Hard hitting social issue documentaries are getting more difficult to make and sell with each passing year. But despite the market’s fondness for true crime and celebrity-driven nonfiction content, the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program (Dfp) isn’t wavering when it comes to its support of docu filmmakers telling stories dealing with social impact topics including human rights, racial justice, gender equity, democracy, LGBTQ rights, environmental sustainability, freedom of expression, and civic empowerment.
This month marks the 20th anniversary of the Dfp, which was established by the late Diane Weyermann in October 2002. In the last two decades the Dfp has supported more than 1,000 projects from all over the world via the fund and/or its Edit, Story, and Producers labs. Docus that have received financial and instructional support from the Dfp include Garrett Bradley’s “Time,” Roger Ross Williams’ “God Loves Uganda,” Kirsten Johnson’s “Cameraperson,” Bing Liu’s “Minding the Gap,...
This month marks the 20th anniversary of the Dfp, which was established by the late Diane Weyermann in October 2002. In the last two decades the Dfp has supported more than 1,000 projects from all over the world via the fund and/or its Edit, Story, and Producers labs. Docus that have received financial and instructional support from the Dfp include Garrett Bradley’s “Time,” Roger Ross Williams’ “God Loves Uganda,” Kirsten Johnson’s “Cameraperson,” Bing Liu’s “Minding the Gap,...
- 10/28/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
New initiative aims to develop and empower African producers.
Sundance Film Festival director Tabitha Jackson has joined a new initiative that aims to develop and empower African producers.
Jackson will be one of several speakers at the inaugural Creative Producer Indaba training programme and will help build the leadership skills of participants.
Further speakers include Cara Mertes, project director of moving image strategies at the Ford Foundation, and Makhosazana Khanyile, CEO of the National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa (Nfvf).
There will also be sessions with international producers and experts, including Iffr’s Hubert Bals fund manager Fay Breeman,...
Sundance Film Festival director Tabitha Jackson has joined a new initiative that aims to develop and empower African producers.
Jackson will be one of several speakers at the inaugural Creative Producer Indaba training programme and will help build the leadership skills of participants.
Further speakers include Cara Mertes, project director of moving image strategies at the Ford Foundation, and Makhosazana Khanyile, CEO of the National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa (Nfvf).
There will also be sessions with international producers and experts, including Iffr’s Hubert Bals fund manager Fay Breeman,...
- 9/1/2020
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
In today’s Global Bulletin, Constantin extends its deal with German hitmaker Bora Dagtekin, San Sebastian finalizes its Perlak section, upstart training program Creative Producer Indaba share details, Endemol Shine sells “Deadwater Fell” in France, and Channel 5 commissions eight new historical programs.
Content Deal
Constantin Film has extended its exclusive deal with Bora Dagtekin, one of Germany’s most prolific local filmmakers, to 2025.
The writer-director is responsible for several local-language hits in German-speaking territories such as “Suck me Shakespeer” (pictured), $77.6 million worldwide; “The Perfect Secret,” last year’s biggest local draw in Germany, where it grossed $52.3 million; and “Turkish for Beginners,” almost $24 million in 2012. In total, his films have grossed a quarter-billion in Germany, selling nearly 30 million tickets.
Under the deal, Constantin will get Dagtekin’s next three features, each to be produced by his long-time production partner Lena Schömann.
Festivals
San Sebastian announced that this year’s Perlak section,...
Content Deal
Constantin Film has extended its exclusive deal with Bora Dagtekin, one of Germany’s most prolific local filmmakers, to 2025.
The writer-director is responsible for several local-language hits in German-speaking territories such as “Suck me Shakespeer” (pictured), $77.6 million worldwide; “The Perfect Secret,” last year’s biggest local draw in Germany, where it grossed $52.3 million; and “Turkish for Beginners,” almost $24 million in 2012. In total, his films have grossed a quarter-billion in Germany, selling nearly 30 million tickets.
Under the deal, Constantin will get Dagtekin’s next three features, each to be produced by his long-time production partner Lena Schömann.
Festivals
San Sebastian announced that this year’s Perlak section,...
- 8/26/2020
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Wim Wenders to be honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award and will present Pope Francis: A Man Of His Word at Doc NYC Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
At the fifth annual Doc NYC Visionaries Tribute luncheon, Wim Wenders (Pope Francis: A Man Of His Word in the Short List program) and Orlando Bagwell (A Hymn For Alvin Ailey in Docs Redux) will be presented with Lifetime Achievement Awards. Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo in Short List) will receive the Robert and Anne Drew Award for observational filmmaking.
Free Solo and Meru directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi with Tom Brokaw at 21 Club Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Among those on the host committee are Jon Alpert, Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady, Barbara Kopple, Dan Cogan, Michael Moore, Chris Hegedus, Da Pennebaker, Sheila Nevins, Andrew Rossi, Dawn Porter, Tom Quinn, and Roger Ross Williams.
Last year’s honorees were Errol Morris,...
At the fifth annual Doc NYC Visionaries Tribute luncheon, Wim Wenders (Pope Francis: A Man Of His Word in the Short List program) and Orlando Bagwell (A Hymn For Alvin Ailey in Docs Redux) will be presented with Lifetime Achievement Awards. Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo in Short List) will receive the Robert and Anne Drew Award for observational filmmaking.
Free Solo and Meru directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi with Tom Brokaw at 21 Club Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Among those on the host committee are Jon Alpert, Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady, Barbara Kopple, Dan Cogan, Michael Moore, Chris Hegedus, Da Pennebaker, Sheila Nevins, Andrew Rossi, Dawn Porter, Tom Quinn, and Roger Ross Williams.
Last year’s honorees were Errol Morris,...
- 10/12/2018
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Doc NYC, the largest documentary festival in America, kicked off its latest edition this week with its annual Visionaries Tribute. Co-founder Thom Powers opened the ceremony with the following speech.
One year ago, our community was gathered at the Visionaries Tribute two days after Donald Trump was elected. In that dark moment, I know many people in this room took strength from being among great storytellers, feeling that documentary-making had an important role to play.
See More:doc NYC 2017: 13 Films We Can’t Wait to See At the Festival, From ‘EuroTrump’ to ‘David Bowie: The Last Five Years’
We were living through a historic moment then, and now we’re living through a different one as we witness the cascading exposure of sexual harassment endemic to our culture.
To an extent, this is something we all knew happened. Only now we have a much more vivid image of what it...
One year ago, our community was gathered at the Visionaries Tribute two days after Donald Trump was elected. In that dark moment, I know many people in this room took strength from being among great storytellers, feeling that documentary-making had an important role to play.
See More:doc NYC 2017: 13 Films We Can’t Wait to See At the Festival, From ‘EuroTrump’ to ‘David Bowie: The Last Five Years’
We were living through a historic moment then, and now we’re living through a different one as we witness the cascading exposure of sexual harassment endemic to our culture.
To an extent, this is something we all knew happened. Only now we have a much more vivid image of what it...
- 11/10/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Doc NYC, America’s largest documentary festival, has announced its 15-film Short List of Oscar contenders along with its opening-night selection, “The Final Year,” in which Greg Barker follows key members of Barack Obama’s administration during their last year in office. The festival runs November 9-16.
Thom Powers, Doc NYC’s artistic director as well as documentary programmer for Tiff, oversees curation of the Short List of films that may be in the running for the Academy Award for Best Documentary feature. This year contains a spectrum of funders and distributors, including four from Netflix — and none from HBO.
Historically, most Doc NYC picks do land on the Academy’s official 15-film Oscar Short List. For the past four years, the Short List had nine to 10 titles overlap, with four or five titles going on to Oscar nominations. For the last six years, Doc NYC screened the documentary that...
Thom Powers, Doc NYC’s artistic director as well as documentary programmer for Tiff, oversees curation of the Short List of films that may be in the running for the Academy Award for Best Documentary feature. This year contains a spectrum of funders and distributors, including four from Netflix — and none from HBO.
Historically, most Doc NYC picks do land on the Academy’s official 15-film Oscar Short List. For the past four years, the Short List had nine to 10 titles overlap, with four or five titles going on to Oscar nominations. For the last six years, Doc NYC screened the documentary that...
- 9/28/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Doc NYC, America’s largest documentary festival, has announced its 15-film Short List of Oscar contenders along with its opening-night selection, “The Final Year,” in which Greg Barker follows key members of Barack Obama’s administration during their last year in office. The festival runs November 9-16.
Thom Powers, Doc NYC’s artistic director as well as documentary programmer for Tiff, oversees curation of the Short List of films that may be in the running for the Academy Award for Best Documentary feature. This year contains a spectrum of funders and distributors, including four from Netflix — and none from HBO.
Historically, most Doc NYC picks do land on the Academy’s official 15-film Oscar Short List. For the past four years, the Short List had nine to 10 titles overlap, with four or five titles going on to Oscar nominations. For the last six years, Doc NYC screened the documentary that...
Thom Powers, Doc NYC’s artistic director as well as documentary programmer for Tiff, oversees curation of the Short List of films that may be in the running for the Academy Award for Best Documentary feature. This year contains a spectrum of funders and distributors, including four from Netflix — and none from HBO.
Historically, most Doc NYC picks do land on the Academy’s official 15-film Oscar Short List. For the past four years, the Short List had nine to 10 titles overlap, with four or five titles going on to Oscar nominations. For the last six years, Doc NYC screened the documentary that...
