June 20, 2016 | POV’s daily list of essential reading for the documentary and independent filmmaking community.

Devoted Dad with ALS Creates Inspiring Documentary for His Son: ‘He Is Always in My Thoughts and in My Heart’
Patrick O’Brien has a gift for his 8-year-old son, Sean, this Father’s Day – one that took him 10 years to create. In 2005, when doctors him that he would live for only two-to-five years after he was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), O’Brien, then 31, decided to make a movie documenting his journey, determined to make his remaining years count. A decade later, his film, Transfatty Lives (named after his donut-loving nickname), debuted on Netflix on June 15 after winning the audience award at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival.
Read more | People »

What Is Virtual Reality?
Virtual Reality is everywhere again, and that’s a problem. Almost immediately after the new trend began, people started shopping 360° immersive video as VR. It is not. “VR Storytelling” is a misnomer; it is not structurally VR. “Second Life” is described as VR. It is not. When the term is appropriated, its meaning disintegrates. And here let’s get clear about the form of Virtual Reality.
Read more | Medium »

Tickled Documentary Premiere Turns Serious When Its Subjects Publicly Accost the Filmmakers
Attendees at Friday’s premiere of David Farrier and Dylan Reeve’s documentary Tickled may have left the screening squirming, and not just because they don’t like it when people touch other people’s feet. After the Los Angeles premiere, subjects of the film confronted Reeves during the Q&A portion with questions that were actually accusations regarding the use of what they allege was off-the-record material.
Read more | Vulture »
Watch Directors’ Interview | Filmmaker Magazine »

Born to Be Free Documentary Hopes To Draw Blackfish-Level Attention To Beluga Whale Plight
A new documentary funded almost entirely by a IndieGoGo campaign aims to draw attention to the brutal treatment and rapid diminishing number of Beluga whales. Born to Be Free will highlight the dangerous predicament of 18 Beluga whales that were captured off the coast of Russia, as well as the overall negative effects of sea mammal captivity.
Read more | IndieWire »

The Huffington Post’s New Product Head Wants to Help Readers Take Action on The Stories They Read
One of the hallmarks of Jeff Bezos’s Washington Post ownership is the broad spirit of experimentation that has taken over the company. The Post over the past few years has operated essentially as a startup, rapidly building and iterating new products even if there’s a strong chance they will fail.
Read more | Nieman Lab »

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.