With a strong "industry" presence on the panel at American University, the focus of the discussion was the popularity of documentaries, the effectiveness and viability of various lengths for the films and what issues were being tackled (and not tackled).

The theme of the panels for FYI 2007 is "Expressing Your Issue in the Digital Age," a free, dynamic look at contemporary social activism in a new media landscape of the internet and technological advances which puts filmmaking easily into the hands of everyone.

The panelists were Charlene Gilbert, Associate Professor, School of Communications, American University; Patricia Finneran, Festival Director, Silverdocs; Carol Bidault de l'Isle, Executive Director & Founder, Washington, DC Independent Film Festival (which was opening the next day!); Stephen Nemeth, President, Rhino Films and founder, Amnesty International Films; Jan Brown, Director of Educational Resources, USA TODAY; and FYI president HeathCliff Rothman, who moderated.

This round, after showing the winners from last round, and giving each panelist an opportunity to give an opening statement about the subject, we opened the floor to the students by asking their perspective on how engaged and activist they were, and their peers, relative to the press reports about supposed apathy.

One student said that she was no less activist than legendary baby boomers, but active in a different way. Another student said there was so much media coming at her, and options, it was overwhelming.

The animated, provocative discussion ran for 75 minutes before we had to stop, in order to show our scheduled feature, Children of Men.