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DocuWeeks 2012
New York Showtimes
August 3 - August 23
at IFC Center
Los Angeles Showtimes
August 10 - August 30
at Laemmle Noho 7

The Arab Spring as seen from the eyes of a young female Egyptian journalist. The mass exodus from a Northeastern Mexican village in search of water during the annual drought. A once-in-a-lifetime journey to the Academy Awards® for one extraordinary 5th grade choir. These are just some of the 28 outstanding stories that will be presented in the International Documentary Association's 16th Annual DocuWeeks™ Theatrical Documentary Showcase.

DocuWeeks 2012 - Q&A Schedules DocuWeeks™ New York Filmmaker Q&A Schedule - View
DocuWeeks™ Los Angeles Filmmaker Q&A Schedule - View

Download PDF DocuWeeks™ New York Printed Program - Download
DocuWeeks™ Los Angeles Printed Program - Download

Download the DocuWeeks™ 2012 press release. All publicity and credential requests please contact Ashley Mariner at Dish Communications.

FEATURES (New York Week 1)

Defiant Requiem
New York
August 3 - August 9


Los Angeles
August 17 - August 23
Defiant Requiem  More Info

A memorial concert reawakens the story of an artistic uprising in the Nazi concentration camp, Terezin, where a chorus of 150 inmates confronts the Nazis face-to-face...and sings to them what they dare not say.

Director/Producer/Writer: Doug Shultz
Producer: Peter Schnall
Executive Producers: Whitney Johnson, Peter Schnall
Partisan Pictures
86 min. USA/Czech Republic
Website/Trailer | Filmmaker Interview

NEW YORK SHOWTIMES
  • FRI 8/3 12:00 pm, 5:15 pm
  • SAT 8/4 3:30 pm, 9:40 pm
  • SUN 8/5 1:45 pm, 7:30 pm
  • MON 8/6 12:00 pm, 5:15 pm
  • TUE 8/7 3:30 pm, 9:40 pm
  • WED 8/8 1:45 pm, 7:30 pm
  • THU 8/9 12:00 pm, 5:15 pm
LOS ANGELES SHOWTIMES
  • FRI 8/17 12:05 pm, 5:05 pm
  • SAT 8/18 1:50 pm, 7:25 pm
  • SUN 8/19 3:25 pm, 9:35 pm
  • MON 8/20 12:05 pm, 5:05 pm
  • TUE 8/21 1:50 pm, 7:25 pm
  • WED 8/22 3:25 pm, 9:35 pm
  • THU 8/23 12:05 pm, 5:10 pm

La Source
New York
August 3 - August 9


Los Angeles
August 10 - August 16
La Source  More Info

Narrated by Oscar-nominated actor Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda, Crash), in what The Washington Post calls an "artfully shot documentary," La Source tells the uplifting story of Josue Lajuenesse, a Haitian Princeton janitor who returns to his country after the devastating 2010 earthquake to revive his lifelong dream to bring what is most fundamental to his village's survival; clean water.

Director//Producer/Writer: Patrick Shen
Producer/Writer: Brandon Vedder
Producer/Executive Producer: Jordan Wagner
Executive Producers: Christian Tureaud, David Salzberg, Regina Manian, Nancy Luyen
Transcendental Media/All Cut Up Films
71 min. USA/Haiti
Website/Trailer

NEW YORK SHOWTIMES
  • FRI 8/3 2:35 pm, 7:20 pm
  • SAT 8/4 2:25 pm, 9:25 pm
  • SUN 8/5 12:05 pm, 4:35 pm
  • MON 8/6 2:35 pm, 7:15 pm
  • TUE 8/7 2:25 pm, 9:30 pm
  • WED 8/8 2:30 pm, 7:05 pm
  • THU 8/9 2:25 pm, 9:30 pm
LOS ANGELES SHOWTIMES
  • FRI 8/10 1:55 pm, 7:40 pm
  • SAT 8/11 12:05 pm, 5:20 pm
  • SUN 8/12 3:40 pm, 9:45 pm
  • MON 8/13 1:55 pm, 7:40 pm
  • TUE 8/14 12:05 pm, 5:20 pm
  • WED 8/15 3:40 pm, 9:45 pm
  • THU 8/16 1:55 pm, 7:40 pm

Love Free or Die
New York
August 3 - August 9


Los Angeles
August 24 - August 30
Love Free or Die  More Info

Love Free or Die is about a man whose two defining passions are in direct conflict: his love for God and his partner Mark. Gene Robinson is the first openly gay person to become a bishop in the historical traditions of Christendom. His consecration in 2003, to which he wore a bulletproof vest, caused an international stir, and he has lived with death threats every day since. Love Free or Die follows Robinson from small-town churches in the New Hampshire North County to Washington's Lincoln Memorial to London's Lambeth Palace, as he calls for all to stand for equality—inspiring bishops, priests and ordinary folk to come out from the shadows and change history.

