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.

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.

So it was a great honor for me to be invited to this year’s DocAviv as a juror for Israeli Competition. DocAviv is Tel Aviv’s largest film festival and is dedicated exclusively to documentary cinema — since 1999, it has showcased documentaries from Israel and around the world. The films are screened in the newly remodeled Tel Aviv Cinematheque, but there were also many open-air screenings in the beautiful Port of Tel Aviv.

Sinai Abt, the artistic director of DocAviv, was the first broadcaster on-board with the iconic animated documentary Waltz with Bashir when he was the commissioning editor at Israel’s Channel 8. He and his team selected 12 films to compete for the Best Israeli Documentary and he also asked our jury to select the award winners for Best Debut Film, Special Jury Mention, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, and Best Research Award.  I had a wonderful jury team, including Asako Fujioka from the Yamagata Film Festival, filmmaker Sivan Arbel, cinematographer Itzik Portal, and Executive Producer for Films Transit Diana Holtzberg.

We gave the awards to the following films:

Best Israeli Film Award:  Home Movie (Dir. Reuven Brodsky)
Special Jury Mention:  The Invisible Men (Dir. Yariv Moser)
Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo Award for Debut Film:  Powder (Dir. Ayal Goldberg)
Best Cinematography Award:  Home Movie (Cinematography by Reuven Brodsky and Itamar Mendes-Flor)
Best Editing Award:  Powder (Editing by Erez Laufer, Ayal Goldberg)
Best Research Award: One Day After Peace  (Dirs. Mimi Laufer, Erez Laufer)

On Thursday, May 10th, Independent Lens Senior Series Producer Lois Vossen sat on a panel for “Doc U: The Future of Docs on PBS” in Los Angeles, CA. The event was presented by the International Documentary Association.

In preparing for last night’s Doc U: The Future of Docs on PBS, each one of the panelists (and probably most of the audience) thought that they would be gearing up for some major mobilization. Up until Wednesday, May 9, the IDA and other proponents of quality independent programming like Kartemquin Films had joined together to release a public campaign against PBS’s recent decision to move its exemplary series for independent documentaries, Independent Lens and POV, from their long-established slots on Tuesday night to Thursday night, a slot reserved for local programming. But the day before this panel was set to mobilize the documentary community to support IDA and Kartemquin’s PBS Needs Indies campaign, the Public Broadcasting Station announced that both Independent Lens and POV would find a new home on Monday nights. This was an incredible victory for everyone involved. The IDA was so pleased with this announcement, hoping it will mean a renewed viewership for the programs affected by the earlier change.

So it was with an air of celebration that IDA’s Executive Director Michael Lumpkin introduced the moderator and panelists, including Gordon Quinn, Artistic Director and founding member of Kartemquin Films; Simon Kilmurry, Executive Producer of American Documentary | POV; Lyn Goldfarb, award-winning documentary director and producer; Brenda Brkusic, Executive Producer of Program Development and National Productions at PBS SoCal; and Lois Vossen, founding and Senior Series Producer of Independent Lens. Gordon Quinn would be leading the discussion, bringing one of the two filmmaker perspectives to the conversation along with Goldfarb.

On the screen behind the panel, Michael pulled up the cover of Documentary magazine from 1988 entitled Special Issue: PBS on Trial (hit the link to find the entire issue online). In this issue from 24 years ago, articles such as “P.O.V.: New hope for documentaries on PBS” and “Great Performances?: At PBS, waste and incompetence, not money, are the root of all evil” focus on changes and difficulties facing PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) during a time when the argument between film and tape was still raging in earnest. Today, with new digital technology like 3D cameras and digital technologies now commonplace, PBS is still facing uncertainty. This is especially true when it comes to funding and programming—the NEA recently announced that media projects, including several PBS-based programs, would receive $1 million less this year than they did in 2011. By posting the magazine on the IDA’s website, Lumpkin said, the organization hopes to remind everyone that independent programming on public television is an issue to which non-fiction producers, creators, and consumers should always pay attention.

Moderator Gordon Quinn (left) kicked off the panel by reiterating that in light of recent events announced just one day prior, the night was a cause for celebration. The new timeslots given to Independent Lens and POV mean that more people will be able to find the programming that they couldn’t find on their local stations before. This in turn means that viewership would eventually increase massively. He reminded everyone of the important work to which they had contributed with their tweets, shares, emails, and discussions within the documentary community.

Each panelist was then given a chance to show a brief clip, highlighting the films they had featured on their unique and important programs. Simon Kilmurry of American Documentary | POV (above, second from left) started with a clip showcasing all of the moving programming featured on POV, including films like If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, Better This World, and Food, Inc. Lois Vossen of ITVS (third from right) showed a clip highlighting the first 10 years of ITVS, featuring DocuWeeks alums Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey, Hell and Back Again, and Waste Land. Brenda Brkusic (second from right) followed with a clip from PBS SoCaL’s digital channel PBS OC, which is seen all over Southern California and was originally created to provide Orange County content to viewers in Orange County who were used to Los Angeles-centric programming and news coverage. Today the channel welcomes content from independent producers, especially if the content is Southern California related.

