MISSION-DRIVEN

About The Film

The American Diplomat is a 1-hr historical documentary that premiered on PBS’s American Experience. The film examines the experience of African American diplomats serving during the Cold War. At the height of the civil rights movement in the US, these men represented the best of American ideals abroad while facing discrimination at home. Colloquially referred to as “male, pale, and Yale,” the State Department fiercely maintained and cultivated the Foreign Service's elite character and was one of the last Federal agencies to truly desegregate.

And, yet, three African American diplomats would push past these historical and institutional racial barriers to reach high-ranking appointments in the Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations; creating a lasting impact on the content and character of the US Foreign Service and literally changing the face of American diplomacy forever.

Learn more about the project here.

Follow three the George Washington University Seniors through their emotional last semester culminating in the ultimate #OnlyatGW experience of Commencement on the National Mall.; Maricarmen Solis completing her thesis art piece - a large mural inspired by her Mexican heritage for the Corcoran NEXT exhibition, Kiera Rudden-Flanagan engineering the wing of a plane to compete in their final Design Build Fly competition in Kansas, and Cade Fergus completing his final season with the GW Baseball team with hopes to be drafted in the MLB.

Despite the catastrophic effects from Hurricane Maria in 2017—the worst storm Puerto Rico had experienced in nearly a century—the official death toll on the island stood at 64. In the hurricane’s aftermath, the Puerto Rican government commissioned the George Washington University's Milken Institute School of Public Health (GWSPH) to conduct an independent assessment of mortality there and uncover an accurate count. In essence, to find out what really happened.

What's at stake is the very health of democracy

In the malicious sea of online misinformation, disinformation, and harm, where are the lifeguards? Founded in 2019, GW’s Institute for Data, Democracy & Politics (IDDP) was established to develop a new science of combating online harms. By gathering experts across many disciplines to analyze the ever-complex digital media ecosystem, IDDP aims to distinguish fact from fiction and give the truth—and our democracy—a fighting chance.

Revised Version - June 8, 2021

The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington hired FLOWSTATE Films to produce an annual fundraising film with the notion that a single donation goes to work towards hundreds of Jewish social services all day and all year long.

To create this film we shot original footage and combined it with previously shot footage in addition to implementing animated, impactful text to convey the story.

This film explores the evolution of GW across its 200 years and our march to our third century through the lenses of four enduring themes: our rise to a globally-recognized university, the unique opportunities afforded by our location, our world-class faculty, and the impressive group of leaders and changemakers we count as alumni.

Anyone at the George Washington University can tell you the classroom isn’t just restricted to the campus buildings. At GW, the city is an extension of your educational experience. From the Portrait Gallery to the Udvar Hazy Center, from the National Mall and monuments to the Metropolitan Police Department, learn how GW’s educational experience is unlike any other University when you have the capital city as your backyard.

Long stressful nights, frantic busy days - studying is something we often forget (or can't forget) about the college experience. The George Washington University sophomore, Joseph Decilos guides us through the top study spots on campus as we recount why certain spots stay in our memories, and celebrate learning together on campus again.

Learn about the George Washington University's Global Women’s Institute, a research center dedicated to ending violence against women and girls. From their origins, GWI’s methodology has been shaped by their unique participatory approach to gathering research and evidence through members of the effected communities, and along the way, learned how it has helped create better data. Over their decade of work, the Institute harnesses the power of research and education to inform policy and create gender equality around the world.

As the 2020 election gripped the nation, it was especially compelling for students living and learning on one of the most famously politically active campuses in the nation. “Election 2020: Passion, Politics, and a Pandemic” captures the hopes and fears of four GW students as they participated in national and campus politics that year, navigating a pandemic, the partisan divide and more.

Since its very beginning two centuries ago, the George Washington University has attracted generations of students to Washington, D.C., because of their desire to change the world. Through struggle and success, GW activists on campus and beyond continue to embody the never-ending commitment to creating a greater world.

Bring workers together, build power, change the company.

Comfort Cases is a non-profit that provides comfort and support for kids in foster care. Founded by a former foster care kid himself, Rob Scheer's inspiring personal story is the foundation Comfort Cases was built on. FLOWSTATE films co-founders, Rachell and Kiley, met Rob Scheer while producing another project and knew they wanted to do something to contribute to the amazing work Comfort Cases was doing for the community. FLOWSTATE donated their services to produce this brand awareness video for Comfort Cases that premiered at Comfort Cases annual fundraising gala in 2017.

Trailer for the feature music documentary, THE LAST SONG BEFORE THE WAR. Release in 2013, NPR Music called the film "one of the best recently released music documentaries."

Even though all 7.8 billion of us on Earth are born, we know actually very little about the process of pregnancy. As GW scientists Megan Leftwich and Alexa Baumer were investigating pregnancy’s biomechanics, a third—Michael Gallagher—called on them to help him investigate a high-risk pregnancy issue. The result? An unprecedented, interdisciplinary research endeavor that just might midwife a future that saves billions in healthcare costs and countless lives.

The George Washington University’s New Venture Competition (NVC) is one of the largest collegiate innovation competitions of its kind, attracting hundreds of GW students as they bring their big ideas to life and distributing more than $500,000 in prize money annually. But as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down campus and threatened to cancel the 2020 Competition outright, could NVC’s organizers apply their own principles of innovation to save the day?

For more than 70 years, Leo’s GW Delicatessen—a.k.a. “Deli”—has not only been catering to their customers’ cravings, but also created a major sense of community on campus. See why generations of GW students keep coming back for more.

As one of the great, beloved landmarks of GW, Thurston Hall has not only been home to tens of thousands for more than half a century, but is also truly the house of a million memories. Let’s take an inside look at Thurston.

Changing the Data Culture: Linn-Benton Community College is part of the Voices of Pathways film series.

Voices of Pathways is a five-part documentary film series about colleges in the process
of implementing guided pathways. The films do not aim to show the “right” or “best” way to implement pathways. They show five colleges’ approaches to this complex work from the perspectives of faculty, staff, and students. They aim to show what is possible, provide insights, and encourage the courageous conversations that lead to improvement.

At the end of 2016 Dr. Roy Rubinfeld of Re:Vision created a program called "A Hero in Focus" to give a deserving member of the community the gift of LASIK surgery. This video takes us on the journey of the winner, Rob Scheer, why he was chosen and how his life changed through the process.

Latinx leadership speaks to the Voto Latino audience on the importance of the 2010 Census.

This branded video was made for Habitat for Humanity of Washington DC to help raise awareness about Habitat's mission and the dedicated staff, volunteers and homeowners that work hard to bring its mission to life.
Produced and Directed by Rachell Shapiro with Rock Creek Productions Inc.
Edited by Leola Calzolai-Stewart

From Hell to Here is a short fictional film that journey's through the mind of an aging Veteran battling Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The film's goal is to raise awareness about PTSD in Veterans and is available for purchase along with a discussion guide co-written by a VA psychologist.