The third annual Cinema Eye Honors, which salute the art and craft of nonfiction filmmaking, has moved from its post-Oscars/pre-Spring slot of the past two years, to January, thereby positioning the program in a prime calendar spot between the IDA Awards and the IFP Gotham Awards in December and the Sundance Film Festival and the Academy Awards nominations in January and February.  

The nominees for the Cinema Eye Honors will be announced in November at Sheffield Doc/Fest, along with the exact date in January of the awards show..

In addition, the Cinema Eye team expanded beyond founder/filmmaker AJ Schnack and chair Thom Powers, documentary programmer at the Toronto International Film Festival, to include filmmaker Esther Robinson (A Walk into the Sea), Rachel Rosen, the newly appointed director of programming at the San Francisco International Film Festival, and Andrea Meditch, executive producer of Man on Wire and Encounters at the End of the World.  Robinson, Rosen and Schnack will serve as chairs of the 2010 event, while Meditch will chair the Advisory Board and Powers, the nominations committee.

"While the first two years of Cinema Eye were largely about establishing and maintaining the awards event, we are now looking forward to the future of the organization and I'm incredibly excited to kick off year three with this outstanding team in place," Schnack said in a statement.

Rainbow Media has announced that Sundance Selects, a new transactional video-on-demand film offering, will launch on Wednesday, August 26th. Sundance Selects titles will be available on the on-demand platform of major cable operators, including Comcast, Cox and Cablevision. 

The service's first offering will be Passing Strange, Spike Lee's film of the musical of the same name. The musical was created by singer/songwriter Stew, with music co-written by his creative partner, Heidi Rodewald. Strange has Sundance woven through it's DNA, as the musical was developed in part at the Sundance Theater Lab and the Sundance Directors Lab, and Lee's film premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.

Sundance Selects will feature one premiere title a month on demand, with plans to increase the offering to two premiere titles each month. Docs in the line-up include Kief Davidson’s Kassim the Dream (November 4), Tom Thurman’s Nick Nolte: No Exit (December 16) and Chris Wiatt’s A Complete History of My Sexual Failures” (January 2010). 

Rainbow Media President and CEO Joshua Sapan said in a statement, “After purchasing the Sundance Channel last year, Rainbow has been exploring relevant and appropriate growth opportunities for the brand.  We are lucky to have the wisdom and taste of Robert Redford to guide us in the development of the service, and believe we share a vision of this as an exciting opportunity to bring unprecedented exposure and opportunity for this genre of films and filmmakers.”

 

DocuWeeks 2009 Week 3 kicked off with tons of great docs, multiple filmmaker Q&As and discussions and more. There's still time to be involved. Don't miss out, get the lowdown on the Week 3 docs and particpating filmmakers right here. Check out these cool shots, and see many more pictures from DocuWeeks 2009 at the IDA's Flickr Photostream.

  Director of Garbage Dreams Mai Iskander (center) and audience after screening at IDA DocuWeeks 2009. Photo by Josh Weiss (www.joshweissphoto.com) 

Christal Smith of The Huffington Post and Naisola Grimwood, (producer Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders) at a post-screening Q&A at IDA DocuWeeks 2009. Photo by Josh Weiss (www.joshweissphoto.com)

Mai Iskander (director, Garbage Dreams) and M.J. Brown (IDA) during a post-screening discussion at IDA's DocuWeeks 2009. Photo by Josh Weiss (www.joshweissphoto.com)

  Director of Garbage Dreams Mai Iskander (right) after screening at IDA DocuWeeks 2009. Photo by Josh Weiss (www.joshweissphoto.com)

The second week of the IDA's 13th Annual DocuWeeks showcase drew doc-lovers, filmmakers and more to the ArcLight in Los Angeles and IFC Center in New York. Here are some great pics and moments from Week 2. Check out all of the Week 2 news, Q&As, reviews and more right here. (Then get Week 3 info right here.)

Watch the crowd watch a screening at DocuWeeks 2009 at the ArchLight in Los Angeles. 

Blues guitarist Tyler Dow Bryant, director John Chester and rock photographer Robert M. Knight at the Rock Prophecies party at DocuWeeks 2009. Photo by René Lego.

Rock Prophecies line producer Thea Maichle hangs with a crowd after a screening at DocuWeeks 2009 at the ArchLight in Los Angeles.

