Journeys in Film reflects Joanne Ashe's lifelong commitment to education and cross-cultural concerns. She has been involved in many successful educational and social initiatives, including working with the Russian Olympic Committee to establish a cross-cultural physical education program and curating exhibits on racism and children's mental health issues. A social worker and activist with a master's degree in education, Joanne has been influential in calling attention to the plight of orphaned children around the world. Her documentary film, “The Waiting Children” addressed the issues of international adoption; its premiere at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival led to an interest in foreign films that sewed the seeds for Journeys in Film. The daughter of Holocaust survivors, Joanne founded and co-facilitated a therapy group to ease survivors’ trauma and speaks on the Holocaust at schools throughout New Mexico. She served on the board of New Day Runaway Shelters and worked with teens to produce a short documentary on the positive experiences of living in the shelter. Joanne is also involved in several diversity initiatives in New Mexico, including the internationally acclaimed exhibit, “Anne Frank in the World.”