Nonfiction Films Get Their Due at Cinema Eye Honors

***FEBRUARY 2, 2010 UPDATE: As of this morning, Cinema Eye Winners "Burma VJ," "The Cove," and "Food, Inc" received Academy Award nominations for Best Documentary Feature. Congratulations and good luck to all!


The stellar third annual Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking, produced by founding sponsor Indiepix, came back to the TimesCenter in New York City with a new co-hostess, Esther Robinson, along with co-host and Cinema Eye veteran AJ Schnack, who delighted us mid-way through the ceremony with an audience participation Mad Lib. Always the charmer, about half-way through the show, Schnack carried in a bucket of Kentucky Grilled Chicken after showing a clip of the nominated Food Inc., where a woman reveals the horrible conditions of chicken coup where chickens are overfed for mass-consumption. At the beginning of the show, during a pre-taped introduction, Stranger Than Fiction’s Thom Powers hilariously expounded on the glorious nominees, while preggers wife Raphaela Neihausen goes into labor. Lots of humor abounded throughout the ceremony, keeping things running fresh and smooth. While an occasional long-winded acceptance speech may have slowed things down a little, overall, the third outing of the Cinema Eye Honors was one of the best so far. It is superbly wonderful that there is an awards show of this caliber like no other recognizing nonfiction filmmaking, with such presenters as Albert Maysles, Barbara Kopple, Amir Bar-Lev, Carl Deal, Tia Lessin, Doug Block and more.

Top prizes went to “The Cove” for Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking and “October Country” for Outstanding Achievement in a Debut Feature Film.  

So what does it take to win a Cinema Eye Honor, you might ask? “Burma VJ” co-editor Thomas Papapetros told me exclusively at one of the after parties, “I got crapped on by a bird and won!” Not once, not twice, not even just three times, but a total of four times did Papapetros get a present from the sky on four different occasions, sealing “Burma VJ”s many festival wins. The first time he was crapped on by a bird was in Amsterdam during IDFA, and the film took home the top prize. The second time was in Copenhagen during CPH:DOX, and the film won. The third time he was actually home in Denmark, but he won an editing award at Sundance that same day. And finally, he got his latest gift in New York, before receiving his latest accomplishment, Outstanding Achievement in Editing at the Cinema Eye Honors. I guess getting crapped on by a bird is good luck after all, as they say, but in all seriousness, “Burma VJ” deservedly received all of its accolades on its own merit.

For the past two incarnations of the Cinema Eye Honors, Thom Powers had moderated roundtable discussions with some of the nominated filmmakers. This year instead of a panel, Thom conducted a brief Q&A with Cinema Eye Legacy Award honoree, “Sherman’s March,” by filmmaker Ross McElwee. Barbara Kopple introduced McElwee saying that in “Sherman’s March,” McElwee’s very outspoken, passionate, and direct friend Charleen decided she was the perfect woman for him, and they would grow old together and told him to shut the camera off saying “this is not about art, it’s about your life.” Kopple said that personally nailed it for her as what McElwee is all about and how much art he puts into his life being so honest and real, a pure filmmaker. Later on, Powers pointed out that McElwee will be at Stranger Than Fiction on February 2 showing two films, “Charleen” and “Backyard.” (I know where I’ll be that night.)

For the Q&A, Powers said he was shocked to read about “Sherman’s March” that for a two and a half hour film, McElwee only shot 25 hours of footage, which by today’s standards is something a filmmaker might accomplish in 2 days…has McElwee’s discipline changed at all moving from film to video and what was it like shooting so little footage? McElwee said he grew up shooting 16mm film. With the discipline it enforces as a crew of one person, he had to develop a way of shooting very little film. After his last film completed in 2004, he finally made the decision to switch to digital video. He said the easiest thing to do, especially for young filmmakers, is to overshoot everything. Powers next mentioned a scene in the film where McElwee’s father asks him how certain things that he shot would be useful for the film. “What’s remarkable about ‘Sherman’s March’…is that it was such a landmark film for opening up this kind of personal documentary,” Powers said. As McElwee was making it, what did he think was going to be useful, how was he choosing what to film? McElwee said that you might get the impression that it’s about nothing but him searching for a woman, but the challenge to him was to weave together several different themes and keep them into some sort of equilibrium moving forward. It’s a matter of developing a kind of intuition, thinking this might be amusing, it might turn up to be funny or poignant. It’s developing a set of radar. Spontaneity is important. 

The following is complete list of last night’s Cinema Eye Honorees:

Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking: “The Cove,” directed by Louie Psihoyos, produced by Paula DuPre Pesman and Fisher Stevens

Outstanding Achievement in a Debut Feature Film: “October Country, directed by Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher

Outstanding Achievement in Direction: Agnes Varda, “The Beaches of Agnes”

Outstanding Achievement in Production: Paula DuPre Pressman and Fisher Stevens, “The Cove”

Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography: Brook Aitken for “The Cove”

Outstanding Achievement in Editing: Janus Billeskov-Jansen and Thomas Papapetros for “Burma VJ”

Outstanding Achievement in Grapic Design and Animation: Tie: Big Star for “Food, Inc” and “RIP - Remix Manifesto”

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Score: “October Country”: Danny Grody, Donal Mosher, Michael Palmieri and Kenric Taylor

Outstanding Achievement in an International Feature: “Burma VJ,” directed by Anders Ostergard, produced by Lise-Lense Moeller

Audience Choice Prize: “The September Issue,” directed by RJ Cutler

Spotlight Award: “Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo,” directed by Jessica Oreck

Cinema Eye Legacy Award: “Sherman’s March, directed by Ross McElwee

Panels with a Breeze and View

Rooftop Films "Panorama" returns this year for a special four-day long mini festival within the 2009 Summer Series that is meant to demonstrate what makes Rooftop Films the truly unique, community-based organization that it is. And on Saturday, June 13 (see details below), in conjunction with IndiePix and Shooting People, Rooftop Films will host panel discussions on the state of independent filmmaking and the ways that truly independent filmmakers can survive and make new work, bringing in filmmakers, programmers and funders to discuss issues that are crucial to Rooftop Films’ mission.

Persona Non Grata (Fabio Wuytack Belgium & Venezuela 90 min.)
US Premiere! Prosecuted as a rebel. Banned as a priest. Committed as an artist. Loved as a father. An inspiring and important documentary co-funded by Rooftop Films.

