As reported in The New York Times, Karen Schmeer, a documentary editor whose credits included several of Errol Morris's films, was killed Friday night in a hit-and-run incident in Manhattan. The driver, along with two cohorts, had been evading police after shoplifting from a drug store; the vehicle hit Ms. Schmeer as she was crossing the street at Broadway and 90^th.

Schmeer was born in Portland, Oregon, and graduated from Boston University with a degree in anthropology. It was there where she met Errol Morris and worked for him as a researcher. She edited his 1996 film Fast, Cheap and Out of Control, Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr.; the Academy Award-winning The Fog of War; and Standard Operating Procedure, on which she is credited as co-editor. Other documentaries that she edited included Robb Moss' The Same River Twice, Michael Camerini and Shari Robertson's Well-Founded Fear,. Luca Small's My Father, The Genius. She won the Documentary Editing Award at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival for Greg Barker's Sergio. Barker, a juror at the 2010 Festival, paid tribute to Schmeer at the closing night awards ceremony, calling her "a great editor and a dear friend."

According to The New York Times, she was working on a documentary about the laet chessmaster Bobby Fischer at the time of her death.

Spent my last morning at Sundance clad in 3D glasses at the Eccles theater watching Mark Lewis's delightful Cane Toads: The Conquest. Nothin' like a toad hopping directly off the screen first thing in the a.m. to wake you up!

In his intro, Lewis was in good spirits. He riffed on the current popularity of 3D films, informing us that his film would now be known by its new title:  Ava-Toad. He also reminded audience members to return their Dolby glasses at the end of the movie, as there was no point in taking them home, "Because they don't make reality TV any better." 

Not sure why pics in 3D glasses are so much fun to take, but here are a few others who made the morning trek to the Eccles...

Thanks to my colleague and part-time condo-mate Tamara Krinsky for taking us this far. I arrived for the second half, hit the ground running, getting my press credz at Sundance HQ, hightailing it to the Sundance Channel party, where the passed hors d'oevres included s'mores, that summertime, sing-around-the-campfire treat. Spotted among the revelers were Sundance Channel's Sarah Eaton, BBC's Nick Fraser, TV-2 Denmark's Mette Hoffman-Meyer, Participant Media's Dianne Weyermann, and filmmaker/doc juror Ondi Timoner.

With some time to kill between the party and my first screening, I crossed the street to the New Frontier on Main, an always fascinating and bracing forum for cinematic experimentation and innovation. Two of the more remarkable video installations included Bordertown, from Oakland, California-based multimedia artist Tracey Snelling, which re-imagines a town on the Mexican-American border, in which the windows, doorways and apertures of seedy hotels, brothels, strip joints, liquor stores and food carts double as video screens depicting scenes from an ongoing binational/bicultural tale. And then there was Lobe of Lung (The Saliva Ooze Away to the Underground), from Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist, who invites audiences to lie on mattresses and immerse themselves in a kaleidoscopic journey of sound and vision, in which, on perpendicular walls, we behold an edenic wash of undulating and morphing images.

Where do you go from there? Well, I hit my first screening-Alex Gibney's Casino Jack and the United States of Money. En route to the Temple Theatre, I had a nice chat with one of the cameramen on the film, who was about to see it for the first time. The ever prolific Mr. Gibney is also working on docs about bicyclist Lance Armstrong's 2008 comeback bid and Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters, as well as a piece in the omnibus Freakonomics project.

Gibney introduced the film as "a comedy, but the joke's on us." He has a flair for making hard-hitting journalism entertaining and darkly funny, and Casino Jack bears echoes of Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, in underscoring the outrage-inducing absurdity of its subject. Gibney has always showed a flair for aural texture, and the song cues in Casino Jack could make this a musical comedy-perhaps along the lines of Sweeney Todd (I can here it now: Casino Jack: The Demon Lobbyist of K Street).

Abramoff does not appear in on-camera interviews-he's currently serving four years in prison-but Gibney and his team have ferreted out some fascinating footage, dating back to Abramaoff's days as a Young College Republican, which planted the seeds for a decades-long crusade for Right Wing supremacy. Inspired by the Reagan Revolution, Jack was a de facto soldier of fortune, taking cues from General Patton, supporting so-called freedom fighters around the world, and even dabbling in the movies, as a producer.

He carried his zealous fervor into lobbying, and commandeered oceans of money to maintain Republican preeminence-until hubris, that time-honored equalizer, razed the house that Jack built.

The film clocks in at a longish two hours, so could stand some judicious cutting. It opens this April through Magnolia Pictures and Participant Media.

When asked about the Supreme Court decision that opened the floodgates for corporate financing of the electoral process--and, let's face it, the legislative and judicial processes too--Gibney joked, "We've reached Tom Delay's paradise," but added "It makes this issue intensely important....It's time to mobilize popular anger. There's lots to be done, and if we don't get it done, we're done."

