The International Documentary Association proudly presents Decoding Deepak, a film by Gotham Chopra which chronicles a year in the life of his father, spiritualist and pop-culture icon Deepak Chopra. A film for "spiritualists and skeptics alike, for fans of father-son relationships, the cycle of parenting, journeys of self-discovery, and Twitter," Decoding Deepak focuses not just on the filmmaker’s relationship with his father, but is also paralleled by Gotham's relationship with his own son.
Now in it's 10th year, the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) will take place at the state-of-the-art Arclight Hollywood on Sunset and Vine. Decoding Deepak is set to play IFFLA on Thursday, April 12th at 8:30pm.
CHAINSAW, an ongoing supporter of the documentary film community, joins as a Contributing Sponsor of the 16th Annual DocuWeeks Theatrical Showcase. CHAINSAW is the first sponsor confirmed for our annual theatrical showcase of some of the year's best docs from around the world. We welcome them again as we did in 2011.
Thank you CHAINSAW for being so awesome and for all that you do for documentary filmmakers!
CHAINSAW, based in Hollywood, CA, provides creative editorial and post finishing services from concept to completion. Emmy Award winning editors Bill DeRonde and Mike Polito used their years of hands-on experience to build a full-service post facility that gives editors what they need to get the client what they want. From American Idol to the Academy Awards, to award-winning documentaries, Chainsaw has been helping producers for over 15 years.
To learn more about CHAINSAW, visit their website.
The beginning of 2012 marked the end of Eddie Schmidt's three-year run as IDA Board President. As he passed the title over to Marjan Safinia, Eddie answered some questions about his time with IDA and gave some advice for the incoming Board President.
What did you do while you were at IDA?
I served on IDA's Board of Directors for six years, beginning in 2006. For three of those years, 2009-2011, I was the organization’s Board President, and during the latter half of 2008, I stepped in as its interim Executive Director until we found a great guy named Michael Lumpkin. In addition to those administrative/spokesperson roles, I participated in the advocacy committee (formed in the wake of IDA’s work on behalf of Joe Berlinger and his film Crude), the development committee [and] the annual Awards show (which included co-hosting in 2011); moderated events and panels; and often contributed to Documentary magazine and to documentary.org.
There were three main goals that guided all my work: relevance, inclusion, and fun—in that order. I believed strongly that IDA held a unique position in representing the documentary community, and our renewed commitment to advocacy during that time (on issues including free speech, fair use and net neutrality) was a direct result. By speaking up for documentary filmmakers, and asking other filmmakers to speak out, too, obviously increased our relevance—but also our inclusiveness, making the community stronger and more connected. I also felt it was important to try to make our Awards screening process more reflective of the entire membership, and we eventually accomplished this, thanks to digital technology and a dedicated staff who made it possible for judges across the country to watch films online and vote. And while "fun" may sound like a trivial goal, it isn't. Who wants to belong to a member organization that isn't fun? Not me. So I tried to bring some humor and irreverence wherever it was appropriate. And probably even a few places where it wasn’t.
What were you up to before joining the IDA Board of Directors?
I was a documentary filmmaker, TV writer/producer, and former sketch comic coming off of an Oscar nomination (for Twist of Faith in 2005) and starting to feel more connected to the greater doc community beyond my own projects. At the same time, I recognized that the individual members of the community (including myself) were looking for streamlined and specific information and advice—as well as a unified voice—that an organization like IDA could provide. So it seemed like an organization that I could give a lot to, but one that would also give something back to me. And that was true on both fronts. Two then-current board members, (publicist) Nancy Willen and (attorney) Michael Donaldson, encouraged me to join. As I said in my remarks during the 2011 Awards show, within my six years on the board I went from young punk to elder statesman.
What's next for you (besides your film premiere at SXSW in early April!)?
