filmmakers
Notes from Orientation: Producers Learn the Ropes at Camp ITVS
From orientation, producers talk shop with ITVS Production Manager Cheryl Hirasa
ITVS’s Open Call provides finishing funds for single nonfiction public television programs on any subject and from any viewpoint. Last week, ITVS hosted nearly a dozen filmmakers who were recently awarded Open Call funding. Among the troops was Andy Schocken, producer and director of photography, of The World in a Room. Here he wraps up ITVS’s crash course in producing for public television.
Somewhere between our discussion of Canadian retransmission royalties and the percentage-of-completion method of contract accounting, it hits me that I’m not at film school anymore. Looking around the room at a remarkable group of filmmakers whose work I’ve long admired, I accept that there’s a time and place for six-hour Frederick Wiseman marathons and roadtrips up Highway 1 with nothing but a Bolex and a dream. I’m here at ITVS orientation to hone my skills as a producer for public television, and this is right where I want to be.
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Looking for Film Funding? The New ITVS.org is for You!
If you’re a filmmaker, we’d like to thank you — you’re the reason we exist.
After all, ITVS was created by indie filmmakers.
The biggest hurdle for any independent filmmaker, as you well know, is financing your project. If you’re looking for funding, the current state of the world can seem bleak and confusing.
But fear not! The funding section on our new ITVS.org site is designed make it easier to understand our application process, and is designed to demonstrate more clearly what kinds of projects we’re looking for. We’ve made the process more transparent, and have made it much easier to find the right person to contact to discuss your application. We’re also improving and enhancing our online resources to help you construct a more successful proposal.
Also, we’ve made it simpler to discover where you can find ITVS’s Programming staff in person. Right next to the funding information you will now be able to see upcoming events, conferences, festivals, and workshops that we will be attending or hosting. You will find it here first. What better way to get the edge you need for a successful application?
Keith Maitland at KLRU’s Texas Independents’ Day
Earlier this week, PBS affiliate KLRU in Austin, Texas, commemorated Texas Independents’ Day by celebrating the work of three local filmmakers whose work will appear on this season of Independent Lens. Learn more about the event from Keith Maitland, filmmaker of The Eyes of Me.
Filmmaker Keith Maitland with film subjects of The Eyes of Me.
Panel moderator Paul Stekler leads a round table discussion with Keith Maitland, filmmaker of The Eyes of Me; Karen Skloss, filmmaker of Sunshine; Michel Scott, filmmaker of The Horse Boy.
Last night, nearly 200 people gathered in a dark room to share an hour-long look into the lives of four blind teenagers. With the twinkling lights of the Austin City Limits stage as a backdrop, I couldn’t ask for a more fitting place to experience the incredible communal experience of watching the live Independent Lens broadcast of The Eyes of Me.
The Eyes of Me follows four blind teens over the course of one dynamic year. It’s about watching these teens growing up before our eyes. As they discover who they are, it is my hope that you will discover something about yourself –– it’s about challenging your own perception and seeing yourself in a new way… at least that’s what it’s always been about for me.
The entire process of creating this film, from a nascent idea, through 250 hours of rolling cameras, and two and half years of editing, has been both rewarding and challenging in degrees that I’m still not sure I can register. Along the way, I have learned many lessons about my creative processes, and my own humanity.
Filmmaker Pamela Yates Reflects on Open Call Orientation at ITVS
ITVS’s Open Call orientation concluded last week. Pamela Yates, filmmaker of Granito, gives an overview on her experience and why she is excited about working with ITVS and presenting her film on public television. Get her take below.
Pamela Yates
Open Call funded filmmakers.
The first thing that struck me at the ITVS Producer’s Orientation was the force. The force of dozens of people working as one to help get my film made, to get it broadcast and to have it make the greatest possible impact in the wider world.
It wasn’t always so. Richard O’Connell, director of production, gave a salient presentation recounting the little-known history of filmmakers coming together in 1984 –– and working for five years to create an independent television service by, for and about independent filmmakers. It was a bold, creative strategy to take government funds already earmarked for independent production on public television (but usurped by executive producers of the big series), and create a body to get it to individual filmmakers. I was one of those young filmmakers who worked to create ITVS — to ensure an eclectic vision, a diversity of voices, and a filmic exploration into the American psyche.
