Please join in via chat or by using the Twitter hashtag #magd. How do you think the media is doing in helping divergent cultures understand and empathize with one another? Is technology delivering on its promise to democratize media in a true sense? What could we be doing better?

Dive in and be heard:

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You’ll able to engage panelists through a live chat and Twitter (#magd). We encourage you to take part! Sign up and find full details of the event at www.usip.org.

The summit, Seizing the Moment: Media and Peacebuilding, will be moderated by NPR’s Michel Martin, host of the acclaimed program Tell Me More, and will bring together more than 20 thought leaders, CEOs, media makers, and policy gurus to tackle the tough questions around leveraging today’s global media to facilitate conflict resolution and contribute to the expansion of peace.

The summit will present a series of three discussions (The New News:  Media at the Crossroads, Storytelling 2.0: Keeping it Real,Opening Minds, and Changing Hearts, and Next Generation Peacebuilders) alongside select content from new documentaries coming to PBS and other outlets, including the Academy® Award-nominated The Most Dangerous Man in America and Project Kashmir airing on Independent Lens on May 18th.

The day’s panelists include:

• Jared Cohen—Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff, U.S. Department of State
• Patricia Harrison—President and CEO, Corporation for Public Broadcasting
• Marvin Kalb—Veteran Broadcaster and Visiting Expert, USIP
• Riz Khan—Senior  News Anchor, Al Jazeera English
• Gary Knell—President and CEO, Sesame Workshop
• Mir Ibrahim Rahman—CEO, Geo TV Pakistan

Please tune in and add your voice to this important conversation.

"Teacher" premieres Sunday, May 9 on Global Voices

Filmmaker Leslie Wiener-Legrand (Teacher, premiering May 9 on Global Voices on PBS WORLD, check local listings) went to Ho Chi Minh City fully intending to make a travel documentary about Vietnam for the Lonely Planet franchise. But as she spent time in the city scouting out locales to highlight for prospective tourists, she found it ever more difficult to ignore the poverty all around her — particularly the plight of the city’s thousands of street children, many of whom have AIDS.

As she found her lens drawn more and more to them and their stories, she met their guardian angel, Nguyen Van Hung, a former drug addict who came of age just as Saigon fell and who spent decades as an aimless street thug and heroin addict.

How did such an unlikely character end up dedicating his life to the stricken children of Vietnam’s capital? wondered Wiener-Legrand. She was captivated, and shifted her focus — literally — from travel guide to social documentary. But it wasn’t just her work that was transformed: it was herself, as well.

Watch this behind-the-scenes footage from the filmmaker as she explains how Nguyen taught her profound lessons in life, courage, death, generosity, and love as she made her film about him, Teacher.

The season debuts on Sunday, May 9 (Happy Mother’s Day!) on PBS WORLD (check local listings) with Teacher, a lyrical new documentary by Leslie Wiener-Legrand and Nick Hector about a former drug addict in Ho Chi Minh City who is now dedicated to helping the homeless street children of that city battle HIV and AIDS.

"Teacher" premiering Sunday, May 9 on PBS WORLD

We’re not going to lie, the lineup this season is pretty impressive. The films cover the globe from Serbia, Jordan, Romania, Armenia, Qatar, and beyond, offering viewers in the U.S. a chance to look inside the lives and hear the perspectives of people whose experiences are utterly different from their own. In a time of myriad global challenges, it can be helpful to get to know our global neighbors and rediscover our common humanity. And while there are plenty of serious sociopolitical topics covered in these films, there is also a healthy dose of humor, too. (Keep up with the series on our Global Voices Facebook page.)

Watch a preview of Teacher airing this Sunday, May 9th on PBS WORLD >>

In The Beetle, we meet Yishai Orian, an Israeli filmmaker who is the director of this charming documentary and the owner of a beloved but dilapidated Volkswagen Beetle. Orian’s pregnant wife insists the old jalopy is unsuitable for their new family, so he goes on a journey to save it by finding its previous owners. Along the way, he finds that his personal story blends with the funny, sad, and touching memories of the Beetle’s previous owners.

Another highlight is Carmen Meets Borat, directed by Mercedes Stalenhoef. In a small village in Romania, Stalenhoef sets out to document one teenage girl’s dream of escaping her gypsy village, but the vérité-style film grows into something much bigger than planned with the arrival of comedian and actor, Sasha Baron Cohen, there to shoot Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. The film is a hilarious and touching look at people with humble lives who are suddenly brought into the spotlight, exposing both the best and the worst of human nature.

But there are more than 20 other great films to look forward to, so check out the program guide and set those DVRs.

What’s that you say? You don’t have digital cable? No worries. The best news of all is that almost all of the films this season will be available for at least three weeks from their broadcast dates on PBS’s Video Player, for free. Yes, free. Cool, right?

The deadline for ITVS International Call is Friday, February 5, 2010. Due dates are not postmark deadlines and all materials must arrive at ITVS by 5:00 PM.

Have additional questions about the International Media Development Fund? Email Cynthia_Kane@itvs.org or call 415-356-8383 x445.

Find more information about guidelines and how to apply >>

The application is now available on the ITVS website. Download now >>

Have additional questions about the International Media Development Fund? Email Cynthia_Kane@itvs.org or call 415-356-8383 x445.

Q. How does the International Call work?

A. Through the International Call funding initiative, ITVS works to:

1. Seek out international projects. We work closely with international media markets, film festivals and producer organizations to find and attract the most compelling television project proposals from around the world.

2. Select the best projects created by international independent producers. The International Call incorporates a peer-review process involving distinguished industry professionals (filmmakers, commissioning editors, broadcasters, etc.) from around the world.

Cynthia Kane, ITVS International Program Manager, posing in front of the International Call submissions library.

3. Fund and manage projects to completion. Through the International Call, we provide production funds in exchange for a license for domestic broadcast; strategic commissioning commitments vary. ITVS works with producers to ensure that all programs meet broadcast and editorial standards.

4. Find U.S. television distribution outlets. Working with the producer, public television and other outlets, we negotiate U.S. distribution through public or cable television.

5. Maximize impact. Through publicity and community outreach campaigns, we help programs find and impact audiences.

Q. What is the most common mistake that International Call applicants make?

A. Unfortunately many applicants do not read the guidelines as carefully as they should. Many producers do not write clear treatments, making them generic and unspecific as to how the story will be told. Other common mistakes are incomplete proposals, no work-in-progress reel or no completed sample work. These can make applications
ineligible.

If you have additional questions, visit our International Call message board at www.itvs.proboards.com.

And for more information, email Jonathan Archer: jonathan_archer@itvs.org or call ITVS at 415-356-8383.

The deadline for ITVS International Call is Friday, February 5, 2010. Due dates are not postmark deadlines and all materials must arrive at ITVS by 5:00 PM.

Find more information about guidelines and how to apply >>

Have additional questions about International Call? Email Joy_Scott@itvs.org or call 415-356-8383 x232.

Situated in the Italian Alps about one hour North of Torino (aka Turin––think Fiat and the Shroud), Bardonecchia is a charming, albeit quiet, town in summer, making it a fantastic place to focus on documentary. In winter, I’m told that it’s a far different scene––packed with skiers, snowboarders and glamorous Italians. Most people know Bardonecchia as one to the sites of the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics.

Although the event doesn’t officially begin until Wednesday, many participants arrived early this week to attend the Pitching Forum. There were several successful pitches from the past––including two ITVS International docs: THE MOSQUITO PROBLEM & OTHER STORIES, produced by Martichka Bozhilova and directed by Andrey Paounov, and JOURNALS OF A WILY SCHOOL, produced by Debu Bhattacharyya and directed by Sudeshna Bose. In total there were 23 projects during the two days of the Pitching Forum. I also kept busy by attending a matchmaking/development session with 14 projects that were pitched and discussed at length. This session was the most interesting to me since I’ve never seen most of the projects, thus it had many good possibilities for International Call 2010.

There were not only filmmakers and producers from Europe, but from various parts of the world – including three fantastic projects from India, a Malaysian filmmaker tackling topics related to Japan and several filmmakers with dual citizenship. Maria Yatskova, a U.S.-Russian-Azerbaijani filmmaker was present with a fantastic project, Cententarians of Azerbaijan. Her previous film, Miss Gulag, won multiple awards and has been broadcast, quite literally, around the world. Filmmaker Tomas Sheridan is a U.S.-Italian citizen living and making films in Scotland. His documentary Archive of Dreams opened the week’s screenings along with Bjarte Thoresen and Bente Olav’s When Castro Seized the Hilton.

The Indian filmmakers and producers had enormous difficulties this year getting visas due to the G8 summit––taking place near Rome, nowhere near Bardonecchia in the North––so go figure. Nilotpal Majumdar, director of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute in Kolkata, where DocEdge is hosted each January, was unable to come at all in the end. One pitch, English is Easy, was done by Skype by its filmmaker/producer Sayak Bhattacharya. Thank the gods for 21st century technology!

There was much talk of 360-multiplatform strategy in both Matchmaking and the Pitch. Not all the filmmakers are thinking this way, but the majority have either well-designed 360 elements or are at least in the idea stages of how to enhance a core documentary (very much in line of the thinking at ITVS).

And several Italian broadcasters were present––Lorenzo Hendel and Luca Franco of Rai 3, who launched a new creative doc strand two weeks ago with Raffele Brunetti’s Hair India––and the young and brilliant Davide Scalenghe of Current-Italy, sister channel of Current-U.S., but with a twist. They show both short form as well as long form documentaries and is one of the most watched channels in the country. Current-U.S., I am told, is looking to make some changes due to the success of the Italian model.

Finally we were fed fully and richly in intellect, body and soul (yes, unbelievable meals and Piemontese wines – oh yeah!) A week very much worthwhile.

-Cynthia
ITVS International Programming Manager

Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu giving the keynote address. Photo credit: Violaine Beix

More than 1,000 people attended the Geneva Forum on Social Change, co-presented by ITVS.

The Geneva Forum on Social Change was a whirlwind two-day international event that paired 10 ITVS International documentary and social issue films with six panel discussions, three keynote speakers—including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and two workshops on the strategic use of film in public affairs and education…and if that sounds like an action-packed couple of days, well you don’t know the half of it!

The event attracted more than 1,000 people––principally from Geneva’s corps of international NGOs and IOs—including United Nation agencies like the World Food Program, IAEA, UNICEF, UNIFEM, UNESCO and others. Students from Geneva University also came out in strong numbers, notably for the films, and even more notably for the Golden Globe winner WALTZ WITH BASHIR. The event drew from beyond Geneva’s close circle to include documentary filmmakers and broadcasters from around Europe and America, and a number of special guests who really made for an amazing two days of engagement, international exchange and excellent movie watching.

Stealing the show was the hour long and clearly extemporaneous keynote address by Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, whose message focused on the need for people to be engaged in projects like this one. “You are all wonderful human beings who bring God’s gifts to the world,” he told the audience.

Another highlight included the closing address by filmmaker Nick Francis, who detailed his continuing work on international trade issues through his landmark film BLACK GOLD, which aired on PBS’s Independent Lens in 2008. Check out the video below where Nick discusses the impact of his film at the forum.

Rounding out the main speakers was the passionate Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, general secretary of the World YWCA, whose remarks hammered home the need for a continued focus on human rights and empowerment for women—a perfect match for the launch of ITVS ‘s brand new Classroom product, International Edition Vol. 1: Women’s Empowerment, which was unveiled and distributed during ITVS’s film and education workshop the same day as Gumbonzvanda’s rousing remarks.

Other ITVS filmmakers attending and presenting at the event included Daniel Junge (IRON LADIES OF LIBERIA), Brigitte Brault (AFGHANISTAN UNVEILED) and a surprise visit from Danny Hakim, who flew in from Israel to introduce his film SHADYA.

The event was a collaborative effort by ITVS, the Naval Postgraduate School, the U.S. Mission to Geneva, and the incredibly talented and committed students of the University of Geneva’s International Organizations MBA Program, who really worked hard to make the forum such a great success. In particular, our thanks go out to the organizing committee; Patrick Huber, Marshall Sitten, Violaine Beix, and Catherine Siegel, who shouldered a huge burden to deliver such a great success.

Beyond the great films and probing discussions, the real success was in bringing together so many people from so many diverse backgrounds to discuss pressing issues and develop better answers. I’m not sure if we found any, but the inaugural Geneva Forum on Social Change definitely made a contribution to some of the ongoing conversations among the people who are in a position to make that change, and ITVS was very much at the table.

-Dennis

Want to know more about the impact of ITVS International films? Watch the video interview below with Nick Francis, who’s film BLACK GOLD aired on PBS’s Independent Lens in 2008 (TRT: 6:00 minutes).

On Friday, June 5, Beyond the Box Blog hosted a live streaming discussion about this issue from the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication, which was streamed simultaneously at the Geneva Forum on Social Change, a global event co-sponsored by ITVS with keynote speaker Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Moderator Sandy Tolan, journalism professor at USC Annenberg School for Communication, led a discussion about developing media strategies with Enrica Colusso, filmmaker of ABC COLOMBIA; Tamara Gould, vice president of distribution at Independent Television Service International; and Diana Diaz, commissioning editor and head of programming and content at the Radio Televisión Nacional de Colombia. This panel also explored the role of independent and public media in changing the way the world sees America and Americans see the world, and examined case studies of documentary exchanges that connect citizens with citizens through traditional broadcast, new media, outreach and co-production relationships.

Missed the live stream? Watch the full discussion below (TRT: 90 minutes):

Click To Play