I'm currently directing something for television that I can't yet discuss, and I've been producing a documentary with BMP Films (Bunim-Murray). They did Autism: The Musical—that’s in post. I'm also one of the directors making a film for Cinelan’s Focus Forward omnibus project. And yes, I executive produced a terrific film about artist / raconteur Wayne White (Pee-wee's Playhouse), called Beauty is Embarrassing, which premiere[d] at SXSW [this year]. And along with Morgan Neville, I'm exec producing another new documentary about one of my favorite all-time bands, Devo. So, you know...not much.
Do you have any advice to incoming President Marjan Safinia?
Wear comfortable shoes. No, that's the advice they give new film directors. Honestly, I think the hardest thing for the President is to maintain patience. Non-profit organizations can make great strides, but it really doesn't happen overnight. It’s a gradual thing. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try to move mountains, but you have to listen to others, attempt solutions that may not work the first time out, make prudent small changes so you can later make bold, bigger ones, etc. It's a hard thing to learn when you jump in excited to (allow me to take back a phrase that’s been denigrated unfairly in the culture) "community organize."
What will you miss the most about your time at IDA?
I'll miss the intellectual workouts; the problem-solving around societal issues that face documentary filmmakers as journalists and as citizens. Areas where we really did make a difference.
And I'll miss the camaraderie—of our board and executive committee meetings themselves (which really evolved into enjoyable sessions), as well as the public events. As Board President I felt like it was my duty to go as many events as possible, and as a result I got to meet a lot of interesting people and learn about fascinating projects I may not have otherwise known about. I’ll try not to be a stranger, but I also know my family's glad to have me around a bit more.
With tax deadlines just around the corner, we were sure that our documentary filmmaking community had a lot of questions about the business behind their art. On Wednesday, March 21, we invited everyone in the Los Angeles area to join us at the Cinefamily for an informed discussion on the business behind documentary filmmaking. Everyone came with burning questions they hoped to have answered: What are the various options available to filmmakers to be set up in the business of making documentaries? What business model works best for you and your filmmaking? How can you decide? And what are the implications come tax time?
Chris Perez (Associate, Donaldson + Callif), Jeffrey Schwarz (President & CEO, Automat Pictures), Lee Storey (Smile 'Til It Hurts: The Up with People Story, and Michael Garelick (CEO / President, Garelick Business Management Inc.) fielded all these questions and more from moderator Lisa Leeman (One Lucky Elephant, Crazy Wisdom: The Life and Times of Chogyam Trungaand) and the eager members of the audience.
As many of these issues were details never before considered by some emerging and first-time filmmakers, there were questions from the audience throughout the panel for clarification. Chris Perez started off the panel by talking about the importance of forming a limited liability company (LLC) to separate one's personal finances from the funds dedicated to (and hopefully coming in!) from a film project. The importance of this, Perez stated, is the need to "create a distance between ourselves and our projects." It's also important to have a good reason for setting up an LLC. The worst thing would be to have the IRS come in and say, "This LLC is a sham, there's nothing behind it!"
Perez and the panel spoke to how LLCs require fewer corporate formalities than other business structures, for example an S-corp or other corporation. Let's say you go into business with a partner: you decide to contribute $10,000, and your friend wants to kick in $40,000, but upfront you make the agreement that you will do 90% of the work. With an LLC, you can create the flexible business model the way that you feel is appropriate, making the whole endeavor much less corporate.
Lee Storey probably had the most personal moments of the evening when she told her story about making her first documentary feature Smile 'Til It Hurts: The Up With People Story. Before diving headfirst into filmmaking, Storey had been a practicing attorney in the area of water rights, which shouldn't have been any sort of deterrent against her passion: to make a film inspired by her late husband, who she learned was a part of the Up with People movement before they got married. Apparently, she was wrong: the IRS said that "attorneys can not also be filmmakers." After working for five years on her project, the IRS began trying to claim that her endeavor in filmmaking was more of a "hobby" than a viable career or money-making endeavor.
Tax accountant Michael Garelick spoke about his own ideas on whether or not to start an LLC. Did you know that LLCs have an added gross tax that no one talks about. To exist in the state of California, your annual license under the LLC is $800. Michael concluded by stating that LLCs are dangerous because—especially in California—you can get sued for anything.