Venue: On the roof of the Old American Can Factory Address: 232 3rd St. @ 3rd Ave. (Gowanus/ Park Slope, Brooklyn) Directions: F/G to Carroll St. or M/R to Union Ave. Rain: In the event of rain the show will be held indoors at the same location

5:00PM: Panel discussion: “Message vs. Craft,” outside in courtyard
6:30PM: Panel discussion: “Filmmaking Strategy,” outside in courtyard
7:30PM - 9:00PM: Reception in courtyard including free sangria courtesy of Carlo Rossi
8:30PM: Live music presented by Sound Fix Records 9:00PM: Film Tickets: $9 at the door or online at www.rooftopfilms.com. Presented in partnership with: Cinereach, New York magazine, IndiePix, Shooting People & XØ Projects

Persona Non Grata (Fabio Wuytack Belgium & Venezuela 90 min.)
Prosecuted as a rebel. Banned as a priest. Committed as an artist. Loved as a father. An inspiring documentary—co-funded by Rooftop Films - about the filmmaker’s father, Franz Wuytack, a radical left-wing Belgian missionary in the slums of Venezuela in the 1960s. With a new liberal movement sweeping Latin America, and people like Wuytack needing to continue the fight for social justice in the US and around the world, this film is crucially relevant today.

Wuytack was a hands-on activist, gathering scrap lumber by himself to build housing for the homeless, frolicking with hundreds of impoverished children in the fountains of wealthy Caracas to protest the lack of clean water for the poor. You can see in his face and hear in his voice the deeply personal connections to the people he was fighting for. And all these years later, hearing the stories from the people who lived them, the connections he forged come alive, there to excite and incite us.

But Wuytack’s very public tactics ran afoul of the conservative church, causing a rift that stung him deeply, but didn’t dampen his passion for activism. Stories of being hounded by the police, and hidden like a fugitive, play out with the energy of an action film. Eventually Wuytack was exiled—twice—and returning to Belgium to become an internationally acclaimed politically-minded sculptor. Now with the new left-wing movement led by Hugo Chavez, Wuytack is finally allowed to return to Venezuela for a revelatory solo art show and a joyous homecoming.

Part of Rooftop Films and XO Projects’ INDUSTRIANCE Series: films, discussions, installations and more about the changing landscape in industry, architecture, agriculture, labor and related fields, and the way these changes affect individuals around the world.

PANEL DISCUSSIONS, presented with Cinereach, Shooting People and IndiePix:

5:00-6:00pm
Message vs. Craft: The Art of Effective "Issue" Storytelling
When a filmmaker takes on a topic related to social justice or human rights it is often with the hope of influencing public opinion and inspiring action. To achieve that, a film must reach and engage the right audience, in the right numbers. It must also portray the human impact of the issue or problem persuasively. How does a “social issue” filmmaker balance the need to educate with the public's desire to be entertained? How does he/she move past preaching to the choir and make a film that can become a catalyst for real change? This panel will provide advice on the above from documentary and fiction filmmakers including Justin Schein (No Impact Man), Fabio Wuytack (Persona Non Grata) and Paola Mendoza (Entre Nos), whose work successfully walks the issue/entertainment line. Leah Sapin of Arts Engine (which specializes in production and outreach for socially relevant films), and New York magazine film critic Bilge Ebiri will join the discussion, to be moderated by Lina Srivastava.

Panelists include: Lina Srivastava (consultant to non profit media companies working for social change) - moderator
Justin Schein (Co-director of No Impact Man)
Fabio Wuytack (Director of Persona Non Grata)
Bilge Ebiri (film critic from New York magazine)
Leah Sapin (Arts Engine)
Paola Mendoza (Director of Entre Nos)

6:30-7:30pm
Filmmaking Strategy:
Tips, Tools and Wisdom to Help You Make the Right Decisions For Your FilmFilmmakers have to be both artists and strategists to get their films made and seen and this is the case now more than ever as changes in funding and distribution force filmmakers to shoulder more of the crucial decisions on their own. This panel will help you learn how to be the best advocate for your film by asking all the tough questions that you will have to ask along the way. For example: How much work (and what work) do you need to achieve on your own before approaching a funder? And how can you tailor your pitch to communicate your vision to a foundation vs. an equity investor? What other funding options are there? How do you balance traditional outreach to festivals, sales agents, broadcasters, and distributors with the need to also create your own fan base? Which distribution deals do you accept? How do know when a deal is a good deal? How do you hope for the best but plan for the worst?

Panelists include:
Adella Ladjevardi (Cinereach)
Janet Brown (Cinetic)
Liz Ogilvie (B-Side)
Tia Lessin (Co-Director of Trouble the Water)
Andy Bichlbaum (Co-Director of The Yes Men)
…And more

Route '21 Below' QEW (not BQE) to HotDocs

My mom and I drove from my hometown of Grand Island, New York (an actual Island between Buffalo and Niagara Falls), to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on Friday to attend HotDocs (my first trip back since 2006). At the end of our day, I stopped at a gas station in downtown Toronto to ask for directions to get back onto the BQE (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway) heading towards Niagara Falls. I quickly corrected myself and asked for the QEW (Queen Elizabeth Way) instead, realizing I'm not in Queens/NYC (where I actually call home now) anymore. How ironic my confusion, as the feature documentary we saw earlier that afternoon, 21 Below, takes place in Buffalo, "The Queen City" as it's nicknamed, and also in a sense, questions just exactly where home is, especially in one of its leading characters, Sharon, who now lives outside of New York City, but goes to Buffalo to help take care of her family.

While touching on issues of health, race and economic hardships, the heart of 21 Below is a personal and intimate journey of familial relationships, which at times is both humorous and heart breaking. Directed by Samantha Buck, 21 Below centers on a suburban Buffalo family headed by matriarch Peggy whose daughters all live very different lives, whether it's eldest Sharon, who lives five and half hours away with her husband Jason, or youngest Karen, who lives in a low-income neighborhood with her former gang-member African-American boyfriend Courtney and his daughter. Karen has children of her own, one of whom has a rare genetic disorder known as Tay-Sachs Disease. Sharon, who is pregnant with her first child, comes to town to help Karen take care of Maya, and also to help mend Karen's relationship with always worried Mom Peggy, showing that the ties that bind a family can either bring everyone together or tear everyone away.

Samantha, Sharon and producer Jennie Maguire, spoke after the film during a Q&A. When asked by the moderator what the process was of making the film and how they all met, Samantha said it all started back in 2004. The three of them originally wanted to make a film about young feminists during the 2004 U.S. Presidential campaign. Karen was in Samantha's apartment when baby Maya was diagnosed with Tay-Sachs. It was then that they had a gut moment to write about this, and three weeks later they were in Buffalo.

Where did the title 21 Below originate from, an audience member asks. Samantha said it stemmed from the City of Buffalo itself and the stigma of it being a cold city. That and the fact that Karen already had three kids by the time she was 21. But the deeper meaning behind the title is the temperature within a family's walls and their desperation to communicate with one another.

