SnagFilms, the advertising-supported site for documentaries online, announced today, on its second anniversary, a major expansion of its distribution infrastructure, bringing its library of 1,500 titles to a suite of new platforms. Among the new ventures: the creation of VOD offerings with Comcast, the nation's leading provider of entertainment, information and communication products; and with Verizon FiOS TV, the converged communications platform.

Founded by AOL Vice-Chair Emeritus and award-winning documentary producer Ted Leonsis (Nanking; Kicking It), SnagFilms has become the Web's largest and most broadly-distributed home for nonfiction films, with its library streamed free to consumers on 90,000 websites and webpages. "We started SnagFilms two years ago for four simple reasons," Leonsis said in a statement. "We wanted to use the scale and interactivity of the Web to bring great films to a broader audience. We wanted to create new tools and revenue opportunities for the entire indie ecosystem--filmmakers, festivals, film schools, non-profits, journalists and advertisers. We wanted to provide context and a community for film fans and the industry. And we wanted to deepen the reach of what we call ‘filmanthropy' by utilizing powerful films to catalyze discussion and lead to positive social change through individuals contributing what they could, whether it's their time, money, or even the pixels on their Facebook page on which they could open a virtual theater with a great documentary film they'd snagged from SnagFilms. Today we announce a series of advances toward all of these goals."

Here's a summary of SnagFilms' new initiatives:

• Launch pay VOD offerings, beginning with Comcast and FiOS. Offerings will include special selections from SnagFilms' library, and new titles that will be offered on a monthly basis.

• Increase purchase and viewing venues. Selections from SnagFilms library will be available for purchase on iTunes; for rental from YouTube's premium program; and both free and for purchase on the iPad.

• Distribute select films through mobile phone carriers worldwide (via A3 Media Network). Initial distribution on two major carriers with a reach of six million subscribers is set to expand to multiple carriers with an addressable audience of over 200 million mobile customers.

• Extend its library to Internet-connected TVs, Blu-ray players, gaming consoles and set-top boxes this fall.

• Commence its second annual SummerFest, beginning July 15, offering viewers screenings of six heralded documentaries headed to theaters or TV in the fall. SummerFest 2010 offers two-week sneak peeks of each of the festival favorites The Age of Stupid; Shooting Robert King; Disco and Atomic War; Videocracy and The Socalled Movie, as well as ESPN-bound A Fighting Chance. (More about SummerFest 2010here.)

• Launch SnagLearning, a special site that will be made available next month to educators in time for the new school year, with over 100 films slotted by education advisers for grade and subject, to which supplemental study materials will be added.

• Expand its distribution of the greatest documentary film libraries. SnagFilms will now offer films produced by leading indie studio Lionsgate; noted documentary aggregator New Video/Docurama; top student films from USC's School of Cinematic Arts; major selections from the National Film Board of Canada; an innovative Flip Cam film from the famed Disney Imagineers showing their creative process, and an array of extreme adventure and music films from the production arm of Red Bull.

"Our first two years were aimed at building our library and making those films widely available," said SnagFilms CEO Rick Allen in the statement. "Our 1,500 films are available on mainstream media sites like the Miami Herald, new media leaders like AOL, Hulu and Fancast, non-profit websites as varied as the USO's and Nature Conservancy's, and thousands of blogs, special interest sites and social network pages. We've brought a global audience to see films that may never have been shown in their local theaters, increased the engagement of audiences with powerful documentary films, and genuinely encourage philanthropic activity in support of causes important to passionate filmmakers. Two years in, we believe we are benefiting every aspect of the indie world, and define our success as a ‘double bottom line' business that does well by doing good."

For more about the expansion, here's an article in today's New York Times.

SAMO IS DEAD. That was the graffiti tag that defined the beginning of the meteoric rise and tragic fall of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. It's been over 20 years since he died, and more than 10 years since Julian Schabel made his directorial debut with Basquiat, the fictionalized bio-pic that starred Jeffrey Wright as the young artist, David Bowie as Andy Warhol, Dennis Hopper as gallery owner Bruno Bischofberger, and a host of other actors playing New York City art-world characters. Now, with Tamra Davis' documentary Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, which Arthouse Films is releasing this summer, viewers have the opportunity to hear directly from Basquiat himself.

One of the uncanny things about film is that it can re-animate those no longer with us in a kind of pseudo-resurrection, where life after death temporarily exists. Back in the 1980s, Davis met Basquiat while she was a film student and he was visiting Los Angeles for his first show there. They became friends and immediately bonded over their mutual love of cinema. Davis began filming Basquiat painting, and whenever he returned to LA, she would film him while they were hanging out. In 1986, when he was 25 and already at the peak of his success, she shot a lengthy interview with him.  