In Lee's case, she believes she did all the right things—set up an LLC, kept her personal and business funds separate, kept meticulous records, pitched at film festivals, and secured sales agents and eventual foreign distribution. But when Storey admitted to enjoying certain aspects of being a doc filmmaker, the IRS took issue and labeled her project a hobby, calling into question the business deductions related to making her doc. Even more disturbing is that when Storey went to trial in February of last year to argue her case, the U.S. Tax Court in Arizona raised broader implications for documentary filmmakers, i.e. if at its heart the primary purpose of documentary filmmaking is to "educate and expose," can it ever really be considered a profit-making endeavor by the IRS?
When Lee finally went to trail with her case, the IDA, Film Independent, Women Make Films and others including Academy Award-winning directors joined with the law firm Donaldson & Callif. Donaldson filed an amicus brief on her behalf, strongly encouraging the judge to recognize that documentary filmmaking is indeed undertaken as a profit making venture. Storey's case stands out, not only for the tremendous significance the judge's ruling will have for documentary filmmaking as a whole, but because Lee's experience could be that of any filmmaker's: she set out to do "all the right things" when producing her doc. She knew to ask questions; she hired accountants, CPAs, and her own attorneys; she formed Storeyvision LLC and even secured a bank loan, collateralized against the anticipated future profits of the film. Even after all that, the IRS still wants to call it a hobby. The takeaway here? Check your business structure and strategy against the Nine Ways Independent Filmmakers Can Fight the IRS. And make sure to be seen and photographed with your Docu Vest as a testament to your desire to sell your film!
In the end, the four panelists reminded everyone that the IRS does have the right to audit you at any time. Keep your documents in order, your business and personal accounts separate, and the phone number of a good accountant handy just in case!
It seemed like everyone in the audience had many questions after the panelists were done speaking. People wanted clarification on whether grant funds are taxed as income (they are), whether or not to have a business plan ahead of time (the answer: most definitely YES), and how to prove that your project, endeavor, or film is for-profit when the weak economy has shrunk license fees and made the tough doc sales market, even tougher!
After a night that left most of our heads spinning, we want to thank all of our panelists, our moderator Lisa Leeman, and all of the people who showed up to ask their questions and share their experiences for their participation in this event. The IDA makes available to you the following resources to help answer any of your questions about the business behind documentary filmmaking.
RESOURCES
Articles
Nine Ways Independent Filmmakers Can Fight the IRS
FDL Movie Night: 'Smile 'Til it Hurts: The Up with People Story'
Michael Moore owes the IRS a lot of money (if you believe this judge)
Documentary Filmmakers vs. the IRS
Why Filmmaking Cannot Be a Hobby
Books
The American Bar Association's Legal Guide to Independent Filmmaking
Michael C. Donaldson & Lisa A Calliff
Clearance & Copyright, 3rd Edition
Michael C. Donaldson
Fearless Negotiating
Michael C. Donaldson
Dealmaking in the Film & Television Industry, 3rd Edition
Mark Litwak
Each year, DocuWeeks™ presents short and feature length documentaries to appreciative audiences in theatrical runs designed to qualify the films for consideration for the Academy Awards®. As IDA's most popular event, DocuWeeks™ attracts documentary filmmakers and nonfiction film enthusiasts in New York City and Los Angeles. Becoming a DocuWeeks™ sponsor provides your brand maximum exposure.
During the 15th installation of this program, we presented seventeen feature films and seven shorts from sixteen different countries in theatrical runs which were designed to qualify the films for consideration for The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’ annual Oscar® Awards. Our goal with the program is to give documentary fans a chance to catch some of the best documentary films of the year.
In 2011, DocuWeeks™ was presented with the help support of presenting sponsors Current and AT&T U-verse; as well as HBO Documentary Films, FotoKem, NBCUniversal Archives, Chainsaw, Consulate of Canada, Menage a Trois Wines, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, The Standard Hotel, Stella Artois, FilmFest App, LA Weekly, Village Voice, and The Nation.