With Karen being so central in the film, another member of the audience asked if the film is meant to be about her or the family. Samantha replied that she always thought the main protagonist was the family itself. She wanted the audience to relate to the family. The situation with Maya was an extraordinary circumstance, and the rest is typical of most families.

Sharon was asked how it felt to see such an intimate aspect of her life on a large screen with strangers, and what was her family's motivation to make this film. She exclaimed that it was bizarre and not particularly pleasant. Everyone was hesitant to do it. Sharon's father who was in the audience said it was extremely uneasy for him to watch the film, but he was very proud of their work.

One final comment from the audience was how the film seemed to capture a great sense of place, that being Buffalo. I agree. There were many locations I recognized from growing up in and around the city and its suburbs, but even if I were not from there, I would get a good understanding that there's more than the stereotype of the chilly, snowy winters of Buffalo. It is also a place of warmth and comfort, even in the hardest of times. And while I don't call it home anymore, I will always be drawn back to it.

2009 Cinema Eye Honors Roundtable Discussion

Round 2 of the Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking, presented by Indiepix and supporting sponsor ArtsEngine (home of DocuClub), saw its festivities move from last year’s location of the IFC Center to this year’s at TheTimesCenter. In the tradition of last year’s surprise roundtable discussion in the middle of the awards ceremony, another stellar panel of distinguished nominees was questioned by Cinema Eye Co-Founder and Stranger Than Fiction head honcho Thom Powers. This time around, Powers probed The Order of Myths director Margaret Brown, The Betrayal - Nerakhoon co-directors Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk (Thavi) Phrasavath, Man on Wire director James Marsh, and My Winnipeg producer Jody Shapiro. Below are some highlights from that discussion.

(L to R: Margaret Brown, Ellen Kuras, Thavisouk Phrasavath, James Marsh, and Jody Shapiro. Photo courtesy of Indiepix.)

Powers: (To Brown) It’s been a year since your film played at Sundance. It’s quite a remarkable film that’s so rooted in the community you came from. What was this year’s journey like with the film…taking down to Mobile (Alabama)?

Brown: I think that night was probably the most surreal night out of my life because it’s the audience that gave the movie and also you’re sort of giving it back. The film had a standing ovation after we showed it there, but there were some walk outs, too. It was definitely mixed. It was really weird because the audience was talking to the film. It was a very interactive experience.

Powers: (To Kuras) With your film, you worked on it for over 20 years.

Kuras: (She invites Thavi to the stage and he gets a round of applause.) Thavi and I worked on this film for 23 years. It started out back in 1984 before I met Thavi. I started making a film about another family. When I met Thavi and when he wanted to learn how to speak the language, he was living in Brooklyn. I put the word out in the community that I wanted to speak Lao. Thavi called me up and said, ‘Who are you? Why do you want to speak Lao? Do you even know where Laos is?’ Since that time, I ended up working with Thavi making the film about him and we made the film together. It was really a film where two people came from two different cultures and could speak the same language, that’s the film language. It really was an amazing creative exploration of ideas and making documentary a different form, because Thavi was the subject of the film and ultimately became one of the filmmakers. I worked with him to make a film with a personal point of view, which is a very difficult place to be.

Powers (To Phrasavath): You were also the editor of the film. With such close personal material, what was that like for you to spend all that time editing it?

Phrasavath: To look at myself on the screen and also thinking there’s a character to tell the story…and tell the story that needs to be told instead of ‘G-d, look at my teeth, why did they film it that way?’ It’s been a phenomenal experience for me.

Powers (To Marsh): One of the things that we observe is the way critics and reviewers and the way documentaries get digested is often as individual films and not really recognizing a director’s career. How do you see Man on Wire fitting into your overall career?

Marsh: Before I made Man on Wire I made a feature film called The King that was widely loathed by many people…Man on Wire came along as a way of salvaging my career because The King had sort of become a dead end. It was much more of a hostile world the world of fiction filmmaking. People are much more unpleasant in it just generally. The great kind of discovery on Man on Wire was the film playing at festivals and meeting a lot of people who are in this room and having passionate respectful conversations with other filmmakers…As far as my career goes, I didn’t really feel I got one. It’s what Philippe (Petit) says, you sort of blunder on from one fool hearty adventure to the next and sometimes you get lucky and on this one, we got lucky.

Powers: (To Shapiro) You had produced Guy Maddin’s fiction films before this. Was there anything different about doing a documentary for him and the process?

Shapiro: It actually was a very difficult project for him to tackle. As a fiction filmmaker, and he’s even made autobiographical films as a fictional filmmaker, he’ll tell stories about himself, but they’re totally fabricated. This time, he actually had to be truthful and reach inside himself and figure out what Winnipeg meant for him. It actually proved to be a long process. We thought when the film was commissioned we could do it in six months, but it actually ended up taking over two years.

Powers: (To Brown) What do you see your future (for your career)?

Brown: I think actually I’m working on a narrative next. I shouldn’t say that in front of this audience…I think of myself as a storyteller and not just documentary. I want to be able to do both. I’m not sure what I’m doing next. I’m still thinking about it.

Powers (To Kuras) With 23 years from the first one, do you think you can maybe do one for ten?

Kuras: Very funny. I’ve made about 40 films in between as a cinematographer. I think when you become a director…everybody asks you, ‘are you going to direct?’ As a cinematographer, I’ve made so many films and I really enjoy being a cinematographer. I love working with directors. I love having that collaboration. It really depends on the project. I’m not about to leap into doing the next romantic comedy…I think it’s really like as Margaret said, telling stories…and having an aesthetic and having a more eclectic taste…these are ideas I want to explore.

2009 Cinema Eye Honors Winners

A sold-out crowd attended last night's Cinema Eye Honors at TheTimesCenter in New York, hosted by co-chairs Thom Powers and AJ Schnack, who made a grand entrance sporting Mardi Gras regalia, as seen in Margaret Brown's The Order of Myths. Stay tuned for my notes from the mid-awards ceremony roundtable discussion moderated by Powers that included the previously mentioned Ms. Brown, The Betrayal - Nerakhoon co-directors Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath , Man on Wire director James Marsh, and My Winnipeg producer Jody Shapiro.

Here is the list of last night's outstanding achievement winners for nonfiction filmmaking:

Debut Feature: Up The Yangtze (Yung Chang)

Graphic Design and Animation: Waltz with Bashir (Yoni Goodman & David Polansky)

Music Composition: Waltz with Bashir (Max Richter)

Outstanding Editing: Man on Wire (Jinx Godfrey)

Outstanding Cinematography: Encounter at the End of the World (Peter Zeitlinger)

Audience Choice Award: Up the Yangtze (Yung Chang)

Outstanding Production: Man on Wire (Simon Chinn)

International Feature: Waltz with Bashir (Ari Folman)

Outstanding Direction: Waltz with Bashir (Ari Folman)

Outstanding Achievement in Non-Fiction Filmmaking: Man on Wire (Dir: James Marsh; Prod: Simon Chinn)

Stranger Than Fiction - "The Axe in the Attic" - Feb. 10, 2009

Stranger Than Fiction
The Axe in the Attic
Q&A with directors Lucia Small and Ed Pincus
IFC Center
New York, NY
February 10, 2009

(A sold-out crowd enjoys the Q&A with Lucia Small & Ed Pincus moderated by Thom Powers. Photo by A.M. Peters.)