When Basquiat died two years later, Davis put the footage away in a drawer; she didn't want to be one of those friends who appeared to exploit him and his work for profit. But 20 years later, when she was speaking to a curator/friend at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles as it was preparing for a major retrospective of Basquiat's work, it became clear to her that enough time had passed. Davis realized she had footage that offered a rare look into one of America's most important artists of the past 25 years, and it was time for Basquiat's voice to be heard, even if posthumously. 

Davis initially made a 20-minute film based on her footage, which was shown during the MOCA retrospective and at the other venues on the exhibition tour. She screened the short at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, where she met David Koh of Arthouse Films. He asked her if she could make the short into a feature, and Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child is the result. 

Davis liked the purity of Basquiat talking, and was a bit skeptical about adding other voices, but she knew it was necessary to add context to the story. So she did "a ton of research" and began the process of interviewing people in Basquiat's sphere. She didn't want to just make a bio-pic; she wanted to follow more of a narrative structure.  She also tracked down quite a bit of archival material, even though her own material serves as the strongest thread in the film. Throughout, she tried to keep Basquiat's voice in mind while making the film; she wanted it to "have the heart," yet she also wanted to make sure she had the art history right. 

Besides being a portrait of an artist, the film is also a portrait of a time and place-New York's downtown art scene in the 1980s. Along with the archival footage, some of which captures the relationship between Basquiat and Warhol, the film features interviews with Schnabel, hip-hop pioneer Fab 5 Freddy, dealers Bischofberger, Annina Nosei and Larry Gagosian, Basquiat's longest-term girlfriend (now a psychiatrist) Suzanne Mallouk, editor/writer Glenn O'Brien and author/curator Diego Cortez, among many others. The filmmaker herself has a small cameo, but it is in the intimacy of her interview off screen with Basquiat where her presence is most strongly felt.

Clearly there was a comfort level, a trust and connection not always felt between subject and filmmaker. After all, they were friends. For Davis, this is a very personal film. Her editor, Alexis Manya Spraic, kept pushing her to go deeper. It was difficult to be so vulnerable, and yet this intimate access is what makes the film more authentic and allows people to get a true sense of Basquiat, understand his process, appreciate his creative output and ultimately recognize the tragedy that came with his sudden rise to fame. 

The 90-minute film had a sneak preview at the Art Basel Miami Beach Art Fair in December 2009 and its official world premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Since Basquiat and his work are "so international," the film is being picked up around the world. It will have its New York City theatrical premiere at Film Forum this July and will also be broadcast on PBS at some point in the future. According to Davis, this is "exactly what Jean-Michel wanted." After all, television is more populist than the art world.

For Davis, "It's wonderful to see the reaction with an audience." I recently showed the film to a class of university art students, some whom had never heard of Basquiat. It was interesting to experience the class observing and learning about this artist who was at the height of his career--when he was just a few years older than they are now--and who brought a street energy to the gallery world and the art world at large. I sensed that the students could consider him some kind of role model. And yet, by the end of the screening, although they were inspired by his street smarts and his creative output, the students were ultimately saddened by his life tragically cut short.

And so the tragedy reads like a Shakespearean tale: the rise and fall of a tortured hero--a story we see too frequently in our overly star-crazed, media-feeding-frenzy universe. Davis's film helps Basquiat channel his own voice to a new audience, offering glimpses into the life and art of this "radiant child" who shone too bright and left too soon.

Kathy Brew is an independent filmmaker, media arts curator and writer, who also teaches at The New School, The School of Visual Arts and Rutgers University.

The Court of Appeals issued an order in the case of Joe Berlinger, a day after hearing arguments from attorneys for both the filmmaker and for Chevron, which underscores the court's recognition of the urgency involved in such matters. Berlinger had been ordered by the trial court to turn over 600 hours from his documentary Crude to Chevron.
This order is a partial victory for both sides. Chevron gets some but not all of what it wants. Berlinger has to turn over some, but not all 600 hours of footage. The many hours of footage that he gathered alone with the plaintiffs and their families, friends, and neighbors has all been protected. What is important to the documentary community is that--for the first time in this kind of case--the court is restricting Chevron on how it uses the footage: Chevron can only use it for litigation, arbitration or submission to official bodies. The company cannot use the footage in publicity or promotional materials. The documentary community is awaiting the final order of the court because it should give detailed discussion of the courts thinking and provide guidelines to help documentary filmmakers in the future.
It is important to note that the many hours of footage that Berlinger gathered as he talked to the victims and their families does not have to be turned over pursuant to this order.   In terms of the trust and confidence that is at the heart of investigative filmmaking this is a very important element of the order.

For the complete order from the Court of Appeals, click here.

Here's an article about the decision in The New York Times.

Photo: Juan Diego Perez

 Editor's Note: Colony will be released March 29, 2011, on DVD through New Video/Docurama. 

Over the next month, we at IDA will be introducing our community to the filmmakers whose work is represented in the DocuWeeks ^TM Theatrical Documentary Showcase, which runs from July 30 through August 19 in New York City and Los Angeles. We 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.

