January 25, 2017 | POV’s daily list of essential reading for the documentary and independent filmmaking community.
Oscars Highlights: Black Directors Dominate Documentary Category (Historic); ‘Moonlight’ Picks up 8; Bradford Young Finally Gets One; Denzel Washington Sets Record
A highlight is that in the Best Documentary Feature category, 4 of the 5 nominees are filmmakers of African descent – a first in history in any category: I am Not Your Negro (Raoul Peck), Life Animated (Roger Ross Williams), O.J.: Made in America (Ezra Edelman), and 13th (Ava DuVernay).
Read more | Shadow and Act »
Young Syrian Risked His Life To Film Oscar-Nominated Doc
“I never thought I can make a film for Oscar!” says Khaleed Khateeb. Khateeb is a volunteer for the Syria Civil Defense forces, rescuing those caught in the crossfire of the civil war. He began filming scenes of the rescue missions and posting them on YouTube. When filmmaker Orlando von Einsiedel decided to make a documentary about the group, he got in touch with Khateeb, gave him training and better camera equipment and told him to keep on filming.
Read more | NPR »
The Documentary Category Makes History, but Not Without Oscar Controversy
In a landmark time for documentaries, the Academy Awards made history. Oscar voters on Tuesday announced their nominations for top nonfiction films of the year. And for the first time in what is believed to be any category in the history of the awards, four of five nominated films were made by a black director.
Read more | Los Angeles Times »
“A Huge Historical Project”: Editor Kim Miille on ‘Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities’
MacArthur Fellow Stanley Nelson has devoted his career to documentary explorations of the African American experience. The 65-year-old director/producer has made films on Marcus Garvey, the Freedom Riders and the Black Panthers. His most recent film is Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities, which premiered this week at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. Nelson hired editor Kim Miille to cut the film. Below, Miille shares her thoughts on historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), making archival photos and letters cinematic and her origins as an editor.
Read more | Filmmaker Magazine »
Sundance: Dance Documentary ‘Step’ Bought by Fox Searchlight
Fox Searchlight Pictures has acquired worldwide distribution and remake rights to Amanda Lipitz’s documentary Step following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. The movie, featuring Blessin Giraldo, Cori Grainger, Tayla Solomon, Gari McIntyre, and Paula Dofat, documents the senior year of a girls’ high-school step dance team against the background of inner-city Baltimore. Each student is trying to become the first in their families to attend college and striving to make their dancing a success against the backdrop of social unrest in the troubled city.
Read more | Variety »
Sundance: Netflix Lands Russian Doping Documentary ‘Icarus’ (EXCLUSIVE)
In an historic deal for a documentary, Netflix has landed Icarus, a buzzy examination of the Russian doping scandal, Variety has learned. The $5 million pact is one of the biggest ever for a non-fiction film. Bidding for the film was intense from almost the moment it premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. There were several interested studios circling the project at various points, including Sony Pictures Classics, Neon, Magnolia, and Amazon.
Read more | Variety »
Upcoming Festivals and Deadlines
This Week
- Sundance Film Festival Jan 19 – 29
- Premiers Plans – Angers Film Festival Jan 20 – 29
- Deadline: 2017 BAVC National MediaMaker Fellowship Applications Jan 27
Next Week
- Deadline: Submissions for DocumentaMadrid Jan 31
- Deadline: AFI DOCS Film Festival Submissions Feb 3
- Deadline: 2017 Garrett Scott Documentary Development Grant Feb 3
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