Last winter, I conducted a One-on-One Q&A with filmmakers Ed Pincus and Lucia Small before their documentary, The Axe in the Attic, screened at the Museum of the Moving Image. Flash forward to Tuesday night when The Axe in the Attic was given the royal treatment by Thom Powers at Stranger Than Fiction during a sold out screening, where by the way, the first 100 patrons received The Katrina Experience box-set DVDs from Indiepix, which is also distributing The Axe in the Attic. The Axe in the Attic follows Ed and Lucia on their journey through several states down to New Orleans as they meet up with and interview those who were displaced and affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Thom started the discussion by asking Ed and Lucia what their experience was like going back to New Orleans recently to show the film there. Ed said it’s hard to describe visually, but there seemed to be a general bareness, despite there being some new housing projects that have been built. “There was a whole culture and life destroyed there and that’s coming back in very small ways,” he said. Lucia added that the Lower 9th Ward has been cleaned up, but it’s all empty lots with grass. Some neighborhoods have been revitalized, while others have been completely neglected. What was most compelling for her was that the stories on the screen continue to live on. “Some people have gotten better and they’ve been able to heal, but a lot of people are still telling these stories and reliving them over and over again,” she said adding that “one of the biggest problems they’re experiencing now is long-term mental health care.”

In my One-on-One Q&A, I asked Ed and Lucia if they felt they were taking a risk turning the cameras on themselves to become a part of the story. Lucia said while it was both a challenge and a risk to make a film on such a grandiose topic that’s politically layered and insert them into it; it did feel more honest for them because they wanted to tackle the notion of who is behind the camera. A similar question was asked on Tuesday by Thom, to which Lucia responded that the reason they teamed up in the first place was because both of their previous work has been pretty raw and they both looking to seek a truth in their documentaries.

Did they emerge from their experience with an attitude about social policy and what they believe should happen with responsibility of various governmental agencies, one audience member asked. Ed replied that that’s not part of the film, he basically thinks that “the Bush Administration wanted to viscerate what the Federal government could do well, everything from Social Security to FEMA.” They didn’t make the film for social policy, but more for the fact that “citizens believe that they have a right to a safety net.” Lucia said they had been talking about making a film about poverty in America, “and when Katrina hit, it was a lens in which to address this issue,” Lucia said. “We did want to tell the story of the diaspora of Katrina, but it was more the long-term story of the history of our nation and the neglect for planning for these kinds of disasters.”

Ryan Harrington Heads Up Indiepix Studios

IndiePix has hired Ryan Harrington to head up Indiepix Studios, the world's first virtual studio for independent filmmakers that provides a major new production and distribution outlet. Harrington will be responsible for overseeing all of the filmmaker relations as well as managing the productions which IndiePix has invested in - by taking on executive producer responsibilities. In addition, he will coordinate the DVD and digital acquisitions and help to develop individual and tailored distribution strategies for movies submitted. He will also oversee film sales and acquisitions to broadcasters both domestically and internationally.

Harrington brings significant industry experience to the role, with extensive production credentials including Emmy winning programmes "Stars on Ice", "Horatio Hornblower" and "Shackleton". Ryan has also overseen production for A&E IndieFilms, the feature documentary arm of A&E Network. Whilst there, he championed the Oscar-nominated films "Murderball" and "Jesus Camp"; the Sundance hits "My Kid Could Paint That" and "American Teen" (in theaters July 2008); Barbara Kopple's "Bearing Witness" and the Tribeca 2007 film "Alexis Arquette: She's My Brother."

2009 Cinema Eye Honors Announced at Silverdocs

Here's some news from the 2008 AFI Silverdocs Film Festival. On Friday, a reception was held to announce the 2nd Annual Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking that will take place in March 2009. (The Film Panel Notetaker attended the very first Cinema Eye Honors this past March.) Friday’s announcement was made by Cinema Eye co-chair AJ Schnack and Danielle DiGiacomo, documentary coordinator for Indiepix, which returns as the partnering sponsor for the awards through 2010 and will once again produce the awards ceremony. Thom Powers, Documentary Programmer for the Toronto International Film Festival, and Schnack, a filmmaker (KURT COBAIN ABOUT A SON) and author of the popular nonfiction website All These Wonderful Things, return as award co-chairs.

(Pictured: AJ Schnack & Danielle DiGiacomo)

Here’s more of the announcement:

"Thom Powers and I are extraordinarily pleased to be partnering once more with Indiepix in presenting the Cinema Eye Honors," Schnack said Friday. Indiepix Documentary Coordinator Danielle DiGiacomo added, "Indiepix is thrilled to build upon the amazing success of the first Cinema Eye Honors and are proud to announce our commitment to the Cinema Eye Honors through the first three years of its existence. We look forward to working with Thom and AJ for the next two years."

It was also announced Friday that the 2009 Cinema Eye Honors will add a new award for Outstanding Composing for a Nonfiction Film. Nominations for the 2009 Cinema Eye Honors will be announced in Park City, Utah during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.

In an effort to broaden the eligibility criteria for the 2009 awards to include more films from outside of North America, Powers and Schnack have added IDFA, the influential Amsterdam documentary festival, and Cannes to the list of qualifying festivals. In addition, they have added four new festival programmers to the Cinema Eye Nominating Committee - Ally Derks of IDFA, Heather Croall from Sheffield DocFest, Maxyne Franklin of BritDoc and Meira Blaustein from Woodstock Film Festival. Also joining the nominating committee for 2009 is SXSW Film Festival producer Janet Pierson.

Returning to the nominating committee for 2009 are a cross section of the top documentary festival programmers in North America - Phoebe Brush of Full Frame, Sean Farnel of Hot Docs, Tom Hall of Sarasota Film Festival, David Kwok of Tribeca, Cara Mertes of the Sundance Documentary Film Program, David Nugent of Hamptons Film Festival, Rachel Rosen of the Los Angeles Film Festival, Sky Sitney of Silverdocs, David Wilson of True/False and Brit Withey of Denver Film Festival.

