Over the past year, we’ve been watching documentaries, playing with gadgets and doc equipment, watching documentaries, seeking out fun documentary-related gag gifts and watching even more documentaries. Now you can benefit from all of our hard work!
Explore POV’s 2012 holiday gift guide and find the perfect gift for the documentary fans and independent filmmakers in your life!
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Get started with a selection of iGifts »
iGifts
Anyone with a cellphone is now a documentary filmmaker. How about a gift of smartphone gear to take them to the next level?
Gear & Accessories
The SlingShot: A Double Duty Phone Grip and Tripod
This flexible gadget is compatible every smartphone you can imagine and it’s perfect for versatile filmmaking. It doubles as a grip that stabilizes one-handed filming and has a fold-out tripod for entering the action.
Price: $20
Buy It / More Info: Photojojo
Gear & Accessories
Joby GripTight GorillaPod for iPhone, Android & Windows Smartphones
This tripod is designed for your favorite mobile devices. Not only does it hold your smartphone tight, it also features flexible legs that grip onto a variety of different surfaces. Now you can enjoy smartphone filmmaking backwards, sideways and upside down!
Price: $29.95
Buy It / More Info: Joby
Gear & Accessories
Fisheye Pro Lens
A tiny magnetic lens attaches to your smartphone camera, allowing you to add some excitement to your video with a dramatic fisheye effect.
Price: $46.49
Buy It / More Info: Firebox
Gear & Accessories
The iPhone Telephoto Lens
Add this lens to your iPhone camera to give it “uber-telephoto powers” (8x-12x) for those long shots you never thought were possible on your smartphone. Comes with a special case for lens attachment.
Price: $25
Buy It / More Info: Photojojo
Gear & Accessories
MovieSlate® (Clapperboard & Shot Log)
This multifunctional iPhone/iPad app upgrades the production experience. Not only does it feature production essentials such as the clapperboard and shot log, it includes a plethora of other handy and customizable functions.
Price: $24.99
Buy It / More Info: iTunes
Gear & Accessories
Chinook Windstopper TouchTip Gloves
Never worry about taking off your gloves to use your smartphone camera again! These touchscreen-compatible gloves will keep hands warm on outdoor shoots. Comes in styles for both men and women.
Price: $33.96
Buy It / More Info: Amazon.com
Gifts Under $20
Stocking stuffers for documentary fans and filmmakers.
Books
“Filmmaking for Change: Make Films That Transform the World” by Jon Fitzgerald
The Slamdance Film Festival co-founder’s new book is a complement to 2008’s “Producing with Passion: Making Films That Change the World” taking you from development to distribution. Case studies include the recent docs Bully and Forks Over Knives.
Price: $17.92
Buy It / More Info: Amazon.com
Books
“A Wilderness of Error: The Trials of Jeffrey MacDonald” by Errol Morris
Filmmaker and essayist Errol Morris returns to the true-crime genre familiar to fans of his landmark documentary The Thin Blue Line. In this book, Morris re-examines the case of Jeffrey MacDonald, a doctor convicted of murdering his wife and children in the 1970s, with the same dedication as his investigative documentary work. You can also gain insight into the life and works of Morris through a series of intimate conversations with the man himself in the book “Errol Morris: Interviews” ($15.48 on Amazon.com).
Price: $19.7
Buy It / More Info: Amazon.com
Books
“All There Is: Love Stories” from StoryCorps (Audiobook)
Who doesn’t like a good love story? Revel in the heartwarming stories of others and surely you will uncover some love stories of your own.
Price: $12.78
Buy It / More Info: Amazon.com
Gear & Accessories
Nikon 7072 Lens Pen Cleaning System
Brush away debris using one end, and wipe it clean using the other. That’s all it does, but it does it well!
Price: $8.48
Buy It / More Info: Amazon.com
Fun Stuff
Vintage PBS T-Shirts
Been a fan of POV since we first went on the air? Relive the 80’s with one of these vintage-look PBS T-shirts!
Price: $16.09
Buy It / More Info: shopPBS.org
Baby Stuff
Kartemquin “Future Documentary Lover” Onesie
The Chicago production house behind Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters and The New Americans (among many) offers this bold fashion statement for emerging filmmakers in sizes up to 18 months.
Price: $19.95
Buy It / More Info: Kartemquin Films
DVD/Blu-Ray
The Queen of Versailles (DVD)
In this Sundance Film Festival award-winning film, the 2008 financial crisis interrupts a wealthy couple’s plan to build the largest private home in America.
Price: $14.99
Buy It / More Info: Amazon.com
Next: Documentaries Under $40 »
Documentaries Under $40
A short list of documentaries new to DVD or Blu-ray this year.
DVD/Blu-Ray
The Interrupters (Blu-ray)
Own the documentary that owned our list of the best documentaries of 2011. The Interrupters (from Hoop Dreams director Steve James), tells the story of three former gang members who “interrupt” violence in urban Chicago.
Price: $24.99
Buy It / More Info: Amazon.com
DVD/Blu-Ray
Samsara (Blu-ray)
Director Ron Fricke (Baraka, Koyaanisqatsi) continues to connect humans and nature, spanning five years and 25 countries, with the new film, Samsara, shot in gorgeous 70mm. Get the Blu-ray for best effect.
