Felix Endara is the Filmmaker Services Coordinator at Arts Engine, an organization that produces and supports independent media — including Arctic Son (POV 2007), and the upcoming 2008 POV film Election Day. Felix is also the coordinator of DocuClub, a screening series which provides the opportunity for filmmakers to receive feedback while they’re in the process of completing their documentaries. He guest blogs today to tell us more about the newly relaunched DocuClub, which has its first session tonight in New York City. If you’re working on a film, and you’d like to hear feedback from a supportive group of peers and viewers, read on to find out how you can submit your film for DocuClub!
DocuClub is a monthly film screening series of works-in-progress documentaries, with a facilitated discussion afterwards. Filmmaker Susan Kaplan started this film series fourteen years ago as “a year-long festival of guiding the filmmaker’s process.” It is in this spirit that Arts Engine re-launches DocuClub in 2008.
As DocuClub’s newest coordinator, I’d like to welcome back loyal DocuClub members and reach out to all documentary aficionados as we gather again to watch rough cuts of films made with intelligence and passion.
Our first session for 2008 will be tonight — Thursday April 3rd, at 7:30 pm, at Goldcrest Post (799 Washington Street, between Horatio and Gansevoort). We will watch Kimberly Reed‘s Prodigal Sons, the story of “a brotherly rivalry between a man and a woman…and Orson Welles.” Reed was named one of Filmmaker Magazine‘s 25 New Faces of Independent Film for 2007. Our moderator will be DocuClub founder Susan Kaplan. Seating is limited, so if you are planning to attend, please RSVP at: docuclub[at]artsengine.net.
A new and exciting feature of our DocuClub website is “Talk Back.” In this interactive section, discussions started at our screenings can continue with comments from those who were not able to attend a session (or those who did attend and have a lot more to say!).
DocuClub is a tool for filmmakers to help them in the process of completing their documentaries. The call-for-entries for upcoming sessions is now open. Past films that have been screened at DocuClub include Born Into Brothels, The Boys of Baraka (POV 2006), and Metallica: Some Kind of Monster.
We are looking for films that are in the rough cut stage (How to define “rough cut”? Not so “raw” that it would be hard to make sense of the footage, nor too fine a cut that the filmmaker is unwilling to revise her work post-session). Filmmakers must have a specific challenge with their film for which they’d like honest and supportive feedback, and films should be no longer than 120 minutes and no less than 45 minutes.
Those interested in submitting their projects can email me at docuclub[at]artsengine.net. In addition, for all DocuClub membership questions, please contact me as well.
I’m looking forward to sharing a new season of DocuClub! See you there.