Director: Macky Alston
Producer: Sandra Itkoff
Reveal Productions, Inc.
83 min. USA/UK
Website/Trailer

NEW YORK SHOWTIMES
  • FRI 8/3 3:30 pm, 9:40 pm
  • SAT 8/4 1:45 pm, 7:30 pm
  • SUN 8/5 12:00 pm, 5:15 pm
  • MON 8/6 3:30 pm, 9:40 pm
  • TUE 8/7 1:45 pm, 7:30 pm
  • WED 8/8 12:00 pm, 5:15 pm
  • THU 8/9 3:30 pm, 9:40 pm
LOS ANGELES SHOWTIMES
  • FRI 8/24 5:15 pm, 9:50 pm
  • SAT 8/25 3:30 pm, 7:30 pm
  • SUN 8/26 5:15 pm, 9:50 pm
  • MON 8/27 1:45 pm, 5:15 pm
  • TUE 8/28 3:30 pm, 7:30 pm
  • WED 8/29 5:15 pm, 9:50 pm
  • THU 8/30 3:30 pm, 7:30 pm

Once in a Lullaby: The PS22 Chorus Story
New York
August 3 - August 9


Los Angeles
August 10 - August 16
Once in a Lullaby: The PS22 Chorus Story  More Info

The PS22 Chorus from Staten Island became a YouTube sensation when their teacher started posting videos of them singing on his blog. At their annual Holiday Concert they received a surprise visitor. Anne Hathaway was there to invite them to be the featured performance at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards! Once in a Lullaby follows these lovable fifth-graders from the streets and hallways in Staten Island to the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, where creative differences, lost voices, and homesickness threaten their performance.

Director/Producer: Jonathan Kalafer
Producers: Steve Kalafer, Bao Nguyen
New Jersey Pictures
86 min. USA
Website/Trailer | Filmmaker Interview

NEW YORK SHOWTIMES
  • FRI 8/3 1:45 pm, 7:30 pm
  • SAT 8/4 12:00 pm, 5:15 pm
  • SUN 8/5 3:30 pm, 9:40 pm
  • MON 8/6 1:45 pm, 7:30 pm
  • TUE 8/7 12:00 pm, 5:15 pm
  • WED 8/8 3:30 pm, 9:40 pm
  • THU 8/9 1:45 pm, 7:30 pm
LOS ANGELES SHOWTIMES
  • FRI 8/10 3:35 pm, 9:50 pm
  • SAT 8/11 1:45 pm, 7:30 pm
  • SUN 8/12 12:05 pm, 5:20 pm
  • MON 8/13 3:35 pm, 9:50 pm
  • TUE 8/14 1:45 pm, 7:30 pm
  • WED 8/15 12:05 pm, 5:20 pm
  • THU 8/16 3:35 pm, 9:50 pm

TRIAL BY FIRE: Lives Re-Forged
New York
August 3 - August 9


Los Angeles
August 10 - August 16
TRIAL BY FIRE: Lives Re-Forged  More Info

Scars are like tattoos—but with better stories. TRIAL BY FIRE: Lives Re-Forged follows the journeys of extraordinary people who survive critical burns and rise above their injuries to discover a transformed worldview. A firefighter endures a 1500 degree inferno; a teenage athlete engulfed in flames triumphs against all odds; an oil worker survives an incredible refinery blast; a race-car driver's miraculous comeback from a fiery wreck; an honors student caught in a chemistry class explosion; and a mother burned at home dedicates her recovery to her children. All are given context and perspective by burn survivor and Dancing with the Stars Champion, J.R. Martinez. When you forge metal with fire, it becomes stronger. The same is true of the human spirit.

Director/Producer/Writer: Megan Smith-Harris
Writer/Executive Producer: Bill Harris
Pyewackitt Productions
88 min. USA
Website/Trailer | Filmmaker Interview

NEW YORK SHOWTIMES
  • FRI 8/3 4:55 pm, 9:25 pm
  • SAT 8/4 12:05 pm, 7:05 pm
  • SUN 8/5 2:15 pm, 9:15 pm
  • MON 8/6 4:50 pm, 9:30 pm
  • TUE 8/7 12:05 pm, 7:05 pm
  • WED 8/8 4:35 pm, 9:25 pm
  • THU 8/9 12:05 pm, 7:05 pm
LOS ANGELES SHOWTIMES
  • FRI 8/10 12:05 pm, 5:20 pm
  • SAT 8/11 3:30 pm, 9:50 pm
  • SUN 8/12 1:50 pm, 7:35 pm
  • MON 8/13 12:05 pm, 5:20 pm
  • TUE 8/14 3:30 pm, 9:50 pm
  • WED 8/15 1:50 pm, 7:35 pm
  • THU 8/16 12:05 pm, 5:20 pm

SHORTS (New York Week 1)

Cutting Loose
New York
August 3 - August 9


Cutting Loose  More Info

Hairdressers poised, scissors at the ready, clients in place. Cutting begins. The salon looks familiar enough, chatter rising above the chopping and blow drying, but the hairdressers have something in common—they're all serving time in Scotland's jails. Cutting Loose provides a fascinating snapshot of prison life during the build up to the annual Scottish Prison Service hairdressing competition. As the competition approaches, we hear the dreams and aspirations of some of Scotland's most dangerous prisoners as they style the hair of fellow inmates on a daily basis.

