In the News: DOC on PBS’ Independent Lens
“DOC, which airs tonight as part of the PBS series Independent Lens, is a daughter’s film about a difficult father. Immy Humes is the filmmaker; her subject is Harold L. Humes–nicknamed Doc after a genius in the ‘Buck Rogers’ comic strip — whose marquee claim to fame is that he co-founded the literary journal The Paris Review, though he didn’t stick around long to run it.” Read the full review >>
Two ITVS Films Premiere at Sundance
The Sundance Film Festival, held annually in Park City, Utah, is one of the largest and most prominent festivals for independent filmmakers. ITVS has screened a total of 66 films at Sundance since 1994. This year, two ITVS films will make their world premiere at the festival, which will be held from January 15-25.
EL GENERAL
WILLIAM KUNSTLER: Disturbing the Universe
In honor of the Festival’s 25th Anniversary, PBS and ITVS will host a joint celebration on Friday, January 16, for independent filmmakers who have shown their work on public media and at the festival. The event is open to any filmmaker whose work is screening at Sundance. Accredited members of the press should contact ITVS for more details.
Both films will compete in the Documentary category and will broadcast on this season of P.O.V.
WILLIAM KUNSTLER: Disturbing the Universe
By Sarah Kunstler and Emily Kunstler
WILLIAM KUNSTLER: Disturbing the Universe presents an intimate portrait of the late civil rights attorney William Kunstler who risked everything for his beliefs.
EL GENERAL
By Natalia Almada
EL GENERAL looks at Mexican President Plutarco Elias Calles through the eyes of his great-granddaughter and filmmaker Almada, and explores a country living under the shadow of its past.
Screening dates and times are still pending. Visit the Sundance website for up-to-date information on screenings >>
Can’t make it to Sundance? Be sure to visit Beyond the Box Blog for the latest news and updates from the festival.
Looking to Fund Your Film?
ITVS funds, presents and promotes award-winning documentaries and dramas on public television and cable, innovative new media projects on the Web and the Emmy Award-winning weekly series Independent Lens Tuesday nights at 10:00 PM on PBS. Check out the latest funding opportunities from ITVS.
OPEN CALL
Deadline: January 16, 2009
Open Call provides finishing funds for single non-fiction or Animation public television programs on any subject, and from any viewpoint. Projects must have begun production as evidenced by a work-in-progress video.
Get guidelines and read the FAQ >>
INTERNATIONAL CALL
Deadline: February 6, 2009
The ITVS International Call enables independent producers from outside of the United States to create documentaries for U.S. television. Through the International Call, storytellers from other countries introduce U.S. audiences to their global neighbors, opening a window into unfamiliar lives, experiences and perspectives.
Find more information about guidelines and how to apply >>
Have additional questions about the International Media Development Fund? Email Joy_Scott@itvs.org or call 415-356-8383 x232.
ITVS International Programs on Caachi
Check out the latest ITVS International titles on Caachi, a new online video website that allows viewers to download hard-to-find independent films onto their computer or mobile device.
A select number of films are free while others can be downloaded for a small fee; the majority of which directly supports the filmmakers.
The following ITVS International films are the latest available to view online:
SHAYFEEN.COM
Get an intimate look at the recent multi-party elections in Egypt through the eyes of three women working to assure the election’s legitimacy.
ON WHEELS BRASIL
Following the lives of people that push, pull or pedal some kind of vehicle to earn their living on Brazil’s city streets, ON WHEELS BRASIL establishes a relationship between the wheel’s movement and the inconstancy of life.
View ITVS International films on Caachi »
Tips on Building an Online Community and Network
Streaming video, iTunes, Twitter, blogs and vlogs–the number of digital and online options seem endless. But, for independent filmmakers, chasing every new opportunity can be a waste of energy and resources. Which ones will generate the biggest return in terms of attracting audiences, changing the world and producing positive financial results?
In an effort to keep up with the shifting landscape of new technology, ITVS commissioned author Scott Kirsner to find out what independent filmmakers are doing in the field. Interviews with Byron Hurt (HIP-HOP: Beyond Beats and Rhymes), Katy Chevigny (ELECTION DAY), Curt Ellis (KING CORN), David Iverson (STILL LIFE: The Pursuit of Parkinsons), Hunter Weeks and Josh Caldwell (10 MPH), Tiffany Shlain (THE TRIBE) and Brad Lichtenstein (WHAT WE GOT) provide different perspectives on distributing and marketing films.
Read the Report from the Field >>
Get Scott Kirsner’s “Top Five Digital Strategies for Social Issue Filmmakers” >>
Independent Lens Gets “Widgetized”
Love watching Independent Lens previews online? If so, be sure to download the Independent Lens widget.
Once downloaded, you’ll be able to watch upcoming Indie Lens previews on your computer’s desktop, blog, personal website, Google account or share it on Facebook, MySpace or other personal networking sites. Check out the widget below.
Download the widget and get the latest video previews »
Resources from Community Classroom
CHICAGO 10 video modules available on the PBS Web site.
Lesson plans and video modules for CHICAGO 10 will be available October 20 on the Independent Lens Web site on PBS.org. These free resources, designed using national standards, round out the election edition of Community Classroom, which includes video modules for IRON LADIES OF LIBERIA and PLEASE VOTE FOR ME and additional curricula on elections, women in political leadership and democracy around the world.
This edition of Community Classroom supports ITVS’s national community engagement campaign, VOTE DEMOCRACY!, and will feature Community Cinema screenings of CHICAGO 10, voter registration activities and video talkback from citizens across the nation.
Inside Indies: Inside Filmmaking
Native American poet and activist John Trudell.
What inspires indie filmmakers to persevere?
Heather Rae who spent 13 years making TRUDELL, a film about Native American poet and activist John Trudell, talks about her desire to share Native stories and the challenges of filmmaking on a shoestring. Barbara Multer-Wellin and Jeffrey Abelson, filmmakers of PAUL CONRAD: Drawing Fire, which explores one of the most distinguished editorial cartoonists in the world, discuss the challenges of condensing Conrad’s five-decade-long career into one hour and how they made static, black-and-white images come to life. And Brad Lichtenstein and Lisa Gildehaus, filmmakers of ALMOST HOME, which follows the daily lives of residents and staff at a retirement community in Milwaukee, WI, speak about why they chose to address issues of aging and some of the special challenges they faced while focusing their lenses on elderly, often fragile subjects.
Get the inside scoop >>
A Brand New Season of Independent Lens
It’s almost time! The new season of Independent Lens kicks off October 22. Exploring subjects as diverse as Pakistani politics, atom smashing, revolutionary typefaces and women and gays in the military–the new season of Independent Lens is as diverse as ever! Once again, we are pleased to have Oscar-nominated actor Terrence Howard as host.
Upcoming Screenings
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Community Cinema selections are screened in over 50 locations throughout the United States. In January, Community Cinema presents TULIA, TEXAS.
A lone undercover cop moves into a small farming town. By the end of the blazing summer of 1999, 46 people are arrested for selling cocaine--nearly all of them African American. It was heralded as one of the biggest drug busts in Texas history, until a team of lawyers set out to uncover the truth.
Check out the schedule and find Community Cinema in your neighborhood >>Recent Posts
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