So, to kick off this series of conversations, here is Carter Gunn, director, with Ross McDonnell, of Colony.

Synopsis: The unexplainable phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder has left landscapes of empty beehives all across America, threatening not only the beekeeping industry but our food supply. As scientists and beekeepers search for the cause, Colony captures the struggle within the beekeeping community to save the honeybee and themselves, through the eyes of veteran beekeeper Davis Mendes and Lance and Victor Seppi, two young brothers getting into beekeeping when most are getting out. As Mendes tries to save the nation's collapsing hives, the Seppis try to keep their business alive amidst a collapsing economy.

IDA:  How did you get started in documentary filmmaking?

Carter Gunn: Ross and I started working together on some short films back when I was at School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. I think we both knew we wanted to collaborate on something larger down the road. I went on to work various jobs in post-production, where I had the chance to work with a lot great folks in the doc world. Ross had been globetrotting, doing a lot of photojournalism work, and once we both had enough cash to buy a video camera and quit our jobs, we decided to make a movie.

IDA: What inspired you to make Colony?

CG: In 2007, Ross and I were sending each other clippings and articles all the time looking for topics that piqued our interest. The headlines that kept coming up were about the disappearing bees. We did a bit more research and found this whole hidden world of commercial beekeeping that neither of us knew about. We figured that if we were this curious about the subject, an audience would be, too.

IDA: What were some of the challenges and obstacles in making this film, and how did you overcome them?

CG: I think patience and persistence was the key to overcoming most of the challenges. Since this was our first film, we really had no compass to know if we were doing it right. Maybe there is no compass. There were many months of us wondering if all of this footage we had added up to anything at all. What's great about working with Ross is we can push each other a bit when things get difficult. As a team, there is always someone to say, "Let's pull over and shoot that sunset," or, "We should go talk to that crazy guy in overalls." I think having the patience to wait for the right light and to go the extra mile to explore new terrain is essential; I give Ross most of the credit there.
Another great lesson for us was trying to get Bayer to do an interview discussing their pesticides. We pursued them for over a year before they agreed to sit down with us. They rejected us many times before they came to the conclusion we weren't interesting in attacking them. So, wait for the light and call them again.

IDA: How did your vision for the film change over the course of the pre-production, production and post-production processes?

CG: Our visual approach was pretty consistent. We kept things very simple and shot using only natural light. In regards to the story, it changed constantly. Since Colony was documenting ongoing events, it would be impossible to say where the film was headed. It really served us to never set any boundaries regarding the direction the story was headed. We just went with it and, ultimately, I think we discovered things we would have never found if we were more conservative in our approach.

IDA: As you've screened Colony--whether on the festival circuit, or in screening rooms, or in living rooms--how have audiences reacted to the film? What has been most surprising or unexpected about their reactions?

CG: We have really gotten a fantastic response to the film. I think there tends to be a lot of surprise regarding the scale and impact of the pollination business. Most people think bees make honey and that's it. Everyone seems to be quite amazed when they find out that millions of bees are trucked around the country from crop to crop, season to season .  While we were in Amsterdam, this old Dutch man came up to me after a screening and said, "You don't really care about the bees." I was a bit shocked. I think if he knew how many stings Ross and I have endured over the past two years, he might take that back.

IDA: What docs or docmakers have served as inspirations for you?

CG: A few docs that Ross and I tend to reference a lot are To Be and To Have, Harlan County USA, For All Mankind, Lessons of Darkness, Manda Bala, King of Kong: Fistful of Dollars, God's Country, to name a few. Most recently, we saw Last Train Home, which was excellent.

Colony will be screening July 30 through August 5 at the Arclight Hollywood in Los Angeles and August 13 through 19 at the IFC Center in New York City.

To download the DocuWeeks^TM program, click here.

To purchase tickets for Colony in Los Angeles, click here.

To purchase tickets for Colony in New York, click here.

Yesterday, July 13, a panel of three Federal Appeal Court judges heard arguments to determine whether filmmaker, Joe Berlinger will have to turn over to Chevron 600 hours of raw footage he shot while producing the documentary Crude. Chevron went to court to gain access to the footage to help in defending itself against a massive Ecuadorian class-action lawsuit brought by workers and residents of the Amazon who are seeking redress for years of environmental pollution.

Attorney Michael C. Donaldson filed an Amicus Brief on behalf of International Documentary Association, as well as 22 other industry organizations and individuals, who saw the order to turn over the footage as a threat to the future of investigative documentaries. The judges heard from attorneys for Chevron, for Berlinger, and for the Ecuadorian plaintiffs. The hearing, which was initially scheduled to last 42 minutes, lasted an hour and 40 minutes. About the only thing the attorneys could agree on in their oral arguments was that the fate of Berlinger's appeal was controlled by a 1998 case--issued by this same court--entitled Gonzalez v. NBC. In fact, the three-judge panel that heard Berlinger's appeal included Judge Leval, who was on the panel for the Gonzalez case.

