Register for Forum |  Forum Login |  Forum Control Panel  


 
Dec
03
    

U.S. DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
This year’s 16 films were selected from 862 submissions. Each film is a world premiere.

Bhutto (Directors: Jessica Hernandez and Johnny O’Hara; Screenwriter: Johnny O’Hara)—A riveting journey through the life and work of recently assassinated Benazir Bhutto, former Pakistani prime minister and a polarizing figure in the Muslim world. World Premiere

CASINO JACK & The United States of Money (Director: Alex Gibney)—A probing investigation into the lies, greed and corruption surrounding D.C. super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his cronies. World Premiere

Family Affair (Director: Chico Colvard)—An uncompromising documentary that examines resilience, survival and the capacity to accommodate a parent’s past crimes in order to satisfy the longing for family. World Premiere

Freedom Riders (Director: Stanley Nelson)—The story behind a courageous band of civil rights activists called the Freedom Riders who in 1961 creatively challenged segregation in the American South. World Premiere
Gas Land (Director: Josh Fox)—A cross-country odyssey uncovers toxic streams, dying livestock, flammable sinks and weakening health among rural citizens on the front lines of the natural gas drilling craze. World Premiere

I’m Pat _______ Tillman (Director: Amir Bar-Lev)—The story of professional football star and decorated U.S. soldier Pat Tillman, whose family takes on the U.S. government when their beloved son dies in a “friendly fire” incident in Afghanistan in 2004. World Premiere

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (Director: Tamra Davis)—The story of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose work defined, electrified and challenged an era, and whose untimely death at age 27 has made him a cultural icon. World Premiere

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (Directors: Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg)—A rare, brutally honest glimpse into the comedic process and private dramas of legendary comedian and pop icon Joan Rivers as she fights tooth and nail to keep her American dream alive. World Premiere

Lucky (Director: Jeffrey Blitz)—The story of what happens when ordinary people hit the lottery jackpot.
World Premiere

My Perestroika (Director: Robin Hessman)—Intimately tracking the lives of five Muscovites who came of age just as the USSR collapsed and are adjusting to their post-Soviet reality, My Perestroika maps the contours of a nation in profound transition. World Premiere

The Oath (Director: Laura Poitras)— Filmed in Yemen, The Oath tells the story of two men whose fateful encounter in 1996 set them on a course of events that led them to Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden, 9/11, Guantanamo, and the U.S. Supreme Court. World Premiere

Restrepo (Directors: Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington)—Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington’s year dug in with the Second Platoon in one of Afghanistan’s most strategically crucial valleys reveals extraordinary insight into the surreal combination of back breaking labor, deadly firefights, and camaraderie as the soldiers painfully push back the Taliban. World Premiere

A Small Act (Director: Jennifer Arnold)—A young Kenyan’s life changes dramatically when his education is sponsored by a Swedish stranger. Years later, he founds his own scholarship program to replicate the kindness he once received. World Premiere
Smash His Camera (Director: Leon Gast)—Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis sued him, and Marlon Brando broke his jaw. The story of notorious, reviled paparazzo Ron Galella opens a Pandora’s Box of issues from right to privacy, freedom of the press and the ever-growing vortex of celebrity worship. World Premiere

12th & Delaware (Directors: Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing)—The abortion battle continues to rage in unexpected ways on an unassuming corner in America. World Premiere

Waiting for Superman (Director: Davis Guggenheim)—Waiting for Superman examines the crisis of public education in the United States through multiple interlocking stories—from a handful of students and their families whose futures hang in the balance, to the educators and reformers trying to find real and lasting solutions within a dysfunctional system. World Premiere


 
Nov
29
    

DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

These films represent a broad section of new documentaries by American independent filmmakers. From examinations of the American political system and the country’s use of natural resources to explorations of cultural development and intimate portraits of legendary artists, these films represent a thematic and artistic variety. This year’s 16 films were selected from a record 953 submissions. Each film is a world premiere.

