Roger Ebert Returns to Public TV

Roger Ebert Presents At the Movies will begin this January on WTTW Chicago, the same station that presented the legendary film critic’s original series, Opening Soon at a Theater Near You and Sneak Previews, alongside the late Gene Siskel.

The film critic announced his new show earlier this month and said he will be joined on-screen by a host of reviewers, including the Associated Press’s Christy Lemirer, and Elvis Mitchell of NPR. Ebert, who lost his lower jaw and speaking ability to throat cancer, plans to appear in segments on the program through a computerized voice.

Check out a preview of the show below and keep an eye out for Ebert’s trademark thumbs up for the upcoming Independent Lens program 45365, which appears at roughly four minutes into the clip.

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Tags: 45365, Chicago, Independent Lens, public tv, Roger Ebert, WTTW

Emmy Winner Geoffrey Smith on The English Surgeon

Filmmaker Geoffrey Smith won an Emmy Monday night for The English Surgeon

Filmmaker Geoffrey Smith has made more than 22 films throughout his career and has collected numerous awards for his work. On Monday night, he picked up an Emmy for The English Surgeon, his film about a British neurosurgeon who confronts the dilemmas of the doctor-patient relationship on his latest mission to Ukraine. The documentary was supported by ITVS International (speaking of, the deadline for our 2011 International Call has been changed to December 10, 2010). Smith spoke to BTB about the Emmy, the film, and the ITVS funding that helped from the start.

First off, congratulations on the Emmy! What can you tell us about Monday night’s event in NYC?

Thanks! It was very wet in New York City. Central Park looked very British and so I felt right at home. It was great to see all of my colleagues.
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Tags: docs, Emmy, film funding, funding, Independent Lens, indie, international, ITVS, New York, PBS, the english surgeon

Lois Vossen on Emmy Honors for the Fourth Estate

Lois Vossen, Vice President of ITVS & Series Producer of Independent Lens

Independent Lens Series Producer and ITVS Vice President, Lois Vossen, was on hand Monday night in New York for the 31^st Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards. Earlier today she filed this report for BTB, on an evening that bestowed plenty of laurels on public television.

A warm September rain didn’t dampen the News & Documentary Emmy Awards. The most respected and recognizable faces in broadcast journalism, along with hundreds of independent documentary filmmakers, producers, and broadcasters gathered at Lincoln Center for this annual showcase to acknowledge the best in television journalism and reporting.

Filmmaker Frederick Wiseman — longtime friend of ITVS — was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award

A highlight of this year’s ceremony was a Lifetime Achievement Award for Frederick Wiseman. Independent Lens proudly premiered Fred’s narrative film The Last Letter on our third season (2005). Additionally, ITVS has worked with Fred and funded three of his films including State Legislature, Boxing Gym (broadcasting this fall on PBS), and his upcoming film on the University of California, Berkeley.

In his well-timed remarks, Fred thanked the people inside public television who have supported his work these many years including: Sandy Heberer at PBS, Tammy Robinson in her years at WNET, and Claire Aguilar of ITVS. Not just anyone can graciously accept a lifetime achievement award by effectively telling a morgue joke. Fred can. › Continue reading

Tags: dan rather, Emmy, frederick wiseman, ITVS, lincoln center, lois vossen, New York, NewsHour, P.O.V., PBS, the english surgeon

And the Emmy Goes to…

The English Surgeon picked up an Emmy Monday night for Outstanding Science and Technology Programming

The English Surgeon! Congratulations to director/producer Geoffrey Smith and co-producer Rachel Wexler on picking up an Emmy for Outstanding Science and Technology Programming. The film aired last year on P.O.V. and received funding from ITVS International.

The documentary follows a British neurosurgeon as he confronts the dilemmas of the doctor-patient relationship on his latest mission to Ukraine. Check out this clip below from the Emmy Award-winning film, The English Surgeon.

Check back in with BTB tomorrow for a conversation with filmmaker Geoffrey Smith. Click here for a complete list of Emmy winners from last night’s awards.

Tags: Awards, Emmy, geoffrey smith, international, ITVS, P.O.V., PBS, the english surgeon

ITVS Up for Five News & Documentary Emmys Monday

Five ITVS programs stand to win an Emmy tonight at the Lincoln Center in New York for the 31^st Annual News and Documentary Awards.

Among the nominees are three Independent Lens programs — Tulia, Texas; No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo and Vilmos; and Crips and Bloods: Made in America. Two Emmy nominations also went to the ITVS programs The Way We Get By and The English Surgeon, both of which aired last year on P.O.V.

The Way We Get By received funding from LINCS, while The English Surgeon was supported by ITVS’s International Call (the next deadline for which has been pushed up to December 10, 2010 — don’t forget!).