- 9/28/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Barbet Schroeder, Amos Gitaï, post-truth era panel among May 23 highlights.
The Doc Day returns to Cannes on May 23 for its second year with the overarching goal of exploring how the non-fiction form creates impact and can bring peace to disrupted societies.
The Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée (Cnc) will introduce the morning session at the Plage du Gray d’Albion when Amos Gitaï will discuss his Directors’ Fortnight selection West Of The Jordan River (Field Diary Revisited) with critic Jean-Michel Frodon.
The session will include the round table ‘Documentaries in the Post-Truth Era’ moderated by Screen International and featuring Kathleen Lingo of the New York Times’ Op-Docs platform, investigative correspondent Laurent Richard from Premières Lignes Télévision, Ida Enterprise Documentary Fund director Carrie Lozano, Kathy Im, director of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s Journalism and Media Program, and Gonzalo Lamela, director of Films For Transparency.
“In a world...
The Doc Day returns to Cannes on May 23 for its second year with the overarching goal of exploring how the non-fiction form creates impact and can bring peace to disrupted societies.
The Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée (Cnc) will introduce the morning session at the Plage du Gray d’Albion when Amos Gitaï will discuss his Directors’ Fortnight selection West Of The Jordan River (Field Diary Revisited) with critic Jean-Michel Frodon.
The session will include the round table ‘Documentaries in the Post-Truth Era’ moderated by Screen International and featuring Kathleen Lingo of the New York Times’ Op-Docs platform, investigative correspondent Laurent Richard from Premières Lignes Télévision, Ida Enterprise Documentary Fund director Carrie Lozano, Kathy Im, director of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s Journalism and Media Program, and Gonzalo Lamela, director of Films For Transparency.
“In a world...
- 5/5/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
For one week in November, virtually the entire documentary film community will gather in New York City for the Doc NYC film festival, where this year’s most acclaimed non-fiction films will screen. With all that talent and experience gathered in one place, Doc NYC has decided to channel it toward a new eight-day conference focusing on the tools and skills needed to fund, create and distribute documentary films.
Read More: ‘Weiner,’ Yes; ‘The Eagle Huntress,’ No: The 15 Documentaries on the Doc NYC Short List
Doc NYC Pro is geared toward documentary professionals looking to advance their careers and filmmaking skills and will be comprised of talks, panels, masterclasses and pitch sessions featuring filmmakers and decision makers behind films like “Weiner,” “O.J.: Made in America,” “Amanda Knox” and “Cartel Land.”
Each day of Doc NYC Pro will begin with a “morning manifesto,” featuring speakers Laura Poitras (“Citizenfour”), Josh Kriegman and...
Read More: ‘Weiner,’ Yes; ‘The Eagle Huntress,’ No: The 15 Documentaries on the Doc NYC Short List
Doc NYC Pro is geared toward documentary professionals looking to advance their careers and filmmaking skills and will be comprised of talks, panels, masterclasses and pitch sessions featuring filmmakers and decision makers behind films like “Weiner,” “O.J.: Made in America,” “Amanda Knox” and “Cartel Land.”
Each day of Doc NYC Pro will begin with a “morning manifesto,” featuring speakers Laura Poitras (“Citizenfour”), Josh Kriegman and...
- 10/14/2016
- by Casey Coit
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Gianfranco Rosi, Laura Poitras to speak at inaugural Doc Day; Marché to launch dedicated screening room for documentaries.
This year’s Cannes Marché is enhancing its documentary film offering through the launch of a dedicated Doc Day conference and a new screening room.
Now in its fifth year, Doc Corner, which runs throughought the festival [May 11 - 22], is moving to the Riviera where it will feature an expanded programme.
This year’s line-up includes one-to-one meetings Doc Meets, presentations from organisations including Cph:dox and a video library of 250 feature documentaries.
There will also be a new 21-seat documentary-only Marché Screening Room that will run screenings throughout the festival.
Doc Day
New to the programme is the first ever Doc Day, a conference hosted by the Marché du Film with the Ford Foundation’s JustFilms.
Highlighting impactful documentaries that focus on social justice, the event on May 17 at Cinema Olympia 1, in collaboration with La Scam and Connect4Climate/World Bank...
This year’s Cannes Marché is enhancing its documentary film offering through the launch of a dedicated Doc Day conference and a new screening room.
Now in its fifth year, Doc Corner, which runs throughought the festival [May 11 - 22], is moving to the Riviera where it will feature an expanded programme.
This year’s line-up includes one-to-one meetings Doc Meets, presentations from organisations including Cph:dox and a video library of 250 feature documentaries.
There will also be a new 21-seat documentary-only Marché Screening Room that will run screenings throughout the festival.
Doc Day
New to the programme is the first ever Doc Day, a conference hosted by the Marché du Film with the Ford Foundation’s JustFilms.
Highlighting impactful documentaries that focus on social justice, the event on May 17 at Cinema Olympia 1, in collaboration with La Scam and Connect4Climate/World Bank...
- 5/3/2016
- ScreenDaily
Qumra, the annual industry event by the Doha Film Institute designed to nurture the development of emerging filmmakers, will welcome more than 100 industry professionals, including international film festival directors, producers, fund managers, script consultants, distributors and other experts during its second edition to be held from March 4 to 9, 2016.
A number of industry leaders who attended the inaugural edition last year have confirmed their participation for the second time alongside many new organizations represented for the first time at the annual gathering dedicated to supporting first- and second-time filmmakers on both a creative and practical level. The delegates come from as far afield as Argentina, Australia, India, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Egypt and the Us.
Fatma Al Remaihi, Chief Executive Officer of the Doha Film Institute, said: “Qumra presents a very important component in nurturing a film industry in Qatar and the Arab world and the participation of international industry experts is integral to this initiative. I would like to thank each of these seasoned professionals for lending their expertise to benefit the participating projects and for being part of the unique creative network that we have cultivated through Qumra.”
She added: “We have seen many productive and tangible outcomes for the projects that were developed in the first edition of Qumra and I am confident that the connections made between emerging filmmakers and industry mentors in the coming week will contribute to the growth of a more robust regional film industry and benefit the participants far into the future.”
The Qumra industry program is centered around 33 projects from Qatar, the Arab region and the rest of the world at various stages of development. The industry sessions are presented in two strands: tutorials, workshops, consultations and one-on-one meetings for projects still in development; and a series of work-in-progress and ‘picture lock’ screenings and feedback sessions for projects in post production. I am proud to be a part of the tutorials and one-on-one sessions with the filmmakers working on short films.
Among the leading industry names to attend the event this year are: David Parfitt, Academy Award-winning producer, Chairman of Film London and ex-Chairman of BAFTA; Christophe Leparc, Managing Director, Programmer at Director’s Fortnight Cannes Film Festival and recently appointed Festival Director of Cinemed; Cameron Bailey, Festival Director, Toronto International Film Festival; Carlo Chatrian, Artistic Director of Festival Del Film Locarno; Vincenzo Bugno, Project Manager of Berlinale World Cinema Fund and member of the Berlinale Competition Selection Committee; Matthijs Wouter Knol, Director of the European Film Market at the Berlin International Film Festival; Remi Burah, Senior Executive Vice President, Arte France Cinéma; Cara Mertes, Director of the Ford Foundation’s JustFilms; Mike Goodridge, CEO of Protagonist Pictures; Alexandre Mallet-Guy, President of Memento Films; Michael J. Werner, Managing Director & Chairman of Fortissimo Films; and first-time representatives from Netflix, AMC / Sundance Channel Global and the Sundance Institute.
Strong representation from programmers and directors of the world’s leading film festivals and institutes includes: Cph:dox Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival; Morelia Film Festival in Mexico & San Sebastian Film Festival, Spain; International Film Festival of Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Busan International Film Festival, South Korea; Latin Arab International Film Festival in Argentina; Melbourne International Film Festival, Australia; Tribeca Film Institute, USA; International Istanbul Film Festival; Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival; Berlinale Shorts at International Film Festival of Berlin; Sarajevo Film Festival; and the Dubai International Film Festival.
High profile regional distributors and international sales agents and distributors include representatives from Wild Bunch of France; Film Movement of USA; Memento Films, France; Tricon Films, Canada; Urban Distribution International of France; The Match Factory of Germany; Gulf Films of UAE; Mad Solutions, Egypt ; Front Row Filmed Entertainment, UAE; Moving Turtle, Lebanon and Mc Distribution, Lebanon.
International film funds and commissions represented at Qumra 2016 include: Idfa Bertha Fund of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam; the Hubert Bals Fund of the International Film Festival of Rotterdam; Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg; the Robert Bosch Stiftung, Berlin; The Royal Film Commission, Jordan; the Arab Fund for Arts & Culture; Screen Institute Beirut; the Netherlands Film Fund and Gulf funds Sanad Film Fund and Enjazz, UAE as well as regional financiers Image Nation and Mbc Group.
Qatar-based organizations are represented by Innovation Films and the Al Jazeera Media Training & Development Centre in Qatar along with 120 Qatar-based film, media and entertainment delegates who will also participate in the program, further building on the event’s aim to connect local, regional and international industry for the benefit of emerging talent.
Qumra has three main elements: Masterclasses by the Qumra Masters, which will be led this year by James Schamus (Us), Joshua Oppenheimer (Us), Naomi Kawase (Japan), Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey) and Aleksandr Sokurov (Russia); industry meetings and screenings. All projects selected by the Doha Film Institute will benefit from the industry meetings with the experts to take their work to the next stage.