To date, more than 75 feature films have qualified for eligibility for the 2009 awards - a number that matches the total number of eligible films for 2008, including 25 films that are currently screening at Silverdocs:

AMERICAN TEEN
THE BETRAYAL (NERAKHOON)
BULLETPROOF SALESMAN
CORRIDOR #8
DEAR ZACHARY: A LETTER TO A SON ABOUT HIS FATHER
ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD
THE ENGLISH SURGEON
FORBIDDEN LIES
GONZO: THE LIFE AND WORK OF DR. HUNTER S. THOMPSON
THE INFINITE BORDER
KICKING IT
LIFE. SUPPORT. MUSIC.
LUCIO
MAN ON WIRE
MECHANICAL LOVE
MILOSEVIC ON TRIAL
MY MOTHER'S GARDEN
MY WINNIPEG
THE ORDER OF MYTHS
SONG SUNG BLUE
STRANDED, I'VE COME FROM A PLANE THAT CRASHED IN THE MOUNTAINS
THROW DOWN YOUR HEART
TRIAGE: DR. JAMS ORBINSKI'S HUMANITARIAN DILEMMA
TROUBLE THE WATER
UP THE YANGTZE

The inaugural Cinema Eye Honors were held March 17, 2008 at the IFC Center in New York City. Top honors for Outstanding Feature went to Jason Kohn's MANDA BALA (SEND A BULLET), which also received Cinema Eye Honors for editing and cinematography. Alex Gibney won the directing prize for TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE. Additional awards went to GHOSTS OF CITE SOLEIL, THE MONASTERY - MR VIG AND THE NUN, BILLY THE KID, CHICAGO 10 and THE KING OF KONG (A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS).

Full list of currently eligible titles for 2009:
AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL
AMERICAN TEEN
ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL
AT THE DEATH HOUSE DOOR
BE LIKE OTHERS
THE BETRAYAL (NERAKHOON)
BIGGER, STRONGER, FASTER*
THE BLACK LIST
BLOODLINE
BODY OF WAR
BRA BOYS
BULLETPROOF SALESMAN
THE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN
CONSTANTINE'S SWORD
CORRIDOR #8
DEAR ZACHARY: A LETTER TO A SON ABOUT HIS FATHER
THE DHAMMA BROTHERS
DINNER WITH THE PRESIDENT: A NATION'S JOURNEY
ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD
THE ENGLISH SURGEON
EXPELLED: NO INTELLIGENCE ALLOWED
FIGHTING FOR LIFE
THE FIRST SATURDAY IN MAY
FLOW: FOR LOVE OF WATER
FLYING ON ONE ENGINE
FORBIDDEN LIES
FULL BATTLE RATTLE
THE GATES
GIRLS ROCK!
GLASS: A PORTRAIT OF PHILIP IN TWELVE PARTS
GONZO: THE LIFE AND WORK OF DR. HUNTER S. THOMPSON
HATS OFF
HER NAME IS SABINE
HOLD ME TIGHT, LET ME GO
IMAGINARY WITNESS: HOLLYWOOD AND THE HOLOCAUST
THE INFINITE BORDER
A JIHAD FOR LOVE
JOY DIVISION
KICKING IT
LIFE. SUPPORT. MUSIC.
LOU REED'S BERLIN
LUCIO
MAN ON WIRE
MECHANICAL LOVE
MILOSEVIC ON TRIAL
THE MOSQUITO PROBLEM (AND OTHER STORIES)
MY MOTHER'S GARDEN
MY WINNIPEG
THE ORDER OF MYTHS
PARADISE
PARADISE - THREE JOURNEYS IN THIS WORLD
PLANET B-BOY
PRAYING WITH LIOR
A PROMISE TO THE DEAD: THE EXILE JOURNEY OF ARIEL DORFMAN
REFUSENIK
ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED
SECRECY
SHINE A LIGHT
SHOOT DOWN
THE SINGING REVOLUTION
SONG SUNG BLUE
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE
STRANDED, I'VE COME FROM A PLANE THAT CRASHED IN THE MOUNTAINS
SURFWISE
STEEP
TEHRAN HAS NO MORE POMEGRANATES!
THROW DOWN YOUR HEART
TRIAGE: DR. JAMES ORBINSKI'S HUMANITARIAN DILEMMA
TROUBLE THE WATER
TRYING TO GET GOOD: THE JAZZ ODYSSEY OF JACK SHELDON
U23D
UP THE YANGTZE
VINCE VAUGHN'S WILD WEST COMEDY SHOW: 30 DAYS & 30 NIGHTS - FROM HOLLYWOOD TO THE HEARTLAND
WAITING FOR HOCKNEY
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN?
WILD BLUE YONDER
YIDDISH THEATER: A LOVE STORY
YOUNG@HEART

Bob Alexander of Indiepix Says Recent Indie Film Industry Restructuring a Positive Move

Indiepix President Bob Alexander weighs in on the shake up of the indpendent film industry over the past ten weeks from the financial crisis faced by ThinkFilm to the sale of Sundance Channel to IFC and the folding of Warner Independent and Picturehouse.

Alexander explains why he feels this restructuring is actually a positive move for independent filmmakers. Read all about it here.

Cinema Eye Honors Roundtable Discussion - March 18, 2008

Last night I attended the inaugural Cinema Eye Honors where awards were handed out for outstanding achievement in nonfiction filmmaking. You can find the complete list of winners here. To my surprise and delight, halfway through the ceremony, co-chair Thom Powers gathered to the stage four directors whose films were nominated for awards that night—Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Darkside), Esther B. Robinson (A Walk Into the Sea: Danny Williams and the Warhol Factory), Jason Kohn (Manda Bala) and Pernille Rose Grønkjær (The Monastery: Mr. Vig and the Nun) for a roundtable discussion. The one problem I had was that the theater was dark, and I couldn’t really see what I was writing even with the help of my cell phone light, and then when I got home, my hand writing was worse then ever, so I was only able to include below the notes that I was actually able to decipher, but they are very good statements from the four directors. (Note to self—Next year, bring the special Indiepix light pen with me.)

(L to R) Alex Gibney, Esther B. Robinson, Thom Powers, Jason Kohn & Pernille Rose Grønkjær. Photo courtesy of Indiepix.

Powers: You spent years giving money to documentaries as a foundation chick. What’s the transition been like becoming a filmmaker?

Robinson: The arts system doesn’t really have any support in America. There’s an incredible community of filmmakers who have made films like mine. All these films exist on resources of low funding.

Powers: You’ve done well taking on dry subjects like Enron and bringing them to visual life.

Gibney: At the end of the day, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room is not about accounting and Taxi to the Darkside is not about interrogation. They’re about people. I’m following the trail of the narrative of the story.

Powers: You spent a lot of time making The Monastery and condensing time. What made you think this was worth a film?

Grønkjær: I was the only one. There was something in my stomach. I wanted to film him (Mr. Vig) more and more. Every time I saw him, I kind of fell in love. It was so magical to be with this guy. This was a fairy tale story. The whole visual side of this man’s universe kept me coming back.

