ITVS Funded Films Receive Three Nominations for the 2011 IDA Awards

Three ITVS projects received nominations for the 2011 IDA Awards which will be held on December 2nd in Los Angeles.

The IDA Awards celebrate outstanding achievements in documentary filmmaking and three ITVS funded films received nominations for the 2011 Awards. All three nominees were originally broadcast on the award-winning PBS series POV.  See the entire list of ITVS nominees after the jump:
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Tags: Academy Award, American Experience, Awards, documentary, Emmy, film festival, filmmaker, independent, Independent Lens, P.O.V., PBS

Live Chat on DDF Funding

This year’s deadline for the Diversity Development Fund (DDF) falls on November 11. On Tuesday, November 1 at 1PM PT / 4PM ET, ITVS Programming Manager Karim Ahmad will be taking questions from interested applicants in a live chat on BTB.

The DDF 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 underserved audiences with programs that take creative risks, explore complex issues, inspire dialogue and express points of view seldom seen on commercial or public television.
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Tags: diversity, documentaries, documentary, film, film schools, filmmakers, financing, funding, independent, producers

Up Next on Independent Lens, Donor Unknown

Like a real-life The Kids Are All Right, Donor Unknown profiles a far-flung group of siblings in search of each other and their father. The film airs Thursday, October 20 on Independent Lens (check local listings). Earlier in the day, BTB will host a live chat on the subject at 10AM PT / 1PM ET on BTB.

JoEllen Marsh is 20 years old, and has never met her father. As she goes in search of her paternity, her path to Donor 150 becomes an exploration into identity and the complex permutations of family. Her journey raises questions about what makes us who we are, what makes a family, and what the brave new world of fertility technology means for our assumptions about both.
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Tags: anonymous, documentary, Donor, family, Fertility, film festival, independent, Paternity, The Kids are Alright

Best Documentaries from PBS are 50% Off on iTunes, Now Until October 17

Find PBS Indies on iTunes and watch award-winning documentary films at half price from now until October 17.

 

For films buffs and documentary lovers out there, we have some good news to share. PBS will be offering the best documentaries on iTunes at 50% off from October 4–17.

Visit iTunes and search for PBS Indies and you’ll find what you’re looking for. From the hilarious film Men Who Swim, to Meghan Eckman’s cult-favorite The Parking Lot Movie, and the latest documentary behind a cultural comic-book phenomenon in Wham! Bam! Islam!

There is more than enough content on PBS Indies to keep you entertained. Visit PBS Indies on iTunes from October 4-17 and be inspired through the power of documentary film.

Tags: apple, documentaries, film festivals, independent, iTunes, PBS, sale

ITVS Indies Showcase Audience Award Winner – A Panther in Africa

Your votes have been counted and the ITVS Indies Showcase Audience Award goes to  A Panther in Africa! 

To bring closure to the inaugural ITVS Indies Showcase festival which just wrapped up, viewers were asked to select a favorite film for the always-coveted Audience Award. Well, the votes have been tallied and the Indies Showcase Audience Award winner is A Panther in Africa.

The documentary by filmmaker Aaron Matthews, which originally aired on POV, tells the story of  Pete O’Neal, a Black Panther living in exile in Tanzania who commits his life to activism and community service.

Congratulations to the filmmaker and thanks to everyone who voted!

Click her to watch a trailer >>

Tags: Africa, Audience Award, black panthers, documentaries, film festival, independent, Independent Lens, P.O.V., PBS

Catch ITVS Films and Staff at the Silverdocs Festival

The Silverdocs Film Festival and Conference kicks off Monday June 20 in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Known as the “pre-eminent documentary festival in the U.S.,” Silverdocs is a seven-day international film festival and five-day concurrent conference that promotes documentary film as a leading art form and supports the work of independent filmmakers.

Silverdocs kicks today in Silver Spring, Maryland and both ITVS staff and films are well represented:
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Tags: documentary, film festival, filmmaker, funding, independent, ITVS, Silverdocs, Washington DC

Visiones Kicks Off on Global Voices

Visiones: Latino Art and Culture, directed by Hector Galan

Visiones: Latino Art and Culture profiles some of the most influential painters, musicians, dancers, and writers working in America today. Parts one and two of the six-part series air this Sunday, August 15 on Global Voices on PBS WORLD.

Directed by Hector Galan, Visiones explores how contemporary Latino artists continue to build on rich traditions that reflect a unique multi-ethnic experience, taking established art forms and reinventing them, constantly challenging themselves and the communities that nurture them.

From New York City’s breakdancers to mural painters in Los Angeles to stage actors in Texas, the series offers a unique cross section of Latino artists working today.

Check out parts one and two of Visiones this Sunday on Global Voices.

Tags: arts & culture, arts programming, documentary, Hispanic, independent, indie films, ITVS, Latino, PBS, public television

Ask Programming: Questions from Filmmakers

ITVS programming staff answer questions from filmmakers about the funding process:

Q. Does it help my application if I include letters of support from funders or letters of interest from broadcasters?

A. No, do not waste your efforts in padding your application with letters of interest and support––these do not improve the quality of your application under ITVS review.

From our point of view, the development of your idea and the overall quality of your project is apparent in the articulation of your program treatment and the execution of your work-in-progress.

For the application, letters of interest and support are extraneous. If you like, you can provide a brief summary (one to two sentences) of your supporters in a paragraph describing the project’s status.

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Tags: application, documentary, funding, independent, PBS