November 7, 2016 | POV’s daily list of essential reading for the documentary and independent filmmaking community.
The Choice 2016
FRONTLINE goes behind the headlines to investigate what has shaped Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump — where they came from, how they lead and why they want one of the most difficult jobs imaginable.
Read more | FRONTLINE »
Want to Know What Virtual Reality Might Become? Look to the Past
The moment suggested a tantalizing possibility: that the mass extinction of all those 19th-century spectacles, all those illusion palaces and contraptions, might itself prove to be a kind of mirage. What if those marvels of the past only went into a 100-year hibernation? Like all forms of new media, virtual reality is frequently described in terms of its immediate predecessors: movies or video games. But if we are trying to imagine the future of V.R., we may well have more to learn from the immersive shows of 19th-century illusionists than from some franchise superhero movie or Call of Duty. No doubt some future V.R. creators will figure out how to tell cinematic stories or make compelling game experiences. But if history is any guide, it’s very likely that we will eventually discover that V.R. is actually better at something else.
Read more | New York Times »
The City as Subject at Documentary Film Festival
As the city’s premiere festival of nonfiction film, DOC NYC aspires to be a civic institution. But the “NYC” in its name isn’t just a reference to the Manhattan venues where the movies screen.
Read more | Wall Street Journal »
Celebs Lend Star Power to New Music, Social Documentaries
Jennifer Lawrence (A Beautiful Planet) and Katie Couric (Under the Gun) have turned up the wattage on true-life tales that otherwise may have been overlooked by moviegoers in 2016. But this fall boasts an unusually high number of celebrity-supported documentaries, delving into politics, music, social change and heartwarming adventures.
Read more | USA Today »
Upcoming Festivals and Deadlines
This Week
- Thessaloniki International Film Festival Nov 4 – 13
- 16th International Documentary Film Festival of La Rochelle Nov 8 – 13
- Deadline: Submissions for Chicken & Egg Pictures 2017 Accelerator Lab Nov 9
- Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM) Nov 10 – 20
- DOC NYC Nov 10 – 17
Next Week
- Deadline: Miller/Packan Documentary Film Fund Grant applications due-for winter Nov 15
- Deadline: Rogovy Foundation Winter Open Call Nov 15
- International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) Nov 16 – 27
- Deadline: SXSW Virtual Cinema Nov 17
- IDFA DocLab Industry Nov 19 – 22
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