Powers: You worked with Errol Morris before. What was it like working under another director?

Kohn: He was more than my old boss. It was nothing like what you’d imagine.

Powers: Can you reflect on where documentaries are today?

Gibney: There are no rules anymore. You’re not constrained by one kind of mysterious rulebook. There’s a sense of discovery even as you’re observing the world outside.

Robinson: There’s an extraordinary wealth of beauty and surprise. Cinema magic. There are so many producers and directors on the verge of giving up. Producers right now are really taking a hit. How do we support people making them happen?

Grønkjær: So many good documentaries are coming out of Denmark. We have a good support system. I had a discussion with my friend about telling stories. I see myself as a storyteller and not a documentary filmmaker. Some stories are better for documentaries than for fiction. I’m exploring all options.

Kohn: Documentary is not a separate form of filmmaking. It’s just another genre. We’re genre directors.

"Manda Bala," "Billy the Kid," "Taxi to the Darkside" Among Winners of First Cinema Eye Honors

Tuesday night at New York’s IFC Center awards were handed out to the winners of the first ever Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking presented by Indiepix. In case you’re wondering, 'Cinema Eye' is named after the revolutionary group of young filmmakers led by pioneering documentarian Dziga Vertov. The Awards' blue-ribbon selection committee consisted of 12 programmers from North America's top film festivals, co-chaired by A.J. Schnack, Director of Kurt Cobain: About A Son, and Toronto Film Festival Documentary Programmer Thom Powers.

The Manda Bala crew pose for a picture before winning three awards including Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Filmmaking

Marshall Curry (STREETFIGHT) presented the award for Outstanding Achievement in a Debut Feature to…Billy The Kid - Jennifer Venditti

Alan Berliner (NOBODY’S BUSINESS, WIDE AWAKE) presented the award for Outstanding Achievement in Graphics and Animation to…Chicago 10 - Animation by Curious Pictures

Ross Kaufman (BORN INTO BROTHELS) presented the award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography to… Manda Bala - Heloísa Passos

Sam Pollard (JUNGLE FEVER, CLOCKERS, EYES ON THE PRIZE II) presented the award for Outstanding Achievement in Editing to Manda Bala – Doug Abel

Robert Drew (PRIMARY) presented the award for Outstanding Achievement in Producing to… Ghosts Of Cite Soleil - Seth Kanegis, Tomas Radoor & Mikael Rieks

Alex Gibney (TAXI TO THE DARKSIDE, ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM) presented The Audience Choice Prize to…The King Of Kong: A Fistful Of Quarters - Director - Seth Gordon

Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg (THE TRIALS OF DARRYL HUNT and THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK) presented the award for Outstanding Achievement in an International Feature to…The Monastery - Mr. Vig & the Nun, Director - Pernille Rose Grønkjær, Producer - Sigrid Dyekjær

Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky (BROTHER'S KEEPER, PARADISE LOST: THE CHILDHOOD MURDERS AT ROBIN HOOD HILLS, METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER) presented the award for Outstanding Achievement in Direction to…Taxi To The Dark Side - Alex Gibney

Barbara Kopple (HARLAN COUNTY USA, AMERICAN DREAM, SHUT UP AND SING) presented the award for Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Filmmaking to…
Manda Bala

Stay tuned to The Film Panel Notetaker for notes from the surprising director roundtable discussion that took place at the half-way point during the ceremony.

Cinema Eye Honors Presenters Announced

Indiepix announced today the lineup of presenters for the Cinema Eye Honors taking place Tuesday night at New York's IFC Center.

The full list of awards and presenters follows:

Outstanding Achievement in a Debut Feature – Marshall Curry (STREETFIGHT)

Outstanding Achievement in Graphics and Animation – Alan Berliner (NOBODY’S BUSINESS, WIDE AWAKE)

Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography – Ross Kaufman (BORN INTO BROTHELS)

Outstanding Achievement in Editing – Sam Pollard (JUNGLE FEVER, CLOCKERS, EYES ON THE PRIZE II)

Outstanding Achievement in Production – Robert Drew (PRIMARY)

Audience Choice Award – Alex Gibney (TAXI TO THE DARKSIDE, ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM)

Outstanding Achievement in an International Feature – Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg (THE TRIALS OF DARRYL HUNT and THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK)

Outstanding Achievement in Direction – Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky (BROTHER'S KEEPER, PARADISE LOST: THE CHILDHOOD MURDERS AT ROBIN HOOD HILLS, METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER)

Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Filmmaking – Barbara Kopple (HARLAN COUNTY USA, AMERICAN DREAM, SHUT UP AND SING)

The Film Panel Notetaker will be at the Cinema Eye Honors covering the night's events. Stay tuned!

Online Audience Voting Open For Cinema Eye Nonfiction Filmmaking Awards

The Cinema Eye Nonfiction Filmmaking Awards are only a few weeks away, but in the mean time, voting for the Audience Award is now open. You have till March 10 to vote. Here's all the details from Indiepix:

New York, US - 3 March, 2008 - IndiePixfilms, the Internet-based distributor of independent films, has opened the online voting for the Audience Choice Award at the upcoming 'Cinema Eye' Nonfiction Filmmaking Awards - the first ever awards that honor excellence in nonfiction filmmaking. Film enthusiasts from across the globe can now vote for their favourite nonfiction film from the nine nominations - see below - ahead of the awards which will be presented at the inaugural Cinema Eye Awards at the IFC Center Cinema in New York on March 18. Among the nine nominations for the award are Michael Moore's 'Sicko' and 'Into Great Silence' directed by Philip Gröning.

Until March 10, voters can find out more about each nominated title, including a synopsis and extended trailer of the film at http://www.cinemaeyeawards.com/awards/audience.html. Leading Film Festivals, including Boston IFF, LA Film Festival and Big Sky Film Festival, will be collaborating with IndiePix to achieve the biggest ever outreach into the independent film community that targets over 300,000 online voters.

In the words of Bob Alexander, President of IndiePix: "By teaming up with Film Festivals across the US, we have been able to reach out to literally hundreds of thousands of independent film fans who really are the heart and soul of the independent film community. The Audience Choice Award will be decided by votes cast by these independent film fans as well as the film-going public from across the world. Because of this, I believe the winner will feel especially honored, as it will be the only award of the night which solely reflects the opinion of the film-loving public."

In association with Netflix, the largest online DVD rental service, voters can "add to my queue" to rent the film from Netflix, or alternatively "buy this film", through IndiePix. In addition, IndiePix is also offering an industry leading streaming feature with the highest quality picture and sound available through BroadRamp, the fully-interactive multimedia content delivery system - with no requirements for a special player.