Price: $31.48
Buy It / More Info: Amazon.com
DVD/Blu-Ray
Searching for Sugar Man (DVD)
The new doc favorite about a would-be 70s rock legend will be released in January, so it’s got a built in excuse for being a great belated gift. Also available on Blu-ray.
Price: $27.89
Buy It / More Info: Amazon.com
DVD/Blu-Ray
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (Blu-ray)
Director Alison Klayman gained access to the acclaimed Chinese artist, dissident and tweeter, and the result is a documentary that is both the profile of Ai Weiwei at work and a window into an oppressed country.
Price: $26.98
Buy It / More Info: Amazon.com
DVD/Blu-Ray
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (Blu-ray)
What’s one of the world’s greatest sushi chefs doing serving patrons in a Tokyo subway station? Pursuing his art, of course. Jiro Ono has been striving for perfection his whole life, and David Gelb’s film captures all the beauty of his mouthwatering work.
Price: $22.83
Buy It / More Info: Amazon.com
DVD/Blu-Ray
Ken Burns: The Dust Bowl (DVD)
The Great American Storyteller Ken Burns is back with a two-part, four-hour documentary on The Dust Bowl. History buffs will appreciate the expert treatment of archival material, as well as vivid interviews with real figures from the era.
Price: $24.99
Buy It / More Info: shopPBS.org
DVD/Blu-Ray
La Jetée / Sans Soleil (Blu-ray)
Fans of French cinema will fall in love with this Criterion Collection set of classic films from Chris Marker, who passed away earlier this year. Each of his uniquely influential films offers a lyrical exploration of history, memory and time.
Price: $30.38
Buy It / More Info: Amazon.com
DVD/Blu-Ray
Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide (DVD)
This holiday season, celebrate women! Join activists, celebrities and journalists in their quest to meet and be inspired by real women from around the world.
Price: $29.95
Buy It / More Info: shopPBS.org
DVD/Blu-Ray
The Paradise Lost Trilogy Collector’s Edition (DVD)
In 1996, Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky’s Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills failed to free “The West Memphis Three” — but it started a movement. Two sequels and 18 years later, Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols and Jessie Misskelley Jr. were released from prison on a plea deal. We named the event our top documentary-related news story of 2011, and now you can own all three films in a box set with lots of extras.
Price: $21.99
Buy It / More Info: Amazon.com
More Gifts Under $40
A list of great documentary-related gifts that won’t empty your wallet.
Fun Stuff
Canon Camera Lens Mug (Black)
Can’t afford a new lens for a Canon DSLR owner? Grab the mug instead – it looks just like it! It can’t be used to film, but the coffee that goes in it can fuel a long day in the production schedule.
Price: $24
Buy It / More Info: Photojojo
Fun Stuff
“I Know What I’m Doing” Director’s T-Shirt
Let everyone around you know — When you’ve got this shirt on, you’ve got it covered. This T-shirt comes in all sizes, a perfect gift for the youngest and oldest directors (or control freaks) in your life.
Price: $25.15
Buy It / More Info: Zazzle
Books
A New History of Documentary Film: Second Edition by Betsy A. McLane
There’s always more to learn about the evolving history of documentary film. Take a look back and a look forward with this new edition.
Price: $28.81
Buy It / More Info: Amazon.com
Gear & Accessories
Pro Tapes Pro-Gaff Gaffers Tape
Like the towels on a wedding registry, a gift of gaffers tape is always welcome for a working documentary filmmaker. Yes, this was a gift idea from POV’s production department.
Price: $23.48
Buy It / More Info: Amazon.com
Gear & Accessories
DCTV Gift Card (New York City)
New York’s Downtown Community Television Center has been providing invaluable support to filmmakers for 40 years. Share their abundant resources, from workshops to equipment rentals to events and screenings, with your favorite documentarian!
Price: $25-$400
Buy It / More Info: DCTV
Books
Why Documentaries Matter by Nick Fraser
For serious fans, BBC4’s Storyville editor Nick Fraser examines the ways in which documentaries reflect and influence cultural trends. He answers the question “Why do documentaries matter anyway?” with a simple answer — documentaries matter because they change the world.
Price: $21
Buy It / More Info: University of Oxford
Gifts Under $100
We’re getting serious. Box sets, gear and more.
DVD/Blu-Ray
The Qatsi Trilogy (Criterion Collection Blu-ray)
Godfrey Reggio’s trio of films with incredible cinematography and scores by Phillip Glass explore what humanity’s technological progress has done to our world.
Price: $53.99
Buy It / More Info: Amazon.com
DVD/Blu-Ray
American Experience: The Presidents (DVD)
A perfect gift for any American politics history buff, American Experience’s Presidents Collection may even teach them something new – even if they’ll swear they already knew.
Price: $99.99
Buy It / More Info: shopPBS.org
Gear & Accessories
The Montgomery Street Backpack
For the filmmaker on the go, this lightweight backpack fits your DSLR and laptop. Zippered and velcro pockets allow for quick and easy access to all your gear at a moment’s notice.
