On the Road
Good Vibes Coming Out of the PBS Annual Meeting
By Kathleen Unwin, Current
What a great week in Denver! There was a renewed sense of optimism and purpose among our public television colleagues. Many stations reported good revenue news and the programming looks very promising.
I don’t normally promote programming directly, but I have to say a standout moment for me was watching clips for the upcoming program Half the Sky, the centerpiece of the Women and Girls Lead initiative headed up by ITVS. This is truly a cross-platform media event that will have impact and change lives. It features powerful stories of hope and survival from women around the world. If you are not familiar with the book by from journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, grab it and then tune into your local PBS station October 1st and 2nd.
Some of the courageous women featured in Half the Sky were in attendance, selling their beautiful baskets to help better their lives in Africa. I bought a beautiful necklace and basket to benefit the Umoja Uaso Women’s Group in Kenya, a refuge for victims of domestic abuse. You can learn more about their good work at Umoja Uaso Women’s Fund.
Having the opportunity to attend this conference reminds me of how fortunate we are to be working in public media. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with so many of our readers and advertisers. If I did not get the chance to catch up with you in Denver, I hope that perhaps I will see you in Seattle at the PMDMC!
This article was originally posted on Current.org.
A Look at the World Through Israeli Documentaries
By Claire Aguilar
Vice President of Programming, ITVS
Since its inception in 1999, DocAviv has become one of the leading cultural events in Israel with the aim of promoting Israeli and international documentary film. ITVS’s Claire Aguilar attended the 2012 DocAviv International Film Festival May 3-12, as a juror for Israeli Competition.
Over the last 10 years, Israel has become one of the leading sources of independently-produced documentary films. There is a dizzying abundance of documentary films and filmmakers in Israel — and not only are there many, they have also been successful: showcased in international festivals, sold to broadcasters in Israel and in the U.S. and Europe, winning prizes and garnering international press. It has been amazing to witness the growth of strong, innovative, and diverse Israeli films — covering subjects that you would expect to see from Israeli filmmakers, such as the Arab-Israeli conflict — but also covering the personal and global experience, films about family, identity, and culture, with other films covering globalization, immigration, and homophobia.
I heard from one filmmaker that there are at least 20 film schools in Israel, and that is mostly counting only Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The community of documentary filmmakers is intimate, diverse, and full of talent — and here at ITVS, we have been fortunate to work with many Israeli filmmakers over the past eight years and have showcased them on U.S. public television: Ari Folman’s Waltz with Bashir, Dalit Kimor’s Pickles, Inc., Yoav Shamir’s Flipping Out, Ran Tal’s The Children of the Sun, Nati Baratz’s Unmistaken Child, Ruthie Shatz, and Adi Baratz’s The Collaborator and His Family, and many others. › Continue reading
How to Pitch Like a Pro: A Tribeca Guide
By Claire Aguilar
Vice President of Programming, ITVS
ITVS’s Claire Aguilar attended the 11th annual Tribeca Film Festival this past April, participating in the Tribeca Film Institute’s Filmmaker Pitch Workshop and acting as a juror for the Tribeca All Access Documentary Program.
Tribeca Film Institute Industry Meetings
For the past five years, ITVS has participated in the Tribeca Film Festival in many different capacities, from the funder of films selected for the festival (this year included Stephen Maing’s High Tech, Low Life, Beth Murphy’s The List, and Jerry Rothwell’s Town of Runners), to hosting special screenings of ITVS films (FUTURESTATES), ITVS’s involvement in this iconic festival is always varied and exciting.
Two special events this year included participation in Tribeca’s Interactive Day (attended by ITVS’s Karim Ahmad) and Tribeca All Access, a year-round initiative that supports the careers of filmmakers who hail from communities traditionally under-represented in the film industry. Tribeca All Access has been a successful and groundbreaking industry event, fostering and supporting diverse filmmaking voices through industry meetings, development support, and mentoring. › Continue reading
The Island President Hits Theaters
The Island President may not be coming to Independent Lens until next season, but audiences don’t have to wait to see the story of former President of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed.
In February, former President Mohamed Nasheed made headlines when he was forced to step down after the Maldivian police and army turned against him. Prior to the coup, President Nasheed was known for his impassioned stance on climate change and was rewarded by being pushed out of office earlier this year, after the documentary concluded filming. The Island President follows Nasheed as he worked tirelessly to motivate the world to take action before the rising sea levels wiped out the Maldives, giving a human face to an issue that continues to threaten his country.
