When Silverdocs launched in 2003, Ann Richards and George Plimpton were still alive, Journey was just another '80s rock band, and a small Moroccan village nestled in the mountains did not yet have any electricity. This year, which marks the 10th edition of the AFI Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Film Festival, all of the above were subjects of captivating documentaries here. The films capped off a decade of growth; Silverdocs, based in Silver Spring, Maryland, is now the largest documentary film festival in the US, and is seen as one of the best showcases to premiere a new project, or
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'Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry' opens in theaters July 27 through Sundance Selects.
During Gay Pride Month in June, the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival celebrated its 36th year as the world's longest-running film festival presenting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender programming. Its home is the beloved 1,400-seat Castro Theatre, a 1922 movie palace whose neon façade lures cineastes of every variety. This year's Frameline, as it's known from the name of its parent media-arts nonprofit organization, boasted nearly 50 documentaries, feature-length and short, including its Opening Night and Centerpiece films. This review of only eight of those films, chosen
Editor's Note: The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Programs and Fund is the receipient of the IDA Pioneer Award; this article appeared in the Summer 2012 issue in commemoration of the DFP's 10th anniversary. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program and Fund (DFP), a key source of support for some of the best documentaries to come out over the past decade. Some recent grantees include The Oath (Dir.: Laura Poitras), Gasland (Dir.: Josh Fox), Trouble the Water (Dirs.: Tia Lessin and Carl Deal), Bully (Dir.: Lee Hirsch) and The Island President
'The Imposter' opens July 13 in New York City.
No one in the documentary community can stop talking about what a great time it is to be working in the world of nonfiction. Docs are booming in theaters, on public television and cable and are literally exploding in the home video/DVD market. Docurama is the only label dedicated exclusively to bringing critically acclaimed and cutting-edge documentary films to the home entertainment marketplace. Founded in 1999 by parent company New Video, Docurama has released over 100 award-winning and highly acclaimed documentaries. In January 2005 Docurama released a White Paper detailing this surge for
The stock footage licensing division of ABC News supports IDA Awards for yet another year.
A map of Lower Manhattan... A mini-umbrella for unexpected spring thunderstorms... Comfortable shoes for pounding the New York sidewalks... And of course, caffeine. These were the must-have items for attendees at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival, which in four short years has grown into a big city fest with an intimate neighborhood vibe. While Tribeca still seems to be figuring out its core identity, it has successfully emerged from its post-9/11 roots into an incredibly well-marketed, organized event that is here to stay. Tribeca almost seems to be building itself by working backwards. Most
How do documentary filmmakers impact their audiences and create social change with their films? Working Films and the BRITDOC Foundation are two nonprofit organizations that work to assist documentary filmmakers in maximizing the social impact of their work. They both offer "match-making services" to help filmmakers connect with social advocacy groups concerned with the topics addressed in their films. Based in Wilmington, North Carolina, Working Films boldly deems itself "one the nation's leading independent media organizations focused on the art of engagement." The London-based BRITDOC