Marina Goldovskaya (Solovky Power, The Shattered Mirror, Lucky to Be Born in Russia) served as an artist-in-residence in the ongoing Documentary Voices series at the University of California, Berkeley. The residency included a lecture, screenings of her work, post-screening interactions with the audience and an informal salon with students and others interested in her process.  

Minority Films and the Center for American Progress recently sponsored the national college tour of the controversial new documentary film, This Divided State. Steven Greenstreet, director and producer of the film, was invited by the Center for American Progress and its sub-division Campus Progress to screen the film at 22 colleges around the nation, including Harvard, Yale, New York University and University of Southern California. This Divided State follows the explosion of community protests surrounding filmmaker Michael Moore's visit to Utah Valley State College (UVSC) in October 2004. Though UVSC is located in one of the strongest Republican strongholds in the United States, vehement opposition to Moore's visit was much greater than anticipated. Death threats, hate mail, bribes and lawsuits were all candidly captured on film. Equally surprising, however, was the overwhelming "uprising" of students in support of Moore. Additionally, since the controversy took place in Utah, a heated religious debate broke out as to whether Mormons can profess to be liberal without betraying their religion. www.thisdividedstate.com.

Drury Gunn Carr and Doug Hawes-Davis of High Plains Films produced, directed, shot and edited the feature documentary Libby, Montana, the history of a small logging and mining town, told largely by its residents, that has become, over the last 50 years, what the Environmental Protection Agency now calls "the worst case of community-wide exposure to a toxic substance in US history." The film screened in April at the Walter Reade Theatre in Manhattan, and as part of the Artivist Film Festival in Los Angeles. The film is now available on a limited-edition DVD. www.highplainsfilms.org.

Diana Holtzberg and Jan Rofekamp executive-produced two films that had their US television premieres in April. Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust, narrated by Gene Hackman, sheds light on one of the blackest periods in human history, as seen through American movies. With clips from over 40 films, Imaginary Witness presents an intriguing record of how Hollywood came to terms with a story that had to be told. The 90-minute original production was directed by Daniel Anker and produced by Ellin Baumel, and it was broadcast on AMC. End of the Century: The Story of The Ramones, co-directed by Michael Gramaglia and Jim Fields, is the ultimate story of the early days of punk and a band of misfits from Queens, New York. In 1974, The Ramones shocked the underground music scene into consciousness by their violently new and raw sound. The best record you'll ever get of The Ramones, this documentary depicts every rise, fall and petty squabble they had. The film aired on PBS' Independent Lens in April.

Boxers and Ballerinas won the Global Vision Award for artistic vision at Cinequest. The film, which cuts through the romantic mystery of Cuba, the neon stereotype of Miami and the political noise of US-Cuba relations, tells a poetic story of four young adults, fighting and dancing for success and freedom under two competing systems of government. First-time director Brit Marling, 21, co-director Mike Cahill, 24, and producer Nicholas Shumaker, 25, fought through Cuban spies, wire tappings and airport smuggling just to make this film a reality. The feature-length documentary also screened at the San Francisco International Film Festival. www.boxersandballerinas.com.

Farmingville, Carlos Sandoval and Catherine Tambini's searing documentary that examines the tensions surrounding the presence of Mexican day laborers in a small Long Island town, has received two more awards: The Council on Foundation's Henry Hampton Award and the CINE Golden Eagle Award. The Hampton Award recognizes excellence in documentary filmmaking that focuses on compelling social movements and issues. The CINE Golden Eagle Awards, distinguishing excellence in professional and amateur works, are recognized internationally as symbols of the highest production standards in filmmaking and videography. www.farmingvillethemovie.com.