Archive for July, 2009
Independent Lens Films Available Now on Netflix
Do you subscribe to Netflix? If so, be sure to add these latest Independent Lens titles to your queue.
ADJUST YOUR COLOR: The Truth of Petey Greene
**Winner of the 2009 Indie Lens Audience Award
He was a former drug addict and felon. He was also America’s first “shock jock.” Petey Greene gave voice to the unheard––speaking truth to power on his raw and uncensored TV and radio programs. His explosive language and brash style shocked the world as he battled both the system and his own demons on a journey to becoming a leading activist during some of the most tumultuous years in recent history.
THE ATOM SMASHERS
In a premier U.S. government laboratory, physicists race to discover one of the biggest secrets in the universe before a far more powerful European accelerator upstages both them and the entire U.S. science program. But, with a growing national deficit made worse by military conflicts and natural disasters, the lab struggles to survive. Will the discovery happen before the funds run out? Or will America watch the greatest minds in physics drift across the Atlantic, closing a great chapter in American science?
PAUL CONRAD: Drawing Fire
Three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Paul Conrad has drawn and quartered 11 presidents in a remarkable career spanning half a century. Narrated by Tom Brokaw, PAUL CONRAD: Drawing Fire pays tribute to a legendary journalist and artist who epitomizes the fiercely independent voice that has been vanishing from American news media in recent years.
Netflix subscribers can either rent these titles on DVD or stream the films directly in the browser. Also, Xbox subscribers can watch Netflix movies through the 360 console.
Video Sneak Preview of Upcoming Independent Lens Season
Award winning films from across the nation and around the globe, check out a preview of the upcoming season of Independent Lens, kicking off October 13 on PBS.
Independent Lens Unveils 2009-2010 Season on PBS
Get ready to rock with the most entertaining golden oldies you’ll ever meet, step inside a cramped New York City apartment filled with a mind-blowing collection of modern art and travel to the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt, to experience the world’s largest garbage village. This diverse collection of stories––27 remarkable independent films––can only be found on Independent Lens, which will have its season premiere October 13 on PBS.
The series kicks-off with Megumi Sasaki’s acclaimed documentary HERB AND DOROTHY, about a postal worker and his librarian wife whose passion led them to create one of the most priceless collections of contemporary art in the world. The more practical side of art is explored in OBJECTIFIED, an inside look at the world of product design, by acclaimed director Gary Hustwit (of the highly-entertaining documentary feature, HELVETICA).
The Masculinity Project: Watch Tonight’s Virtual Screening of NEVER WILL BE FORGOTTEN: Oscar Grant Tribute
The National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC) and Independent Television Service (ITVS) joined up to present a web-based “virtual screening” series, which showcases some of the latest short documentaries from the Masculinity Project.
Be sure to check out tonight’s virtual screening at 8:00 PM EDT of the film NEVER WILL BE FORGOTTEN: Oscar Grant Tribute, which looks at the police shooting of Oakland teenager Oscar Grant in early 2009 and two teens who decided to use music to express their frustration. Working with Youth Movement Records, an Oakland-based youth media organization that teaches youth to create hip-hop music, the young producers crafted a song for Grant and showcase their song, its production process and thoughts on the incident. Following the screening, join a live Q&A with the filmmaker.
Launched in November 2008 by NBPC, ITVS and the help of national partners, the Masculinity Project is an interactive multimedia and community engagement initiative. The initiative delves beyond stereotypes to reveal what it means to be a black man in America through an online mix of new and re-released works from emerging and veteran filmmakers, focusing on the areas of community, justice, culture and family.
Watch NEVER WILL BE FORGOTTEN at 8:00 PM EDT tonight and join the discussion >>
Ask Programming: Recent Questions from Filmmakers
ITVS programming staff answer questions from filmmakers about the funding process:
Q. I am a studio assistant for a public access station. Am I eligible to apply to ITVS for funding as an independent producer?
A. Yes, you are eligible. We have refined our definition of ‘independent producer’ in response to the recession environment and how it affects producers working in the industry.
Previously, applicants “regularly employed by a public or commercial broadcast entity or film studio, including public access stations” were not eligible to apply.
ITVS has changed this policy to exempt only producers/directors who work at a broadcast station or film studio. In other words, any other staff person who is not a producer/director (e.g. tech staff, editors, clerical, receptionists) can apply to ITVS as an independent producer.
Want to know more about ITVS policies and procedures for funding? Read other recently asked questions from filmmakers >>
Filmmaker Shukree Tilghman Wraps up Last Days at Open Call Orientation
ITVS’s Open Call orientation concluded last week. Shukree Tilghman, filmmaker of MORE THAN A MONTH, reflects on his experience meeting staff, attending workshops and gives an inside look at the process––something he believes filmmakers consider to be shrouded in secrecy. Get his take below.
Shukree Tilghman, filmmaker of MORE THAN A MONTH
I was asked to write a blog about my experiences at Open Call orientation, but I’m starting with day two. As in I’m late with this blog post… This delay should tell you something about me––and made me wonder why they asked a person with an irresistible penchant for being late to write a blog? Unless, of course, it was a blog about being late. This should tell you something about the anxiety inducing stress leveled by the orientation––or both. Let’s start with the anxiety inducing stress part…
On Wednesday, we had a day of individual meetings. Each filmmaker meets with their respective production manager and goes through the project budget, the content of the program, credits and packaging, and a few meet-and-greets with ITVS staff. Two words: soul crushing. I kid, I kid… Soul bruising is probably more appropriate.
