October 7, 2016 | POV’s daily list of essential reading for the documentary and independent filmmaking community.
The Digital Lowdown
Is online distribution a boon to independent filmmakers or a boatload of false promises? Given that streaming/downloading is the primary way that many audiences are now consuming content, this may be the most pressing and important question for today’s business-savvy independent filmmakers. But it’s difficult to discern the answer.
Read more | Filmmaker Magazine »
Norman and Lyn Lear Among International Documentary Association Honorees
Lyn and Norman Lear, Stanley Nelson, Ally Derks and Nanfu Wang will all be honored at The International Documentary Association’s 32nd Annual Documentary Awards, which will be held Dec. 9 at Paramount Studios.
Read more | Hollywood Reporter »
Ava DuVernay’s Netflix film ’13th’ reveals how mass incarceration is an extension of slavery
Slavery technically ended over 150 years ago. But Ava DuVernay wants you to take another look at the amendment that abolished it. Her documentary 13th is a powerful look at how the modern-day prison labor system links to slavery. The film, which premieres on Netflix and in select theaters Friday, offers a timely and emotional message framed by the upcoming election and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Read more | Washington Post »
The Glorious, Parodic Comedy of ‘Documentary Now!‘
Yes, Documentary Now! gives Armisen and Hader the chance to play the same oddballs they used to play on SNL, but in a more extended, nuanced manner. They’re given more time and space to give a well-rounded portrayal to each character they embody, capturing their euphoric highs and embarrassing lows. Hader appears to have a great time disappearing into each character he plays. Armisen may not be as chameleonic, but he excels at buffoons with tender artistic sides. If anything, Documentary Now! shows how much the two love people, as they play as many as they possibly can. That fascination with everyday life and behavior is something they share with the documentarians whose work they so lovingly lampoon.
Read more | L.A. Weekly »
At screening of ‘Hamilton’ documentary, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew says he always knew the Founding Father was a ‘pop star’
At least one guy in Washington isn’t surprised that Alexander Hamilton is suddenly achieving Beyoncé-esque levels of fame. That would be Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, who occupies the office that Hamilton did two centuries ago — long before the Founding Father became the subject of the hit musical bearing his name. “Treasury secretaries have considered Alexander Hamilton a pop star for a long time,” Lew told the crowd gathered at the Newseum on Wednesday night for a preview screening of PBS’s buzzy new documentary Hamilton’s America. “You can’t walk into the building without walking by his sculpture.”
Read more | Washington Post »
Upcoming Festivals and Deadlines
This Week
- 54th New York Film Festival Sept 30-Oct 16
- Double Exposure: Investigative Film Festival Oct 6-8
- Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival Oct 7-16
Next Week
- Deadline: First Submission for Visions du Réel Oct 10
- Deadline: True/False Oct 11
- Open Call: Submissions for Chicken & Egg Pictures 2017 Accelerator Lab Oct 11
- Austin Film Festival Oct 13-20
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