Throughout the month of September, the Independent Television Service (ITVS) will celebrate the fifth year of its popular Community Cinema program — a monthly national screening series showcasing documentaries on compelling social issues from the Emmy® Award-winning PBS series Independent Lens. Community Cinema connects community-based organizations with independent film enthusiasts, youth and families by providing free screenings, discussions and resources on important social issues in association with public television stations in more than 50 cities around the country.

Future of Music Coalition will participate in select screenings of two important documentaries, D TOUR and COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS.

D TOUR, by Jim Granato, follows Pat Spurgeon, whose promising indie-rock career as a member of the band Rogue Wave suffers an incredible setback when one of his kidneys begins to fail. D TOUR chronicles Pat’s search for a living organ donor and the challenges associated with finding a viable match. Pat’s choice to keep touring and working toward the band’s goals is put to the test; the absolute need to perform dialysis daily and to focus on his health became top priority while being on the road. D TOUR also addresses issues with the health care system, the lack of affordable insurance, and the importance of organ donation.

Spurgeon’s story underscores the challenges that many American musicians face attaining health insurance. Future of Music Coalition began studying this issue early in the decade, and launched its Health Insurance Navigation Tool (HINT) in 2005 to help musicians better understand their health insurance options. HINT doesn’t sell insurance, but instead provides information for working musicians, for free. In addition to musician-friendly articles on the website, HINT offers confidential phone consultations, during which musicians can go over their options on a case-by-case, state-by-state basis with a health insurance expert who is also a musician. FMC staff and affiliates will be on hand at select screenings of D TOUR to discuss the program.

Click here for additional details about screening dates for D TOUR