For Tamara Krinsky's Doc Shot with Gibney, click here.

Our condolences to his family and friends.

The following statement was issued by First Run Features this afternoon:

Today we mourn the loss of author, activist, historian and beloved folk hero Howard Zinn, who has been an integral part of the First Run legacy for many years. Howard lent his support to countless of our films, several in which he plays a central role. The most recent of these is The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, which opens in theaters tomorrow. Howard protected copies of the Pentagon Papers for Ellsberg--even hid them in his apartment for a time, and he later served as an expert witness for the defense at Ellsberg's criminal trial. In his recollections of Zinn on antiwar.com, Ellsberg writes that his friend is "the best human being I’ve ever known [and] the best example of what a human can be"

We invite you to learn more about this remarkable man through the biographical Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train, based on Zinn’s memoir of the same name, as well as the documentaries Sacco and Vanzetti, The Camden 28 and One Bright Shining Moment.

Find out more about Howard Zinn on his website.

Another experiment with video Doc Shots from Sundance 2010! Shot this one on a li'l mini-DV cam. Many thanks to Alex Gibney, who was willing to brave the cold so we could escape the verrry loud background music playing at Starbucks, the location of our interview (though I guess if you're brave enough to take on the task of breaking down the story of Jack Abramoff, a little chill in the air isn't going to put you off).

We're shooting outside, close to the Yarrow and Holiday Village theaters. Between Alex's frozen breath and the sounds of Park City in the background, now you've got a sense of what it was like up there this past week. Enjoy this glimpse into the life and work of Alex Gibney, including tennis, Lady GaGa and a twisty tale of greed and corruption. And for more on the film, read my colleague Tom White's reaction to the screening.

THE DOC SHOT

Editor's Note: A Small Act airs July 12 on HBO. Here's Tamara Krinsky's video interview with director/writer Jennifer Arnold, when the film premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

This year at Sundance, I decided to experiment with some video Doc Shots. As you know, the Doc Shot is a regular feature on the site wherein we get a li'l insight into the work and lives of those creating and supporting documentary film. Seemed like a natural development to try a few video Doc Shots at Sundance this year, as so many fantastic filmmakers are in attendance.

This one's our first, and I shot it on my iPhone. Please forgive the slightly shaky cam...I promise, it gets better as it goes! I'll be trying different ways of shooting these throughout the week, so expect to see some changes as we play around with them. 

THE DOC SHOT
Jennifer Arnold
Director, A Small Act

Friday afternoon I caught Secrets of the Tribe, the latest offering from Jose Padilha's (Bus 174).  The doc examines the field of anthropology, looking at its history of studying and interacting with the Yanomami Indians of the Amazon Basin. There are allegations of sexual and medical misconduct, and a whole lotta anthropologists who disagree with one another.

While I was fascinated by the subject matter, I felt the film was a bit too inside. There is an assumption that the audience is familiar with the different schisms and players in the field, and by the time I caught up, I was feeling very frustrated. A quick fix: add a teeny tiny primer at the beginning of the film so that those who don't know about the different anthropological schools of thought can enjoy the academic infighting from the very start.

Sunday evening at Sundance featured two rich celebrations of the art of non-fiction by companies with multiple films playing in the fest.

Participant Media and Entertainment Weekly held a Conversation with filmmakers Alex Gibney (Casino Jack and the United States of Money), Davis Guggenheim (Waiting for Superman), Lucy Walker (Countdown to Zero) and Mark Lewis (Cane Toads: The Conquest 3D) at the Gen Art Lounge @ Sky Lodge.

Moderated by EW Los Angeles bureau chief Sean Smith, the spirited panel discussion touched on the creative possibilities of the form, choices about topics and social action films. Plus, there were cocktails and yummy soft pretzels! Here's an excerpt from the conversation: 

Sunday was jam packed with documentary activities, both social and cinematic. I began the day with The Tillman Story, Amir Bar-Lev's exploration of the life and death of NFL player Pat Tillman. A star safety with the Arizona Cardinals, Tillman turned down a lucrative renewal contract to enlist in the U.S. Army in 2002.

He served multiple tours with the Army Rangers before he was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in 2004. The U.S. government lied about the cause of his death, saying that he had single-handedly saved the lives of dozens of men during an ambush in the mountains of Afghanistan, sacrificing his own life for the safety of his comrades. Outraged, his family sought to bring to light the real story behind Pat's death, including exposing those responsible at the highest levels of command.

Bar-Lev's film left myself and those with whom I exited the theater wanting to punch the government, for lack of a more eloquent phrase. But we weren't in the mood to be eloquent - were were pissed!  While the friendly fire incident was unfortunate and sad, you don't blame the soldiers who were responsible (in fact, though the film attempts to reconstruct the incident, ultimately, it's still guesswork as to what really happened). Rather, the anger we all felt was directed at the U.S. government, who sought to turn Tillman's death into a propaganda tool. 