Want to learn more about becoming a sponsor? Download the Sponsorship Package.
During our 30 year history as an organization, the IDA has always strived to support non-fiction public media and independent broadcasting. It is for this reason that we stand with Kartemquin Films and other leaders in the independent film community in their statement regarding PBS’s recent decision to move its exemplary series for independent documentaries, Independent Lens and POV, from their long-established slots on Tuesday night to Thursday night, a slot reserved for local programming.
The following is an open letter to PBS from Kartemquin Films in opposition to PBS’s decision regarding the two leading series that feature independent documentaries. The IDA community joins Kartemquin in their stance. We encourage all independent filmmakers and fans of public media to join us as signatories by commenting below or tweeting #PBSNeedsIndies to us on Twitter.
As independent filmmakers, as participants in the evolution of public broadcasting, as viewers and as citizens, we protest PBS’ decision to move the two premier strands of independent documentaries, Independent Lens and POV, from their established home on Tuesday nights to Thursday, a night on which local stations program locally-selected material.
We saw the change in the programming to Thursday night and were concerned about the effect it would have on the ratings. As filmmakers, we are acutely aware of the importance of program placement in a broadcast schedule. With the publishing of the March 12, 2012 article by Dru Sefton in Current magazine, we have now seen documented the dramatic effects of this shift, and that our fears were realized. We cannot wait any longer to signal our concern.
PBS's programming decision has, effectively, moved these two award-winning series off the main schedule, by leaving it up to stations to program them on their own, on perhaps the most competitive night of the TV week. Both series have carved out a trusted relationship with audiences on Tuesday nights. PBS' John Wilson has acknowledged that Thursday, a local-programming night, is a "no-fly zone" for PBS programs. Asking stations to drop programming among the most popular with their members is unreasonable.
Public television is not just a popularity contest, or a ratings game. Taxpayers support public broadcasting because democracy needs more than commercial media’s business models can provide. PBS’ programming decision makes a statement about PBS' commitment to the mission of public broadcasting. We note the definition in the recently-revised and reissued Code of Editorial Integrity for Local Public Media Organizations:
"Our purposes are to support a strong civil society, increase cultural access and knowledge, extend public education, and strengthen community life through electronic media and related community activities."
These are the stations that PBS serves. These are the stations that are well-served by well-crafted, well-told stories about underrepresented topics, meeting needs of underserved audiences in innovative ways. These are the stations that benefit from community activities related to the strands, such as ITVS's Community Cinema and LINCS programs. These are the stations that benefit from IL and POV's constant technological innovation and experiment in engagement. And these are the stations that need to cultivate younger and more diverse audiences, the kind that can be attracted by the innovative, diverse films in these series.
Films such as Where Soldiers Come From, Heather Courtney's film about Michigan reservists’ journey to Iraq and back; Chris Paine's Revenge of the Electric Car, about a crucial energy issue; Daisy Bates: First Lady of Little Rock, which revives the memory of the civil rights activist, and was directed by Sharon La Cruise; and Connie Field's Have You Heard from Johannesburg?, about the history of apartheid, serve important functions at a local and national level, reaching underserved audiences, providing both perspectives and information unavailable in the marketplace, and doing so with expert craft. They serve a critical function in the public broadcasting ecology. They serve the democratic mission of public broadcasting.
We recognize the importance of public broadcasting. We have been able to reach national audiences with significant work, and we have seen meaningful democratic engagement as a result. For instance, when In the Family showed on POV, with a multiplatform campaign, legislation was pending on genetic non-discrimination. The broadcast fostered productive conversations across the nation about the consequences of that discrimination in people’s lives. The showing of Lioness on Independent Lens fostered a broad public discussion of the rights of women veterans who had experienced combat, and was instrumental in the passage of legislation, named for the film, winning these veterans the right to Veterans Administration benefits. The showing of Farmingville on POV fostered deeper, more complex and thoughtful public discussions, both online and in person, on the effect of immigration on local communities. We are deeply concerned that PBS' poorly-considered decision could jeopardize both the meeting of public broadcasting’s mission and also stifle the innovation that is crucial to the future of public broadcasting.