The screenings are in two categories: Master Screenings & New Voices in Cinema. The Masters Screenings this year include "The Look of Silence" (Denmark, Indonesia, Finland, Norway, UK / Indonesian, Javanese /2014) by Joshua Oppenheimer,Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina / Turkish / 2011) by Nuri Bilge Ceylan; "Russian Ark" (Russian Federation, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan / Russian / 2002) by Aleksandr Sokurov;"The Mourning Forest" (Japan, France / Japanese / 2007) by Naomi Kawase; and " Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" Taiwan, Hong Kong, USA, China / Mandarin / 2001) by Ang Lee.
In the New Voices in Cinema segment, are: "The Palm Tree" (Qatar, No Dialogue, 2015) by Jasim Al Rumaihi; "Mediterranea" (Italy, France, Germany, Qatar/ Arabic, English, French, Italian; 2015) by Jonas Carpignano; "Roundabout in my Head" (Algeria, France, Qatar/Arabic/2015), and "Waves 98" by Ely Dagher (Lebanon, Qatar / Arabic / 2015).
All screenings will take place at the Museum of Islamic Art Auditorium and tickets are now on sale at www.dohafilminstitute.com...
A number of industry leaders who attended the inaugural edition last year have confirmed their participation for the second time alongside many new organizations represented for the first time at the annual gathering dedicated to supporting first- and second-time filmmakers on both a creative and practical level. The delegates come from as far afield as Argentina, Australia, India, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Egypt and the Us.
Fatma Al Remaihi, Chief Executive Officer of the Doha Film Institute, said: “Qumra presents a very important component in nurturing a film industry in Qatar and the Arab world and the participation of international industry experts is integral to this initiative. I would like to thank each of these seasoned professionals for lending their expertise to benefit the participating projects and for being part of the unique creative network that we have cultivated through Qumra.”
She added: “We have seen many productive and tangible outcomes for the projects that were developed in the first edition of Qumra and I am confident that the connections made between emerging filmmakers and industry mentors in the coming week will contribute to the growth of a more robust regional film industry and benefit the participants far into the future.”
The Qumra industry program is centered around 33 projects from Qatar, the Arab region and the rest of the world at various stages of development. The industry sessions are presented in two strands: tutorials, workshops, consultations and one-on-one meetings for projects still in development; and a series of work-in-progress and ‘picture lock’ screenings and feedback sessions for projects in post production. I am proud to be a part of the tutorials and one-on-one sessions with the filmmakers working on short films.
Among the leading industry names to attend the event this year are: David Parfitt, Academy Award-winning producer, Chairman of Film London and ex-Chairman of BAFTA; Christophe Leparc, Managing Director, Programmer at Director’s Fortnight Cannes Film Festival and recently appointed Festival Director of Cinemed; Cameron Bailey, Festival Director, Toronto International Film Festival; Carlo Chatrian, Artistic Director of Festival Del Film Locarno; Vincenzo Bugno, Project Manager of Berlinale World Cinema Fund and member of the Berlinale Competition Selection Committee; Matthijs Wouter Knol, Director of the European Film Market at the Berlin International Film Festival; Remi Burah, Senior Executive Vice President, Arte France Cinéma; Cara Mertes, Director of the Ford Foundation’s JustFilms; Mike Goodridge, CEO of Protagonist Pictures; Alexandre Mallet-Guy, President of Memento Films; Michael J. Werner, Managing Director & Chairman of Fortissimo Films; and first-time representatives from Netflix, AMC / Sundance Channel Global and the Sundance Institute.
Strong representation from programmers and directors of the world’s leading film festivals and institutes includes: Cph:dox Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival; Morelia Film Festival in Mexico & San Sebastian Film Festival, Spain; International Film Festival of Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Busan International Film Festival, South Korea; Latin Arab International Film Festival in Argentina; Melbourne International Film Festival, Australia; Tribeca Film Institute, USA; International Istanbul Film Festival; Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival; Berlinale Shorts at International Film Festival of Berlin; Sarajevo Film Festival; and the Dubai International Film Festival.
High profile regional distributors and international sales agents and distributors include representatives from Wild Bunch of France; Film Movement of USA; Memento Films, France; Tricon Films, Canada; Urban Distribution International of France; The Match Factory of Germany; Gulf Films of UAE; Mad Solutions, Egypt ; Front Row Filmed Entertainment, UAE; Moving Turtle, Lebanon and Mc Distribution, Lebanon.
International film funds and commissions represented at Qumra 2016 include: Idfa Bertha Fund of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam; the Hubert Bals Fund of the International Film Festival of Rotterdam; Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg; the Robert Bosch Stiftung, Berlin; The Royal Film Commission, Jordan; the Arab Fund for Arts & Culture; Screen Institute Beirut; the Netherlands Film Fund and Gulf funds Sanad Film Fund and Enjazz, UAE as well as regional financiers Image Nation and Mbc Group.
Qatar-based organizations are represented by Innovation Films and the Al Jazeera Media Training & Development Centre in Qatar along with 120 Qatar-based film, media and entertainment delegates who will also participate in the program, further building on the event’s aim to connect local, regional and international industry for the benefit of emerging talent.
Qumra has three main elements: Masterclasses by the Qumra Masters, which will be led this year by James Schamus (Us), Joshua Oppenheimer (Us), Naomi Kawase (Japan), Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey) and Aleksandr Sokurov (Russia); industry meetings and screenings. All projects selected by the Doha Film Institute will benefit from the industry meetings with the experts to take their work to the next stage.
The screenings are in two categories: Master Screenings & New Voices in Cinema. The Masters Screenings this year include "The Look of Silence" (Denmark, Indonesia, Finland, Norway, UK / Indonesian, Javanese /2014) by Joshua Oppenheimer,Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina / Turkish / 2011) by Nuri Bilge Ceylan; "Russian Ark" (Russian Federation, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan / Russian / 2002) by Aleksandr Sokurov;"The Mourning Forest" (Japan, France / Japanese / 2007) by Naomi Kawase; and " Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" Taiwan, Hong Kong, USA, China / Mandarin / 2001) by Ang Lee.
In the New Voices in Cinema segment, are: "The Palm Tree" (Qatar, No Dialogue, 2015) by Jasim Al Rumaihi; "Mediterranea" (Italy, France, Germany, Qatar/ Arabic, English, French, Italian; 2015) by Jonas Carpignano; "Roundabout in my Head" (Algeria, France, Qatar/Arabic/2015), and "Waves 98" by Ely Dagher (Lebanon, Qatar / Arabic / 2015).
All screenings will take place at the Museum of Islamic Art Auditorium and tickets are now on sale at www.dohafilminstitute.com...
- 3/6/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Netflix, Sundance and Efm are among new delegates attending the second edition of the Dfi’s Qumra.
The Doha Film Institute today launched the second edition of Qumra, which is dedicated to supporting Dfi-backed first- and second-time filmmakers on both a creative and practical level.
Festival directors, producers, sales executives, fund managers, script consultants, distributors and other experts attend to meet with and mentor the new talents, discuss their forthcoming projects and see works in progress. This year’s emerging filmmakers represent 33 projects from 19 countries.
Returning industry delegates attending Qumra include Cameron Bailey from Toronto, Mirsad Purivatra from Sarajevo, Melbourne-based script consultant Claire Dobbs, Christophe Leparc of Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, Selim El Azar from Gulf Films, Gianluca Chakra of Front Row, Paul Baboudjian of Screen Institute Beirut, French producer Marie-Pierre Macia of Mpm Film, Frederic Corvez of Urban Distribution International, and representatives from Wild Bunch.
New delegates joining the second edition include Funa Maduka from Netflix, producer...
The Doha Film Institute today launched the second edition of Qumra, which is dedicated to supporting Dfi-backed first- and second-time filmmakers on both a creative and practical level.
Festival directors, producers, sales executives, fund managers, script consultants, distributors and other experts attend to meet with and mentor the new talents, discuss their forthcoming projects and see works in progress. This year’s emerging filmmakers represent 33 projects from 19 countries.
Returning industry delegates attending Qumra include Cameron Bailey from Toronto, Mirsad Purivatra from Sarajevo, Melbourne-based script consultant Claire Dobbs, Christophe Leparc of Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, Selim El Azar from Gulf Films, Gianluca Chakra of Front Row, Paul Baboudjian of Screen Institute Beirut, French producer Marie-Pierre Macia of Mpm Film, Frederic Corvez of Urban Distribution International, and representatives from Wild Bunch.
New delegates joining the second edition include Funa Maduka from Netflix, producer...
- 3/4/2016
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Tribeca Film Institute in association with the JustFilms initiative have awarded interactive projects 6X9, Argus Panoptes and Red Red Roll grants from the 2015/2016 Tfi New Media Fund.
Each $50,000 award will enable the creators to explore socially charged issues through transmedia storytelling.
Subjects cover police brutality, sensory deprivation and sexual assault.
An advisory board comprised of filmmaker Julia Bacha, producer Sandi Dubowski of A Jihad For Love, Lisa Steiman, Jenni Wolfson and filmmaker Malika Zouhali-Worrall of Thank You For Playing selected the grantees.
“The creativity of our Tfi New Media Fund applicants each year is beyond inspiring and this year was no different,” said senior director of interactive programs at Tfi Opeyemi Olukemi. “The three selected projects tackle vital social issues while encapsulating the power of transmedia storytelling.”