Filmmaker Lyn Goldfarb then showed a clip from a four-hour documentary she participated in producing that was featured on ITVS entitled California and the American Dream. She was responsible for creating this program specifically for Independent Lens, and produced both The New Los Angeles and California’s Lost Tribes. She mentioned that due to funding cuts in recent years, it’s more difficult for independent producers to execute that which they have been hired to accomplish. This makes it difficult to maintain artistic integrity, she said, emphasizing the importance of sticking to your vision. After Goldfarb’s clips, Quinn took his turn showing a clip from The New Americans, a seven-hour series that received some of its funding from PBS.

Being the only representative from an actual PBS affiliate, Brkusic (left) what happy to explain the evolution of PBS SoCal, which had to be completely rebranded over the course of two months after a major switchover was sent down from the higher levels. Brkusic emphasized their intention of showcasing locally-produced stories about local Southern Californians, stories that were distinct from those being told to the Angelinos a few miles away.

Quinn took some time to explain exactly what had happened over the past few months that lead to the formation of this panel. In 2011, both Independent Lens and POV were moved from their regular Tuesday nights to Thursday nights, an evening usually reserved for local programming. Concerned with the effect that a Thursday night timeslot was having on the ratings for Independent Lens (viewership dropped off 42%), his organization Kartemquin Films drafted an open letter to PBS asking them to reconsider their schedule for these programs. After an overwhelming response from the documentary community and supporters of independent film everywhere, the IDA came on board and aided Kartemquin in forming a steering committee that would help organize community-wide support for independent programming.

Everyone believed that they would have to wait until PBS’s annual meeting on May 15 before any news of schedule changes would be announced; but on the morning of May 9, everyone received the good news that both programs would now be moved to Monday nights.

Kilmurry (second from left) also mentioned the importance of the encouragement that his program received from the local documentary community during the PBS Needs Indies campaign. Even though this battle has been won, he said, it’s so important to “keep the energy focused on working with our local stations.”

“It’s important that we have challenging content in a space that’s non-commercial,” he pointed out. For POV, so much of their content is chosen because it is clearly authored but also creative. That voice has to seem genuine, and not like it’s been underwritten by a major corporation. Kilmurry’s view is clearly in line with Goldfarb’s, who earlier made a point of emphasizing the importance of artistic candor and sincerity.

So many people in the audience that night were independent producers, creators, and writers who cared so much about the recent changes at PBS. Independent Lens‘s Lois Vossen reminded all of them that even though it’s so important to continue to produce original content, it’s also important to tune in and support one’s peers. “We have a responsibility to also be the audience,” Vossen said, “not just the makers.”

After the lively discussion and lots of valuable audience questions, the panelists and audience members headed outside to ask more questions and mingle with fellow members of the documentary community. Below, panelist Simon Kilmurry speaks candidly to a few Doc U attendees. An advocate for long form storytelling, he made the point during the panel to not forget about the importance of feature-length films and serials. He also hinted at the future of digital distribution for POV, namely dipping into the archives to find quality programs to feature on online streaming.

The Cinefamily’s back patio is always a nice place to hang after these events. Especially when there’s free wine and treats! Some younger members of the documentary film community continue the conversation from the panel that ended moments ago.

Even after the panel had ended, Gordon Quinn could probably have talked well into the night. This man is filled with so much experience and knowledge—he doesn’t have to try hard to inspire people to effect change. One of the best takeaways from the panel was definitely Quinn’s answer to an audience member’s question. When asked what kind programming Independent Lens and POV was looking for, Quinn answered that this was the wrong question to be asking. “Make the film YOU want to make,” he emphasized. “And if it’s really good, they will take it.”

Doc U is the International Documentary Association’s series of educational seminars and workshops for aspiring and experienced documentary filmmakers. Taught by artists and industry experts, participants receive vital training and insight on various topics including: fundraising, distribution, licensing, marketing, and business tactics.

Find exclusive video clips from this and past Doc U events on the Documentary.org YouTube channel.

Originally posted on Documentary.org.

What do you really know about Joseph Kony? On Wednesday we will be hosting a live online screening and discussion of the documentary Peace vs. Justice, going beyond the slick marketing of KONY 2012 and taking an in-depth look at the rebel leaders responsible for the most egregious of human-rights abuses – kidnapping children and forcing them to fight.

Peace vs. Justice examines the International Criminal Court’s investigation of the LRA and takes a critical look at the problems of applying Western ideas of justice and reconciliation to other countries and continents.

