June 24, 2016 | POV’s daily list of essential reading for the documentary and independent filmmaking community.

Brexit: 7 Likely Consequences for the British Film and TV Industry
The votes are in for Brexit, but it’s going to be at least a few years for the U.K. to become fully independent from the European Union. The decision to leave the E.U. will have multiple consequences for the British entertainment and television business, as E.U. funding for British films in Europe will most likely end and as the U.K. loses its seat at the table for any media discussions with the E.U.. It’s all a bit early to tell, however, and everything is up for speculation.
Read more | Variety »

Documentary filmmakers need to be accountable to their sources and viewers
In anticipation of AFI DOCS 2016, this article takes a look at the controversies of “Vaxxed” at Tribeca and Katie Couric’s “Under the Gun” and even some of the films featured at this year’s festival. The contract between the filmmaker and source is becoming increasingly crucial as fact-based entertainment continues to grow and as sources can now easily access social media to push back. A great filmmaker will be determined by how he or she chooses to balance the truth with artistic license while fulfilling the ethical duties to both sources and viewers.
Read more | The Washington Post »

Steve James on Kartemquin Films and the Art of Documentary
Filmmaker Steve James’s groundbreaking 1994 documentary Hoop Dreams and his subsequent works made James a legend in the nonfiction filmmaking community. Since his first film, James has remained an associate with Kartemquin for about thirty years and he shares his insight into how the production company has grown over his time there. James also has advice for filmmakers: find a community of collaborators who will challenge you to be better, to make it better, and not to settle.
Read more | Criterion »

C-Span, Gun Control and a Protest Made for Streaming
The combination of television and social media made for the hottest drama of this week – the Democratic sit-in over gun control legislation that lasted from Wednesday to Thursday. When Republicans called for recess and shut down C-Span, the network broadcasted the sit-in using the videos from the House members’ smartphones, whether it was through Periscope or Facebook Live, furthering sparking the sit-in by capturing all the elements of emotion, conflict and the stakes in this heated debate and bridging the gap between television and social media.
Read more | The New York Times »

Radio’s Next Incarnation: Join the Creative Disruption
New York Public Radio President and CEO, Laura Walker, discusses the next steps in public radio with expanding audiences and creative advances in the field. This includes having public radio embrace podcasts, redefining the role of local public radio stations by paying attention to ideas of “community” and “now”, and evolving the business model so that public radio can move more aggressively into the digital space.
Read more | Medium »

Facebook Live grows up with two-person broadcasts and waiting rooms for viewers
At the 2016 VidCon on Thursday, Facebook announced three new big product updates for the built-in livestreaming platform, Facebook Live. First, you will now be able to broadcast two different people in different locations. Second, there will be “waiting rooms” so that content creators can pre-schedule their talks and send notifications to viewers when they go live. Third and lastly, users of the video filter app MSQRD (similar to Snapchat’s facial recognition filters) will be able to go live directly from the app.
Read more | Techcrunch »

Upcoming festivals and deadlines

This Week

  • Edinburgh International Film Festival 6/15-6/26
  • BAMcinemaFest 2016 6/15-6/26
  • 18th Docaviv International Film Festival 6/19 – 6/28

Next Week

  • POV’s Call for Entries closes! 6/30
  • Karlovy Vary International Film Festival When 7/1 – 7/9

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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.