“We see the power of moving image storytelling as an important component to disrupt dominant cultural narratives that drive inequality around the world,” said director...
Each $50,000 award will enable the creators to explore socially charged issues through transmedia storytelling.
Subjects cover police brutality, sensory deprivation and sexual assault.
An advisory board comprised of filmmaker Julia Bacha, producer Sandi Dubowski of A Jihad For Love, Lisa Steiman, Jenni Wolfson and filmmaker Malika Zouhali-Worrall of Thank You For Playing selected the grantees.
“The creativity of our Tfi New Media Fund applicants each year is beyond inspiring and this year was no different,” said senior director of interactive programs at Tfi Opeyemi Olukemi. “The three selected projects tackle vital social issues while encapsulating the power of transmedia storytelling.”
“We see the power of moving image storytelling as an important component to disrupt dominant cultural narratives that drive inequality around the world,” said director...
- 12/8/2015
- ScreenDaily
There's been a huge renaissance in documentary filmmaking and Indiewire's been collecting some really great advice for documentary filmmakers, whether it's about how to go about finding funding, making the best film you can, or distributing the film successfully, Indiewire has the information you need! Finding Funding For Your Documentary Making a Pitch at Idfa's Forum From the International Documentary Festival in Amsterdam, here's a look at what makes a pitch stand out at places like Idfa's Forum. Cara Mertes, Head of Ford Foundation's JustFilms, Explains Why Thinking about Impact Will Make Your Doc Better. Yes, Really! Cara Mertes, who recently moved from the Sundance Institute to the Ford Foundation talks about why filmmakers need to consider impact. Do Documentary Filmmakers Actually Get Paid in the Us and Europe? From the Sheffield Doc/Fest, a panel of documentary producers talk about how filmmakers carve out a career for themselves across the world.
- 12/30/2013
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
Earlier this year, it was announced that Cara Mertes would be leaving her job at the Sundance Institute to take over for Orlando Bagwell at Ford Foundation's JustFilms. In a world where foundations are more and more important financial resources for documentary filmmakers and "impact" is the buzzword of the day, Mertes held something of a town hall meeting at last month's Doc NYC, in which she frankly asked documentary filmmakers what they needed from foundations like Ford. As more and more people, especially those circling the Britdoc Foundation, advocate for documentary filmmakers to work with Impact Producers and elaborate impact campaigns, Indiewire followed up with Mertes this week to talk about the concept of impact. Below, she shares how she sees impact as an integral part of the creative force that makes documentaries successful in a wide variety of ways. What are you most excited to take on as you start your new job?...
- 12/13/2013
- by Bryce J. Renninger
- Indiewire
The Sundance Institute has appointed Channel 4 commissioning editor Tabitha Jackson as its documentary film programme director.
Jackson - who will be supervising a staff of eight - will oversee $1.8 million (£1.1 million) in filmmaker grants and five creative labs annually after she takes up the position on December 6. She replaces Cara Mertes - who has left the institute to take up a role as the director of social justice filmmaking programme JustFilms.
Jackson has more than 20 years experience in the non-fiction field, including a stint as editor at More 4 at Channel 4, where she ran the day-to-day operations for the UK’s sixth largest digital channel including running the two key areas of original programming True Stories and More 4 Arts. Over the course of her career at Channel 4, she supported documentary films including The Imposter, The Cove, Burma VJ and Which Way Home.
Sundance Institute's...
Jackson - who will be supervising a staff of eight - will oversee $1.8 million (£1.1 million) in filmmaker grants and five creative labs annually after she takes up the position on December 6. She replaces Cara Mertes - who has left the institute to take up a role as the director of social justice filmmaking programme JustFilms.
Jackson has more than 20 years experience in the non-fiction field, including a stint as editor at More 4 at Channel 4, where she ran the day-to-day operations for the UK’s sixth largest digital channel including running the two key areas of original programming True Stories and More 4 Arts. Over the course of her career at Channel 4, she supported documentary films including The Imposter, The Cove, Burma VJ and Which Way Home.
Sundance Institute's...
- 11/16/2013
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The Sundance Institute has named Channel 4's Tabitha Jackson as Director, Documentary Film Program, the nonprofit announced today. Jackson replaces Cara Mertes, who headed to the Ford Foundation to direct its JustFilms program last summer Jackson, who was recently Commissioning Editor, Arts, Channel 4 Television in London, will become a member of the Institute’s senior leadership team and supervise a staff of eight. Relocating to Los Angeles, she will begin December 6, 2013, reporting directly to Sundance Institute Executive Director Keri Putnam. In her role at Sundance Institute, Jackson will oversee all activities of the Documentary Film Program, including planning and implementing strategic partnerships, granting $1.8 million annually to independent documentaries globally and hosting five annual Labs for documentary filmmakers, among other activities. Most recently at Channel 4, Jackson commissioned shows such as "Random Acts" and "Frankenstein: The Making...
- 11/15/2013
- by Paula Bernstein
- Indiewire
The most famous festival devoted to American cinema will now have a Brit from television behind its documentary films. Tabitha Jackson, who was a commissioning editor at Channel 4 Television in London, has been named to replace the departed Cara Mertes as Director, Documentary Film Program. Thank goodness the doc world is such a font of unity and supportiveness. Shouldn’t be any sniping about this at all. Jackson has credentials: Before her Channel 4 gig, she was Editor, More 4 at Channel 4, where she ran day-to-day operations for what is the UK’s sixth largest digital channel and ran the two key areas of original programming -- True Stories and More 4 Arts. She has been associate with such nonfiction standouts as “The Imposter,” “The Cove,” “Burma VJ” and “Which Way Home.” In a prepared statement released Friday, Sundance Executive Director Keri Putnam said: “Tabitha’s professional experience, demonstrated leadership, and...
- 11/15/2013
- by John Anderson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Tabitha Jackson, the arts commissioner at UK’s Channel 4 will soon head for the Sundance Institute in the U.S., to become the new director of the Institute’s Documentary Film Program and Fund.She will start her new position at the beginning of the year, replacing the former director Cara Mertes, who left this past May to become the director of the JustFilms initiative at the Ford Foundation.In an official statement, Ralph Lee, the head of Specialist Factual programming at Channel 4, said: that “Tabitha has made the arts on Channel 4 truly distinctive… and also made a real mark in documentaries. We’ll miss her unique output and her presence as a colleague, but we wish all the best at...
- 11/15/2013
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
Los Angeles, home of the most ambitious and successful environmental movements, will see eight free screenings of “A Fierce Green Fire” in late September and early October
The timing couldn’t be better for seeing A Fierce Green Fire: The Battle for a Living Planet -- the first big-picture exploration of the environmental movement, fifty years of activism from conservation to climate change. From Fukushima to fracking, Keystone Xl to climate change, the world has never been more in need of a reminder that people can, and have, solved huge environmental problems.
And what better place to show this landmark film than Los Angeles, home to some of the most ambitious, innovative and successful environmental efforts in the country. From saving Mono Lake and healing Santa Monica Bay, to leading efforts to reduce smog that changed the entire automobile industry and pioneering climate legislation, no region in America has had a more distinct record of environmental success.
Directed and written by Mark Kitchell, Academy-Award nominated director of Berkeley in the Sixties, and narrated by Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, Ashley Judd, Van Jones and Isabel Allende, A Fierce Green Fire premiered at Sundance Film Festival. It chronicles the largest movement of the 20th century and one of the keys to the 21st. It brings together all the major parts of environmentalism and connects them. It focuses on activism, people fighting to save their homes, their lives, the future – and succeeding against all odds.
The film unfolds in five acts, each with a central story and character:
• David Brower and the Sierra Club’s battle to halt dams in the Grand Canyon • Lois Gibbs and the Love Canal residents’ struggle against 20,000 tons of toxic chemicals • Paul Watson and Greenpeace’s campaigns to save whales and baby harp seals • Chico Mendes and Brazilian rubber tappers’ fight to save the Amazon rainforest • Bill McKibben and the 25-year effort to address the impossible issue – climate change
Surrounding these main stories are strands like environmental justice, going back to the land, and movements of the global south such as Wangari Maathai in Kenya. Vivid archival film brings it all back and insightful interviews with activists shed light on what it all means. The film offers a deeper view of environmentalism as civilizational change, bringing our industrial society into sustainable balance with nature. It’s the battle for a living planet.
The film arrives at a moment of promise: 25 years after Dr. James Hansen first warned of global warming; 8 years after Katrina; 3 years after the Gulf oil disaster; 2 years after meltdown at Fukushima and first stopping the Keystone Pipeline; and 1 year since the wake-up call that was Hurricane Sandy, the capper to the hottest year on record. 2013 may be the year that grassroots pressure finally forces action to halt climate change. A Fierce Green Fire gives us reason to believe.
All of the Southland screenings are free and (except UCLA) open to the public. Each will be followed by a discussion featuring local environmental leaders and the filmmaker. Below is a list of screenings and participants.