Dan Sterman (director, Soundtrack for a Revolution) and Tamara Krinsky (Q&A leader) take part in a post-screening discussion at DocuWeeks 2009. Photo by Josh Weiss (www.joshweissphoto.com) 

Debra Anderson (director, Split Estate) film subjects Rick Roles and Dee Hoffmeister at DocuWeeks 2009. Photo by Josh Weiss (www.joshweissphoto.com) 

See many more pictures from DocuWeeks 2009 at the IDA's Flickr Photostream. 

Davis Guggenheim, a former TV director who brought together Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, U2’s the Edge and Jack White of the White Stripes for It Might Get Loud, got "grilled" by The Wrap over his new rocking film. (OK, getting "grilled" is just their Q&A format, but you get the idea.)

The man behind An Inconvenient Truth talked about his time spent with the three legends individually and then together for an amazing summit in Los Angeles that explores the role of the guitarist, artistry behind the music and more.

Wanna find out the answers to questions such how this filming process compared to the process of An Inconvenient Truth, more guitarists who Guggenheim would've added to the mix and more? Well, just get reading at The Wrap.

The movie is released in Los Angeles and New York today. 

DOCUWEEKS™ WEEK 3 SCREENINGS BEGIN IN LOS ANGELES AND NEW YORK

Week 3 of IDA's 13th Annual DocuWeeks begins today with six films screening daily at the ArcLight Hollywood and the IFC Center in New York.

The Los Angeles lineup for August 14th through August 20th includes: YES MADAM, SIR, Racing Dreams, Saint Misbehavin': The Wavy Gravy Movie, Garbage Dreams, Hunting Down Memory and Living In Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders.

Films screening through August 20th at the IFC Center in New York include: Living In Emergency: Stories Of Doctors Without Borders, Saint Misbehavin': The Wavy Gravy Movie, The Sari Soldiers, Rock Prophecies, Sweet Crude and Kimjongilia.

Various filmmakers are scheduled to attend the following DocuWeeks week 3 screenings for post-screening Q&As and other events (subject to change without notice):

DocuWeeks™ Los Angeles Post-Screening Q&As

YES MADAM, SIR: Aug. 15 at 7:40 PM, Aug. 16 at 9:45 PM, Aug. 18 at 7:40 PM, Aug. 19 at 9:45 PM, Aug. 20 at 9:45 PM

Garbage Dreams: Aug. 14 at 7:45 PM, Aug. 15 at 9:45 PM, Aug. 16 at 5:40 PM

Living In Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders: Aug. 14 at 9:45 PM, Aug. 17 at 9:45 PM

Saint Misbehavin': The Wavy Gravy Movie: Aug. 18 at 9:45 PM, Aug. 19 at 5:50 PM

DocuWeeks™ New York Post-Screening Q&As

Saint Misbehavin': The Wavy Gravy Movie: Aug. 14 at 5:10 PM, Aug. 15 at 7:35 PM, Aug. 16 at 9:45 PM, Aug. 17 at 5:10 PM, Aug. 18 at 7:35 PM, Aug. 19 at 9:45 PM, Aug. 20 at 9:45 PM

The Sari Soldiers: Aug. 14 at 7:25 PM, Aug. 15 at 9:50 PM, Aug. 16 at 5:25 PM

Rock Prophecies: Aug. 14 at 7:40 PM

Kimjongilia: Aug. 14 at 9:45 PM, Aug. 16 at 7:45 PM, Aug. 17 at 9:45 PM, Aug. 19 at 7:45 PM, Aug. 20 at 7:45 PM

Sweet Crude: Aug. 14 at 9:50 PM, Aug. 15 at 5:15 PM, Aug. 16 at 7:15 PM, Aug. 17 at 9:50 PM, Aug. 18 at 5:15 PM, Aug. 19 at 7:15 PM, Aug. 20 at 7:15 PM

Living In Emergency: Stories Of Doctors Without Borders: Aug. 15 at 7:30 PM, Aug. 16 at 9:35 PM, Aug. 18 at 7:30 PM, Aug. 19 at 9:35 PM, Aug. 20 at 9:35 PM

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Friday, August 7th, DocuWeeks kicked off its second week with a bang! Rock Prophecies, John Chester's wonderful film about legendary rock photographer Robert Knight, played to a packed house at the Arclight. This was the first public showing of the film outside of film festivals.