Join us for a social screening of Peace vs. Justice with filmmaker Klaartje Quirijns, who will be taking part in the screening to talk about the film and take your questions live.

Participants can join for free by signing in with Facebook or directly on the site, interacting with other viewers and panelists in real-time, while watching the film. Viewers can comment, ask questions, take polls, and even express their feelings about what they’re watching through a variety of tools on the site. This is an entirely new way of experiencing documentary films and it is inherently social.

Peace vs. Justice: May 16, 2012 at 5PM PT/ 8PM ET

Priscilla Star Diaz has come a long way.  The charmingly little girl of Gabriel Noble’s P-Star Rising (2009) is now a poised 17-year-old starring in her third season of The Electric Company.  The hip-hop sensation—who experienced her own struggle with literacy—frequently speaks about self-esteem, persistence, and the value of an education.  Diaz is one of several high-profile supporters of American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen who will join public media professionals from across the country at the PBS Annual Meeting in Denver next week.

Patricia Harrison, CEO of CPB

Hill Harper, the film, television and stage actor currently starring in CSI: NY, and notable actor Tony Plana of Ugly Betty fame, will appear with Diaz and CPB President & CEO Patricia Harrison at a special American Graduate breakfast meeting on Thursday morning.

Launched in 2011, American Graduate is public media’s initiative to help communities address the dropout crisis.  The project  includes television and radio specials, screenings and  Teacher Town Halls  with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, community partnerships, and, engaging curricula for students in an out of the  classroom, and includes new ITVS programming that focuses on the Latino community. High school dropout is an issue that has many faces, and affects people in myriad walks of life—and people across the country are taking action.

Hill Harper

In addition to his acting work, Hill Harper is also the founder of the MANifest Your Destiny Foundation, funded with proceeds from his inspirational book Letters to a Young Brother.  The MANifest Your Destiny Foundation provides underserved youth a path to empowerment and educational excellence through academic programming, college access skills, and personal development.

Tony Plana

Tony Plana developed a unique and innovative literacy program with the East L.A. Classic Theatre called Beyond Borders: Literacy through Performing Arts, which uses the performing arts to impact literacy skills in academically at-risk and bilingual students.  And

Priscilla Star Diaz

Priscilla’s message and rhymes are the real deal—as a child, she faced a grown-up world early in her young life, but through hard work and diligence refused to become a statistic.

In a remarkably short time, American Graduate has gained traction with its media presence and real-life impact, and the project’s network of advocates, partners, public media stations, political backing, and celebrity supporters is ever-growing.  The PBS Annual Meeting is an exciting opportunity to gather industry leaders and stations with this dedicated cohort of conscientious performers to discuss the collective work, passion for the cause, and public media’s role in this national endeavor.

 American Graduate Breakfast Meeting at PBS Annual Meeting. 

Thursday, May 17, 7:30AM.

Sheraton Grand Ballroom (Tower Building, Second Level)

Independent Lens and POV have continually provided a broadcast slot of independent documentary films on PBS. In May 2011, due to schedule changes in PBS’s prime-time schedule, both programs were moved to Thursday evening – a time traditionally reserved for stations’ local and syndicated programming. The inconsistent time slot has been problematic for Independent Lens, with a significant drop in viewership since the schedule change.

Since then, both shows have been the topic of much debate and the documentary community has rallied in support, resulting in PBS’s public announcement to reconsider another schedule shift and together with a newly formed Independent Strategy Task Force, work together in order to rectify the issue. Paired with the significant cuts to PBS’ nonfiction programming from the National Endowment for the Arts, the future remains unclear as to what is in store for independent documentary films and public broadcasting.

On Thursday, May 10th, Independent Lens Senior Series Producer Lois Vossen will be speaking at the panel “Doc U: The Future of Docs on PBS” in Los Angeles, CA. The panel, sponsored by the International Documentary Association, will address these issues, allowing the panelists to discuss the changing outlook and opportunities for growth in independent documentary programming at PBS. Click here to register to attend.

Other panelists will include Simon Kilmurry, Executive Director of POV; Lyn Goldfarb, award-winning documentary director and producer; Gordon Quinn, Artistic Director and founding member of Kartemquin Films; Brenda Brkusic, Executive Producer of Program Development and National Productions at PBS SoCaL.

The evening’s on-stage conversation will be followed by an audience Q&A and a reception on the Cinefamily’s backyard Spanish patio.

For more information on IDA’s Doc U: visit documentary.org/doc-u

Thursday marks the end of the 55th San Francisco International Film Festival, which featured three ITVS funded documentary films, including Bitter Seeds, The Invisible War, and The Waiting Room.