The Big Four:
Wednesday, September 25, at 7 pm Santa Monica Public Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA Panel discussion: Matthew King, Heal the Bay; Robert Gottlieb, renowned author of “Forcing the Spring” and professor at Occidental College
Friday, September 27, at 5:30 pm West Hollywood Public Library, 8272 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA Panel Discussion: Angelo Logan, East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice; Juana Torres, Sierra Club; Michele Prichard, Liberty Hill Foundation’s Common Agenda
Thursday, October 3, 6 pm Pasadena Central Public Library Auditorium, 285 East Walnut Street Pasadena, CA Speaker: Shannon Biggs of Global Exchange on fracking coming to California
Friday, October 4, at 6 pm G2 Gallery, 1503 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, CA Panel Discussion: Bill Gallegos, Communities for a Better Environment; Michele Prichard, Liberty Hill Foundation’s Common Agenda (opening of G2’s Green Earth Film Fest -- space is limited, so RSVP: theG2Gallery.com)
Three area colleges and an arts center in Long Beach:
Pitzer College, Robert Redford Conservancy -- Monday, September 30 in Claremont, CA UCLA Institute of Environmental Sciences -- Wednesday, October 2 (campus community only) Csu Long Beach, Multicultural Center -- Thursday, September 26, noon CALBArts, Bungalow Art Center, 729 Pine, Long Beach -- Friday, September 27th, 7pm
About The Film
Early Praise for A Fierce Green Fire:
"The material is vast and it’s an incredibly dynamic film. It’s shaping up to be the documentary of record on the environmental movement." - Cara Mertes, former director of Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program
"Winningly spans the broad scope of environmental history… connecting its origins with the variety of issues still challenging society today." - Justin Lowe, The Hollywood Reporter
"Rarely do environmental-themed films come with the ambitious scope of ‘A Fierce Green Fire’… which aims at nothing less than the history of environmentalism itself." - Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times
"The most ambitious environmental documentary since 'An Inconvenient Truth' tries to make the case that we just might win." - Michael Roberts, Outside Magazine
"The film left me emotionally drained and profoundly hopeful." -Bruce Barcott, On Earth Magazine
"Brilliant! Should be assigned viewing for all of us, especially those political leaders currently manning the helm of spaceship earth." - Jay Meehan, Park Record
About The Principals And People Featured In The Film
Director/Producer/Writer Mark Kitchell’s Berkeley in the Sixties – one of the defining films about the protest movements that shook America during the 1960s – received the Sundance Audience Award and was nominated for an Academy Award. Executive Producer Marc Weiss is the creator and former Executive Producer of P.O.V., the award-winning series now in its 26th season on PBS. Interviews were shot by Vicente Franco. It was edited by Ken Schneider, Veronica Selver, Jon Beckhardt and Gary Weimberg. Original music is by George Michalski and Dave Denny, Garth Stevenson, Randall Wallace and Todd Boekelheide. Narrators include: Robert Redford; Ashley Judd; activist Van Jones; author Isabel Allende; and Meryl Streep.
Featured In The Film Are:
The incomparable Lois Gibbs, leader of Love Canal; Paul “I work for whales” Watson; Bill McKibben, author and founder of 350.org; Paul Hawken and Stewart Brand, alternative ecology visionaries; Martin Litton, at 92 thundering, “If you haven’t got any hatred in your heart, what are you living on?”; Carl Pope and John Adams, longtime heads of the Sierra Club and Nrdc; and Bob Bullard, who closes the film on a universal note: “There’s no Hispanic air. There’s no African-American air. There’s air! And if you breathe air – and most people I know do breathe air – then I would consider you an environmentalist.”...
The timing couldn’t be better for seeing A Fierce Green Fire: The Battle for a Living Planet -- the first big-picture exploration of the environmental movement, fifty years of activism from conservation to climate change. From Fukushima to fracking, Keystone Xl to climate change, the world has never been more in need of a reminder that people can, and have, solved huge environmental problems.
And what better place to show this landmark film than Los Angeles, home to some of the most ambitious, innovative and successful environmental efforts in the country. From saving Mono Lake and healing Santa Monica Bay, to leading efforts to reduce smog that changed the entire automobile industry and pioneering climate legislation, no region in America has had a more distinct record of environmental success.
Directed and written by Mark Kitchell, Academy-Award nominated director of Berkeley in the Sixties, and narrated by Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, Ashley Judd, Van Jones and Isabel Allende, A Fierce Green Fire premiered at Sundance Film Festival. It chronicles the largest movement of the 20th century and one of the keys to the 21st. It brings together all the major parts of environmentalism and connects them. It focuses on activism, people fighting to save their homes, their lives, the future – and succeeding against all odds.
The film unfolds in five acts, each with a central story and character:
• David Brower and the Sierra Club’s battle to halt dams in the Grand Canyon • Lois Gibbs and the Love Canal residents’ struggle against 20,000 tons of toxic chemicals • Paul Watson and Greenpeace’s campaigns to save whales and baby harp seals • Chico Mendes and Brazilian rubber tappers’ fight to save the Amazon rainforest • Bill McKibben and the 25-year effort to address the impossible issue – climate change
Surrounding these main stories are strands like environmental justice, going back to the land, and movements of the global south such as Wangari Maathai in Kenya. Vivid archival film brings it all back and insightful interviews with activists shed light on what it all means. The film offers a deeper view of environmentalism as civilizational change, bringing our industrial society into sustainable balance with nature. It’s the battle for a living planet.
The film arrives at a moment of promise: 25 years after Dr. James Hansen first warned of global warming; 8 years after Katrina; 3 years after the Gulf oil disaster; 2 years after meltdown at Fukushima and first stopping the Keystone Pipeline; and 1 year since the wake-up call that was Hurricane Sandy, the capper to the hottest year on record. 2013 may be the year that grassroots pressure finally forces action to halt climate change. A Fierce Green Fire gives us reason to believe.
All of the Southland screenings are free and (except UCLA) open to the public. Each will be followed by a discussion featuring local environmental leaders and the filmmaker. Below is a list of screenings and participants.
The Big Four:
Wednesday, September 25, at 7 pm Santa Monica Public Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA Panel discussion: Matthew King, Heal the Bay; Robert Gottlieb, renowned author of “Forcing the Spring” and professor at Occidental College
Friday, September 27, at 5:30 pm West Hollywood Public Library, 8272 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA Panel Discussion: Angelo Logan, East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice; Juana Torres, Sierra Club; Michele Prichard, Liberty Hill Foundation’s Common Agenda
Thursday, October 3, 6 pm Pasadena Central Public Library Auditorium, 285 East Walnut Street Pasadena, CA Speaker: Shannon Biggs of Global Exchange on fracking coming to California
Friday, October 4, at 6 pm G2 Gallery, 1503 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, CA Panel Discussion: Bill Gallegos, Communities for a Better Environment; Michele Prichard, Liberty Hill Foundation’s Common Agenda (opening of G2’s Green Earth Film Fest -- space is limited, so RSVP: theG2Gallery.com)
Three area colleges and an arts center in Long Beach:
Pitzer College, Robert Redford Conservancy -- Monday, September 30 in Claremont, CA UCLA Institute of Environmental Sciences -- Wednesday, October 2 (campus community only) Csu Long Beach, Multicultural Center -- Thursday, September 26, noon CALBArts, Bungalow Art Center, 729 Pine, Long Beach -- Friday, September 27th, 7pm
About The Film
Early Praise for A Fierce Green Fire:
"The material is vast and it’s an incredibly dynamic film. It’s shaping up to be the documentary of record on the environmental movement." - Cara Mertes, former director of Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program
"Winningly spans the broad scope of environmental history… connecting its origins with the variety of issues still challenging society today." - Justin Lowe, The Hollywood Reporter
"Rarely do environmental-themed films come with the ambitious scope of ‘A Fierce Green Fire’… which aims at nothing less than the history of environmentalism itself." - Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times
"The most ambitious environmental documentary since 'An Inconvenient Truth' tries to make the case that we just might win." - Michael Roberts, Outside Magazine
"The film left me emotionally drained and profoundly hopeful." -Bruce Barcott, On Earth Magazine
"Brilliant! Should be assigned viewing for all of us, especially those political leaders currently manning the helm of spaceship earth." - Jay Meehan, Park Record
About The Principals And People Featured In The Film
Director/Producer/Writer Mark Kitchell’s Berkeley in the Sixties – one of the defining films about the protest movements that shook America during the 1960s – received the Sundance Audience Award and was nominated for an Academy Award. Executive Producer Marc Weiss is the creator and former Executive Producer of P.O.V., the award-winning series now in its 26th season on PBS. Interviews were shot by Vicente Franco. It was edited by Ken Schneider, Veronica Selver, Jon Beckhardt and Gary Weimberg. Original music is by George Michalski and Dave Denny, Garth Stevenson, Randall Wallace and Todd Boekelheide. Narrators include: Robert Redford; Ashley Judd; activist Van Jones; author Isabel Allende; and Meryl Streep.
Featured In The Film Are:
The incomparable Lois Gibbs, leader of Love Canal; Paul “I work for whales” Watson; Bill McKibben, author and founder of 350.org; Paul Hawken and Stewart Brand, alternative ecology visionaries; Martin Litton, at 92 thundering, “If you haven’t got any hatred in your heart, what are you living on?”; Carl Pope and John Adams, longtime heads of the Sierra Club and Nrdc; and Bob Bullard, who closes the film on a universal note: “There’s no Hispanic air. There’s no African-American air. There’s air! And if you breathe air – and most people I know do breathe air – then I would consider you an environmentalist.”...
- 9/28/2013
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
Yesterday, the Sundance Institute announced the 29 documentary projects that have been selected to receive in total $550,000 worth of grant money from its Documentary Film Program and Fund. A lot of these are for projects in development by emerging filmmakers, but in there are also some films by more established names such as Jesse Moss (Full Battle Rattle), Lucia Small and Ed Pincus (The Axe in the Attic) and Ashley Sabin and David Redmon, who received audience engagement money for their 2011 doc Girl Model. In a press release, Cara Mertes, the Director of the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program …...
