May 13, 2016 | POV’s daily list of essential reading for the documentary and independent filmmaking community.

10th Anniversary of “An Inconvenient Truth”
It’s the 10th anniversary of An Inconvenient Truth, the Al Gore documentary on climate change. In the documentary, filmmaker Davis Guggenheim follows Al Gore, former presidential candidate, as he campaigns to raise public awareness of the dangers of global warming and calls for immediate action to curb its destructive effects on the environment. In order to commemorate the film, Paramount Home Media Distribution will offer free Digital HD copies on May 24.
Read more | Take Part »

Banned documentary Among the Believers wins big at New Zealand film fest
Among the Believers, a documentary on the Lal Masjid network of madarassahs across Pakistan, won two awards at Doc Edge, an international documentary film festival in New Zealand. Directed by Hemal Trivedi and Mohammed Naqvi, Among the Believers follows the lives of two children, Zarina and Talha, who have attended madrassahs run by infamous Lal Masjid cleric Abdul Aziz. The film may have been prevented from getting an audience in Pakistan, but with a premiere at Tribeca Film Festival, the film continues to travel to and be highlighted at film festivals around the world.
Read more | Images »

Encounters Documentary Film Festival reveal its full 2016 line-up
Two internationally acclaimed documentary filmmakers are to screen their latest works in South Africa for the first time next month. Oscar-winning documentarian Michael Moore’s search for a better life Where to Invade Next and German veteran filmmaker Werner Herzog’s ride through the online jungle Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World, will premiere at the 18th Encounters South African International Documentary Film Festival, from June 2-12 in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Read more | Screen Africa »

Sundance Institute’s New Frontier Story Lab Explores the Future with Six Creative Teams and Projects
Sundance Institute announced yesterday the six projects selected for the New Frontier Story Lab, the groundbreaking cinematic new media program that empowers creatives at the forefront of innovation in entertainment and storytelling. The program, celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year, will take place from May 19-24 at the Sundance Resort in Utah. Past participants include Roger Ross Williams, Yung Jake, Chris Milk, Cory McAbee, Navid and Vassiliki Khonsari, Karim Ben Khelifa, Tracy Fullerton and Lucas Peterson. The Sundance Institute New Frontier program supports and fosters independent artists working at the convergence of film, art, media, live performance, music and technology.
Read more | Sundance »

Periscope now lets you broadcast from a DJI drone
It’s only been a few months since Periscope, the live video broadcasting app, added GoPro support, but the most recent update will allow DJI drone users to natively connect to the drone’s remote to broadcast footage live. The new feature will let the user switch between the drone’s camera and the iPhone camera, as well as sketch on the video to highlight points of interest. The new update also comes with a search function, so you won’t have to scroll through to find your favorite video streams.
Read more | The Verge »

Upcoming festivals and deadlines
This Week

  • DOK.fest-International Documentary Film Festival Munich 5/5-5/15
  • Taiwan International Documentary Festival 5/6-5/15
  • Festival de Cannes 5/11-5/22

Next Week

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POV Staff
POV (a cinema term for "point of view") is television's longest-running showcase for independent non-fiction films. POV premieres 14-16 of the best, boldest and most innovative programs every year on PBS. Since 1988, POV has presented over 400 films to public television audiences across the country. POV films are known for their intimacy, their unforgettable storytelling and their timeliness, putting a human face on contemporary social issues.