully-battery electric bus rapid transit line in the Midwest and provides service through the heart of Indianapolis. To learn more, visit the IndyGo website and follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @IndyGoBus.