Archive for June, 2009
Community Cinema Screening of TAKING ROOT at Whole Foods Market
Read about the special upcoming Community Cinema screening of TAKING ROOT: The Vision of Wangari Maathai, which tells the story of Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai whose simple act of planting trees grew into a global movement. The screening will be at Whole Foods Market Briarcliff in Atlanta, GA, on Thursday, July 2, at 8:00 PM. Amy Wheeler of Whole Foods Market explains her interest in Community Cinema.
I am so excited to bring Community Cinema to Whole Foods Market Briarcliff in Atlanta, GA. After serving one year with AmeriCorps and having the privilege to work with ITVS and Community Cinema, I hoped that my move from the non-profit sector to Whole Foods would provide me with an outlet for my passion for community and volunteerism.
While in Boston with AmeriCorps, our film screenings went from having no more than ten attendees to well over 100 attendees once we partnered with ITVS. The excitement and passion that came with this success was overwhelming. ITVS’s films ignite conversations and bring people of all cross-sections together to meet and discover ways to improve the community. It is an amazing and inspiring thing to be a part of.
Open Call Recipients: Jason DaSilva and Leigh DaSilva, Filmmakers of WHEN I WALK
ITVS’s 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.
Check out the clip below with filmmakers Jason DaSilva and Leigh DaSilva, who received Open Call funds for their film WHEN I WALK, which looks at Jason’s personal story who at the young age of 25 was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Learn more about their film, why they think PBS is the best match for their film and the internal struggles Leigh grappled with while filming his brother Jason.
Interested in applying for Open Call? ITVS is looking for single public television programs on any subject, viewpoint or style. We fund programs that bring new audiences to public television and expand civic participation by bringing diverse voices into the public sphere. This year’s deadline is July 31, 2009.
Watch BEYOND THE BORDER on Global Voices on PBS WORLD
Over the past decade, thousands of Latinos seeking una vida mejor (“a better life”) have migrated to Kentucky, finding low-paying service jobs. As the Latino communities have swelled, so too have xenophobia and discrimination. BEYOND THE BORDER traces the painful transition made by four sons who leave their family in Mexico and fight cultural, class and language barriers in the United States.
Watch a preview below:
BEYOND THE BORDER airs Sunday, June 21 at 10:00 PM on Global Voices on PBS WORLD (check local listings).
THE NEW AMERICANS now Available on iTunes
With another season of Independent Lens ending do you feel lost? Don’t worry––we have something to fill that void. Check out THE NEW AMERICANS, now available for download in the United States on iTunes.
THE NEW AMERICANS will air this summer, beginning July 5, at 10:00 PM on Global Voices on PBS WORLD (check local listings). This seven-part series looks at the search for the “American dream” through the eyes of recent immigrants and refugees during their first tumultuous year in America. From Nigeria, India, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, each family has come with different hopes: to achieve athletic glory or high-tech riches, to escape poverty and persecution, to provide for their families.
Catch THE NEW AMERICANS broadcast on PBS WORLD stations this summer or pick and choose your favorite episodes or download the bundle on iTunes.
Recent Talkback About Independent Lens This Month
It’s hard to believe another season of Independent Lens has come to an end. Check out some of the recent Talkback from viewers about films airing this month. Share your own thoughts and stay tuned for the latest updates about the upcoming season.
ASK NOT
“Thank you for educating me about ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.’ I am a teenager, and if I understand the need for ALL Americans to have equal opportunities, why doesn’t congress?”
Posted by: Monique on June 18, 2009
“I am not gay but when I was in Vietnam and they were shooting at me, I did not care if the guy beside me helping shoot back was gay, green yellow or whatever. Get rid of DADT. The war took years from my life and now the taxes I pay are being wasted by putting highly trained people out of the military.”
Posted by: Kenneth Mostella on June 17, 2009
“I am a lifelong military dependant, married to a career Army Officer. Both my husband and I support the full inclusion of every eligible person willing to serve… The only point of contention I had was with the Right to Serve Campaign, which in my mind will do a disservice to the advancement of equal rights… These recruiters are legally bound by the limits of this ridiculous policy. Lets continue with the discourse, it’s only a matter of time.”
Posted by: Molly on June 17, 2009
Open Call Recipient: Julie Wyman, Filmmaker of STRONG!
ITVS funds, distributes and promotes new programs produced by independent producers primarily for public television and beyond.
Julie Wyman produced and directed STRONG!, which looks at weightlifter Cheryl Haworth’s struggle to defend her champion status as her lifetime weightlifting career inches towards its inevitable end. Wyman received ITVS’s Open Call funding and in the clip below discusses why public television was the best match for the challenging themes of her film.
Interested in applying for Open Call? ITVS is looking for single public television programs on any subject, viewpoint or style. We fund programs that bring new audiences to public television and expand civic participation by bringing diverse voices into the public sphere. This year’s deadline is July 31, 2009.
In the News: ASK NOT Featured on NPR’s Fresh Air
From today’s broadcast of Fresh Air on NPR: Alex Nicholson—a former Army human intelligence collector proficient in several foreign languages, including Arabic—was honorably discharged in 2002 under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which bars the estimated 65,000 gay Americans serving in the U.S. military from acknowledging their relationships and living their lives openly.
Listen to Alex discuss his story and ASK NOT, airing tonight on Independent Lens>>
Watch ASK NOT Tonight on Independent Lens
As wars rage in the Middle East, the U.S. military is eager for more recruits––unless they happen to be openly gay. ASK NOT explores the tangled political battles that led to the infamous “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and reveals the personal stories of gay Americans who serve in combat under a veil of secrecy.
“[In the] PBS documentary ASK NOT, we meet ‘Perry,’ a young gay man from San Francisco who has enlisted in the Army and is bound for Iraq. His face is blurred to protect his identity, but his friends’ faces are clear. They look scared-and perplexed…”
- Newsweek
Check out a preview below:
ASK NOT airs tonight at 10:00 PM on Independent Lens on PBS (check local listings)
NAPT Public Television Program Funding Deadline
Native American Public Telecommunications (NAPT) works with Native producers to develop, produce and distribute educational telecommunications programs for all media including public television and public radio.
NAPT is currently accepting proposals for their 2009 Public Television Program Fund (deadline: July 15).
Projects submitted must be intended for national public television broadcast and can include genres such as documentary, performance, cultural/public affairs and animation.
This application is for projects that are in any phase or production––from research and development to completion. Awards range from $10,000 to $25,000 for Research and Development, and up to $100,000 for production or completion.
Do you have a project that would be a great match?
Looking for tips on how to put together a winning proposal? NAPT Executive Director Shirley Sneve and Assistant Director Georgiana Lee discuss the process––from detailed budgets to Native American production involvement. Learn about what’s involved and the beginnings of producing for public television.
The Prenups: What Filmmakers and Funders Should Talk About Before Tying the Knot
More and more, filmmakers need financing and support to tell the stories that can open eyes and minds, humanize tough issues and show what’s really going on in the world.
So why do some funder/maker/advocate relationships thrive, while others have decidedly mixed results?
That’s the question that sparked The Prenups, a new online tool hosted by Active Voice. Informed by dozens of interviews and partner organizations, including ITVS, these questions, ideas and observations are designed to help all parties forge more productive relationships and avoid many of the common obstacles that hold projects back.
Find out what filmmakers and funders should be talking about >>
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