We opened the door. Then an amazing number of dedicated and talented people walked through it during the past twenty years and brought their own ideas to an organization that has become a vibrant contributor to the field of independent filmmaking and an essential player in the explosion of the documentary genre.
Let me tell you about some of the insights I gained about ITVS over the past few days.
Ravi Patel Discusses His First Open Call Orientation
ITVS’s Open Call provides finishing funds for single non-fiction or animation public television programs on any subject and from any viewpoint. This week, ITVS hosted 17 filmmakers who were recently awarded Open Call funding. Ravi Patel, writer, director, and subject of the film One in a Billion, shares his thoughts about his first several days at ITVS.
Ravi Patel, writer, director, and subject of One in a Billion.
It’s day three of my first relationship with ITVS. My best exposure to the doc world prior to ITVS was somewhat vicarious –– I live with my sister in Los Angeles, and her last film Project Kashmir was also with ITVS. And now, for the first time, here I am. Making a doc. Working with ITVS. Blogging. In retrospect, just days ago, I was nothing.
Flashback To Day One:
So excited!! It’s 9:00 AM and time for a group breakfast. Tired, I chose coffee, orange juice, and a banana… And half a bagel. And some grapes… I looked around –– Whoa. What is this?
My sister and I are making what I guess you would call a romantic comedy documentary. It’s called One in a Billion and we follow my love life… and my relationship with my family. Yes, odd, weird, crazy… But here’s my point: there is no typical ITVS film, no set agenda, no studio jumping down your throat about what’s going to make it big at the box office. ITVS is about telling important and great stories, and using any creative measure to do it.
Open Call filmmakers listen to a presentation about communication services.
What stands out to me are the people who work in this place. I mean, they seem genuinely happy to be here. What is going on? It’s like my birthday or something. We walk around and everyone has seen our film, has thoughts on it, wants to discuss how we are going to package it, distribute it… This is amazing. I have had to subject my friends to these kinds of conversations, but the people here at the country of ITVS are actually interested. The rest of the day was pretty intense, as we went through budget, contracts, media, etc. I really loved learning about the history of public television, something I had no idea about. Coffee coupled with first-day-of-school jitters had me at dangerously high energy levels. An hour later, I crashed. Images blurring. Regret coupled with desperate gulps of water. Too much water. Constant bathroom breaks. Day one was awesome.
That night we got an opportunity to see trailers and short presentations of all the filmmakers’ projects. That’s when it hit me: I am SO lucky. I am surrounded by some of the hottest filmmakers in the world. The filmmakers surrounding me were inspiring beyond words, real ballers. And the content they were producing ranged in topic from global health to soul food to graphic novels in the Middle East to revolutionary leaders. What an incredible slate of films! The ITVS team and the filmmakers are such kind, interesting, passionate people. Thanks ITVS! Thank you so much. Quick question: How did I get in here?
Recently Funded by ITVS
ITVS funds, distributes and promotes new programs produced by independent producers primarily for public television and beyond.
We’re proud to announce the latest projects recently funded by ITVS. We look forward to working with each of the filmmakers to support their broadcast and continued effort to bring a diversity of programming to viewers.
Congratulations to all the filmmakers!
OPEN CALL
ADOPT ME, MICHAEL JORDAN
By Melanie Judd and Susan Motamed
Spanning four years in the life of one irrepressible girl, ADOPT ME, MICHAEL JORDAN offers an intimate look at the struggle to create an identity in the aftermath of adoption across race and culture.
A co-production of ITVS
IF A TREE FALLS
By Marshall Curry
A behind-the-curtain look at the Earth Liberation Front, the radical environmental organization that the FBI calls the “number one domestic terrorism threat” in America.
A co-production of ITVS
LIVES WORTH LIVING
By Eric Neudel
A story about one man’s struggle to survive after a spinal cord injury and the Disability Rights Movement.