Independent Filmmakers: Kartemquin and the IDA would like you to please join us in signing the above, and please share with us your stories of how a public television broadcast provided benefits to the public at PBSNeedsIndies@kartemquin.com, #PBSNeedsIndies, or in the comments below. After you comment, please retweet our post to show your support.
For an updated list of all who have signed the letter thus far, please refer to Kartemquin's website.
THANK YOU
CENTRAL SAN PEDRO NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL!
The Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council has provided the IDA with a generous $3,000 grant to help support the Docs Rock program in the 2011-2012 school year.
Docs Rock is a two-semester program taught at San Pedro High School that introduces high school students to the world of documentary filmmaking.
The Council announced that they are "pleased to support the Docs Rock program..." They were "impressed, not only with the unique quality of the program but also the improved graduation rate as an outcome."
Docs Rock engages students in their educational studies, exposes them to the art form of documentary filmmaking, and prepares them for college and employment, by developing critical life skills, such as: analytical, oral and communication, team building, time management, leadership and organizational.
For more information about the Docs Rock program, click here.
The new date for the next Doc U is WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21.
Bring your questions to The Cinefamliy on Wednesday, March 21 (moved from Tuesday, March 20) and join moderator Lisa Leeman (One Lucky Elephant, Crazy Wisdom: The Life and Times of Chogyam Trunga) as she discusses the ins and outs of accounting, business management, and tax reporting, with Chris Perez Associate at the law firm of Donaldson & Callif, Jeffrey Schwarz of Automat Pictures, and Lee Storey (Smile 'Til It Hurts: The Up With People Story).
Documentary filmmakers come in all stripes and from all walks of life, and often the only shared quality is a passion for their subjects and a desire to get the story told. Underlying these disparate characteristics however, are fundamental aspects of how all documentary business models must operate. What are the various options available to filmmakers, to be set up in the business of making documentaries? What business model works best for you and your filmmaking? How can you decide? And what are the implications come tax time?
Documentary filmmakers come in all stripes and from all walks of life, and often the only shared quality is a passion for their subjects and a desire to get the story told. Underlying these disparate characteristics however, are fundamental aspects of how all documentary business models must operate. What are the various options available to filmmakers, to be set up in the business of making documentaries? What business model works best for you and your filmmaking? How can you decide? And what are the implications come tax time?
Bring your questions to The Cinefamliy on Wednesday, March 21 (new date), and join moderator Lisa Leeman (One Lucky Elephant, Crazy Wisdom: The Life and Times of Chogyam Trunga) as she discusses the ins and outs of accounting, business management, and tax reporting, with Chris Perez Associate at the law firm of Donaldson & Callif, Jeffrey Schwarz of Automat Pictures, and Lee Storey (Smile 'Til It Hurts: The Up With People Story).
The Documentary Channel and the IDA have reteamed to create a special Doctalk show from the IDA’s 27th Annual Documentary Awards. This year, the awards show was hosted by Eddie Schmidt, Tiffany Shlain and Josh Fox. This special Doctalk show features exclusive interviews with the nominated feature and short subject filmmakers, along with red carpet and awards show footage.
The IDA awarded its prestigious 2011 Career Achievement Award to legendary filmmaker Les Blank, which was presented by Werner Herzog. The Pare Lorentz award went to Bill Haney for The Last Mountain, and the Jacqueline Donnet emerging filmmaker award went to Danfung Dennis for the riveting Hell and Back Again.
Feature documentary nominees include Nostalgia For the Light, How to Die in Oregon, and Better This World, and Short Subject nominees include Broken Doors, Minka, and Poster Girl.
This Doctalk special airs on Friday, March 16th at 8pm ET and re-airs at 11pm ET (5pm and 8pm Pacific).
Watch the Documentary Channel on Dish Network 197 and Directv 267.
Don't get the Documentary Channel? Go to http://www.documentarychannel.com/getdoc for easy links to contact your cable provider and demand DOC.