The films screening in Documentary Competition are:

AN AMERICAN SOLDIER (Director and Screenwriter: Edet Belzberg)—Uncle Sam really wants you! A compelling exploration of army recruitment in the United States told through the story of Louisiana Sergeant, First Class Clay Usie, one of the most successful recruiters in the history of the U.S. Army. World Premiere

AMERICAN TEEN (Director and Screenwriter: Nanette Burstein)— This irreverent cinema vérité chronicles four seniors at an Indiana high school and yields a surprising snapshot of Midwestern life. World Premiere

BIGGER, STRONGER, FASTER* (Director: Christopher Bell; Screenwriters: Christopher Bell, Alexander Buono, Tamsin Rawady)—A filmmaker explores America’s win-at-all-cost culture by examining his two brothers’ steroids use…and his own. World Premiere

FIELDS OF FUEL (Director and Screenwriter: Josh Tickell)— America is addicted to oil and it is time for an intervention. Enter Josh Tickell, a man with a plan and a Veggie Van, who is taking on big oil, big government, and big soy to find solutions in places few people have looked. World Premiere

FLOW: FOR LOVE OF WATER (Director: Irena Salina)— Water is the very essence of life, sustaining every being on the planet. FLOW confronts the disturbing reality that our crucial resource is dwindling and greed just may be the cause. World Premiere

GONZO: THE LIFE AND WORK OF DR. HUNTER S. THOMPSON (Director: Alex Gibney)—Fueled by a raging libido, Wild Turkey, and superhuman doses of drugs, Thompson was a true “free lance,” goring sacred cows with impunity, hilarity, and a steel-eyed conviction for writing wrongs. Focusing on the good doctor’s heyday, 1965 to 1975, the film includes clips of never-before-seen (nor heard) home movies, audiotapes, and passages from unpublished manuscripts. World Premiere

THE GREATEST SILENCE: RAPE IN THE CONGO (Director and Screenwriter: Lisa F. Jackson)— Jackson travels to remote villages in the war zones of the Congo to meet rape survivors, providing a piercing, intimate look into the struggle of their lives. World Premiere

I.O.U.S.A. (Director: Patrick Creadon)—Few are aware that America may be on the brink of a financial meltdown. I.O.U.S.A. explores the country’s shocking current fiscal condition and ways to avoid a national economic disaster. World Premiere

NERAKHOON (THE BETRAYAL) (Director: Ellen Kuras; Co-Director: Thavisouk Phrasavath; Screenwriters: Ellen Kuras, Thavisouk Phrasavath)— The epic story of a family forced to emigrate from Laos after the chaos of the secret air war waged by the U.S. during the Vietnam War. Kuras has spent the last 23 years chronicling the family’s extraordinary journey in this deeply personal, poetic, and emotional film. World Premiere

THE ORDER OF MYTHS (Director: Margaret Brown) — In 2007 Mobile, Alabama, Mardi Gras is celebrated…and complicated. Following a cast of characters, parades, and parties across an enduring color line, we see that beneath the surface of pageantry lies something else altogether. World Premiere

PATTI SMITH: DREAM OF LIFE (Director and Screenwriter: Steven Sebring)— An intimate portrait of music icon Patti Smith that mirrors the essence of the artist herself. World Premiere

ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED (Director: Marina Zenovich; Screenwriters: Marina Zenovich, Joe Bini, P.G. Morgan)— Marina Zenovich’s new documentary examines the public scandal and private tragedy which led to legendary director Roman Polanski’s sudden flight from the United States. World Premiere

SECRECY (Directors: Peter Galison, Robb Moss)— Amidst the American hunger for instantaneous news and up-to-date “facts,” this unflinching film uncovers the vast, invisible world of government secrecy. World Premiere

SLINGSHOT HIP HOP (Director: Jackie Reem Salloum)—The voice of a new generation rocks and rhymes as Palestinian rappers form alternative voices of resistance within the Israeli-Palestinian struggle. World Premiere

TRACES OF THE TRADE: A STORY FROM THE DEEP NORTH (Director: Katrina Browne; C0-Directors: Alla Kovgan, Jude Ray; Screenwriters: Katrina Browne, Alla Kovgan)—History finally gets rewritten as descendants of the largest slave-trading family in early America face their past, and present, as they explore their violent heritage across oceans and continents. World Premiere

TROUBLE THE WATER (Directors: Tia Lessin, Carl Deal)— An aspiring rap artist and her streetwise husband, armed with a video camera, show what survival is all about when they are trapped in New Orleans by deadly floodwaters, and seize a chance for a new beginning. World Premiere


 
Apr
03
    

(March 23, 2007) Now in its 41st year, the BAC International Film and Video Festival (May 5 – 12, 2007) screens 58 films over 6 days at 4 venues with three feature narratives having their World or New York premieres at the festival. Keeping with Brooklyn Arts Council’s tradition of showcasing a wide variety of high quality films directed by emerging artists from around the world, this year includes 8 award winning short documentaries, 15 short narratives, 8 animation and 5 experimental pieces, plus 6 innovative installation videos by filmmakers from Brooklyn to China to Botswana. 11 films shot and directed by youth filmmakers will also be screened.

