July 12, 2016 | POV’s daily list of essential reading for the documentary and independent filmmaking community.
From Alice Guy-Blaché to Barbara Kopple: The Pioneering Women of Documentary Film
When we talk about the early years of cinema, there is no separating “the history of women in film” from “the history of film.” Women have been there from the beginning, and have shaped the medium in transformative ways.
Read more | Independent Lens »
I AM JFK Jr. Trailer – Robert De Niro, Cindy Crawford and More Open Up About John F. Kennedy Jr. in New Documentary
Now, seventeen years after his tragic death in a plane crash, members of JFK Jr.’s inner circle are opening up for the first time about the all-too-human side of the friend they lost, in the intimate new documentary I AM JFK Jr. for SPIKE TV. The documentary features interviews and never-before-told stories from those who knew the president’s son best – famous friends like Robert De Niro, Cindy Crawford and Mike Tyson; media stars like Christiane Amanpour and Chris Cuomo; his college roommates and his close friends and colleagues from JFK Jr.’s pioneering George magazine.
Read more | People »
Sundance Institute And Women In Film Los Angeles Appoint First-Ever Director Of Systemic Change Project
The Sundance Institute and Women In Film Los Angeles have hired Alison Emilio for the newly-appointed position of Director for their joint initiative, the Systemic Change Project. The Systemic Change Project, which was launched in October of 2015 by WIF LA and Sundance Institute, grew out of an unprecedented two-day meeting with top industry decision-makers and talent who came together to discuss and develop plans for concrete action and change within the industry. The project’s “established goal is to build a coalition of industry leaders to take tangible steps that will bring about measurable progress in achieving gender equity, with an initial emphasis on female directors in film and television.”
Read more | IndieWire »
Germany to Boost Film Funding, Berlin Film Festival Budget
Germany is set to increase its federal film subsidy program by €15 million ($16.6 million), and earmarked an extra $1.1 million for the Berlin Film Festival. The funding is part of the government’s 2017 draft budget approved last week by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet. The new budget would increase government spending on cultural projects and institutions by $82 million, or 5.8%, to a total of $1.49 billion.
Read more | Variety »
Meet the Filmmakers Who Give ‘Push Through Production’ a New Meaning
When you think about adaptive sports—those designed specifically for players with disabilities—you may imagine something overly accommodating or lesser-than. But you would be wrong. Spend five minutes with Shaina Allen and Mike Esposito’s ‘The Rebound,’ a documentary about wheelchair basketball, and you’ll be in awe over the aggression of the sport and physicality of the players. Once you see someone doing full chin-ups with the extra weight of a wheelchair attached, or doing training sprints while towing five full-grown men, you’ll never think about disabilities the same way again. Combining the best elements of a sports doc with a character-driven story, The Rebound follows the Miami Heat Wheels on their harrowing quest for a national championship.
Read more | No Film School »
Upcoming festivals and deadlines
This Week
- Deadline: I Look Up Challenge Architecture as a Solution Submissions 7/10
- Deadline: IDA Documentary Awards 7/11
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