Tag Archives: deadline

The ITVS Indie Roundup

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A curated list of indie news and recommendations from ITVS’s Rebecca Huval.

The real reason we watch the Oscars: the surprising gaffes. Here are the best and worst moments of the Academy Awards ceremonies since 2008.

First-time documentary filmmakers, apply by March 8! You can get mentorship when you sorely need it through IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Labs, which guide low-budget films (less than $1 million) through completion, marketing, and distribution.

New York doc lovers should check out the Documentary Fortnight 2013 showcase at MoMA, Feb. 15 to March 4, and enter at POV to win free tickets to MoMA Selects: POV screenings.

Now in its third year, the upstart Open City Doc Fest in London rages on June 20 to 23. Late deadline for submissions is March 4!

If you haven’t seen it already, watch a snippet of the Oscar-nominated documentary How to Survive a Plague and learn about the filmmaker’s original inspiration. (via @TheBayCitizen)

Recovered Super 8 footage of President Nixon in the documentary Our Nixon will cap the New Films/New Directors festival on March 31.

What Makes a Good Work-in-Progress? Part 1: Early Production

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By N’Jeri Eaton
Programming Manager, ITVS

With the ITVS Open Call deadline right around the corner (next week in fact!), BTB brings you the first in a three part series breaking down the elusive ‘work-in-progress’.

Here at ITVS, one of the most asked questions is “What Makes a Good Work in Progress?”.  Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple answer.  The answer can vary depending on what material you have, the style of your film, what stage of production you’re in, etc.

Over the next three days, we will share the experiences of three ITVS-funded producers who successfully submitted their work-in-progress samples to our Open Call initiative.

Today we bring you More Than a Month’s Shukree Tilghman, the first time filmmaker who, despite being early on in production, received funding the first time he applied. Read on as Tilghman reveals the thought process behind his editing decisions and advice for potential applicants. Continue reading →

The ITVS Indie Roundup

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A curated list of indie news and recommendations from ITVS’s Rebecca Huval.

Can’t let go of election excitement? Here are 12 movies about elections that deserve a close rewatching, including The Manchurian Candidate (1962, 2004) and Milk (2008)/The Times of Harvey Milk (1984).

What a week for festivals! New York’s DOC NYC, an all-nonfiction fest Nov. 8-15, has an especially strong slate of films, including Oma & Bella, a documentary about two octogenarian survivors of the Holocaust in Berlin who cook childhood meals that conjure up vivid memories.

Another intriguing doc premiering at DOC NYC: The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema. Philosopher Slavoj Zizek tours through the history of cinema with a hilarious and insightful eye turned toward our unconscious urges. Here’s an interview with director Sophie Fiennes.

For those on the West Coast, the Napa Valley Film Festival will offer cinema with a side of wine and delicious food Nov. 7-11.

You might know The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, a doc that follows hardcore arcade players trying to hit the world’s highest score on Donkey Kong. It’s not the only fabulous nonfiction film about oddballs. Here are nine others, including Independent Lens’s own Beauty is Embarrassing. Continue reading →

Independent Lens Submission Deadline

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Independent Lens is currently seeking submissions of completed or near completed programs for broadcast during the October 2013 – June 2014 season.

Independent Lens is a film festival in your living room. Since 2003, Independent Lens has presented more than 300 films to public television audiences. The Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series is broadcast on the PBS national schedule on Monday nights at 10pm. Independent Lens is the largest showcase for independent documentaries anywhere on U.S. television, premiering 22 new films each season. The series is curated jointly by ITVS and PBS.

Independent Lens films are often character driven stories, and are known for compelling storytelling, innovation, and diversity. Independent Lens welcomes individual expression and is committed to presenting diverse points of view, on topics suited for a national audience. Continue reading →

Diversity Development Fund Live Chat

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On Thursday, August 23 at 1PM PT / 4PM ET, ITVS Programming Coordinator N’Jeri Eaton will be taking questions from interested Diversity Development Fund applicants in a live chat right here on Beyond the Box.

MacArthur Foundation Open Call for Documentary Film Proposals

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The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is accepting proposals for documentary film and transmedia projects between Monday, August 6, 2012 and Friday, September 7, 2012.

The program seeks to fund documentary projects that address the significant social challenges of our time or explore important but under-reported topics. Domestic and international topics are welcome, and preference will be given to projects that align with one of MacArthur’s grantmaking areas. To learn more about these areas, please visit http://macfound.org.

Support will be provided for production and post-production activities, and to experienced filmmakers based in the U.S. with track records of completing feature-length films that have been broadcast nationally and internationally. The typical grant range is between $50,000 and $200,000. For more information and to apply, please visit http://macfound.org/programs/media/ and click “Grant Guidelines.”

Diversity Development Fund Live Chat

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On Thursday, August 23 at 1PM PT / 4PM ET, ITVS Programming Coordinator N’Jeri Eaton will be taking questions from interested Diversity Development Fund applicants in a live chat right here on Beyond the Box.


The Diversity Development Fund provides up to $15,000 in research and development funding to independent producers of color to develop single documentary programs for public television. Projects should speak to the ITVS mission to serve underrepresented audiences with programs that take creative risks, explore complex issues, inspire dialogue, and express points of view seldom seen on commercial or public television. With the upcoming deadline (September 7, 2012), we encourage all interested applicants to register for the live chat taking place on Thursday, August 23rd.

To date, projects selected for the Diversity Development Fund have had national broadcasts on Independent Lens and P.O.V., and have leveraged support from organizations including the National Minority Consortia, the Sundance Doc Fund, Creative Capital Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Ford Foundation. Continue reading →

International Filmmaker Deadline: Submit to DOK Leipzig Co-Production Meeting by August 1

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European and other international producers are invited to submit projects to the 8th International DOK Leipzig Co-Production Meeting (October 29-31, 2012). The final deadline for project submission is August 1, 2012.

The Meeting encourages international co-productions and helps finance outstanding documentary projects for an international audience.
Continue reading →

Diversity Development Fund is Now Accepting Applications

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The new deadline for the Diversity Development Fund is on Friday, September 7th.  Learn how to submit an application here.

The Diversity Development Fund provides up to $15,000 in research and development funding to independent producers of color to develop single documentary programs for public television.  Projects should speak to the ITVS mission to serve underrepresented audiences with programs that take creative risks, explore complex issues, inspire dialogue, and express points of view seldom seen on commercial or public television. Please note that the new deadline is FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7th.

To date, projects selected for the Diversity Development Fund have had national broadcasts on Independent Lens and P.O.V., and have leveraged support from organizations including the National Minority Consortia, the Sundance Doc Fund, Creative Capital Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Ford Foundation. Continue reading →

Deadline for ITVS International Call on Dec. 9, 2011

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ITVS International Call promotes the exchange of compelling documentary films between the United States and other nations, going beyond stereotypes and headline news.

ITVS International enables independent producers from outside the United States to create documentaries for U.S. television. Through International Call, global storytellers introduce U.S. audiences to their world, their neighbors, opening a window into unfamiliar lives, experiences and perspectives.

International Call provides production and/or post-production funds for single non-fiction television documentaries that bring international perspectives, ideas, stories and people to a U.S. audience. This initiative is for non-U.S. producers and filmmakers who live outside the U.S.

Please note: ITVS International Call 2012 will be an all digital submissions process.

For more information about guidelines, eligibility and how to submit, please visit www.itvs.org/funding/international