- 7/12/2013
- by Nick Dawson
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The Sundance Institute announced today the 29 films that will be receiving over $550,000 in grants from its Documentary Film Program and Fund. Since its inception in 2002, the Dfp has awarded more than $14.3 million in grants to more than 600 documentary films in 61 countries. This year's recipients were selected from 772 submissions from 88 countries around the world. The filmmakers encompass a broad range of experience, varying from first-time feature documentarians to established filmmakers such as Ed Pincus, Arthur Dong, and Mark Kitchell. "By providing financial support to nonfiction independent filmmakers, we seek to encourage the diverse exchange of ideas that is crucial to fostering an open society," said director of the Dfp Cara Mertes. "These 29 stories we’ve identified reflect both the global reach of Sundance Institute as well as our commitment to supporting artists at all stages of their careers and work." Since its inception the Dfp has awarded more than...
- 7/11/2013
- by Julia Selinger
- Indiewire
Sundance Institute today announced the 29 feature-length documentary films that will receive more than $550,000 (£362,000) in grants from its Documentary Film Program and Fund.
Among the director's receiving a grant is Scottish-based The Guga Hunters of Ness director Mike Day, whose as yet untitled film about the pilot whale hunters of the Nordic Faroe islands will receive production/post-production funding.
Grant recipients were selected from 772 submissions from 88 countries and include filmmakers working in Chile, Libya, Cuba, Cambodia and Pakistan as well as a broad range of experience, from first-time feature documentary filmmakers to Academy Award nominee Arthur Dong and veteran filmmaker Ed Pincus working with Lucia Small.
Director of the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program and Fund Cara Mertes said, “By providing financial support to nonfiction independent filmmakers, we seek to encourage the diverse exchange of ideas that is crucial to fostering an open society. These 29 stories we’ve identified...
Among the director's receiving a grant is Scottish-based The Guga Hunters of Ness director Mike Day, whose as yet untitled film about the pilot whale hunters of the Nordic Faroe islands will receive production/post-production funding.
Grant recipients were selected from 772 submissions from 88 countries and include filmmakers working in Chile, Libya, Cuba, Cambodia and Pakistan as well as a broad range of experience, from first-time feature documentary filmmakers to Academy Award nominee Arthur Dong and veteran filmmaker Ed Pincus working with Lucia Small.
Director of the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program and Fund Cara Mertes said, “By providing financial support to nonfiction independent filmmakers, we seek to encourage the diverse exchange of ideas that is crucial to fostering an open society. These 29 stories we’ve identified...
- 7/10/2013
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Los Angeles (AP) — Laura Poitras' skill and boldness as a documentary filmmaker have gained her Oscar and Emmy nominations, Sundance Film Festival honors and a public TV showcase, even if her work fell short of making a "Super Size Me" splash.
But her role as the first point of contact for disclosures about U.S. surveillance programs has drawn the glare of attention to the independent filmmaker who, abruptly, has pushed documentaries deeper into the realm of journalistic immediacy.
For peers and backers of Poitras, the 2012 recipient of a $500,000 "genius grant" from the MacArthur Foundation, it's unsurprising that she has seized a story worth telling. However, her crucial involvement with a confidential source and two newspapers on the same big exclusive is extraordinary.
"She's incredibly driven and determined and she doesn't let obstacles get in the way," said Simon Kilmurry, executive producer of PBS' documentary series "Pov," a home to Poitras' work.
But her role as the first point of contact for disclosures about U.S. surveillance programs has drawn the glare of attention to the independent filmmaker who, abruptly, has pushed documentaries deeper into the realm of journalistic immediacy.
For peers and backers of Poitras, the 2012 recipient of a $500,000 "genius grant" from the MacArthur Foundation, it's unsurprising that she has seized a story worth telling. However, her crucial involvement with a confidential source and two newspapers on the same big exclusive is extraordinary.
"She's incredibly driven and determined and she doesn't let obstacles get in the way," said Simon Kilmurry, executive producer of PBS' documentary series "Pov," a home to Poitras' work.
- 6/14/2013
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Los Angeles — Laura Poitras' skill and boldness as a documentary filmmaker have gained her Oscar and Emmy nominations, Sundance Film Festival honors and a public TV showcase, even if her work fell short of making a "Super Size Me" splash.
But her role as the first point of contact for disclosures about U.S. surveillance programs has drawn the glare of attention to the independent filmmaker who, abruptly, has pushed documentaries deeper into the realm of journalistic immediacy.
For peers and backers of Poitras, the 2012 recipient of a $500,000 "genius grant" from the MacArthur Foundation, it's unsurprising that she has seized a story worth telling. However, her crucial involvement with a confidential source and two newspapers on the same big exclusive is extraordinary.
"She's incredibly driven and determined and she doesn't let obstacles get in the way," said Simon Kilmurry, executive producer of PBS' documentary series "Pov," a home to Poitras' work.
But her role as the first point of contact for disclosures about U.S. surveillance programs has drawn the glare of attention to the independent filmmaker who, abruptly, has pushed documentaries deeper into the realm of journalistic immediacy.
For peers and backers of Poitras, the 2012 recipient of a $500,000 "genius grant" from the MacArthur Foundation, it's unsurprising that she has seized a story worth telling. However, her crucial involvement with a confidential source and two newspapers on the same big exclusive is extraordinary.
"She's incredibly driven and determined and she doesn't let obstacles get in the way," said Simon Kilmurry, executive producer of PBS' documentary series "Pov," a home to Poitras' work.
- 6/14/2013
- by AP
- Huffington Post
One of the key posts in the documentary world has been taken by Cara Mertes, who was director of the Sundance Institute's documentary film program. She'll now be director of the Ford Foundation's social justice filmmaking program JustFilms, which was founded by departing Orlando Bagwell and is under the Ford Media Arts and Culture unit. She'll be funding social issue docs. Bagwell supported more than 80 films via innovative creative collaborations; he believed in interactive storytelling to drive audience engagement. Prior to the Sundance Institute, Mertes was executive producer of the “P.O.V.” documentary series at PBS and received multiple Emmys, George Foster Peabody and duPont-Columbia Awards. “Through Cara’s experience working on all elements of storytelling, and being a pioneer at finding and cultivating unique voices to have their stories told, she is well positioned to build on the legacy of JustFilms and to support filmmakers at every turn, from creation to.
- 5/30/2013
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The Sundance Institute announced that 25 feature-length documentary films that will receive $550,000 in grants from its Documentary Film Program and Fund (Dfp). Grantees were selected from 696 submissions from 104 countries.
Cara Mertes, Director of the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program and Fund said, "As we enter a new cycle for political leadership in the Us and abroad, documentary filmmakers continue to seek out stories that elucidate the conditions of our lives. Their reach is global, and their stories connect and inspire a new generation of independent documentary filmmakers and audiences."
Among ...
Cara Mertes, Director of the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program and Fund said, "As we enter a new cycle for political leadership in the Us and abroad, documentary filmmakers continue to seek out stories that elucidate the conditions of our lives. Their reach is global, and their stories connect and inspire a new generation of independent documentary filmmakers and audiences."
Among ...
- 12/26/2012
- by IDA Editorial Staff
- International Documentary Association
Sundance Institute has announced the 25 feature-length documentary films that will receive $550,000 in grants from its Documentary Film Program and Fund (Dfp). Grantees were selected from 696 submissions from 104 countries. “As we enter a new cycle for political leadership in the U.S. and abroad, documentary filmmakers continue to seek out stories that elucidate the conditions of our lives," Cara Mertes, Director of the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program and Fund said in a statement. "Their reach is global, and their stories connect and inspire a new generation of independent documentary filmmakers and audiences.” Granted filmmakers include five first-time feature filmmakers as well as noted documentarians Fred Wiseman, Sam Pollard and Jehane Noujaim. In-country filmmakers include those in Africa (Ghana), India and China, and additional countries of production include Afghanistan, Nepal, Senegal and Egypt. Proposals for the grants...
- 12/18/2012
- by Peter Knegt
- Indiewire
The Sundance Institute pairs together four documentary projects and composers to participate in the tenth annual Composers + Documentary Lab, which takes place at their Utah resort October 26 - November 1. The Lab, which focuses on the role of music and sound design in docs, is part of the Institute’s Documentary Film Program and Fund (Dfp) and Film Music Program. Among this year's advisors are Rob Epstein ("Howl," "Celluloid Closet"), Vivien Hillgrove ("In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee") and Dfp Director Cara Mertes, as well as music editor Adam Smalley and composers Todd Boekelheide ("Blessed is the Match"), Miriam Cutler and Film Music Program Director Peter Golub ("Wordplay," "These Amazing Shadows"). Director of the Film Music Program Peter Golub says: “Composers for documentaries face unique challenges yet there are few opportunities for them to work with documentarians and focus specifically on...
- 10/19/2012
- by Sophia Savage
- Thompson on Hollywood
Skoll Foundation And Sundance Institute Present
Celebrating .Stories Of Change. Panel
At 2012 Sundance Film Festival
Fifth Stories of Change Convening for Filmmakers and Social Entrepreneurs
The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program and the Skoll Foundation today announced a special Celebrating .Stories of Change. panel to be held at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. The panel celebrates the fifth anniversary of the Stories of Change: Social Entrepreneurship in Focus Through Documentary initiative, dedicated to exploring film’s role in advancing knowledge about social entrepreneurship.