The day was actually extremely informative and though it was intense, it was rather painless. Our production manager, Cheryl Hirasa, was a great guide for us through the process. Finally meeting Programming Manager Kathryn Washington, an early advocate of our film, was also really cool. I should’ve brought her a gift. What a faux pas! Note to self; bring Kathryn a gift next trip to San Francisco.
Watch INDIAN SCHOOL Tonight on Link TV
India is one of the fastest growing and most culturally diverse countries in the world, where new technologies form an increasingly vital part of the economy alongside simple farming, religion and cricket. INDIAN SCHOOL follows a remarkable year at two very different private schools and takes a look at the world of India’s rising generation.
Check out the clip below:
INDIAN SCHOOL premieres today on Link TV at 4:30 PM (check local listings). This film received ITVS International funding.
Filmmaker Adi Lavy Reflects on Day One of Open Call Orientation
ITVS’s Open Call provides finishing funds for single non-fiction or animation public television programs on any subject and from any viewpoint. Last week, ITVS hosted 17 filmmakers who were recently awarded Open Call funding. Adi Lavy, filmmaker of SUN KISSED, shares her thoughts about her first day at ITVS.
Adi Lavy, filmmaker of SUN KISSED
Filmmakers and ITVS staff gather at a reception prior to watching films selected for Open Call funding.
Our journey in the public television maze is about to kickoff. My co-director Maya Stark and I arrived at the ITVS offices in San Francisco on Tuesday to attend ITVS’s Open Call orientation and needless to say we are thrilled to be part of it.
The days ahead are expected to be filled with meetings and discussions––varying from financial reporting and budgeting, to content meetings and a tongue-and-cheek presentation about producers’ wardrobe (I kid you not).
The highlight of today is a reception and screening of all the Open Call finalists. This year there are 10 chosen films, which vary from eco-terrorism in the forests of Oregon to one of China’s first citizen reporters, a quirky blogger documenting late breaking news and personal observations. In between, there are films dealing with issues from India, Iraq, Indonesia, Yemen, Ethiopia and our own film about the Navajo Nation.
When meeting the other filmmakers, we were happy to find out that they all shared the same enthusiasm and excitement to be accepted into the ITVS clan. Our journey of making an independent documentary and applying to ITVS has been a long one––filled with many ups and downs. All of our emotional, intellectual and economic resources go into making our film. Add the fundraising process to the equation and it’s hard not to feel nostalgic and be a little melodramatic. The Beatles said it best in their song the Long & Winding Road…
Independent Lens Audience Award Winner
Four finalists, but there can be only one Audience Award winner.
All season long, our Web-savvy audience has logged on after each episode to cast their vote for their favorite. And without further adieu, the winner is…
ADJUST YOUR COLOR: The Truth of Petey Greene, by Loren Mendell!
ADJUST YOUR COLOR tells the unlikely story of America’s original shock-jock, Petey Greene, who battled the system and his own demons during a time of civil unrest in the nation’s capital.
A big congratulations to our other nominees: STRANDED: The Andes Plane Crash Survivors; HELVETICA and TAKING ROOT: The Vision of Wangari Maathai.
Watch a 20 minute preview of ADJUST YOUR COLOR on SnagFilms >>
Community Cinema Screening of LAKSHMI & ME in Chicago
Community Cinema hosted a screening of the Independent Lens film LAKSHMI & ME this past weekend at the Chicago Cultural Center. The film gives an intimate look at the relationship between an employer and servant in India and the ingrained social and cultural attitudes that govern their lives. Regional Outreach Coordinator Naomi Walker gives an overview of the event.
A large crowd gathers at the Chicago Cultural Center.
Speakers Anuja Mehta and Dr. Tarini Bedi discuss the Community Cinema screening of LAKSHMI & ME with Regional Outreach Coordinator Naomi Walker.
A huge crowd packed the Chicago Cultural Center to sit in a dark theater on a beautiful sunny day to watch the Community Cinema screening of LAKSHMI & ME and participate in a lively discussion. In one word: Miraculous!
Guest speakers included: Dr. Tarini Bedi, associate director of the South Asia language and area center and the committee on Southern Asian Studies at the University of Chicago; and Anuja Mehta, coordinator of transitional housing and case manager for Apna Ghar, Inc., a domestic violence shelter for Asian women.
Dr. Bedi and Ms. Mehta gave their initial impressions and thoughts about the film. Mehta went deeper by giving background information on abuse of domestic workers and gave an overview of the types of difficulties South Asian immigrants face in the United States. Many of these women have a hard time dealing with domestic violence and family members often do not come forward to get help she explained.
Dr. Bedi got many questions from audience members looking for a better understanding of the caste system, its history and the different sub-castes and class differences in India. While the issue is very complicated, Dr. Bedi cleared up some common misunderstandings about caste.
Upcoming Screenings
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Community Cinema selections are screened in over 50 locations throughout the United States. In March, Community Cinema presents Dirt! The Movie, directed by Bill Benenson and Eugene Rosow.
It’s under our feet and under our fingernails, but what is it? And how did it get there? Inspired by William Bryant Logan’s acclaimed book Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth, find out how industrial farming, mining, and urban development have led us toward cataclysmic droughts, starvation, floods, and climate change. Dirt is a part of everything we eat, drink, and breathe. Which is why we should stop treating it like, well … dirt.
Check out the schedule and find Community Cinema in your neighborhood >>Recent Posts
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