Directors/Producers: Finlay Pretsell, Adrian McDowall
SDI Productions
31 min. Scotland
Website/Trailer | Filmmaker Interview

NEW YORK SHOWTIMES
  • FRI 8/3 12:05 pm
  • SAT 8/4 4:35 pm
  • SUN 8/5 6:45 pm
  • MON 8/6 12:05 pm
  • TUE 8/7 4:35 pm
  • WED 8/8 12:05 pm
  • THU 8/9 4:35 pm

Jimmy
New York
August 3 - August 9


Jimmy  More Info

After more than 40 years of being held in a mental health institution Jimmy McIntosh fought for, and won, the vote for the disabled who were living in institutions. Now free, he fights for the disabled and disadvantaged on a daily basis.

Director: Martin Smith
Producer: Finlay Pretsell
Executive Producers: Noe Mendelle, Sonja Henrici
Writer: Jimmy
SDI Productions
14 min. Scotland
Website/Trailer | Filmmaker Interview

NEW YORK SHOWTIMES
  • FRI 8/3 12:05 pm
  • SAT 8/4 4:35 pm
  • SUN 8/5 6:45 pm
  • MON 8/6 12:05 pm
  • TUE 8/7 4:35 pm
  • WED 8/8 12:05 pm
  • THU 8/9 4:35 pm

Kings Point
New York
August 3 - August 9


Los Angeles
August 10 - August 16
Kings Point  More Info

Director Sari Gilman tells the stories of five seniors living in a typical American retirement resort—men and women who came to Florida decades ago with their spouses by their sides and their health intact, and now find themselves grappling with love, loss, and the prospect of dying alone. A bittersweet look at our national obsession with self-reliance, Kings Point explores the dynamic tension between living and aging—between our desire for independence and our need for community—and underscores our powerful ambivalence toward growing old.

Director/Producer: Sari Gilman
Producers: Jedd Wider, Todd Wider
Co-Producer: Susannah Ludwig
Kings Point Documentary/Wider Film Projects
31 min. USA
Website/Trailer | Filmmaker Interview

NEW YORK SHOWTIMES
  • FRI 8/3 12:05 pm
  • SAT 8/4 4:35 pm
  • SUN 8/5 6:45 pm
  • MON 8/6 12:05 pm
  • TUE 8/7 4:35 pm
  • WED 8/8 12:05 pm
  • THU 8/9 4:35 pm
LOS ANGELES SHOWTIMES
  • FRI 8/10 4:25 pm
  • SAT 8/11 6:00 pm
  • SUN 8/12 6:10 pm
  • MON 8/13 4:25 pm
  • TUE 8/14 6:00 pm
  • WED 8/15 6:10 pm
  • THU 8/16 4:25 pm

The Perfect Fit
New York
August 3 - August 9


The Perfect Fit  More Info

Ballet shoes may be worn by delicate girls, but they're crafted by big burly men whose hands tell another story.

Director: Tali Yankelevich
Producer: Finlay Pretsell
Executive Producer: Noeme Mendelle
SDI Productions
10 min. Scotland
Website/Trailer | Filmmaker Interview

NEW YORK SHOWTIMES
  • FRI 8/3 12:05 pm
  • SAT 8/4 4:35 pm
  • SUN 8/5 6:45 pm
  • MON 8/6 12:05 pm
  • TUE 8/7 4:35 pm
  • WED 8/8 12:05 pm
  • THU 8/9 4:35 pm

StoryCorps Animated Shorts
New York
August 3 - August 9


StoryCorps Animated Shorts  More Info

Facundo the Great Ramòn "Chunky" Sanchez recounts how the new kid at school became a hero when his name stumped their teachers.
Sundays at Rocco's Nicholas Petron remembers family dinners at his grandfather's place and how everything changed when the city made new plans for their neighborhood.
Eyes on the Stars Carl McNair tells the story of his brother Ronald, an African-American kid in the 1950s who set his sights on the stars.

Directors: The Rauch Brothers
Producers: Lizzie Jacobs, Mike Rauch
Executive Producers: Donna Galeno, Dave Isay
StoryCorps
9 min. USA
Website/Trailer | Filmmaker Interview

NEW YORK SHOWTIMES
  • FRI 8/3 12:05 pm
  • SAT 8/4 4:35 pm
  • SUN 8/5 6:45 pm
  • MON 8/6 12:05 pm
  • TUE 8/7 4:35 pm
  • WED 8/8 12:05 pm
  • THU 8/9 4:35 pm