A co-production of ITVS
MORE THAN A MONTH
By Shukree Hassan Tilghman
Shukree Hassan Tilghman, a 29-year-old African American filmmaker, is on a cross-country campaign to end Black History Month.
A co-production of ITVS and the National Black Programming Consortium
THE OATH
By Laura Poitras
Filmed in Yemen, THE OATH is a family drama about Al Qaeda and Guantanamo Bay Prison.
THE PROMISE OF FREEDOM
By Beth Murphy
A modern-day Oskar Schindler story about Kirk Johnson, a 26-year-old American aid worker, fighting to save thousands of Iraqis whose lives are in danger because they worked for the United States to help rebuild Iraq.
A co-production of ITVS
SEEDS
By Micha X. Peled
A look at the debate surrounding biotechnology and the future of farming.
A co-production of ITVS
SUN KISSED
By Maya Stark and Adi Lavy
When a Navajo couple embarks on a journey to discover more about their children’s rare genetic disorder, they uncover a controversial genetic trail and bravely tackle deep-rooted cultural taboos.
A co-production of ITVS
TALES OF THE WARIA
By Kathy Huang
Three transgender individuals in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country, search for love and acceptance with unexpected results.
A co-production of ITVS
LINCS
AS NUTAYUNEAN – We Still Live Here
By Anne Makepeace
The Wampanoag nation of southeastern Massachusetts revives their native tongue, a language that was silenced for more than 100 years.
A co-production of ITVS in association with WGBY
WHAT A GHOST FORETELLS: The Making of the Opera
By Monica Lam, David Petersen and Fawn Ring
WHAT A GHOST FORETELLS follows the making of a contemporary opera written by Amy Tan with music by Stewart Wallace. The film charts a journey that begins in Tan’s personal stories and family secrets and evolves into a highly collaborative, visually stunning production that opens on the stage of the San Francisco Opera.
A co-production of ITVS, CAAM and KQED
BUILDING CHINA MODERN: I.M. Pei and the Transformation of an Ancient City
By Eugene Shirley
After 70 years in the U.S., renowned architect I.M. Pei returns to his ancestral home of Suzhou, China to build a modern museum in this ancient city.
A co-production of ITVS in association with South Carolina ETV
DEEP DOWN
By Sally Rubin and Jen Gilomen
Deep in the Appalachian mountains of eastern Kentucky, Beverly May and Terry Ratliff find themselves at the center of a contentious community battle over a proposed mountaintop removal coal mine.
A co-production of ITVS in association with Kentucky Educational Television
THE IMMIGRATION PROJECT
By Marco Williams
An investigation into migrant deaths along the U.S.-Mexico border and the efforts of the Mexican Consulate and the Medical Examiner to repatriate the remains back to Mexico.
A co-production of KUAT and ITVS
THE MUSIC’S GONNA GET YOU THROUGH
By Gabrielle Mullem
In New Orleans, a group of blind and visually-impaired teenagers from across the country gather to study with master musician Henry Butler at his creative music and jazz camp.
A co-production of ITVS in association with WLAE Educational Broadcasting Foundation, Inc.
THE WAY WE GET BY
By Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly
On call 24/7 for the past six years, three senior citizens have made history by greeting nearly one million U.S. troops at a tiny airport in Maine.
A co-production of ITVS in association with WGBH and Maine Public Broadcasting Network
Six New Projects Selected for Funding Through ITVS International Call
ITVS recently contracted six projects from ITVS International Call 2009, providing them with production funding and eventual U.S. television broadcast. This year’s application process was highly competitive and included 482 submissions from 82 countries––spanning the globe and offering insights from countries such as Chile, Kenya, Vietnam and Jordan. Since the launch of the Call in 2005, nearly 91 international programs have been supported through ITVS International’s Global Perspectives Project and its International Media Development Fund.
All six documentary projects are slated for eventual broadcast on PBS, including prime-time slots on the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Independent Lens and the new PBS WORLD series Global Voices. The programs may also be distributed on commercial outlets, including the Sundance Channel, the National Geographic Channel and HBO, and on online video sites, such as Caachi, Jaman, SnagFilms and others.
