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August 12 - September 1 at IFC Center

August 19 - September 8 at Laemmle Sunset 5

A Marine Corps cover-up of one of the worst water contamination incidents in US history, the glaring reality of the media's objectification of women, as well as portraits of assassinated journalist Anna Politkovskaya and the man behind Elmo are all part of the lineup of outstanding films that will be presented in the International Documentary Association's 15th Annual DocuWeeks™ Theatrical Documentary Showcase.

Download the DocuWeeks™ 2011 press release. All publicity and credential requests please contact Ashley Mariner at Dish Communications.

DocuWeeks™ Los Angeles Program & Schedule - Download
DocuWeeks™ New York Program & Schedule - Download

Plan your DocuWeeks™ Los Angeles and New York screenings with the FilmFest DocuWeeks iPhone App - Download

FEATURES (New York Week 2)

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey  More Info Director/ Producer: Constance Marks
Beloved by children of all ages around the world, Elmo is an international icon. Few people know his creator, Kevin Clash, who dreamed of working with his idol, master puppeteer Jim Henson. Displaying his creativity and talent at a young age, Kevin ultimately found a home on Sesame Street. Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, this documentary includes rare archival footage, interviews with Frank Oz, Rosie O'Donnell, Cheryl Henson, Joan Ganz Cooney and others, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at Sesame Street and the Jim Henson Workshop.

Producers: James Miller, Corinne LaPook
Writers: Philip Shane, Justin Weinstein
Constance Marks Productions, Inc.
76 min. USA
Website/Trailer | Filmmaker Q&A

A Bitter Taste of Freedom  More Info Director/Writer: Marina Goldovskaya
In her fearless quest to uncover the wrongdoings of Russian authorities, Anna Politkovskaya inspired awe in some and fear in others. An investigative journalist for Moscow's liberal Novaya Gazeta, she was often the only spokesperson for innocent victims. At age 48 she was assassinated for simply doing her job. Shot within a period of 20 years this film creates an incredible story of a woman who consciously gave her life for her convictions.

Producer: Malcolm Dixelius
GoldFilms, Dixit Int.
90 min. Sweden/ USA/Russia
Website/Trailer

The Carrier  More Info Director/Producer: Maggie Betts
Told through the eyes of an increasingly empowered heroine, THE CARRIER is a powerful and moving portrait of an unconventional family, set against the backdrop of the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in Zambia. This lyrical film follows Mutinta Mweemba, a 28-year-old subsistence farmer living in a polygamous marriage. After learning she is HIV positive and pregnant, Mutinta sets out to keep her unborn child virus-free and break the cycle of transmission.

Producers: Ben Selkow, Joedan Okun, Benjamin Prager
Executive Producer: Roland Betts
Tent Full of Birds Production, LLC
88 min. USA/Zambia
Website/Trailer

Hell and Back Again  More Info Director: Danfung Dennis
From his embed with US Marines Echo Company in Afghanistan, photojournalist and filmmaker Danfung Dennis reveals the devastating impact a Taliban machine-gun bullet has on the life of 25-year-old Sergeant Nathan Harris. The film seamlessly transitions from stunning war reportage to an intimate, visceral portrait of one man's personal struggle at home in North Carolina, where Harris confronts the physical and emotional difficulties of re-adjusting to civilian life with the love and support of his wife, Ashley. Masterfully contrasting the intensity of the frontline with the unsettling normalcy of home, Hell and Back Again lays bare the true cost of war.

Producers: Martin Herring, Mike Lerner
Executive Producers: Executive Producers: Dan Cogan, Karol Martesko-Fenster, Gernot Schaffler, Thomas Brunner, Maxyne Franklin
Roast Beef Productions
88 min. UK/USA
Website/Trailer

The Tiniest Place (El Lugar Más Pequeño)  More Info Director/Writer: Tatiana Huezo
This is a story about mankind's ability to arise, to rebuild and reinvent itself after surviving a tragedy. It is also a story about a people that have learned to live with their sorrow; of an annihilated town that re-emerges through the strength and deep love of its inhabitants for the land and the people. A tiny place nestled in the mountains amidst the humid Salvadorian jungle.

Producer: Nicolás Celis
Executive Producers: Liliana Pardo, Henner Hofmann
Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica/Foprocine
104 min. Mexico/El Salvador
Website/Trailer

To Be Heard  More Info Directors/Producers: Roland Legiardi-Laura, Edwin Martinez, Deborah Shaffer, Amy Sultan
Three Bronx teens search for their voices and an answer to the question, Can language change lives? Karina, Pearl and Anthony are precariously balanced on the edge. Inspired by three teachers in a radical poetry workshop, they set out to write their own life stories, imagining a future where fathers aren't in jail, mothers aren't abusive and college is the place where you wake up every morning instead of just dreaming about it each night. A dedicated filmmaking team follows their lives, celebrating the value of poetry, compassionate teachers, and the power that comes from mastering language and learning to write your own life story.

Executive Producers: Jill and Jim Angelo/Dialogue Pictures, Sally Jo Fifer/ITVS
To Be Heard, LLC
87 min. USA
Website/Trailer