In celebration of this anniversary, Docurama Films, in partnership with Stranger Than Fiction and the IFC Center, will be screening nine of the classics from its library—as well as a hidden treasure of documentary filmmaking—over ten weeks. The kickoff begins on September 22nd at 8 p.m. at the IFC Center, with a one-time screening of the legendary documentary Jane (1962), a lost gem from the cinema vérité movement about Jane Fonda’s Broadway debut. As a special Stranger Than Fiction event, the film will be followed by a Q&A moderated by Thom Powers with filmmakers Robert Drew, D.A. Pennebaker, and Hope Ryden. A private reception will follow for filmmakers and members of the documentary community to raise a glass to toast a decade of documentaries.
The series continues with eight films from the Docurama library spotlighted in IFC Center's "Weekend Classics" program, with weekend matinee screenings October 2-December 6, plus a special Stranger Than Fiction presentation of The Weather Underground on November 16, with filmmakers Sam Green and Bill Siegel and Weathermen founder Mark Rudd in person
To ensure the entire country will be able to join the celebration, Docurama Films has partnered with Gigantic Digital Cinema to stream the anniversary program. Online tickets are available for individual titles or the full package, with films streaming in ultra high quality and ad-free. Eight of the titles will be available online for ten weeks, starting September 22nd, and a special online presentation of Bob Dylan: Don't Look Back will be available for a limited two-week window, beginning on the same date.
From the beginning, with the 1999 release of D.A. Pennebaker’s Bob Dylan: Don't Look Back, co-founders Susan Margolin and Steve Savage sought to create a label exclusively for documentaries, believing that the genre could speak to audiences in fresh ways. A decade later, they continue to support documentary filmmakers by acquiring and distributing every kind of doc: political, environmental, spiritual, comedic, personal and controversial. Recent and upcoming releases include Stacy Peralta’s explosive Crips And Bloods: Made In America, the entertaining yoga film Enlighten Up! and the powerful ocean doc The End Of The Line.
On September 8, 2009, the IFC Center honors Docurama Films with a special event screening before the series begins. The landmark documentary Brother’s Keeper, which follows a real-life murder mystery as suspenseful and compelling as any Hollywood whodunit, will be followed by a Q&A with directors Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky.
All screenings take place at the IFC Center, 323 Sixth Ave. (at W. 3rd St.), 212-924-7771. Tickets available at the box office or online at ifccenter.com