The submission deadline for projects to be considered for the next ITVS International Call is February 5, 2010. Learn more >>
Inside Indies: Filmmaker Marjan Tehrani Discusses Favorite Films
We recently caught up with ITVS-funded filmmaker Marjan Tehrani (ARUSI PERSIAN WEDDING, P-STAR RISING) to talk about her favorite films and how they’ve influenced her style of filmmaking. Check out her top favorites below and tell us what you think.
What are your three favorite films of all-time and why?
1. Salesman by the Maysles brothers is one of my all-time favorites! I love this film because you truly feel like you are right there with these salesman as they go door to door and live on the road away from their families. The cinematography is amazing and the pace of the editing is well done. The Maysles have definitely influenced my style of filmmaking and has inspired me to follow in the style of direct cinema (cinema verité).
2. When We Were Kings is another classic documentary that has taught me so much about the craft of filmmaking. It is entertaining like docs should be! It has incredible storytelling with a great arc and footage that is so special and unique. This story and footage is something that I think any filmmaker would love to get their hands on.
3. Amores Perros –– I love this style of filmmaking that Alejandro González Iñárritu has brought to American Cinema. Other films that I greatly appreciate like Traffic have also used this storytelling method of interweaving different plots to tell a riveting and though provoking story. I hope to make a fiction film one day that has complex layers such as this film to make people think but also allow them to enjoy their movie experience.
What is your favorite film you’ve seen recently and why?
I would have to agree (that is with the million awards that this film received!) that Slumdog Millionaire is one of the best films I have seen recently. Danny Boyle did an amazing job directing this film. The casting was brilliant with the children and the the backdrop of India was exciting to see. I was on the edge of my seat through the whole film and I loved the game show story line. I am also a sucker for love stories and this was a good one.
See other filmmakers favorite films in the latest edition of Inside Indies >>
Inside Indies: Filmmaker Johnny Symons Discusses Favorite Films
What are your favorite films? It’s a difficult question and oftentimes nearly impossible to narrow down.
We recently asked ITVS funded filmmaker Johnny Symons (ASK NOT, DADDY & PAPA) to talk about his favorites and why.
Check out his video response:
Visit Inside Indies to find out about other filmmakers favorite films >>
Filmmaker Christen Marquez at the Pacific X-Change Conference
ITVS and Pacific Islanders In Communications recently hosted the Pacific X-change conference, an educational two-day workshop held in Waikiki, Hawaii. Find out what the experience was like for independent documentary filmmaker Christen Marquez who was one of 19 selected to attend.
Filmmaker Christen Marquez with her mother Elena Marquez, both subjects of the documentary work-in-progress HAKU INOA: To Weave a Name.
Richard Saiz gives out homework. Really, there was a take home assignment.
Filmmaker Sarah Del Seronde presents her project on a family in Tonga to the panel.
Every time I return to Hawai‘i, I am grateful to see my Mom, spend time with her, and learn from her. As a Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) of mixed heritage currently living in California, I truly appreciate any opportunity to learn from all the people I meet here on the islands. This trip was exceptionally exciting because I was one of 19 fortunate documentary producers and directors selected to attend the Pacific X-change conference, which was a collaboration between ITVS and Pacific Islanders In Communications. Held in the Prince Kuhio hotel in Waikiki, the workshop consisted of two days of workshops and pitching sessions.
At the beginning of the conference ITVS Senior Programming Manager Richard Saiz revealed that he has read an astonishing 8,000 documentary proposals. Wow! I would probably have brain damage. Thankfully, instead of crippling himself, Richard has gained great insight into what goes into a successful treatment. Just one memorable tidbit he shared with us was his holy trinity of doc proposal writing. Which distilled to premise, theme and story. If you can make each of these elements truly compelling Richard swears that you will be successful.
Up next was lovely local girl Cheryl Hirasa, who also happens to be a production manager at ITVS. By coincidence, she was in Hawai‘i visiting family and actually gave up some of her vacation to attend the conference. She presented a workshop on producing for public television, which helped explain deliverables and public television distribution.
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