September 20, 2016 | POV’s daily list of essential reading for the documentary and independent filmmaking community.
A Breakthrough Showcase For Black Filmmaking At The Toronto Film Festival
Festival artistic director Cameron Bailey said this year’s festival may have been its blackest edition ever. It pushes back against the idea that Hollywood can only absorb one black story at a time, and challenges the limited parameters of a “black film.” This year’s festival shifted the conversation about diversity from a focus on the absence of black faces in movies to a feast of cinematic styles and stories as wide-ranging as the black experience itself.
Read more | NPR »
Emmys 2016: Ratings Hit a New Low
The industry is trying to come to terms with the factors contributing to these declines. Some executives argue that it’s the cyclical nature of awards shows, which fall in and out of favor; others argue that consumer behavior is finally affecting big live event programming, which was supposed to be immune to an industrywide trend of declining ratings.
Read more | The New York Times »
A look at Time Inc.’s new Life VR app
Life magazine was iconic in its era. Time Inc. thinks the storied brand can be rebooted for a new era — as a virtual reality app, which will be launched on Tuesday. “What Life was, back in its day, is what VR has the potential to become,” said Mia Tramz, Life VR’s managing editor.
Read more | Digiday »
How to Find Your Audience in the Digital Age: Alternative Distribution
Industry radicals discussed alternative distribution methods in a panel at IFP Film Week 2016. In this world of constant media barrage, having a strong and clear personality— and knowing how to communicate that to your specifically tailored audience— is the key to success. There are no wide nets in the age of the internet.
Read more | No Film School »
‘Buster’s Mal Heart’: How to Challenge Audiences and Control Your Destiny as a Filmmaker
What characterizes a challenging film? Some might say it’s a matter of subject (think Son of Saul); others might deem it a matter of intellectual acuity (Primer). It could also be argued that a challenging film is simply one that asks much of its audience. Sarah Adina Smith’s Buster’s Mal Heart is the latter.
Read more | No Film School »
Upcoming Festivals and Deadlines
This Week
- IFP Film Week 9/17-22
- Deadline: 2017 SXSW Film Festival 9/22
Next Week
- Getting Real ’16 9/27-9/29
- 54th New York Film Festival 9/30-10/16
- Deadline: 2017 Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship 9/30
- Deadline: San Francisco Virtual Reality International Film Festival & Expo 9/30
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