Calendar – Past Event

THE AMERICAN DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE

CALL FOR ENTRIES

(HURRY: Ends Friday 9/26!)

The American Documentary Showcase, funded by and as a cooperative program with the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of States, and administered through a grant to The University Film and Video Association, is a curated program of contemporary documentaries that is offered to US Embassies for screening abroad. The Showcase is designed to promote American documentaries and their filmmakers at international overseas venues, including U.S. Embassy organized events and/or U.S. Embassy supported international documentary film festivals.

The goal of The Showcase is to offer a broad diversified look at life in the United States and the values of a democratic society as seen by American documentary filmmakers. The Showcase is intended to demonstrate the role documentary plays in fostering understanding and cooperation among people. The touring showcase will be offered to all posts, but with a focus on countries with little access to American documentary filmmaking, and countries with significant Muslim, underserved or youth populations.

Qualifications for Consideration:

Documentaries nominated can be of any length and style, must have a release date no earlier than January 2005 and must be completed by September 2008, and available on DVD. They must be made by an American citizen, focus primarily on American subject, and fit in to one or preferably more, of the following categories. Filmmakers may nominate their own films.

Subject Categories:

America's Racial & Ethnic Heritage
Our Democratic Process & Immigration
Environment and Nature
Women, Families and Children
Cultural and Folk Arts
HIV/AIDS
Innovation in Education
Faith and Cultures
Work and Labor
Health

A panel of experts will vet thirty films for possible inclusion.  The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs makes final decisions about selection.

To nominate a film, four NONRETURNABLE DVDs must be submitted along with a short SYNOPSIS and CREDIT LISTS.

Entries must be shipped PREPAID.

Nomination Postmark Deadline:  SEPTEMBER 26, 2008

DOWNLOAD FILM ENTRY FORM

Nomination to this curated Showcase grants the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, the UFVA and the IDA the right to use brief clips, photographs, and biographical data of filmmakers and their subjects for publicity and promotional purposes including UFVA/ IDA websites, podcasts and movie feeds. 

If the film is chosen to be in the American Documentary Showcase, the copyright holder grants permission to screen the entire documentary, or portions thereof at American Embassies and venues selected by the Embassies, including foreign film festivals.

Films and non-returnable supporting materials should be shipped/mailed with all charges prepaid to:

Betsy A. McLane
Showcase Director
3801 University Avenue
Suite 260
Riverside, CA 92501

Any questions not addressed above should be directed to: