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From the President
Of course we think he'd be a filmmaker—and an independent one, at that. But how much difference would genre make? All the technology advancements since 1600 do not change what Shakespeare represents: a storyteller and truth seeker who pushes the envelope of narrative, using whatever tools are available. This is what storytellers have always done. They've recorded private lives on vases and bloody wars on hieroglyphic monuments. And, more recently, they've picked up a camera. Individuals may tell the stories, but they have always needed a community behind them. The guilds, salons and patrons of the past have been replaced with theaters, publishers and movie studios. Shakespeare had his Earl of Southampton, and where would independent filmmakers be without private philanthropy and public television? Once storytellers needed champions at court; today they need them in Congress. ITVS was founded by storytellers who knew the history of their craft and the importance of support organizations to stand behind them. When we first opened our door in Minneapolis in 1991, independents were just trying to break into the market. Now they clean up at the Emmy Awards and Hollywood swarms Sundance. Documentaries, formerly the province of PBS, helped spark an interest in "real people" on television, and the reality TV craze in turn has helped docs carve out territory across cable and theater. We have been a part of that evolution, and the timing has been dramatic. The end of the 20th century saw a leap in technology. For storytellers—for independent filmmakers—revolution is not too strong a word. Fueled by digital technology, there are more storytellers than ever, trying to make their voices heard from the fringes or in the din. Their story is our story, and this 15th Anniversary Special Issue of Beyond the Box explores its present, past and future. You'll notice some important changes in the magazine, too. We've refreshed our logo and there's a new format. Also, you'll no longer find ITVS applications in the print version—they are available online at applications and guidelines. We hope you enjoy this issue as we consider the past and speculate about the future. What we know for sure is this: as we work hard to incorporate changing global markets and new technologies into our service model, it's independents who will tell the true stories, and we're here to support them. —Sally Jo Fifer |
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