Independent Lens Series Producer and ITVS Vice President Lois Vossen will be on hand at the ceremony tonight in New York.

Good luck to all!

Check out the complete list of nominees here.

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Tags: Awards, crips and bloods, Emmy, ITVS, lincoln center, news and documentary, No Subtitles Necessary, PBS, public television, the english surgeon, the way we get by, tulia texas

Bioneers Moving Image Festival Screens FUTURESTATES

Author Michael Pollan leads a workshop with youth at the 2009 Bioneers Conference (photo by Jan Mangan)

The Bioneers Conference — held in San Rafael, CA from Oct. 15-17 — is a leading-edge forum that presents breakthrough solutions for people and planet. This year, ITVS’s FUTURESTATES series will be screened at the event as part of their Moving Image Festival. Media Project Manager Aaron Leventman will be heading up those efforts and filed this report for BTB.

Since environmental and social justice-themed films have gone mainstream, receiving both commercial and critical recognition, cinema has become one of the most important ways to ignite dialogue and inspire action on the most pressing issues of our time.  For this reason, Bioneers as part of its annual conference for the past 10 years has included The Moving Image Festival as an integral part its conference offerings.
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Tags: bioneers, film festival, FUTURESTATES, ITVS, PBS, public television

Made in L.A. Arrives on Global Voices

Made in L.A. airs this Sunday on Global Voices

Follow the remarkable story of three Latina immigrants working in Los Angeles sweatshops as they embark on a three-year odyssey to win basic labor protections from a trendy clothing retailer. Catch Made in L.A. this Sunday, September 26^th on Global Voices on PBS WORLD (check local listings).

In intimate observational style, filmmakers Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar tell a story about immigration, the power of unity, and the courage it takes to find one’s voice. The film was a regular in our Women’s Empowerment screenings last month and we’re delighted to bring it to you on Global Voices this Sunday.

Tags: Global Voices, immigration, Independent Lens, indie films, ITVS, l.a., Latino, Los Angeles, PBS

ITVS Takes Engagement Behind Bars and into Schools

A Village Called Versailles was one of the films screened before inmates

As we gear up for another season of Community Cinema, BTB is highlighting some recent coverage of how this program has been adapted to engage inmates in San Francisco and Los Angeles. These pilot initiatives are furthering our mission of reaching underserved communities, including the incarcerated.

This past year, Community Cinema screenings were incorporated into two educational programs: the Five Keys Charter School in San Francisco — the first charter high school based in a prison — and the M.E.R.I.T. Program in L.A., which provides educational and life-skills courses for inmates.

Read more about these programs from this recent profile by the National Center for Media Engagement.

Tags: A Village Called Versailles, community cinema, community classroom, education, engagement, prison

Pitching at IFP this week?

IFP kicks off this week, and if you’re already en route to New York’s premiere indie filmmaker gathering, you’ve probably been working on your pitch for weeks. While you may already have your iPad loaded with a bevy of digital delights to wow whichever executive you’re pursuing, there’s still much to be said for the old-fashioned approach to pitching.

In the video below, Richard Saiz, senior programming manager for ITVS, lays out his dos and don’ts for effective pitching.

Founded as a satellite program › Continue reading

Tags: IFP, independent films, indie films, ITVS, PBS, pitching, public television

San Francisco Goes Parking with ITVS

ITVS' free outdoor screening of The Parking Lot Movie last Friday in San Francisco

Many thanks to all the Bay Area residents who made the trip to the parking lot of The Good Hotel at 7^th and Minna street last Friday night for this season’s launch of Independent Lens and free outdoor screening of The Parking Lot Movie. The event was part of the annual Park(ing) Day, which encourages citizens to turn metered parking spaces into public spaces for a day.

More than 140 indie film enthusiasts spread out under the Northern California stars to enjoy Meghan Eckman’s film about one small parking lot in a college town and the asphalt philosophers who work there.

Peckish parkers had multiple food options with both a taco and French bistro truck dispensing savory pre-movie fare. ITVS staffers were also on hand to introduce this year’s lineup of Independent Lens shows and to announce a host of Community Cinema events slated to play in more than 85 cities nationwide.

Enjoy some (ahem) artfully grainy film footage and photographs below from Friday’s event:

Also, one faithful BTB staffer was delighted to run into a viewer who knew the stars of The Parking Lot Movie personally. Check out what he had to say about the band of over-educated parking attendants in the clip below:

Again, thanks to all for coming to the event, and remember to mark your calendars and set your DVRs for the official broadcast premiere of The Parking Lot Movie, airing on Independent Lens Tuesday, October 19 at 10:00 PM (check local listings).

Tags: free flm, free movie, Independent Lens, ITVS, meghan eckman, outdoor movie, parking lot movie, PBS, public television, San Francisco