"The participation of Netflix and Broadramp provides the all important interaction between the voting public and the nominated films. The simplicity involved in renting, streaming or buying any one of these films through the Cinema Eye website is fantastic and it is technological advances like this which will continue to strengthen the independent film industry and help filmmakers achieve the recognition they deserve," added Bob Alexander.

The nine nominations for the Audience Choice Prize are:

• Deep Water - Directors - Louise Osmond and Jerry Rothwell
• In The Shadow Of The Moon - Director - David Sington
• Into Great Silence - Director - Philip Gröning
• Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten - Director - Julien Temple
• The King Of Kong: A Fistful Of Quarters - Director - Seth Gordon
• Manufactured Landscapes - Director - Jennifer Baichwal
• No End In Sight - Director - Charles Ferguson
• Sicko - Director - Michael Moore

"Off the Grid: Life On The Mesa" Opens In Select Markets On Feb. 8

Here's the latest news from IndiePix. This looks like a haunting documentary. I can't wait to see it:


ACCLAIMED INDIE DOC “OFF THE GRID: LIFE ON THE MESA”OPENS THEATRICALLY IN SELECT MARKETS



NEW YORK, NY – IndiePix announced the theatrical premiere of the festival hit “Off the Grid”. The film will open on Friday, February 8 at the Hoff Theater in College Park, MD and at the Guild Cinema in Albuquerque, NM. These screenings will be followed by a nationwide theatrical release and television premiere on Sundance Channel's “The Green”. “The independent spirit of 'Off the Grid' makes this film an ideal match for IndiePix and our expansion into the theatrical market,” says Bob Alexander, CEO of IndiePix.

About Off the Grid

Twenty-Five miles from town, a million miles from mainstream society, a loose-knit community of eco-pioneers, teenage runaways, war veterans and drop-outs, live on the fringe and off the grid, struggling to survive with little food, less water and no electricity, as they cling to their unique vision of the American dream. As word about the Mesa spreads to the outside world, the community experiences growth and begins to attract new elements. A group of young people with anarchical tendencies, calling themselves “the nowhere kids,” claim responsibility for stealing food from houses, including that of a single mother. The community grapples with how to establish rule and avoid violence in the absence of of governmental interference.

Among it's many awards to date, “Off the Grid” was awarded the Michael Moore Award for Best Documentary Film. John Anderson of Variety found the film “stunning... the characters come to vivid life” and Michael Lerman of IndieWIRE writes: “A look at the American Southwest that will send chills down your spine.” “Off the Grid” has screened at Film Society of Lincoln Center's Independents Night, MoMA, Best of Slamndance Documentary Showcase 2007 at IFC Center, AFI/Silverdocs, Miami IFF, True/False, Sarasota and Raindance among others.

Watch the trailer at IndiePix.

About IndiePixIndiePix is a distributor that delivers a highly-curated collection of the best independent films from around the world. Offering a hand-picked catalog of over 3,000 independent film gems - arthouse, foreign, and documentary - the IndiePix team selects the best titles from the international festival circuit. Avenues for distribution include IndiePix' patented Download-to-Own technology, delivery of DVD by mail, and theatrical.

Key Links
Off the GridFilm Website: http://indiepixfilms.com/film/3392
IndiePixIndiePix Home Page http://indiepixfilms.com/

'Cinema Eye' Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking Nominations Announced

'Cinema Eye' Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking Nominations Announced

More news on the 2008 Awards for Excellence in Nonfiction Filmmaking Announced, now called the 'Cinema Eye' Awards (named after the revolutionary group of young filmmakers led by pioneering documentarian Dziga Vertov). Nominations were announced yesterday during the Sundance Film Festival. Congratulations to all the nominees. Into Great Silence and Manda Bala (Send A Bullet) lead with six nominations each and five nominations for Lake Of Fire. IndiePix also announced the Audience Choice Award nominees. The awards ceremony will take place on March 18 at New York's IFC Center.

The Awards' Blue-ribbon committee of 12 programmers from North America's top Film Festivals, co-chaired by A.J. Schnack, Director of Kurt Cobain: About A Son, and Toronto Film Festival Documentary Programmer, Thom Powers, selected the nominees by voting for five films each, in preferential order, from a list of 76 eligible films.

And the nominees are:

Outstanding Achievement in an International Feature
Ghosts Of Cite Soleil, Director - Asger LethProducers - Seth Kanegis, Tomas Radoor and Mikael Rieks
Into Great Silence, Director - Philip GröningProducers - Philip Gröning, Elda Guidinetti, Andres Pfaffli & Michael Weber
Manufactured Landscapes, Director - Jennifer BaichwalProducers - Jennifer Baichwal, Daniel Iron & Nick de Pencier
The Monastery - Mr. Vig & the Nun, Director - Pernille Rose GrønkjærProducer - Sigrid Dyekjær
Please Vote For Me, Director - Weijun ChenProducer - Don Edkins

Outstanding Achievement in a Debut Feature
Billy The Kid - Jennifer Venditti
Manda Bala (Send A Bullet) - Jason Kohn
The Monastery - Mr. Vig and the Nun - Pernille Rose Gronkjær
No End In Sight - Charles Ferguson
A Walk Into The Sea: Danny Williams And The Warhol Factory - Esther B. Robinson

Outstanding Achievement in Direction
Into Great Silence - Philip Gröning
Lake Of Fire - Tony Kaye
Manda Bala (Send A Bullet) - Jason Kohn
Taxi To The Dark Side - Alex GibneyZoo - Robinson Devor

Outstanding Achievement in Producing
Blindsight - Sybil Robson Orr
Chicago 10 - Brett Morgan & Graydon Carter
Ghosts Of Cite Soleil - Seth Kanegis, Tomas Radoor & Mikael Rieks
Into Great Silence - Philip Gröning, Elda Guidinetti, Andres Pfaffli & Michael Weber
Lake Of Fire - Tony Kaye
Manda Bala - Joey Frank, Jared Goldman & Jason Kohn

Outstanding Achievement in Editing
Crazy Love - David Zieff
Flying: Confessions Of A Free Woman - Niels Pagh Andersen
Ghosts Of Cite Soleil - Adam Nielsen
Lake Of Fire - Peter GoddardManda Bala - Doug Abel, Jenny Golden & Andy Grieve
No End In Sight - Chad Beck and Cindy Lee

Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography
Into Great Silence - Philip Gröning
Lake Of Fire - Tony KayeManda Bala - Heloisa Passos
Manufactured Landscapes - Peter MettlerZoo - Sean Kirby

Outstanding Achievement in Graphics and Animation
Chicago 10 - Animation by Curious Pictures
Helvetica - Motions Graphics by Trollbäck & Co.
The Prisoner Or: How I Planned To Kill Tony Blair - Graphic Design by Petra Epperlein
The Unforeseen - Motion Graphics by Jef SewellSuper Amigos - Animation by David Quesnelle

The Audience Choice Prize
Deep Water - Directors - Louise Osmond and Jerry Rothwell
In The Shadow Of The Moon - Director - David Sington
Into Great Silence - Director - Philip Gröning
Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten - Director - Julien Temple
The King Of Kong: A Fistful Of Quarters - Director - Seth Gordon
Manufactured Landscapes - Director - Jennifer Baichwal
No End In Sight - Director - Charles Ferguson
Sicko - Director - Michael Moore

Visit the Nonfiction Awards web site - http://www.indiepixfilms.com/awards?ref=iba for more information about the Awards for Excellence in Nonfiction Filmmaking and the voting process.