At this special event on Tuesday, January 24, 3:00 p.m. at the Egyptian Theatre, Skoll Foundation President and CEO Sally Osberg will moderate a thought-provoking dialogue between award-winning filmmakers (including clips from their work) and innovators who are impacting millions. Panelists include Joia Mukherjee (Partners in Health), Jehane Noujaim (Director, Control Room), Bunker Roy (Founder, Barefoot College) and Kief Davidson (Director, The Devil.s Miner). Ticket information is available atwww.
Celebrating .Stories Of Change. Panel
At 2012 Sundance Film Festival
Fifth Stories of Change Convening for Filmmakers and Social Entrepreneurs
The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program and the Skoll Foundation today announced a special Celebrating .Stories of Change. panel to be held at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. The panel celebrates the fifth anniversary of the Stories of Change: Social Entrepreneurship in Focus Through Documentary initiative, dedicated to exploring film’s role in advancing knowledge about social entrepreneurship.
At this special event on Tuesday, January 24, 3:00 p.m. at the Egyptian Theatre, Skoll Foundation President and CEO Sally Osberg will moderate a thought-provoking dialogue between award-winning filmmakers (including clips from their work) and innovators who are impacting millions. Panelists include Joia Mukherjee (Partners in Health), Jehane Noujaim (Director, Control Room), Bunker Roy (Founder, Barefoot College) and Kief Davidson (Director, The Devil.s Miner). Ticket information is available atwww.
- 1/23/2012
- by Melissa Howland
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Hollywoodnews.com: One day before the start of the Sundance Film Festival, a program of the Sundance Institute, and its gathering of independent filmmakers from around the world, the Ford Foundation today announced a five-year, $50 million initiative to help find and support a new generation of filmmakers whose works address urgent social issues.
The new initiative, called JustFilms, will invest $10 million a year over the next five years to support and expand the community of filmmakers and mediamakers around the world focused on creating documentaries with passion and purpose, but who often lack funding to realize their visions or reach audiences.
“With the growth of the Web and social networks, the potential global audience for filmed content with a social conscience has exploded,” said Luis Ubinas, president of the Ford Foundation. “We want JustFilms to support visionary filmmakers from around the world to create works on urgent social issues, and...
The new initiative, called JustFilms, will invest $10 million a year over the next five years to support and expand the community of filmmakers and mediamakers around the world focused on creating documentaries with passion and purpose, but who often lack funding to realize their visions or reach audiences.
“With the growth of the Web and social networks, the potential global audience for filmed content with a social conscience has exploded,” said Luis Ubinas, president of the Ford Foundation. “We want JustFilms to support visionary filmmakers from around the world to create works on urgent social issues, and...
- 1/19/2011
- by HollywoodNews.com
- Hollywoodnews.com
135 filmmakers and executives have been invited by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences to join its ranks. Recent Oscar nominees and winners such as Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Mo'Nique, Carey Mulligan, Jeremy Renner, Gabourey Sidibe and Christoph Waltz have been invited to join; but even "Saw's" Tobin Bell and "Avatar's" Zoe Saldana received invites.
New members will be "baptized" in an invitation-only reception in September at the Academy's Fairbanks Center for Motion Picture Study in Beverly Hills.
Here's a complete list of the 2010 invitees:
Actors
Tobin Bell -- "Saw," "The Firm"
Vera Farmiga -- "Up in the Air," "The Departed"
Miguel Ferrer -- "Traffic," "RoboCop"
James Gandolfini -- "In the Loop," "Get Shorty"
Anna Kendrick -- "Up in the Air," "Twilight"
Mo'Nique -- "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire," "Phat Girlz"
Carey Mulligan -- "An Education," "Public Enemies"
Jeremy Renner -- "The Hurt Locker,...
New members will be "baptized" in an invitation-only reception in September at the Academy's Fairbanks Center for Motion Picture Study in Beverly Hills.
Here's a complete list of the 2010 invitees:
Actors
Tobin Bell -- "Saw," "The Firm"
Vera Farmiga -- "Up in the Air," "The Departed"
Miguel Ferrer -- "Traffic," "RoboCop"
James Gandolfini -- "In the Loop," "Get Shorty"
Anna Kendrick -- "Up in the Air," "Twilight"
Mo'Nique -- "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire," "Phat Girlz"
Carey Mulligan -- "An Education," "Public Enemies"
Jeremy Renner -- "The Hurt Locker,...
- 6/27/2010
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
it's not Tuesday but it's time for a Top Ten anyway... as this is yesterday's news already!
AMPAS used to hide their membership roster like the vote tallies but in the information age, they've opened up. Now we get to see the whole list of new invitees each year. I wonder how they keep they're membership around 6,000 given how many people they invite annual. Maybe enough people reject the offer, stop paying their dues, or pass from this mortal coil each year to balance it out?
You can read the full list of recipients at Indiewire, but as is the Film Experience tradition, we like to pinpoint the newest (potential) members whose future ballots we'd most like to see. So let's have at it.
New Academy Member Ballots We Most Want To See
10 Bono & The Edge (music)
They're two separate people but we'd like to imagine them filling out their ballots together inbetween sets.
AMPAS used to hide their membership roster like the vote tallies but in the information age, they've opened up. Now we get to see the whole list of new invitees each year. I wonder how they keep they're membership around 6,000 given how many people they invite annual. Maybe enough people reject the offer, stop paying their dues, or pass from this mortal coil each year to balance it out?
You can read the full list of recipients at Indiewire, but as is the Film Experience tradition, we like to pinpoint the newest (potential) members whose future ballots we'd most like to see. So let's have at it.
New Academy Member Ballots We Most Want To See
10 Bono & The Edge (music)
They're two separate people but we'd like to imagine them filling out their ballots together inbetween sets.
- 6/26/2010
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
HollywoodNews.com: Adam Sandler is gearing up for the release of his new film, “Grown Ups,” and has just been announced as one of 135 artists selected to join the Academy.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 135 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Those who accept the invitation will be the only additions in 2010 to the Academy’s roster of voting members.
“The work of these individuals has been appreciated by moviegoers all around the world,” said Academy President Tom Sherak. “The Academy is proud to invite each and every one of them.”
The Academy’s membership policies would have allowed a maximum of 180 new members in 2010, but as in other recent years, the several branch committees endorsed fewer candidates than were proposed to them. Voting membership in the organization has now held...
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 135 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Those who accept the invitation will be the only additions in 2010 to the Academy’s roster of voting members.
“The work of these individuals has been appreciated by moviegoers all around the world,” said Academy President Tom Sherak. “The Academy is proud to invite each and every one of them.”
The Academy’s membership policies would have allowed a maximum of 180 new members in 2010, but as in other recent years, the several branch committees endorsed fewer candidates than were proposed to them. Voting membership in the organization has now held...
- 6/25/2010
- by HollywoodNews.com
- Hollywoodnews.com
Oscar winner Indian sound recordist Resul Pookutty has been invited to join the coveted Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences as a member. Along with Resul the invitation has been extended to 135 film professionals from around the globe that includes Christopher Walts (Inglorious Basterds) and Jacque Audiard (A Prophet). Resul was awarded an Oscar last year for Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire.
Members of the academy vote for the annual academy awards.
“The work of these individuals has been appreciated by moviegoers all around the world,” said Academy President Tom Sherak. “The Academy is proud to invite each and every one of them.”
The Academy’s membership policies would have allowed a maximum of 180 new members in 2010, but as in other recent years, the several branch committees endorsed fewer candidates than were proposed to them. Voting membership in the organization has now held steady at just under 6,000 members since...
Members of the academy vote for the annual academy awards.
“The work of these individuals has been appreciated by moviegoers all around the world,” said Academy President Tom Sherak. “The Academy is proud to invite each and every one of them.”
The Academy’s membership policies would have allowed a maximum of 180 new members in 2010, but as in other recent years, the several branch committees endorsed fewer candidates than were proposed to them. Voting membership in the organization has now held steady at just under 6,000 members since...
- 6/25/2010
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 135 filmmakers and executives -- including such recent Oscar nominees and winners as Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Mo'Nique, Carey Mulligan, Jeremy Renner, Gabourey Sidibe and Christoph Waltz -- to join its ranks.
The Academy issued its annual invitation list Thursday.
The actor's portion of the list ranged from genre favorites like "Saw's" Tobin Bell to "Avatar's" Zoe Saldana, from "Sopranos" star James Gandolfini, whose film credits include "In the Loop" and "Get Shorty" to rising leading man Ryan Reynolds, who's appeared in "The Proposal" and "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."
An international sampling of directors made the cut: Among them France's Jacques Audiard, Argentina's Juan Jose Campanella, Denmark's Lone Scherfig and, from the U.S., Lee Daniels and Adam Shankman, the latter of whom co-produced the last Oscar show.
Oscar nominee "District 9" was well represented: Matt Aitken and Dan Kaufman...
The Academy issued its annual invitation list Thursday.
The actor's portion of the list ranged from genre favorites like "Saw's" Tobin Bell to "Avatar's" Zoe Saldana, from "Sopranos" star James Gandolfini, whose film credits include "In the Loop" and "Get Shorty" to rising leading man Ryan Reynolds, who's appeared in "The Proposal" and "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."