It's a testament to the filmmaking that someone such as myself, who is musically illiterate, so thoroughly enjoyed the film despite not always realizing the significance of the rock stars Knight was photographing. FYI, "musically illiterate" is the technical term for someone whose music collection consists of two dozen musical theater soundtracks and doesn't particularly like the Beatles. Go ahead, make fun.

In addition to Knight's entertaining anecdotes about everyone from Keith Richards to Elton John (I do know who they are), the film also delves into Knight's efforts to take care of his Alzheimer's afflicted mother, his attempts to foster new music talent and his concerns about staying relevant in a field where he is now an elder statesman. It would have been fascinating enough for audiences to just watch Knight talk about the experiences of shooting people like Jeff Beck and Slash, but his openness in expressing his thoughts about these larger life issues give the film depth and heart, making it resonant to guitar and non-guitar fans alike.

Knight was in attendance at the screening, and while we were in line waiting to validate our parking tickets, I took the opportunity to chat with him about the film. Knight is used to being behind the camera; I asked him it had been like switching sides as the subject of a documentary. He said that the two years during which they shot were very difficult for him.

I also asked him about why he believes a single image is still significant at a time when people are showered with a plethora of images, both moving and still, from YouTube to Flickr to billboards. Said Knight, "A single still image is important because it captures a single moment in time that will be there for years to come – IF it's done right!"

Director John Chester and producer Tim Kaiser were also in attendance at the screening, along with special guest Tyler Dow Bryant, the young blues guitarist that Knight champions in the film. Bryant wowed the audience at the Arclight with an acoustic performance following the film, and hung out with the crowd at the Samsung-sponsored after-party. Musical guests in the audience included Steve Lukather from Toto, John 5 from Mansion and Zombie , and Orianthi Panagaris, the young female guitar player who, according to Knight's blog post, landed the coveted gig as Michael Jackson’s new guitar player for the 50 show run of concerts he was about to start in London.

Editor's Note: Saint Misbehavin' opened December 3 in theaters in San Francisco and Berkeley, December 8 in New York, and, appropriately enough, will open December 10 in Woodstock, NY.  Here's an interview with director/producer Michelle Esrick that we conducted in conjunction with the film's participation in DocuWeeks 2009.

Over the past few weeks, we at IDA have been introducing our community to the filmmakers whose work is represented in the DocuWeeks^TM Theatrical Documentary Showcase, currently running through August 20 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 continue this series of conversations, here is Michelle Esrick, director/producer of Saint Misbehavin': The Wavy Gravy Movie..

Synopsis: Saint Misbehavin' tells the true story of cultural phenomenon Wavy Gravy, a man whose commitment to making the world a better place has never wavered. Wavy Gravy is known as the MC of the Woodstock Festival, a hippie icon, a clown and even a Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor. In Saint Misbehavin' we meet a true servant to humanity, who carries his message through humor and compassion. The film weaves together intimate vérité footage, reflections from an array of cultural and counter-cultural peers, and never-before-seen archival footage to tell a story that is bigger than the man himself.

IDA: How did you get started in documentary filmmaking?

Michelle Esrick: I had a lot of friends who were documentary filmmakers, and I helped out on their projects over the years. I have always been a huge fan of documentaries and have been inspired by people like DA Pennebaker, Chris Hegedus, Michael Moore, Barbara Kopple, the Maysles Brothers, Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinoksky, and Errol Morris, just to name a few. I love people and the human experience, and a good documentary can connect you to people and communities around the globe that you would most likely never be able to know so intimately. I have been in the arts my entire life, as an actress, painter and poet, and I never really thought I would make a documentary myself. But then I met Wavy Gravy and felt this huge calling to properly introduce him to the world.

IDA:   What inspired you to make Saint Misbehavin': The Wavy Gravy Movie?

ME: I met Wavy Gravy in 1992. A friend of mine was interviewing him for a book and I went along for the interview. It was over lunch and I was inspired immediately by him. We connected and stayed in touch, and then in 1996 I started doing some benefit work for some of his causes, including a children's camp he runs called Camp Winnarainbow. We did a lot of press interviews over the years and I heard him tell these amazing stories about his life, that I was constantly "wowed" by. I could not believe there was not a film about him!