The judges have taken the case under submission, promising to issue their decision "expeditiously." Although one can never predict exactly what a court will decide, it's of Donaldson's opinion that the lower court's order to turn over the 600 hours of footage would be substantially cut--and that an additional step would be taken of putting restrictions on how the information gathered could be used by Chevron--i.e.: that it could not simply be used in the massive PR campaign Chevron has mounted, but that it could be used only in court or government proceedings. Additionally, Donaldson felt that the judges were prepared to confirm the test set forth in the Gonzalez case, which stated that, in order for a journalist to turn over material that is non-confidential, the material at issue must be of likely relevance to a significant issue in the case and not be reasonably attainable from other available sources--a test that is extremely important to the documentary community.

Other potential decisions could include sending the case back to the trial court with some clear direction as to how to decide these issues, ordering the trial court to view the footage before Chevron is able to view it, throwing out the subpoena in its entirety, or issuing an order that combines one or more of the above options.

After the hearing, Donaldson, who authored the Amicus Brief for filmmakers, praised the IDA for recruiting co-signers to the Brief. He felt that the voice of filmmakers was heard. "Everyone was extremely well prepared," he noted. "The judges were attentive, interested and extended the arguments by asking extensive, well-informed questions. You can't ask for much more--except a decision that favors the filmmaker."

July ushers in a wealth of high-profile docs that have garnered kudos on the festival circuit-both this year and in 2009. Winnebago Man, from Ben Steinbauer, is finally making its theatrical debut. The "Winnebago Man" in question--Jack Rebney, a pitch man and unwittingly star of a profanity-laced compilation video of outtakes from a commercial shoot--has achieved cult status, thanks to that video. Steinbauer sets out to find the man behind the outtakes, and when he achieves his goal, the journey begins-that labyrinthine relationship between filmmaker and subject, the filmmaker and his film, and the filmmaker and his audience.

Also coming this month is Brigitte Berman's Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel, about the mogul behind Playboy Enterprises and the progressive crusader for civil and First Amendment rights behind the naughty purveyor of titillation.

Among the Sundance 2010 premieres to premiere this month include Tamra Davis' Jean-Michel Basquait: The Radiant Child, which opens July 21 at the Film Forum in New York City; Lucy Walker's Countdown to Zero, about the forgotten issue of nuclear weaponry; and Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath's award-winning Enemies of the People, in which Sambath persuades perpetrators of the Khmer Rouge-led genocide in Cambodia to speak on camera about their horrors.

Finally, from DocuWeeks 2009, Lucy Bailey and Andrew Thompson's IDA Award-nominated Mugabe and the White African opens July 23 through First Run Features.

Opening:               July 2
Venue:                        Cinema Village/New York City
Film:                           Only When I Dance
Dir.:                            Beadie Finzie            
Distributor:                Film Movement
http://www.onlywhenidance.com/

Only When I Dance is a classic narrative documentary following two young teenagers, Isabela and Irlan, as they strive to realize an extraordinary dream. One girl, one boy; both black and poor, and living in one of the most violent favelas on the outskirts of Rio. Irlan and Isabela both want to dance--to dance ballet--and their ambition is to leave Brazil to join one of the great companies in the North. For them, dance is the way out, an escape, and on stage, an ecstasy that is rarely found in their day-to-day lives. The question is, Can they make it? Only When I Dance follows these two gifted teenagers during a year that will make or break all their future dreams.

Opening:               July 2--New York City; July 9--Los Angeles
Film:                           Great Directors
Dir.:                            Angela Ismailos        
Distributor:                Paladin
http://www.greatdirectorsfilm.com/

Great Directors, a celebration of films and filmmaking, starring ten of the world's most acclaimed, individualistic and provocative living directors, is a deeply personal look at the art of cinema and the artists who create it. The documentary features original in-depth conversation with world-class directors Bernardo Bertolucci, David Lynch, Stephen Frears, Agnes Varda, Ken Loach, Liliana Cavani, Todd Haynes, Catherine Breillat, Richard Linklater and John Sayles. Extensively illuminated by clips and extensive archive materials from the subjects' work, the interviews reveal the distinctive personalities who created the timeless images that have long inspired filmmaker Angela Ismailos-and all of us. Intercutting among the filmmakers in a freely associative way, Ismailos explores each director's artistic evolution; the role of politics and history in their work; their feelings about other great directors who inspired them; and the agony and ecstasy of being an artist in a medium that is, paradoxically, also an industry.

