It's a rare occasion—even in Utah—when a pimp, a porn star, a community activist, a former Vietnam POW, a Tuvan throat singer, an Internet impresario, a Beat Generation icon and an acclaimed violinist all show up in one locale and earn a modicum of celebrityhood to boot. As subjects of a bumper crop of well—received documentaries screened at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival, they earned more than their 15 min of fame, while others—Ken Kesey and Nadja Solerno-Sonenberg among them—gained a new legion of fans. No surprise that the real success story at Sundance was American Movie, the Grand Jury
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Founded by filmmaker Nick Manning in 1966, the New York EXPO of Short Film and Video hasn't missed a single annual session in 32 years. Anne Borin is the current Director, succeeding Robert Withers (1994-97). Panels of New York professionals served as jurors, to consider 650 submitted titles; they culled 56 from 9 nations for the showcase. These were categorized into 4 groups: documentary, animation, experimental and fiction. EXPO's rules stipulate 60 min. maximum, and many titles were in the single digits, timewise. In addition, other committees of professionals acted as jurors to select the
One of the unique aspects of the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival is the lack of distraction. The historic district where the Malco Theatre is located runs along side the (country's first) national park, with the famous bathhouse row from the turn of the century. There are souvenir shops, restaurants and some unusual art galleries; but if you're in town for the festival, that's pretty much all you'll have time to do. Two theatres are housed in the Malco, next to the festival office, each seating maybe 300 or so, and I'd bet that 75% of the screenings this past October were sold out
1999 began with the spirit of partnership taking another major step forward as IDA joined with NATPE (National Association of Television Program Executives) and Real Screen magazine to sponsor the Documentary Pavilion at the annual NATPE conference i n New Orleans, January 25-28. The Documentary Pavilion at NATPE '99 provided documentary producers with an affordable and high profile showcase for documentaries in all genres. More than 18,000 television executives from around the world attend NATPE each year seeking and buying programming for world television markets. With our first year under
In a country producing more than 600 feature films a year, in an incredible array of 23 languages, the Indian documentary film has always been a poor relative to the narrative feature. For 25 years after India's independence from Great Britain, the Films Division of the central government enjoyed a virtual monopoly in documentary production. Only in the last two decades has independent documentary been able to gain some foothold in India. While a few well-known Indian cineastes (Shyam Benegal, Mani Kaul, Satyajit Ray) dabbled in documentary for the Films Division early on, filmmakers
My first visit to Amsterdam's International Documentary Film Festival (IDFA) was quite a revelation for someone from Los Angeles, supposed movie capital of the world. Here was a festival exclusively devoted to documentaries, where advance ticket sales were often sold out. Many locals for months plan their lives around the festival, often to be disappointed because they can't get tickets... all of this highly inconceivable in L.A. where docs receive little theatrical play. I learned that in its eleven years, the IDFA has become one of the most respected and important festivals for documentaries
In its twenty-second annual session—middle-aged as festivals go—the Mead festival this past November presented a parade of new films that enlarged public understanding of complex issues in many nations, particularly within the developing world. Mead performs this important service for the intellectual and scholarly community of New York City, but also for general audiences. Mead's outstanding Festival Director is Elaine Charnov. Now that the festival has ended, six programs of two hours-plus each are on national tours, managed by Melanie Kent. Generally, Mead has programmed its films
Getting Started in a Documentary Career in the U.S. *Supported by the Los Angeles County Art Commission and Thirteen-WNET A dynamic assembly of panelists—filmmakers, distributors, arts administrators, producers—talked about how they got where they are and advised the audience of several hundred students, teachers and emerging filmmakers of what lies ahead for them. Moderated by educator/filmmaker/IDA Board member Thelma Vickroy, this special Congress opening event provided hearty helpings of food-for-thought and encouragement, also a dollop or two of pessimism. The filmmakers on the panel—
When I began work last fall on a year-end LIFE Magazine special for CBS, I had no idea how personal the subject would become by its air date. LIFE REMEMBERS was conceived as a tribute to the lives and legacies of the famous and the unknown who had passed away during 1998. During the final weeks of production, I learned of Henry Hampton's death. My personal relationship with Henry was not nearly long enough. But the time we did share—especially the conversations we had—remain as deep and lasting memories. One of my favorites is recalling our mutual chuckle whenever we finally heard the other's
In and Out of Sardinia. From the moment I stepped onto Sardinian soil, to the moment the plane lifted off 8 days later, I was treated to one of the most extraordinary weeks of my life. I had come to the island for an ethnographic film festival, and although I was expecting to make some extra-curricular side-trips and discoveries, I was not prepared for the enduring impression that week would make. I spent the weekend before the festival with new friends I'd met through the Internet while searching for information on the launeddas, a Sardinian musical instrument where a single player uses