But there was also something else going on for me on another level. I felt inspired by the way he looked at the world. He was, and is, in each and every moment, doing service. He is like a walking celebration of service and optimism! And the guy deals with some very serious issues and causes, and yet finds a way to keep his sense of humor and put a smile and giggle on all who are around him. He is all about the solution and gets a huge buzz out of helping and being useful wherever he can. He also does it to a great soundtrack! He loves music and is always calling upon his famous musician friends to help him bring awareness to causes--mostly the Seva Foundation, which he founded with Dr. Larry Brilliant and Ram Dass, among others.

I also noticed that whoever got to hang around Wavy for any period of time felt inspired by him and realized that we can change the world and have a good time doing it. So, I thought, hmmmmm....If I can capture his message and his magic and put it on screen and then put him in front of as many people as possible through the movie, everyone will feel inspired to help the world! Wavy is always saying, "Put your good where it will do the most," so I poured every ounce of my "good" into this film in order to spread his message.  

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

ME: Well, to have a passionate calling to do something that you have never done before is a HUGE challenge. The film took me ten years to complete, and I was pretty upset about the calling for the first four years. I used to say, "Scorsese should be making this film about this great man!" I just had to show up and ask for help from my filmmaker friends. People started coming into my life and giving me the help and guidance that I needed, and I could feel that the universe wanted me to do this. I also was told by Wavy's friend Dr. Larry Brilliant that Wavy and his wife had been approached by filmmakers over the years about doing a documentary, and for some reason they wanted me to do the film. He said, "They trust you." So, I felt a deep obligation to honor their trust and make a great film.

Then I met DA Pennebaker, and we connected on many levels; he became my mentor and eventually my executive producer. If Pennebaker had my back, I knew all would be OK. Also, meeting my producer, David Becker, was a giant support and relief! David started working on the film three years ago.

The other challenging part for me was raising the money. I had to grow a thick skin and learn to love the word "No!" But after every ten or eleven "No"s, you'll hear a "Yes," and that is a glorious sound!

The other challenging thing was finding the story. I did not want to make a biography; I wanted to cover his life but focus on his message, which he has lived out his entire life. This is what interested me. We had so much incredible vérité footage and archival footage, and his stories are endlessly interesting. So the edit was challenging; we were in the edit room for almost two years sculpting away at this piece of art. Making a film is challenging and rewarding, all at the same time. I could not have done it without my incredible team and all their support of my vision.       

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

ME: My vision never changed. I always wanted to share his message and his magical way of inspiring people; I just did not know what form it would take.

I did not want to script it out. I wanted to organically find it in the edit room. I also always envisioned using Wavy's song "Basic Human Needs" in the film as part of the score, which my composer, Emory Joseph, did a brilliant job at incorporating. I envisioned Wavy's musician friends singing it and getting the whole world singing it. Emory produced a gospel blues arrangement and a track with Jackson Browne, Dr. John, Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Maria Muldaur, Steve Earle, Bob Weir, Buffy Sainte-Marie and more. It's incredible!

IDA:  As you've screened Saint Misbehavin': The Wavy Gravy Movie-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?

ME: I am currently writing to you from Michael Moore's film festival, which is our seventh festival since we premiered at SXSW last March. Audiences rise to their feet at the end of every screening and they sing and clap along to "Basic Human Needs." The Q & A's are so powerful and moving. To hear how inspired people feel to make the world better is so affirming. The one thing I could have never predicted is what it feels like to watch this film with an audience in a movie theater. The film is so entertaining and Wavy is so funny, which I believe we captured really well. It's a wonderful balance of humor and heart, and to feel that collective experience with an audience is so awesome! People love this film and are truly altered by it. They leave the theater wanting to go help somebody and make the world better-- and know we can have fun doing it!

Saint Misbehavin': The Wavy Gravy Movie will be screening at the ArcLight Hollywood Cinema in Los Angeles and the IFC Center in New York City.

To download the DocuWeeks^TM program in Los Angeles, click here.

To purchase tickets for DocuWeeks^TM in Los Angeles, click here.

To download the DocuWeeks^TM program in New York, click here.

To purchase tickets for DocuWeeks^TM in New York, click here.