Price: $99.99
Buy It / More Info: Acme Made
Gear & Accessories
a-JAYS Four iPhone Earphones
Those earphones Apple sends along with your iPhone or iPod may look cool, but the sound quality cowers at the crispness these deliver. And unlike all those other cords, cables and adapters in your bag, they’re tangle-free! Perfect for music or phone calls on the go with a built-in microphone.
Price: $64
Buy It / More Info: Amazon.com
Gear & Accessories
Lightworks Pro (Windows)
For budding editors! Earlier this year, we wrote about Lightworks, a feature-packed non-linear editing package as an alternative to the pricier Final Cut Pro on a Mac. It’s free, but there’s also a “pro” version with advanced codecs and more.
Price: $60
Buy It / More Info: Lightworks
Books & DVD/Blu-Ray
The Fight for Home: How (Parts of) New Orleans Came Back (Hardcover) & I’m Carolyn Parker (DVD)
These inspiring stories about the impact and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina remind us that our homes are not to be taken for granted. Jonathan Demme’s I’m Carolyn Parker aired on POV in 2012, and producer Daniel Wolff’s book “The Fight for Home” (read excerpts) gives us another glimpse at Parker and others in New Orleans.
Price: $42.15
Buy It / More Info: Amazon.com
Buy It / More Info: shopPBS.org
Memberships
Membership to Your Local Film Society or Cinema
You can watch a film alone, or you can watch it with other film lovers. Share a membership to a local film society or cinema that supports great documentaries and broaden the film repertoire of its recipient. Film Streams in Omaha, Nebraska, offers memberships for $50, The Flicks in Boise, Idaho, offers a yearly pass for $250, watch regularly screened docs at The Roxie Theater in San Francisco with a $275 annual pass, and Black Documentary Collective offers pay-what-you-can memberships (suggested price: $25).
Price: $25-$250
Buy It / More Info: Film Streams
Buy It / More Info: The Flicks
Buy It / More Info: The Roxie Theater
Buy It / More Info: Black Documentary Collective
Memberships
A Documentary Film Festival Pass
Just because you don’t live in Cannes doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the glitz of a film festival! Documentary festivals can be found from coast to coast — and some of the best are in vacation-friendly small towns! Buy a pass to the Camden International Film Festival (Camden, Maine), Full Frame Documentary Film Festival (Durham, North Carolina), Big Sky Documentary Film Festival (Missoula, Montana), and many more…
Price: $50-$550
Buy It / More Info: 12 Small-Town Documentary Festivals
Buy It / More Info: Camden International Film Festival
Buy It / More Info: Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
Buy It / More Info: Big Sky Documentary Film Festival
Memberships
A New York City Film Membership
New York City offers many opportunities to watch documentaries. Support Film Forum and receive reduced-price tickets. Become a member at the Maysles Institute and receive free tickets, with reserved seating. And, UnionDocs passholders can gain access to the Bodega Series, a year of 100 curated events featuring artists, producers and critics, in addition to discounts to workshops, lectures, parties and special events.
Price: $75-$100
Buy It / More Info: Film Forum
Buy It / More Info: Maysles Institute
Buy It / More Info: UnionDocs
Gifts Over $100
Let’s be honest — you’re looking at these to give to yourself. It’s OK. We won’t tell…
Gear & Accessories
Lytro Camera (8GB-16GB)
The tiny Lytro camera offers the power to endlessly refocus and change perspective of your shots after the fact. A perfect gift for the most creative gadget junkies out there.
Price: $399.00-$499.00
Buy It / More Info: Lytro
Gear & Accessories
Zoom H4n Handy Mobile 4-Track Recorder
The go-to companion for your DSLR, the Zoom recorder also fits right in your pocket. Record using the built-in microphones or plug in your externals via XLR, then capture all the audio you want – effortlessly.
Price: $223.56
Buy It / More Info: B&H
Gear & Accessories
Rode VideoMic – Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone
Offer this gift to your favorite camera freak a subtle reminder that audio is just as important as video. Rode’s shotgun microphone is affordable and lightweight. It’s great for interviews or capturing audio from a distance.
Price: $149
Buy It / More Info: B&H
Memberships
Moviepass (3-Month Pass)
It’s great to watch films from your couch, but sometimes a night at the theater is just the right thing. Or every night at the theater! For a flat rate, give your favorite film junkie an endless fix – they can see as many films as they want, at any theater, almost anywhere.
Price: $119.99
Buy It / More Info: Moviepass.com
Gear & Accessories
GoPro HD HERO2: Outdoor Edition
Capture footage in any condition, without sacrificing quality, by mounting this little 1080p camera to your bike, ski poles, car dashboard – or somewhere more creative. Let the good times roll!
Price: $199
Buy It / More Info: Amazon.com
Looking for more gift ideas? Check out our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide for even more inspiration!
We hope you’ve found the perfect gift or two for the doc fans and filmmakers in your life. Have a happy holiday season!
Note: This gift guide includes many external links, and prices and available of items are not in our control. None of the links are affiliate links, however POV receives support from PBS, so you are indirectly supporting POV by purchasing items from shopPBS.org