Opening:                    July 2--New York City; July 23--Los Angeles
Venue:                        Big Cinemas/New York City; Laemmle's Music Hall/Los Angeles
Film:                           Beautiful Islands
Dir.:                            Tomoko Kana                       
Distributor:                Eleven Arts
http://www.beautifulislandsthemovie.com/

This movie looks at three beautiful islands, shaken by climate change: Tuvalu, in the South Pacific; Venice, in Italy; and Shishmaref, in Alaska. The islands all have different climates and cultures, but the people all love their native lands. The film focuses on their daily lives. It portrays festivals that foster ties among the people, traditional crafts that have been passed on for generations, and peaceful lives by the water. These cultural traditions  are disappearing because of climate change. When these people lose their homelands, they potentially lose their cultures and histories. Their lives in the midst of all the changes suggest where our future leads. Director Kana Tomoko purposely decided not to put any narration or music in this film, relying instead on the sounds of waters and winds and the images of children's smiles to remind of of what we stand to lose as climate change threatens our planet.

Opening:        July 9--New York City; July 16-Los Angeles
Film:               Winnebago Man                                
Dir.:                Ben Steinbauer
Distributor:    Kino International                            
http://winnebagoman.com/index.php

Jack Rebney is the most famous man you've never heard of -- an RV salesman whose hilarious, foul-mouthed outbursts circulated underground on VHS tapes in the '90s before turning into a full-blown Internet phenomenon in 2005. Today, the "Winnebago Man" has been seen by more than 20 million people worldwide, and is regarded as one of the first and funniest viral videos. Filmmaker Ben Steinbauer goes in search of Rebney--and finds him living alone on a mountain top, unaware of his fame. Winnebago Man is a laugh-out-loud look at viral culture and an unexpectedly poignant tale of one man's response to unintended celebrity.

Legendary French filmmaker Henri-Georges Clouzot, director of the masterful thrillers, Diabolique and Wages of Fear, began work on what may have been his masterpiece, 1964's Inferno. But due to a number of a circumstances including conflicts with his actors, a nearly unlimited budget, and self-sabotage on Clouzot's part, the film collapsed only three weeks into production. Now, after almost 50 years, a documentary has been produced that weaves the previously shot footage with interviews with those involved with the production. --Eddie Wright/Twitch

Opening:        July 16
Venue:            Village East Cinema/New York City
Film:               To Age or Not To Age                                   
Dir.:                Robert Kane Pappas
Distributor:    Self-Distributed                                
http://www.toageornottoage.com/

Imagine a 120-year-old living like today's 50 year-olds. Is it possible? Yes, according to the scientists in Robert Kane Pappas' new film, To Age or Not to Age.
The scientists featured in To Age or Not to Age have found the means to postpone and possibly mitigate diseases tied to aging, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases and diabetes. Genes that control aging, among them SIRT2/SIRT1 genes, when altered, may, as a side effect increase our lifespans.
While To Age or Not to Age profiles the science of aging, it also addresses some of the moral, religious, practical and economic implications of increased lifespan. Who will have access to the medicine? Who will benefit from the breakthroughs? Will the price of these compounds make this a drug for the elites?
There already exists a potentially catastrophic problem with overpopulation. What happens if we live even longer? What does that mean for societal structures, family, marriage, social security?
If we can postpone aging, should we? Or are we arrogantly challenging the laws of nature?  Where does evolution fit in?

Opening:        July 21
Venue:            Film Forum/New York City
Film:               Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child                       
Dir.:                Tamra Davis
Distributor:    ArtHouse Films                                
http://jean-michelbasquiattheradiantchild.com/

Centered on a rare interview that director and friend Tamra Davis shot with Basquiat over 20 years ago, this definitive documentary chronicles the meteoric rise and fall of the young artist. In the crime-ridden New York City of the 1970s, he covers the city with the graffiti tag SAMO. In 1981 he puts paint on canvas for the first time, and by 1983 he is an artist with "rock star status." He achieves critical and commercial success, though he is constantly confronted by racism from his peers. In 1985 he and Andy Warhol become close friends and painting collaborators, but they part ways and Warhol dies suddenly in 1987. Basquiat's heroin addiction worsens, and he dies of an overdose in 1988 at the age of 27. The artist was 25 years old at the height of his career, and today his canvases sell for more than $1 million. With compassion and psychological insight, Tamra Davis details the mysteries that surround this charismatic young man, an artist of enormous talent whose fortunes mirrored the rollercoaster quality of the downtown scene he seemed to embody.
Featuring interviews with Julian Schnabel, Larry Gagosian, Bruno Bischofberger, Tony Shafrazi, Fab 5 Freddy, Jeffrey Deitch, Glenn O'Brien, Maripol, Kai Eric, Nicholas Taylor, Fred Hoffmann, Michael Holman, Diego Cortez, Annina Nosei, Suzanne Mallouk, Rene Ricard, Kenny Scharf, among many others.

