Documentary
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MacArthur Foundation to Cease Supporting Individual Documentary Film Projects
The MacArthur Foundation, which has supported over 300 documentary films since the mid-1980s, is ceasing grant support for individual documentary film projects. In a change announced on its website, MacArthur writes that it will actually increase its overall support for the documentary field but will do so by supporting partner organizations, many of whom have individual granting programs. Indeed, the announcement redirects filmmakers to POV, Firelight Media, ITVS, Sundance Documentary Fund and Tribeca Film Institute. In the post, MacArthur cites the more expansive work done by these partner organizations, which includes mentorship, editorial advice and audience engagement. From the site: […]
by Scott Macaulay on Mar 4, 2016 -
Watch: Unmappable, by Diane Hodson and Jasmine Luoma
Premiering online on Vimeo is Unmappable, a short documentary by Diane Hodson and Jasmine Luoma that presents a complicated portrait of an artist and sex offender. Here’s Whitney Mallett writing about the film previously for Filmmaker at the Atlanta Film Festival. The short documentary Unmappable is a portrait of Denis Wood, whose poetic mapmaking challenges the distinction between art and cartography. He also had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old boy — a friend of his son’s who began living with the family — for which he spent 26 months in prison. Both the story and tone directors Diane Hodson […]
by Scott Macaulay on Mar 1, 2016 -
Trailer Watch: The Marijuana Journalism Documentary, Rolling Papers
The SXSW-premiering Rolling Papers, which opens in theaters today from Alchemy, finds a sharp angle to cover the rise of legal weed in the state of Colorado. Even before recreational marijuana use was legalized in Colorado, The Denver Post launched a department devoted to covering the pot beat, “The Cannabist.” It’s by focusing on editor Ricardo Baca and his team of journalists that producer/director Mitch Dickman tells a story that’s about changing cultural mores, the struggles of print journalism, and getting high in the Mile High State.
by Scott Macaulay on Feb 19, 2016 -
TASER Tries to Discredit Killing Them Safely Documentary
It’s not unusual for filmmakers digging into difficult truths to face backlash or even retaliation. The Church of Scientology, for instance, launched a smear campaign against director Alex Gibney after his film Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief addressed some of the religion’s questionable practices. Now TASER International has tried to discredit the new documentary Killing Them Safely, which raises serious questions about the safety of TASER guns, by posting negative reviews on various web sites, including Amazon.com, iTunes and IMDB. Because TASER employees used their real names when posting these reviews, it’s been easy to spot these fake reviews (after Berardini shared […]
by Paula Bernstein on Dec 11, 2015 -
American Movie to Receive Cinema Eye Honors 2016 Legacy Award
Cinema Eye, the nonfiction film organization behind the annual Cinema Eye Honors, will present the 2016 Legacy Award to American Movie, Chris Smith’s 1999 chronicle of an independent filmmaker pursuing his passion project. Smith will accept the award on behalf of the film at the Cinema Eye Honors Lunch, on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 in Manhattan. Award-winning documentary filmmaker Steve James (Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters, Life Itself) will serve as host and master of ceremonies for the 2016 Cinema Eye Honors, which will be held Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens. Meanwhile, today marks the second day of […]
by Paula Bernstein on Dec 10, 2015 -
How The Award-Winning Rich Hill Made an Impact
It’s been nearly two years since Rich Hill, an observational documentary about three teens growing up in rural poverty, won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize Documentary Award at the Sundance Film Festival. But the conversation the film sparked continues today and the film’s engagement campaign is still going strong. Directed by Andrew Droz Palermo and Tracy Droz Tragos, Rich Hill invites viewers into three families’ homes where they witness first-hand the hardships and challenges the families face as they struggle to make ends meet. Following its premiere at Sundance, Rich Hill was acquired by The Orchard and Independent Lens. It was […]
by Paula Bernstein on Dec 8, 2015 -
This Animated Documentary Won the IDA Award for Best Short
Last Day of Freedom is a hand-drawn animated documentary which chronicles Bill Babbitt’s relationship with his mentally ill brother, Manny, a Vietnam veteran with PTSD who was sentenced to the death penalty after murdering a woman. Using a confessional format to tell a compelling story encompassing the treatment of veterans, PTSD, mental illness, the criminal justice system, racism and family, the film won the Best Short Award at at the International Documentary Association’s IDA Awards Saturday night. Directed by Dee Hibbert-Jones and Nomi Talisman, Last Day of Freedom has taken top prizes at a number of festivals, including the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, where it won the Jury […]
by Paula Bernstein on Dec 8, 2015 -
The Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund is Open for Submissions
Good news for filmmakers looking for finishing funds to complete a feature-length documentary which highlights a social issue: The Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund is open for submissions through February 5, 2016. Even better, there is no application fee. The Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund will provide funding to four-to-10 feature-length documentaries. In addition, The AOL Charitable Foundation Award, a subset of the Fund, gives grants to four filmmakers whose feature-length documentaries illuminate the lives of women and youth around the globe. Previous grantees of The Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund include Marshall Curry’s Point and Shoot, Marc Silver’s 3 1/2 Minutes, Leslee Udwin’s India’s Daughter […]
by Paula Bernstein on Dec 7, 2015 -
Making Issue Films Doesn’t Have to Feel Dirty: Nick Berardini on Making Killing Them Safely
The term “issue” in the context of filmmaking can cause a lot of consternation for aspiring filmmakers. It can feel dirty just saying it out loud. When I first began making my debut feature, Killing Them Safely, I was at times apologetic for the subject matter. Early on, one of my producers would get in the habit of telling others it was “a film about TASERs,” and I would cringe. “It’s not a film about TASERs,” I often corrected him, “It’s a film about TASER International. There’s a big difference.” At times I felt like I was being a bit […]
by Nick Berardini on Dec 4, 2015 -
The 5 Minor Epiphanies of the 2015 IDFA Forum
The IDFA Forum is one of the oldest pitch roundtables in the world specifically for documentaries. It’s a yearly event that gathers some of the biggest broadcasters in Europe, Canada, and the US, as well as other financiers, foundations, and distributors to hear about some of the most compelling new documentaries that are being produced independently. The format that is used at the Central Pitch is a seven-minute pitch followed by a seven-minute response from many of the broadcasting Commissioning Editors. The vibe is very collegial and only occasionally contentious, as filmmakers justify their choices and explain their projects in […]
by Eli Brown on Dec 3, 2015