This year’s festival kicks off on Saturday, May 5 from 2 – 5 pm at the Brooklyn Museum with “Brooklyn Filmmakers,” a screening of shorts and feature works. This year Brooklyn Arts Council partners with the Brooklyn Museum in conjunction with the museum’s new Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art by curating Pharaohs, Queens and Goddesses, a wonderful selection of films that deal with Global Feminism that screens on Saturday, May 5, 2007 from 6:30 – 10:30pm during Brooklyn Museum’s acclaimed Target First Saturday series.

We’ve expanded our ability to meet and support the ever increasing number of films shot, produced, directed and serviced by Brooklyn artists with additional collaborations. New initiatives allow screenwriters, for example, to benefit from our “Story Structure and Creative Explorations” professional development seminar and to compete for prizes generously donated by Writers Boot Camp. Filmmakers can enjoy wider, more diverse audiences at the Target First Saturday screening at the Brooklyn Museum, and network with each other at our closing party at Bar Sepia, on Friday, May 11th. The “Independent Filmmakers” screening, also at the Brooklyn Museum, showcases Independent talent from as far as the Chech Republic, while the “New Visionaries” screening at Long Island University focuses on fresh, new films by local and international college students. Sony Wonder hosts our seventh “Youth Shorts” screening at the Sony Wonder Technology Lab in Manhattan on Thursday, May 10. And on Friday, May 11 the festival features provocative new films during the “After Hours” screening at the Brooklyn Museum. We wrap up our festival week with the Sixth Annual Women of African Descent Film Festival, hosted by the Brooklyn chapter of the Links at Long Island University, which showcases films directed or produced by women of the African Diaspora.

BACKGROUND

Each year, Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC) hosts the International Film and Video Festival to give film and video artists an opportunity to show their work to critics, the media and an enthusiastic New York audience. In operation since 1966, the festival is the longest running event of its kind in Brooklyn.  For some young filmmakers, the BAC Film Festival is an important first step in launching a successful career. In 2002, a recent college graduate named Ryan Fleck screened a short film at the BAC Film Festival. Ryan went on to write and direct the critically-acclaimed feature Half Nelson, which won the New York Film Critic’s Best First Feature Award, among others. Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea), directed by Javier Fesser, was shown in our festival last year and was recently nominated for an Academy Award in the “Best Live Action Short Film” category.


 
Mar
15
    

UPDATE: See announced 2007 date below.
When: November 10-18, 2007
Where: Guía de Isora, Tenerife Island, Canary Islands
What: Newer documentary festival that fccuses on documentaries shot in the South and developing countries.  Festival includes five main sections: Official Competition Section, Parallel Sections, DOCUSUR Market, Workshops, and Civilization forum.
Website: http://www.docusur.es/


 
Mar
15
    

When: November 8-18, 2007
Where: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
What: The Rencontres internationales du documentaire de Montréal (RIDM) was founded in 1998 by documentary filmmakers who wanted to give documentary film a showcase that would encourage the emergence of new ways of looking at the world.  An annual event with an international scope, the RIDM is now in its 10th year. Each edition offers some one hundred films from the four corners of the world, with a focus on films that stand out for their unique vision and artistic merit. Recognizing that documentary film truly is a privileged means for understanding the challenges facing our society and our planet, the program is organized around themes – social, political and environmental, and features workshops and events, that engage audiences, film professionals and partners in conversation and debate. In numerous workshops and the RIDM Forum, industry people can also share ideas on the creative process involved in documentary making, and discuss political and artistic concerns.
Website: www.ridm.qc.ca


 
Mar
15
    

When:  April 21 & 22, 2007
Where: Tishman Auditorium, TheNew School, 66 West 12 Street, New York, NY 10011.
What: The theme of the festival is the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). To be considered, a film must reflect one or more of the MDGs. The Festival is open to all filmmakers from or contracted by United Nations offices, funds, programmes, and agencies, and to the general public. THE CALL FOR ENTRIES IS NOW CLOSED. Film finalists will be announced on March 12, 2007, and listed on the Festival Web site shortly thereafter. Winners will be announced at the Festival. In addition to the film screenings and award presentations, there will be workshops and panel discussions featuring the filmmakers, and invited representatives from the United Nations, The New School, MCAINY, and, for the first time, The Mount Sinai Hospital and School of Medicine, which will lend its expertise to those discussions that center on global health.
Website: www.storiesfromthefield.org


 
Feb
15
    

When: Februrary 2007
Where: Shahbagh, Bangladesh
What: A total of 33 selected documentaries, made by Bangladeshi documentary filmmakers during the years 2005 and 2006, will be screened during the festival. The four-day festival organised by Bangladesh Documentary Council, also includes a seminar and publications.  The festival aims at promoting the documentary film culture in Bagladesh.