Opening:        July 23
Film:               Countdown to Zero                           
Dir.:                Lucy Walker
Distributor:    Magnolia Pictures/Participant Media                                 
http://www.participantmedia.com/films/coming_soon/countdown_to_zero.php

Countdown to Zero traces the history of the atomic bomb from its origins to the present state of global affairs: Nine nations possess nuclear weapons capabilities with others racing to join them, with the world held in a delicate balance that could be shattered by an act of terrorism, failed diplomacy or a simple accident. Written and directed by acclaimed documentarian Lucy Walker (Devil's Playground; Blindsight), the film features an array of important international statesmen, including Jimmy Carter, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pervez Musharraf and Tony Blair. Countdown to Zero makes a compelling case for worldwide nuclear disarmament, an issue more topical than ever with the Obama administration working to revive this goal today. The film was produced by Academy Award winner and 2009 nominee Lawrence Bender (Inglourious Basterds, An Inconvenient Truth) and developed, financed and executive produced by Participant Media, together with World Security Institute.

Opening:        July 23--New York City; August 13--Los Angeles
Venue:            Cinema Village/New York City; Laemmle Music Hall/Los Angeles
Film:               Mugabe and the White African                                
Dirs.:               Lucy Bailey, Andrew Thompson
Distributor:    First Run Features                           
http://www.mugabeandthewhiteafrican.com/
http://firstrunfeatures.com/mugabeandthewhiteafrican.html

Selected as one of the 15 feature documentaries on the short list for Oscar consideration, Mugabe and the White African is an intimate account of one family's astonishing bravery as they fight to protect their property, their livelihood and their country.
Family patriarch Mike Campbell is one of the few white farmers left in Zimbabwe since President Robert Mugabe began his violent land-seizure program in 2000. Since then the country has descended into chaos, the economy brought to its knees by the reallocation of formerly white-owned farms to Mugabe cronies, who have no knowledge, experience or interest in farming. In 2008, after years of intimidation and threats to his family and farm, Campbell decides to take action. Unable to call upon the protection of any Zimbabwean authorities, he challenges Mugabe before an international court, charging him and his government with racial discrimination and human rights violations.

Opening:        July 30--New York City; August 6--Los Angeles
Venue:            Quad Cinema/New York City; Laemmle Music Hall/Los Angeles
Film:               Enemies of the People                                   
Dirs.:               Rob Lemkin, Thet Sambath
Distributor:    International Film Circuit               
http://enemiesofthepeoplemovie.com/

The Khmer Rouge ran what is regarded as one of the twentieth century's most brutal regimes. Yet the Killing Fields of Cambodia remain unexplained. Until now.
In Enemies of the People, the men and women who perpetrated the massacres--from the foot-soldiers who slit throats to the party's ideological leader, Nuon Chea aka Brother Number Two--break a 30-year silence to give testimony never before heard or seen.
Unprecedented access from top to bottom of the Khmer Rouge has been achieved through a decade of work by one of Cambodia's best investigative journalists, Thet Sambath.
Sambath is on a personal quest: he lost his own family in the Killing Fields. The film is his journey to discover not how but why they died. In doing so, he hears and understands for the first time the real story of his country's tragedy.
After years of visits and trust-building, Sambath finally persuades Brother Number Two to admit (again, for the first time) in detail how he and Pol Pot (the two supreme powers in the Khmer Rouge state) decided to kill party members whom they considered "Enemies of the People."
Sambath's remarkable work goes even one stage further: over the years he befriends a network of killers in the provinces who implemented the kill policy. For the first time, we see how orders created on an abstract political level translate into foul murder in the rice fields and forests of the Cambodian plain. Sambath's work represents a watershed both in Cambodian historiography and in the country's quest for closure on one of the world's darkest episodes.

Opening: July 30
Film: Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel
Dir.: Brigitte Berman
Distributor: Phase 4 Films
http://www.phase4films.com/detail.aspx?projectId=23e17797-a8b5-49a6-a3e5-9d0b007d9d0d

An intimate look at the outspoken, flamboyant founder of the Playboy empire. With humor and insight, the film captures Hefner's fierce battles with the government, the religious right and militant feminists. Rare footage and compelling interviews with a remarkable Who's Who of 20th Century American pop culture, present a brilliant and entertaining snapshot of the life of an extraordinary man and the controversies that surrounded him.

Two of IDA's fiscally sponsored documentaries, Lost Angels and A Small Act, premier this weekend at Los Angels Film Festival. Screenings are FREE!

Find out what Fiscal Sponsorship with IDA can do for you. Get Funded!

Lost Angels
(USA, 2010, 76 mins, HDCam)
Directed By: Thomas Napper
Thomas Napper’s empathetic but tough-minded documentary invites us into a part of Los Angeles that many choose to ignore—downtown’s skid row. As we meet the distressed area’s residents, including a former Olympic runner, a transgendered punk rocker, and an eccentric animal lover and her devoted companion, their remarkable stories paint a multifaceted portrait of life on the streets. There are undeniable problems—mental illness and addition are common themes—but there is also hope and a surprising sense of community. 

Lost Angels is also a scathing condemnation of the Safer Cities Initiative of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Police Chief William Bratton. Although its stated purpose is to reduce crime in the area, for many the program is nothing more than officially sanctioned class warfare, unfairly targeting the low income and homeless population of skid row in what some feel is an effort to pave the way for gentrification. 

