ITVS Programs Nominated for Six Emmy Awards

The nominees for the 31st Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards were announced today and ITVS programs received an impressive six nominations.

Among the nominees are three Independent Lens programs — Tulia, Texas; No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo and Vilmos; and Crips and Bloods: Made in America.

Tulia, Texas — by filmmakers Cassandra Herrman and Kelly Whalen — received a nomination in the Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story, Long Form category. The film tells the story of a small town’s search for justice and the price Americans pay for the nation’s war on drugs.

No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo and Vilmos — by director James Chressanthis — received a nomination in the Outstanding Arts and Culture Programming category. The documentary profiles legendary cinematographers Laszlo Kovacs and Vilmos Zsigmond and how they reinvented Hollywood moviemaking for an entire generation.

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Tags: Awards, documentary, Emmy, Independent Lens, news and doc, P.O.V.

Two Independent Lens Programs Win Peabody Awards

The George Foster Peabody Awards, administered by the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, is the oldest, and one of the most prestigious honors in electronic media. Among this year’s winners are two Independent Lens programs:

Between the Folds, by Vanessa Gould, chronicles the stories of 10 fine artists and intrepid theoretical scientists who have abandoned careers and hard-earned graduate degrees — all to forge unconventional lives as modern-day paper-folders.

The Order of Myths, by Margaret Brown , a complex story about race relations and the ever-present racial divide in America told through the pageantry at America’s oldest Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama.

Congratulations to the filmmakers on this incredible achievement! This brings the total of Peabody awards for ITVS films to 16.

The Peabody awards will be presented May 17 at a luncheon at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City with ABC’s Diane Sawyer as host.

Visit the Peabody Award website for a complete list of winners >>

Tags: Awards, George Foster Peabody, Independent Lens, Peabody, University of Georgia

Filmmakers Celebrate at ITVS Reception at IDFA

Claire Aguilar, vice president of programming, welcomes all the filmmakers and attendees at the “Guests Meets Guests Reception” held at Escape Club deLux in Amsterdam.

Last week, Claire Aguilar, ITVS vice president of programming and Voleine Amilcar, publicity manager, attended the International Documentary Festival (IDFA) in Amsterdam.

To celebrate all participating filmmakers and to highlight the ITVS International Call (deadline: Feb. 5), ITVS hosted a “Guests Meet Guests Reception,” which was attended by 300 filmmakers and documentary film professionals. Throughout the week Claire Aguilar participated in and attended the FORUM, which has become the first market for the international co-financing of documentaries in the world. Two ITVS-funded projects were pitched at the FORUM––THE IMMIGRATION PROJECT, directed by Marco Williams, and GIVE UP TOMORROW, directed by Marty Syjuco and Michael Collins.

Five ITVS-supported films were official selections: BANANAS! from Swedish director Fredrik Gertten (co-production with WG Films, ITVS International, SVT, ARTE/ZDF and VPRO); COWBOYS IN INDIA from English director Simon Chambers (a co-production with Channel 4); LAST TRAIN HOME, a Chinese/Canadian production directed by Lixin Fan (co-production of EyeSteel Films in association with ITVS International, Sundance Documentary Fund, TV5, Super Channel and Channel 4); THE LAST TIGHTROPE DANCER IN ARMENIA from Armenian directors Arman Yeritsyan and Inna Sahakyan (co-production with ITVS International, Bars Media, NHK, SVT, TVP, Estonian Television and YLE) and lastly, the Oscar-shortlisted doc THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA from American director/producers Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith (co-production with ITVS and ARTE/ZDF).

Congratulations to all the filmmakers! Continue reading to see exclusive photos from the ITVS reception.

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Tags: Amsterdam, Awards, film festival, IDFA

ITVS Filmmakers Awarded Top Honors at IDFA

Last week, five ITVS documentaries screened at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA)––the largest showcase of documentary film in the world. Taking home top honors were the ITVS films LAST TRAIN HOME, by Lixin Fan and Mila Aung-Thwin, which won best feature length documentary, and THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA, by Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith, which received the special jury award. Read what filmmaker Lixin Fan thought about this year’s competition and what it was like to make the film. Set against the backdrop of the world’s largest annual human migration, LAST TRAIN HOME follows the Zhang family who travel home on Chinese New Year to reunite with their teenage daughter.

Lixin Fan, filmmaker of LAST TRAIN HOME

The Zhang family from the film LAST TRAIN HOME, which won the Joris Ivens Award, given to the best feature length documentary at IDFA.

It was truly unforgettable. Receiving the Joris Ivens Award, given to the best feature length documentary, at the magnificent Tuschinski Theater in Amsterdam is a dream for any documentary filmmaker!

This year, the competing films were all superb. It was definitely exciting to see all these wonderfully crafted films being presented by filmmakers from different cultures and countries. Every film is a hearty endeavor to seek truth in life.

Though only one film gets lucky to win each year, all of the films and filmmakers should be celebrated. LAST TRAIN HOME became the lucky one last Friday, but it could have never happened without the help of many friends––ITVS being a very prominent one.

Three years in the making, the film showed a neglected aspect of the lives of millions of migrant workers. My intention and hope is that the audience will become more aware of worker’s contributions and the sacrifices concealed by the cheap price tags of the items we often buy. When we over consume, our conscience is at risk of being consumed, too.

This film was certainly not easy to complete. We’ve been through so many ordeals. EyeSteelFilm in Montreal and YuanFang Media in China were committed to the film despite the technical and logistical challenges. The crew had to film amid a crowd of thousands at the railway station for days and were often caught between moral ethical decisions—either to help or keep shooting. Along the road, ITVS has been so supportive on all levels.

Everyone’s support is greatly appreciated and revealed in the final film on the big screen.

- Lixin Fan, filmmaker of LAST TRAIN HOME

Tags: Amsterdam, Awards, film festival, IDFA