The Island President opened in theaters in New York on Wednesday, March 28th and will be coming to San Francisco (March 30), Los Angeles (April 6), Washington DC (April 20), San Diego (April 20), Minneapolis (April 27), and Detroit (April 27) throughout the next month. Additional cities will be added soon and will be posted to film’s website. Watch the film’s trailer after the jump. › Continue reading
Screening of FUTURESTATES at the Tribeca Film Festival
ITVS and the Tribeca Film Institute will be hosting a free screening of FUTURESTATES Season 3 on Saturday, April 21 at 2PM in New York City.
What will be of America in 5, 25, or even 50 years from today? This series of independent mini-features, short narrative films created by established filmmakers and emerging talents, explores possible future scenarios through the lens of today’s global realities. Immerse yourself in the visions of these independent filmmakers as they inhabit a future of their own imagining.
The screening will take place on Saturday, April 21 at 2PM at the Tribeca Cinemas (54 Varick Street) in New York City, followed by a Q&A with many of the FUTURESTATES filmmakers, including Jennifer Phang (Advantageous), Patrick Stettner (Gunny), and Trevin Matcek (Life Begins at Rewirement).
To attend, please RSVP to rsvp@itvs.org
Feedback from a SXSW Rookie
By Robin Suchman
Digital Projects Manager, ITVS
The South by Southwest (SXSW) Conferences & Festivals (March 9-18, 2012) offer the unique convergence of original music, independent films, and emerging technologies.
As the line between film and digital projects continues to blur, it makes perfect sense that the Interactive and Film portions of SXSW run concurrently (along with ScreenBurn- the gaming tract), followed closely by the Music portion. Social TV, the crossover between television viewing and social media, was a topic mentioned quite often during many of the sessions I attended.
Although this was my first time at SXSW (and Austin), I heard that the Interactive portion has grown quite significantly over the past few years; now being held in nine different locations with complimentary shuttles for badge holders to move freely between them (although I preferred to walk, despite the persistent rain!). Moreover, the Interactive conference is broken down into 18 different themes, each being housed in a specific building, so you really do not need to move between the different buildings if you intend to focus on a single track. › Continue reading
ITVS Attends MEG 2012 in Göteborg, Sweden
By Claire Aguilar
Vice President of Programming, ITVS
ITVS held court at the inaugural MEG 2012 conference, an event focused on creative approaches to content development, journalism, and entertainment.
On March 8th and 9th, I attended a new conference: Mediedagarna i Göteborg (Media Days Göteborg) or “MEG” for short. MEG was designed to attract media professionals from television, newspaper, magazine, and book publishing industries to participate in a truly trans-media conference. It was refreshing to see the overlap between the usually traditional media industries, like publishing, print and electronic journalism, and broadcast television interacting with citizen journalists, bloggers, and even webisode comedy. › Continue reading
A Storified Account of Women and Girls Lead in Action
ITVS and CARE presented a powerful screening of Pray the Devil Back to Hell on Wednesday night in Washington D.C. and via Livestream. ITVS’s Rebecca Huval combed through the tweets and online chatter to provide this storified account, which you can find after the jump.
A shot from Wednesday's Livestream of the documentary Pray the Devil Back to Hell
› Continue reading
CARE & ITVS Present: Pray the Devil Back to Hell
Women and Girls Lead and CARE are partnering for a special live online screening of the PBS documentary Pray the Devil Back to Hell (part of the recent Women War & Peace series), followed by a live panel discussion with Executive Producer Abigail Disney, PBS CEO Paula Kerger, and CARE President Helene Gayle. The event will take place on the eve of International Women’s Day from Washington, D.C. March 7 at 7:30PM ET on CARE’s website.
Pray the Devil Back to Hell is the astonishing story of the Liberian women – including Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee – who took on the warlords and regime of dictator Charles Taylor in the midst of a brutal civil war, and won a once unimaginable peace for their shattered country in 2003.
› Continue reading
IL Series Producer Recaps Sundance 2012
By Lois Vossen, Founding Series Producer of Independent Lens and Vice President of ITVS
ITVS-funded filmmakers and staff rally for lunch at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT
Sundance 2012 was a record-breaking year year for ITVS and Independent Lens. Six ITVS funded films screened in the documentary competitions and all six were honored with Sundance awards. (ITVS had had seven films playing at Sundance in 2004; six films in 2002; and eight films in 1997 for those interested in banner years).
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