Passionate, polemic, and generous in spirit, Lost Angels finds a unique vitality to life on skid row and a stirring humanity in those who live there.

Screening Schedule
Fri, Jun 25th 7:45pm
Regal 11
FREE

Sat, Jun 26th 1:45pm
Regal 11
FREE

More info about: Lost Angels

A Small Act
(USA, 2010, 88 mins, HDCam)
In Swahili, Swedish, English with English subtitles
Directed By: Jennifer Arnold
Decades ago, Hilde Back, a gray-haired Holocaust survivor, began sending $15 a month from Sweden to Kenya to fund a child's primary school education. To her, that amount felt inconsequential but for Chris Mburu, it changed his life. When no other Kenyan family could afford to send their children to high school, Mburu went, and that was enough to springboard him to Harvard. Now a U.N. human rights lawyer, he's founded a new scholarship fund for the next generation of smart kids with few options. And he's named it for the benefactor he never met. Until now.

Jennifer Arnold's colorful and moving documentary weaves Back and Mburu’s intertwined stories with the current plight of three Kenyan eighth graders desperate to be their village's next success story. Their shot at a bright future come courtesy of the Hilde Back Education Fund and the generosity of a distant benefactor. As the elderly Hilde visits the village in which she sowed hope, sighing, "I'm simply not used to being a hero," we're inspired to witness firsthand that one person, without a doubt, can make a difference.

Screening Schedule
Sat, Jun 26th 7:30pm
Regal 11
FREE

More info about: A Small Act

About LAFF

Now in its 16th year, Film Independent's Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by Los Angeles Times, showcases the best of American and international cinema. The 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival takes place June 17-27, 2010 in downtown Los Angeles. The Festival screens more than 200 features, shorts, documentaries and music videos from more than 40 countries. The Festival connects the movie-loving public to critically acclaimed filmmakers, film industry professionals, and emerging talent in the heart of Los Angeles, the entertainment capital of the world.

Passes on sale now. Tickets on sale June 1. For full Festival details, please call1.866.FilmFest or visit www.LAFilmFest.com

Check out the complete list of Festival Documentaries:

Click here for more info on the LAFF Documentary line-up.

Find out what Fiscal Sponsorship with IDA can do for you. Get Funded!

Industry organizations and documentary filmmakers joined forces today by lending their names to an amicus brief filed on their behalf by attorney Michael C. Donaldson in support of Joe Berlinger who was ordered to turn over some 600 hours of raw footage shot in connection with his film Crude.

American petrochemical company Chevron Corporation asked the court for the order in connection with an Ecuadorian class-action lawsuit. Chevron is being sued over environmental contamination in the Amazon rainforest (the Lago Agrio Litigation). Additionally, Chevron intended to use the footage to help fend off threatened Ecuadorian criminal prosecution of two of its attorneys in the litigation. A related international arbitration is also pending.

Chevron's attorneys are seeking to obtain footage shot during the production of appellant Joe Berlinger's 2009 film "Crude," a documentary which reports on the Ecuadorian lawsuit and focuses on indigenous efforts to hold Texaco (now owned by Chevron) accountable for its role in polluting the Amazon rain forests. Chevron obtained the order to turn over the raw footage on May 10, 2010. A federal appeals court stayed the order pending the appeal, but is handling the matter on an expedited schedule due to the timing of the lawsuits in Ecuador.

The brief was filed for fear that the subpoena, if upheld in the Court of Appeal, would have far-reaching and potentially devastating consequences on documentary filmmakers' ability to not only acquire the statements they need from confidential sources, but also to protect through anonymity those who do come forward to tell their stories, often at great personal risk to themselves and their families.

The amicus brief is filed as a friend of the court in order to bring to the court's attention the interests of the broader group of filmmakers who are not a party to the dispute. "Allowing an entity--any entity--to have access to all the raw materials that comprise a film--any film--effectively muzzles the future of free speech as it applies to our profession," states Eddie Schmidt, IDA President and Oscar nominee for the 2005 documentary Twist of Faith. "The scope of this order--all 600 hours of shot footage for a 105-minute film--is so vast, it threatens to swallow an entire profession along with it."

Initially, the brief was prepared on behalf of the International Documentary Association. The following organizations joined the brief: Center for Asian American Media, Directors Guild of America, Film Independent, IFP, Inc., Latino Public Broadcasting, Native American Public Telecommunications, National Association of Latino Independent Producers, Pacific Islanders in Communications, Producers Guild of America, Tribeca Film Institute, University Film and Video Association, Women Make Movies, Writers Guild of America East and Writers Guild of America West. Individual amici also joined the brief: Patricia Aufderheide, Theodore Braun (Darfur Now), Kirby Dick (This Film Is Not Yet Rated), Alex Gibney (Casino Jack and the United States of Money), Andrew Goldberg (Armenian Genocide), Robert Kenner (Food, Inc.), Tia Lessin (Capitalism: A Love Story), Eddie Schmidt (President of the International Documentary Association) and Ricki Stern (Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work).