Mary, Pat's mother,  is a force to be reckoned with, providing the emotional heart of the film. In a particularly poignant moment, she expresses how horrible it is that the military would take a young man with honorable intentions who served his country and lie about how he died in order to promote a war.

In the attempt to get to the truth, Mary plows through over 3000 pages of material, trying to fill in the blanks of the redacted documents and figure out what really happened. Another indication that the cover up reached beyond Tillman's unit: the fact that his body armor, diary and helmet were all destroyed - something that would have needed approval from above.

In April 2005, Patrick Tillman, Sr. (Pat's father) writes a letter to military investigators accusing them of white watching the facts and ending with a lovely suggestion to fuck off. This letter was taken as an official accusation of criminal activity and forwarded to the Department of Defense, which initiates an investigation in to the Army's handling of the Tillman incident. The blame finally - conveniently - falls on a general, who just happens to be newly retired.

Eventually, Tillman's family discovers a leaked memo from General Stanely McChrystal that proves that the entire chain of command knew about the cover up and were concerned about the effect Tillman's death might have on the morale of the war effort. The memo allows them to go beyond the military to Congress for a hearing, which involves a lot of officials uttering the phrase "I don't recall."

Towards the end of the film, a defeated, frustrated Mary says, "There's not much else that can be done." But this is where Bar-Lev's documentary comes in. The Tillman family's prime motivation in clearing up the real story around Pat was to make sure the world was left with an accurate picture of him, not one constructed by government propaganda. The Tillman Story allows them to do so. The film was picked up for distribution by The Weinstein Company. 

After such an intense morning, I needed to chill out for a bit. Luckily, the SAG Actor's Brunch, held at Cafe Terigo on Main Street, provided just such an opportunity. As attendees traded film reviews over fruit and spicy egg casserole, I caught up with my WGAW colleague Kay Schaber Wolf. Yep, for those of you who don't know, I recently started a new gig at the Writers Guild of America West. They've created new position to keep track of New Media. I'll be focusing on original online content, tracking both creative and business developments in the space.

I then briefly stopped by the Women In Film brunch, where I nibbled on a few more tasty treats (thank goodness for the uphill walk on Main St. or else I'd come home from Sundance a lot bigger than I started!). The brunch featured a panel, "Choosing Artistic Freedom: How Singular Vision Can Lead to Heroic Filmmaking" with a stellar array of filmmakers, including producer Lesley Chilcott (Waiting for Superman), Liz Garbus (producer, A Family Affair), Laurens Grant (producer, Freedom Riders), Patti Lee (DP/producer, A Small Act), Laura Poitras (director/producer/DP, The Oath), and the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program's Cara Mertes (executive producer, Stories of Change, including To Catch A Dollar: Muhammad Yunus Banks on America).

During the brunch, WIF presented the Women In Film/National Geographic All Roads Film Grant to director Jennifer Arnold and Patti Lee for their work on A Small Act. The award recognizes a deserving female documentarian in the Sundance Film Festival Program, and includes $5000.

Jill Miller, Managing Director, Sundance Institute said in a statement, "Women make up a major part of the talent in independent documentary, and increasingly have important contributions in fiction filmmaking. We love the inspiration and encouragement for women storytellers that this panel and the awards highlight every year."

Sadly, I could not stay for much of the panel, as I had to skedaddle back to the Holiday Village theaters to catch a press screening of Alex Gibney's Casino Jack and the United States of Money. For more on the film, see my Doc Shot with Gibney and my colleague Tom White's write up on the film.

Couldn't make it to Park City this year? That's ok, you can watch the films from the festival on YouTube.

Huh?

No, no one's pirating the films. YouTube and Sundance have teamed up to collaborate on YouTube's new rental product, currently in beta. From January 22nd - January 31st, three films from the Festival's new NEXT section will be featured on the video sharing site. Bass Ackwards (Linas Phillips). Homewrecker (Brad and Todd Barnes) and One Too Many Mornings (Michael Mohan) are the three films taking the plunge. Additionally, two titles from 2009 are available for rental as well: Louie Psihoyos' The Cove and Tze Chun's Children of Invention.

As part of their marketing for the film, he and Brad have sent out e-mails saying, "We're about to premiere out movie at Sundance. Why don't you watch along with us at home?" 

This fits right in with YouTube's mission, which David Eun, VP, Content Partnerships, Google, described as two-fold. They want to provide as much content choice as possible for users. And they want to help content creators connect with audiences around the world. 

The films are available for rent at YouTube Movies for $3.99, which includes an unlimited number of views for 48 hours (except The Cove, which has a 24-hour viewing window).