An international sampling of directors made the cut: Among them France's Jacques Audiard, Argentina's Juan Jose Campanella, Denmark's Lone Scherfig and, from the U.S., Lee Daniels and Adam Shankman, the latter of whom co-produced the last Oscar show.
Oscar nominee "District 9" was well represented: Matt Aitken and Dan Kaufman...
- 6/25/2010
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Directors Arthur Dong, Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass, Chris Eska, Clark Gregg, Davis Guggenheim and Freida Lee Mock are among the participants in Film Independent's fourth annual Filmmaker Forum, which will be held Sept. 26-28 at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles.
Producer Ted Hope will deliver this year's keynote address at the three-day event, which focusses on the latest developments in independent filmmaking.
The forum will kick off on Sept. 26 with a screening of Rian Anderson's "The Brothers Bloom," followed by a Q&A with producer Ram Bergman and other members of the creative team and a reception in the DGA atrium.
On Sept. 27 and 28, panel discussions will be held on such topics as "Finding the Financial Sweet Spot"; "What's Up Doc?"; "The Micro Budget Film as a Calling Card; New Tools for Audience Building; The Cost of Cutting Corners: Production Dos and Don'ts"; "Keeping Your Documentary on...
Producer Ted Hope will deliver this year's keynote address at the three-day event, which focusses on the latest developments in independent filmmaking.
The forum will kick off on Sept. 26 with a screening of Rian Anderson's "The Brothers Bloom," followed by a Q&A with producer Ram Bergman and other members of the creative team and a reception in the DGA atrium.
On Sept. 27 and 28, panel discussions will be held on such topics as "Finding the Financial Sweet Spot"; "What's Up Doc?"; "The Micro Budget Film as a Calling Card; New Tools for Audience Building; The Cost of Cutting Corners: Production Dos and Don'ts"; "Keeping Your Documentary on...
- 9/18/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- The toast of the town is Diablo Cody and the gift she gave to Jason Reitman. Juno picks up a trio of awards and trailing with two awards each is another Fox Searchlight flick The Savages and the Cannes Julian Schnabel and his cinematographer were well rewarded for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly's aesthetic brilliance. Here is the complete list of noms and winners below. Best Feature: Juno Best Director: Julian Schnabel Best First Feature: The Lookout Best Documentary: Crazy Love Best Foreign Film: Once Best Female Lead: Ellen Page Best Male Lead: Philip Seymour Hoffman Best Supporting Female: Cate Blanchett Best Supporting Male: Chiwetel Ejiofor Best Screenplay: The Savages Best First Screenplay: Juno Best Cinematography: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly John Cassavetes Award: August Evening August Evening Writer/Director: Chris Eska Producers: Connie Hill, Jason Wehling Owl and the Sparrow Writer/Director: Stephane Gauger Producers: Nguyen Van Quan,
- 2/23/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
NEW YORK -- Web-based film distributor IndiePixFilms.com, Toronto International Film Festival docu programmer Thom Powers and filmmaker AJ Schnack ("Kurt Cobain: About a Son") are teaming to create the inaugural Nonfiction Filmmaking Awards.
The 12-member nominating committee includes such top film fest execs as South by Southwest's Matt Dentler, Tribeca's David Kwok and Sundance's Cara Mertes. Nominees in eight documentary categories will be announced Jan. 20 at Sundance.
Following votes by hundreds of indie film execs and filmmakers, the awards will be presented March 18 at New York's IFC Center.
The 12-member nominating committee includes such top film fest execs as South by Southwest's Matt Dentler, Tribeca's David Kwok and Sundance's Cara Mertes. Nominees in eight documentary categories will be announced Jan. 20 at Sundance.
Following votes by hundreds of indie film execs and filmmakers, the awards will be presented March 18 at New York's IFC Center.
- 1/11/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- In recent years I've often criticized the Academy Awards for not having the foresight and fortitude to include docu films that have not only completely reinvigorated the genre, but have pushed the medium to new possible artistic and narrative terrains. This year's short list of 15 titles only further confirms that the Academy has tremendous difficulty in acknowledging the wider scope of films that merit year-end salutations. The formula for the docu-filmmaking and docu movie-going experience has significantly changed since Y2K, yet the most prestigious award film ceremony seems to come up short when it comes to new trends in storytelling and filmmaking. Today IndieWIRE reports Aj Schnack will collaborate with online independent film distributor IndiePix to launch a new nonfiction filmmaking awards event, set for March 18, 2008 at IFC Center in New York City. Below you find a Top 15 list of films that will be nominated for eight categories,
- 1/7/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
- Underrated, overlooked, and mostly unknown, I’ve decided to highlight my four favorite award sections separately from today’s lengthy list of Indie Spirit noms. Why? because a). I haven’t heard of half these films and want to further research them, b). I want to add the missing titles to the Ioncinema.com database and c). I think it’s in the best interests of indie film lovers to familiarize themselves with the budding/future talent. Commencing with the John Cassavetes award noms (the name of this section says it all) which is given to the best feature made for under $500,000; and followed by the noms for my favorite category the Someone to Watch Award and the listings for the Truer Than Fiction Award the Producers Award.August Evening is a two-time nominee thanks to the votes going to actor Pedro Castaneda. Owl and the Sparrow was actually
- 11/28/2007
- IONCINEMA.com
NEW YORK -- IFP has unveiled a new advisory board, date and 10-feature slate for its third annual Narrative Rough Cut Lab, a mentorship program for first-time filmmakers.
The lab will move from September (the month of the IFP Market and Filmmaker's Conference) to June to give filmmakers and mentors more postproduction time before winter and spring festival submission deadlines. It also will expand from three to four days.
The filmmakers on the advisory board include Ted Hope, Warrington Hudlin, St. Claire Bourne, Jacques Thelemaque, Effie Brown, Karin Chien, Janet Pierson and Frances Negron-Muntaner. Sundance's Cara Mertes and BMI's Doreen Ringer Ross also are members.
Among those leading filmmaker lab workshops are composer Mychael Danna; editors Sabine Hoffmann and Kate Williams; film execs Sarah Lash, Dana O'Keefe and Melissa Raddatz; MPAA independent film liaison Scott Young; and journalist Brian Brooks.
This year's 10 narrative projects are Alex Karpovsky's "General Impressions of Size & Shape," Jeffrey Jay Orgill's "Boppin' at the Glue Factory", Georgina Lightning's "Older Than America", Sergio Palacios and Damian Rodriquez's "El Coyote", Junko Kajino and Ed M.
The lab will move from September (the month of the IFP Market and Filmmaker's Conference) to June to give filmmakers and mentors more postproduction time before winter and spring festival submission deadlines. It also will expand from three to four days.
The filmmakers on the advisory board include Ted Hope, Warrington Hudlin, St. Claire Bourne, Jacques Thelemaque, Effie Brown, Karin Chien, Janet Pierson and Frances Negron-Muntaner. Sundance's Cara Mertes and BMI's Doreen Ringer Ross also are members.
Among those leading filmmaker lab workshops are composer Mychael Danna; editors Sabine Hoffmann and Kate Williams; film execs Sarah Lash, Dana O'Keefe and Melissa Raddatz; MPAA independent film liaison Scott Young; and journalist Brian Brooks.
This year's 10 narrative projects are Alex Karpovsky's "General Impressions of Size & Shape," Jeffrey Jay Orgill's "Boppin' at the Glue Factory", Georgina Lightning's "Older Than America", Sergio Palacios and Damian Rodriquez's "El Coyote", Junko Kajino and Ed M.
- 6/12/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NEW YORK -- The Sundance Institute Documentary Fund awarded grants to a record 25 projects in development and production, including Kirby Dick's look at anti-gay legislation, The Glass Closet, and the animated story of Allen Ginsberg's Howl from helmers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman.
Other notable projects and filmmakers include The Prime Minister, the Shah, the Ayatollah and I, an autobiographical film from I am a Sex Addict director Caveh Zahedi, and the untitled Iran project from Oscar nominee James Longley (Iraq in Fragments), the story of the country told from a child's perspective.
More than $600,000 was awarded to the projects, chosen from more than 300 applications from 20 countries. The final selection from 13 countries (including India, Chile, Pakistan and Kenya) was made by a jury of film and human rights professionals, overseen by program director Cara Mertes.
The films reflect a wide cross-cultural mix of mostly political subject matter. Control Room and Startup.com director Jehane Noujaim's Egypt: We See You looks at the country's pro-democracy movement from the perspective of three female journalists.
Other notable projects and filmmakers include The Prime Minister, the Shah, the Ayatollah and I, an autobiographical film from I am a Sex Addict director Caveh Zahedi, and the untitled Iran project from Oscar nominee James Longley (Iraq in Fragments), the story of the country told from a child's perspective.
More than $600,000 was awarded to the projects, chosen from more than 300 applications from 20 countries. The final selection from 13 countries (including India, Chile, Pakistan and Kenya) was made by a jury of film and human rights professionals, overseen by program director Cara Mertes.
The films reflect a wide cross-cultural mix of mostly political subject matter. Control Room and Startup.com director Jehane Noujaim's Egypt: We See You looks at the country's pro-democracy movement from the perspective of three female journalists.
NEW YORK -- Cara Mertes has been appointed director of the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program. Mertes will be responsible for overseeing the Sundance Documentary Fund, the annual Documentary Edit and Story Laboratory and Documentary Composers Laboratory. She also will handle the Sundance Film Festival's House of Docs programming.
- 4/24/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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