 
Feb
14
    

When: February 23-26, 2007
Where: Adelaide, Australia
What: Conference offers a mix of classes, panels and a marketplace. Social events and informal meetings offer networking opportunities. Filmmakers can apply for the pitching forums and submit documentaries to the videotheque.
Website: http://www.aidc.com.au/


 
Feb
14
    

When: February 28-March 8, 2007
Where: Prauge, Czech Republic
What: One World has many missions that shape the content of their festival; they are broad and fairly inclusive.  Activist and investigative works are actively encourage, and are viewed along side other documentaries.  One World is involved in year around outreach that involves dealing with issues in large part with the documentary medium.
Website: http://www.oneworld.cz/


 
Feb
14
    

When: February 23-March 3, 2007
Where: Pamplona, Spain
What: The Festival is open to all non-fiction audiovisual forms, such as author’s documentaries, creation documentaries, experimental essays, diary films or works created using home, orphan or recycled materials.  Punto de Vista aims to be a meeting point for all documentary film makers who, in a free and experimental way, explore the cinema ability for recording time.
Website: http://www.cfnavarra.es/puntodevista/


 
Feb
12
    

When: May 13-15, 2007
Where: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
What:Arab broadcast journalists and other individuals who have a specific idea for a documentary film, have until March 15 to apply for a workshop to be held in Dubai from May 13 to 15.  The “Arabic Documentary Workshop” (ADW2007), is organized by Al-Arabiya Satellite channel and supervised by O3 Productions Company.  A total of 25 applicants will be selected to attend the all-expenses paid workshop. Participants will present their proposals to a selection committee and five proposals will be chosen to be produced by the Arabic news channel.

Documentary proposals can be submitted by email in either Arabic or English. Organizers will provide funding and supervision for the five winning proposals that will eventually be broadcast on Al-Arabiya. A maximum of three proposals can be submitted by each applicant. For more information or to apply, contact workshop2007@o3productions.com
Website: http://video.alarabiya.net/ADW2007.htm


 
Feb
09
    

When: February 14-21, 2007
Where: Missoula, Montana
What:The Big Sky Documentary Film Festival opens Thursday, February 15 at Missoula’s Wilma Theatre for the first of seven consecutive days and nights of world-class documentary cinema. The fourth annual event boasts 100 films from 32 countries, including 30 world and North American premieres. In addition to screenings, the festival includes panel discussions, Q&A sessions with dozens of filmmakers, as well as VIP events, receptions and parties.  Since its 2004 debut, the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival has grown into an internationally-recognized venue for showcasing  innovative, contemporary, and classic works of documentary film.
Website: http://www.bigskyfilmfest.org/


 
Jan
20
    

The time is here for the International Documentary Challenge (IDC). The IDCvvis a timed filmmaking competition developed by KDHX Community Media and sponsored by Hot Docs, SILVERDOCS, the International Documentary Association, the Documentary Organisation of Canada and the creators of the 48 Hour Film Project.

The Premise: Filmmaking teams from around the globe have just over 5 days to make a short non-fiction film (4-8 min.) Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival, this year’s Presenting Partner, will host the theatrical premiere of the finalists and an awards ceremony in April. A traveling showcase of the winners will play festivals and film series across the world, a DVD will be released, and television distribution will be pursued. The IDC takes place this March 1-5, 2007. You can read more about the event and register here: http://www.documentarychallenge.org/


 
Dec
18
    

When: November, 2007
Where: Palermo, Italy
What: Documentary festival with a focus on culture and ecology.
Website: http://www.nanookfest.it/


 
Dec
08
    

When: February 24-March 3, 2007
Where: Burkina Faso
What: Africa’s largest film festival.  All films have an African connection whether it be subject, location, or filmmaker.  In additiona to film screenings and competition, discusion forums and film markets are held.
Website: http://www.fespaco.bf/index_en.html


