Over the next week, we at IDA will be introducing--and in some cases, re-introducing--our community to the filmmakers whose work has been nominated for an Academy Award for either Best Documentary Feature or Best Documentary Short Subject. As we did in conjunction with the DocuWeek Theatrical Documentary Showcase that we presented last summer, we have asked the filmmakers to share the stories behind their films--the inspirations, the challenges and obstacles, the goals and objectives, the reactions to their films so far, and the impact of an Academy Award nomination. So, to continue this
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From Mark Kitchell's Berkeley in the Sixties. Courtesy of California Newsreel In 1968, as international socio-political movements thrived, the San Francisco Bay Area characterized the epitome of countercultural revolutions. Berkeley was rife with Civil Rights sit-ins, the Free Speech movement and anti-war protests. The Black Panther Party, founded in Oakland by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, struggled to promote civil rights and self-defense as it fed, clothed and educated underprivileged children. Across the Bay, a lengthy student strike erupted at San Francisco State, led by the Third World
In 2001, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Board of Governors voted to establish a Documentary Branch--some 60 years after the first Oscar was awarded to a documentary. In the years leading up to this development, the documentary form had twisted precariously in the wind--on two occasions, the governors voted to eliminate the short-form category altogether, reversing its decision after a strong letter and e-mail-writing campaign from the community calling for the category's reinstatement. Five years later, the Documentary Branch, represented by governors Michael Apted, Frieda
'Addiction,' a nine-part series, features the work of some of the greatest documentary makers working today.
Plus: Directory of Documentary Training Programs in the Bay Area
Producing documentaries, which have become much more popular and visible on TV, DVD and in theaters in recent years, has never been an undertaking for the faint of heart. And fundraising for such projects is undeniably a challenge. When I last wrote about fundraising for documentaries, in the February 2006 issue of Documentary, there was no recession; in fact, people were feeling pretty flush. And what I said then is all the more true today. Competition is even fiercer, since funders have less cash to award, and there is still not enough money out there--even for the really good projects
'Teenage Paparazzo' and 'Smash His Camera'