Kohler Productions began when filmmaker, Joanna Kohler, decided that making social documentaries to effect change was needed.  The focus of Kohler Productions is to create media images that confront power while telling an entertaining story about accountability and fostering sustainable change with the promotion of community participation.

It was in 1999 that the first film “Witness”, focused on youth voice within a youth organization,was produced. The community impact by this film included changes in the practices of youth work and reflected the power visual storytelling has when used by those traditionally unheard.   “Witness” created a channel for a youth voice outside of what was available within youth services.

In 2000 production began on “Moving In A Mirror” a story about an Israeli Jew and peace activist during the first four years of the Second Intifada (Israeli-Palestinian conflict).  This five-year production resulted in a 30 minute film that looks at sustainable activism while in a position of privilege. 

Kohler Productions had learned from the distribution of “Witness” that community conversations create change.  The “GUERRILLA Tour” was developed as a distribution tool for “Moving In A Mirror”.  The “GUERRILLA Tour” is a series of focused conversations with community screenings that asks a question designed from the context of the film.  These events are documented to increase community participation by reflecting the events back into the communities.

In 2005 the “BOXERS” film project began production.  This film told the story of amateur women boxers challenging the boxing world for access and promoting the power of women training to be physically strong in the ring.  Community participation in this production expanded in the development of a web site with a community forum.  Users could log on and chat while seeing the boxer’s bios and a behind the scenes video giving transparency to the project.  Community partners were sought to facilitate conversations and increase networks of interest groups vital in advancing the story. The “BOXERS” film project gave these boxers a voice outside of the traditional boxing community channels that had been made unavailable to them.