 
Nov
13
    

When: February 1-2, 2007
Where: Barcelona, Spain
What:  24 projects will be selected for pitching sessions before 14 commissioning editors from the international TV scene. Those who took part in the last DocsBarcelona Pitching Forum gave the event very high ratings. In fact, 80% of the pitchers surveyed affirmed that the forum was a good investment, and 40% received funding for their projects from the attending commissioning editors.  Deadline to submit projects is 4 December 2006.
Website: http://www.docsbarcelona.com/


 
Oct
01
    

When: September 29-October 5, 2006
Where: Istanbul, Turkey
What: The festival has accentuated the universality of cinema art, hosted hundreds of films, filmmakers and theoreticians of documentary film making. In the last 9 years the festival provided a warm environment for the documentary filmmakers and spectators of the world to meet and get to know each other through cinema.

The films selected for the festival program have met with their audience not only in Istanbul but as they contribute to the archive of Documentary Filmmakers Association of Turkey, they have been screened, again free of charge, during the “Documentary Days” organized in numerous other cities of Turkey.
Website: http://www.bsb.org.tr/festivals_eng.html


 
Sep
27
    

When: January 18-27, 2007
Where: Park City, Utah
What: This year is the 13th festival of the “other” Park City film festival. Located at the same time and place as Sundance, Slamdance focuses on unknown filmmakers. This years program will feature equal number of narrative and documentary films. Deadline for submission is October 10th for shorts (under 40 minutes) and October 16th for features.
Website: http://www.slamdance.com/


 
Sep
22
    

When: October 1st-5th, 2006
Where: Art Museum and the Theatre of Music of Olomouc – Olomouc, Czech Republic
What: The theme of the 41st year of the festival will be ‘Prominent personalities in documentary film’, that is notable personalities featuring in films as well as those behind the cameras. During the festival, spectators will have a chance to watch new documentary films, popular-scientific as well as educational programmes produced in the course of the past two years.
Website: http://www.afo.cz/


 
Sep
22
    

When: September 29-October 1, 2006
Where: Newburyport, Massachusetts
What: This film festival is in its third year.  A number of juried catagories exist with a panel of three judges; an audience judged award is also given.   Twenty films will be shown.
Website: http://www.northernlightsfilmfestival.com/


 
Sep
20
    

When: September 22-24, 2006
Where: Maputo, Mozambique
What:  Twelve films will be shown in various venues in the capitol city.  Included are Filmmakers from Mozambique, South Africa, Cape Verde, Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Brazil, Portugal and Holland.  Contact information not available.


 
Sep
20
    

When: September 28th-October 4th
Where: Wellpark, Ireland
What: Only four films will be shown this year so is more of a showcase than a full festival. The Irish Film Institute is hosting at Eye on Cinema.
Website: http://www.eyecinema.ie/


 
Sep
15
    

UNAFF Film Festival– Stanford University– Oct 25-29

The Stanford Film Society and the UNA Midpeninsula Chapter announce the ninth annual United Nations Association Film Festival (UNAFF). The festival will be held at Stanford University with pre-screenings in San Francisco on October 18 & 22 and in East Palo Alto on October 20. This year’s theme is SPARKS OF HUMANITY. UNAFF celebrates the power of films and videos dealing with local and global issues: human rights, environmental survival, women’s issues, protection of refugees, homelessness, racism, famine, disease control, universal education, war and peace. Thirty one films will be presented at this year’s festival from over thirty countries.

Festival Name: 9th United Nations Association Film Festival (UNAFF)
Festival Date: October 25-29, 2006
For more information: web: www.unaff.org
email: info@unaff.org
phone: (650) 724-5544


 
Sep
13
    

When: March 26-Apri 1, 2007
Where: Tartu, Estonia
What: With priority given to documentaries, this festival welcomes film entries from all over the world, especially the independent films which are not part of mainstream commercial filmmaking and which develop an anthropological, analytical approach to cultures and societies. Student films are also encouraged.
Website: http://www.worldfilm.ee


 
Sep
07
    

When: November 9-19, 2006
Where: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
What: Dedicated to promoting point-of-view documentary, the Rencontres internationales du documentaire de Montréal presents an annual program of films from around the world.  Films are selected according to various themes, and in some cases, the public is invited to participate in debates after the screenings.  Also part of the event is Doc Mtl Circuit; this emerging documentary market that allows members of the profession to meet with purchasers, distributors and production partners in Montreal.
Website: http://www.ridm.qc.ca/