"Gonzo Music Diaries, NYC" - Jan. 10, 2008

Gonzo Music Diaries, NYC

Anthology Film Archives

January 10, 2008

(Gonzo Music Diaries, NYC director Roy Szuper)

Last night at Anthology Film Archives, Indiepix presented a free screening of Roy Szuper's documentary Gonzo Music Diaries, NYC, about the organizing of the First Annual Williamsburg Music Festival that took place a few days before the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York. Jason Tyrell of Indiepix introduced Szuper, who then introduced the film, thanking everyone who help make the film. He said it was a labor of love for a lot of people who worked for free. The documentary follows three friends, Szuper himself, plus music fanatic Concert Joe and punk rocker Tony Petrozza as they embark on creating a music festival as a protest against the forthcoming Republican National Convention. The film also mixes interviews with street musicians, who eventually become a part of the music festival, as well as legendary New York icons including the late Hilly Kristal, founder of CBGB's. Gonzo Music Diaries, NYC is currently available on DVD. Buy it here.

Indiepix and NetworkedPlanet Launch World’s First Knowledge-Based Navigation Database For Independent Film

Indiepix and NetworkedPlanet Launch World’s First Knowledge-Based
Navigation Database For Independent Film

Today, I listened in on a press conference given by Indiepix and NetworkedPlanet where they announced the launch of Discovery, “the first knowledge-based navigation of the world’s largest database for independent films.” On the call was Bob Alexander, Indiepix President, and Kal Ahmed, Founder of Networked Planet. Some examples of films in this new system are Jennifer Venditti's Billy the Kid and Michael Tully's Cocaine Angel. Below is a press release about this new venture sent to me today with all the details.

New York, US and Oxford, UK - October 17, 2007- IndiePix, the ultimate resource for independent film fans and filmmakers, and NetworkedPlanet, the leader in topic mapped file management and search systems, today announce the launch and availability of the world's largest intelligent database of curated independent films that uses state-of-the-art web technology to power the service. Underlying the presentation of over 3,000 titles, Discovery enables film lovers to discover and explore the world's best films from independent filmmakers, as well as order and download films of interest on the IndiePix website (www.IndiepixFilms.com).

Discovery is a revolutionary, intelligent navigation system. It allows the IndiePix team of film experts to manage information about a film and to add information based on their expertise and the system creates relevant, content-based links between films. The graphical display based on this process is designed specifically to expand user choices by helping create intelligent pathways through the large and growing world of independent film.

“The process expands choices in ways that are unexpected and opens up paths for exploring IndiePix's rapidly growing catalogue of film titles,” says Bob Alexander, president, IndiePix. "There are a variety of so-called ‘recommendation engines’ that suggest films a consumer may like, but we suggest choices that are related to a consumer’s starting point. “

The Discovery process is powered by NetworkedPlanet's TMCore information management engine, a topic mapping system that identifies, calculates, and manages the relationships among the films in the database in an enterprise database. In the IndiePix implementation, the TMCore engine is managing well over 200,000 relationships among 3,000 titles, and the number of relationships expands exponentially as new films are added.

“TM Core is a server platform for enterprise knowledge and information management applications; it stores and manages 'topic maps' of the entire content of the IndiePix website. This map is then the basis for driving the Discovery display,” says Kal Ahmed, co-founder, NetworkedPlanet. “TM Core delivers a detailed index of information resources across systems via a single unified information portal, and IndiePix’s implementation led to the development of special algorithms to weigh and manage the data as part of the display process.”

The Discovery process can be launched from the IndiePix website at www.indiepix.net/discovery.

A flash presentation summarizing the Discovery process from a users point of view will be available soon on the corporate information page at the IndiePix website at www.indiepix.net/info/press.

Brooklyn Independent - "Johnny Berlin" & "Ten Souls Rising"

Brooklyn Independent - Johnny Berlin & Ten Souls Rising
June 4, 2007

Monday night, I attended the Brooklyn Independent Cinema Series in Park Slope and saw the documentary Johnny Berlin directed by Dominic DeJoseph, which was preceded by the short Ten Souls Rising directed by Emily Rosdeitcher.

About Johnny Berlin:
This documentary follows Jon Hyrns, a porter aboard a refurbished 1930s luxury train, on a week-long trip down the West Coast from Seattle to Los Angeles. While going about his business making beds and cleaning toilets, he expounds upon his life as a struggling writer while holding down a workday job. Simultaneously funny and dark, the film is ultimately an intimate, offbeat, and humorous portrait of mid-life crisis presented as a monologue.

FYI, Johnny Berlin is available on DVD through Amazon.com or the distributor Indiepix.net at the following link: http://johnnyberlin.indiepix.net/.

Here is the full expanded screening schedule for JOHNNY BERLIN on The Documentary Channel for June:

--Tuesday 6/12 at 3 am CST / 4 am EST *please note that the actual premiere is on Saturday the 16th. Due to the film playing on our PBS affiliate in NY on the 18th, we have to schedule a late-night play as they pick up our feed manually for play-back the following week.

--Saturday, 6/16 at 8 p CST / 9 p EST. (official premiere*) and again at12:30 a CST / 1:30 a EST

--Monday, 6/18 at 7 p CST / 8 p EST and again at 1 a CST / 2 a EST

--Sunday, 6/24 at 7 p CST / 8 p EST and again at 12 a CST / 1 a EST

--Wednesday, 6/27 at 6 p CST / 7 p EST and again at 10:15 p CST / 11:15 p EST

The Documentary Channel is currently available on the following carriers- Nationwide: DISH Network 197, Nashville: Comcast Digital 241/Charter Digital 176, New York: NYCTV 25, and Denver: KBDI PBS Channel 12.

About Ten Souls Rising:
Eight New Yorkers and two French tourists become intimately acquainted when they get trapped together in an elevator in a New York City skyscraper. When the electricians’ union and the mechanics’ union reach an impasse over who has authority to fix the elevator, the passengers take matters into their own hands and use their imagination to save themselves.