Still from Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey (credit: Ninfa Z. Bito)

The 55th San Francisco International Film Festival is closing tonight on a high note, celebrating their festival journey with…. well, Journey! After a rousing screening of Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey at the Castro Theatre, including what is bound to be a fascinating Q&A with director Ramona S. Diaz (director of the ITVS funded documentaries Imelda and The Learning) and all five members of the band Journey, closing night attendees will head on over to SLOANE SQUARE[D], for a night of entertainment, dancing, food, and drinks.

The past 15 days have gone by so fast that it is hard to believe that another festival has come and gone. With more than 200 films screened and more than 45 countries represented, the 55th San Francisco International Film Festival proved once again to be an extraordinary showcase of innovation and cinematic discovery.

One particular highlight for ITVS was that The Waiting Room director Peter Nicks was featured on the festival’s Scoop du Jour website, a daily video feed presenting coverage of the happenings at the festival. In the interview, Nicks discusses his documentary The Waiting Room, an intimate and intense day-in-the-life documentary portrait of the patients, doctors, nurses, and social workers at Highland Hospital in Oakland. Check out the clip after the jump:

To learn more about the 55th San Francisco International Film Festival, click here.

Live Social Screening of Charlie 13 with filmmaker Michael McMillian on Thursday, April 26 at 5PM PT / 8PM ET

About Charlie 13
On the eve of his 13th birthday, will Charlie Tuttle submit to a government-mandated tracking implant, or answer a more dangerous call to adventure?

About Filmmaker Michael McMillian
Michael McMillian’s film and television work includes playing Reverend Steve Newlin on HBO’s True Blood and leading roles in Dorian Blues, What I Like About You, and Saved. Other credits include Veronica Mars, The Hills Have Eyes 2, Big Love, The Mentalist, and Firefly. McMillian co-wrote and produced the award-winning short film Glock, co-wrote the full-length feature film The New Life, created and wrote the graphic novel Lucid, and co-wrote True Blood: Tainted Love.

Follow this link to the screening of Charlie 13 with filmmaker Michael McMillian.

Live Social Screening of Gunny with filmmaker Patrick Stettner on Thursday, April 26 at 5:30PM PT / 8:30PM ET

About Gunny
A young female soldier returns home after a traumatic tour of duty, taking a new medication that can selectively erase memories.

About Filmmaker Patrick Stettner
Patrick Stettner’s feature filmmaking credits include the award winning and Sundance Lab-developed The Business of Strangers, starring Julia Stiles and Stockard Channing, and The Night Listener, starring Robin Williams and Toni Collette. He has won numerous awards from the Paris Film Festival and San Francisco International Film Festival and two awards at the Palm Springs International Film Festival for his thesis short, Flux. In addition to filmmaking, he teaches directing at his alma mater, Columbia University.

Follow this link to the screening of Gunny with filmmaker Patrick Stettner.

Civil rights are taken for granted in the United States. However, for a diverse population of more than 54 million Americans — those with disabilities — it is an ongoing struggle. Lives Worth Living is television’s most comprehensive history of the disability rights movement. It opens a window into the world of citizens with an unwavering determination to live their lives like everyone else. It is also a journey through the past when millions of people lived without access to schools, work, public transportation, and housing. Charismatic leaders of the movement narrate the story of this long, hard, and successful drive for civil rights that brought together a once fragmented population into a powerful coalition that created some of the most far reaching civil rights legislation in our nation’s history … and around the world.

The panel discussion will be moderated by Robert David Hall (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, National Chair SAG-AFTRA-AEA, PWD Committee) and includes panelists Eric Neudel (Director, Lives Worth Living), Alison Gilkey (Producer, Lives Worth Living), Lois Vossen (Independent Lens Series Producer & Vice President of ITVS), James LeBrecht (Sound Designer and Mixer, Lives Worth Living), and Lawrence Carter-Long (Founder and Curator of disTHIS! Film Series). The event will be held at the Television Academy Conference Center (5210 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA) on Tuesday, April 24, 2012 from 7:00pm – 9:00pm.

To learn more and RSVP to this event, please click here.

How does a filmmaker navigate the public television submission process? What do series’ look for in a film? Should I wait until I have a fine cut to submit? A public television broadcast can be a homerun for independent filmmakers hoping to expand their audience and raise awareness around certain social issues, but often filmmakers find themselves plagued with questions about the process.

POV Series Producer Yance Ford will be on the #docchat Twitter chat this Wednesday, April 25, 2012, at 7pm ET/ 4pm PT, answering questions about getting your film on public television. POV encourages documentary filmmakers to ask Ford, who will be tweeting from @povdocs, questions beforehand using the hashtag #docchat or in a comment on their website. In addition to general questions about public television submissions, Yance will also answer specific questions you might have about POV’s Call for Entries. To learn more about the event, http://itvs.images.s3.amazonaws.com/btb/btb_povtwitterchat.jpg