July 19, 2016 | POV’s daily list of essential reading for the documentary and independent filmmaking community.

A documentary by Ava DuVernay about the United States’ sky-high incarceration rate will open the New York Film
Festival in the fall, the first time a nonfiction film will kick off the event in its 50-plus years. Named after the constitutional amendment abolishing slavery, The 13th threads together archival footage with modern-day commentary, and focuses on the ramifications of the amendment and its clause: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States.”
Read More | New York Times »

Not Sure What to Do After Film School? Here’s a Flowchart
Which path should a film graduate follow? As Todd Solondz recently related to us, film school is a paradox. It can be superfluous—it’s too expensive, and equivalent experience can be accrued on set—but it is also the nexus of many successful filmmakers’ careers. For those who did decide to take the plunge, the decisions to be made after graduation can be daunting. There are many varied paths to choose within the industry, and none with a prescribed trajectory to follow.
Read more | No Film School »

Héctor Babenco, Director of Oscar-Winning ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman,’ Dies at 70
Argentine-born Brazilian director Héctor Babenco died on Wednesday at São Paulo’s Sirio-Libanes Hospital in Brazil after suffering a heart attack, according the Associated Press. He was 70. His most famous film, Kiss of the Spider Woman, was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Director. Babenco was the first Latin-American to be nominated for achievements in directing.
Read More | Variety »

Watch: New Noma Documentary Follows René Redzepi and Team to Tokyo
Ants on a Shrimp follows the superstar chef and his team as they relocate to Japan to set up a five-week pop-up in Tokyo. That hotly-anticipated pop-up launched in 2015 at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, where it served a 14-course menu of dishes like a labor-intensive clam tart, venison tongue, and — as the film’s name suggests — ants.
Read More | Eater »

Upcoming festivals and deadlines

  • Deadline: Porto/Post/Doc Submission 7/31
  • Deadline: DOK Co-Pro Market Submission 8/1
  • Deadline: IDFA DocLab 8/1
  • Deadline: International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam 8/1
  • Deadline: HBF Post-Production Grant 8/1

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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.