The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York City will rule on the decision of the lower federal court that granted Chevron's request forcing Berlinger to hand over the footage. Attorney Michael C. Donaldson plans to attend the hearing, which will be held on July 14, 2010.

Michael C. Donaldson, of Donaldson & Callif, organized the writing of the amicus brief along with his partner Lisa Callif and their legal team: Chris Perez, Melissa Radin and Brianna Dahlberg. The International Documentary Association recruited filmmakers and organizations as declarants and signatories.

As reported in indieWire, Berlinger appeared at the IFC Center on June 22 in a fundraising event for his legal fees. Following a screening of Crude, he was joined on stage by his attorney, as well as filmmaker Morgan Spurlock and WGA East President Michael Winship. A separate coalition of media companies-HBO, The New York Times, the Washington Post, CBS among them-has also signed on to an amicus brief, filed by attorney Floyd Abrams. "It is American media versus corporate interests and defense attorneys," Berlinger said at the event, calling the impending battle "an amazing squaring off of the media against corporations."

Filmmaker and IDA member Mohammed Ali Shirzadi has been held in Iran's notorious Evin Prison for the past five months, in the wake of the crackdown following last year's disputed elections. Shirzadi is one of many journalists and filmmakers-including the recently released filmmaker Ja'far Panahi--who were arrested during the crackdown.

Shirzadi was arrested in January of this year. According to a report in astreetjournalist.com and on Amnesty International UK's website, his family believes he was arrested because of an interview he filmed in 2008 between human rights advocate Emadeddin Baghi--founder of the now-banned Association in Defense of Prisoners' Rights, of which Shirzadi was a member--and the late Grand Ayatollah Montazeri. Baghi was arrested shortly after the Montazeri died in December 2009, and remains in prison.

Amnesty International called for the release of both Shirzadi and Panahi last month, and following a high-profile appeal at the Cannes Film Festival, which had invited Panahi to serve on the jury, Panahi was released. Prior to the Cannes Film Festival,

Amnesty International UK Campaigns Director Tim Hancock issued this statement: "Free speech has been severely restricted in Iran since last year's disputed elections, and thousands of people have been locked up: journalists, activists, students and demonstrators. Once again Iran is shaming itself on the international stage as it seeks to repress its own citizens and silence its critics. These men are prisoners of conscience, detained for the peaceful expression of their opinions. The Iranian authorities should release them immediately."

In Make Believe, armed with magic hoops, decks of cards, and homegrown illusions, six hopefuls from around the world prepare for Las Vegas' World Magic Seminar and the chance to win the title of Teen World Champion.

With the dexterity of a master of prestidigitation, J. Clay Tweel directs this irresistible documentary with a keen eye, deftly balancing the personal stories of these kids with their amazing feats onstage. From an acrobatic duo from South Africa to an all-American perfectionist from Malibu, Make Believe offers a sensitive peek into the world of some dazzling teens, a world of--if you'll forgive us--pure magic.

Screenings:
Tue., June 22, 7:45 p.m., Regal 11
Thu., June 24, 5:30 p.m., Regal 10
Sat., June 26, 5:00 p.m., Regal 11

Purchase tickets now for Make Believe screenings.

About LAFF

Now in its 16th year, Film Independent's Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by Los Angeles Times, showcases the best of American and international cinema. The 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival takes place June 17-27, 2010 in downtown Los Angeles. The Festival screens more than 200 features, shorts, documentaries and music videos from more than 40 countries. The Festival connects the movie-loving public to critically acclaimed filmmakers, film industry professionals, and emerging talent in the heart of Los Angeles, the entertainment capital of the world.

Passes on sale now. Tickets on sale June 1. For full Festival details, please call1.866.FilmFest or visit www.LAFilmFest.com

Check out the complete list of Festival Documentaries:
1428
Ain’t in it for my Health: A Film about Levon Helm
Camera, Camera
Cane Toads: The Conquest
Circo
Climate Refugees
Disco & Atomic War (Disko ja Tuumasõda)
Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone
Farewell
Gaslandv Kings of Pastry
Life With Murder
*Lost Angels
Make Believe
Marwencol
One Day Less (Un día menos)
One Lucky Elephant
The Peddler (El ambulante)
The People vs George Lucas
Presumed Guilty (Presunto culpable)
The Red Chapel (Det Røde Kapel)
Secrets of the Tribe
*A Small Act
Space Tourists
Thunder Soul
The Tillman Story
The Toledo Report (El informe Toledo)
The Two Escobars
Utopia in Four Movements
Vlast (Power)
Waiting For Superman
Where Are You Taking Me?

*IDA Sponsored Documentaries

Click here for more info on the LAFF Documentary line-up.