Rachel Gordon, author of the recently published and recommended The Documentary Distribution Toolkit: How to Get Out, Get Seen, and Get an Audience and James Boyer, director of operations at distributor Collective Eye Films, join D-Word founder Doug Block for this useful conversation about documentary distribution and all of its related subjects. In the talk, Boyer talks about things like needed deliverables, how his company makes acquisitions and the role of festivals in launching films, and Gordon talks about the realities of self-distribution, grassroots marketing techniques, and identifying and interacting with educational instructors who may be able to place films […]
The post Watch: Rachel Gordon and James-Michael Boyer Explain Documentary Educational Distribution first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Watch: Rachel Gordon and James-Michael Boyer Explain Documentary Educational Distribution first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 10/25/2022
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Rachel Gordon, author of the recently published and recommended The Documentary Distribution Toolkit: How to Get Out, Get Seen, and Get an Audience and James Boyer, director of operations at distributor Collective Eye Films, join D-Word founder Doug Block for this useful conversation about documentary distribution and all of its related subjects. In the talk, Boyer talks about things like needed deliverables, how his company makes acquisitions and the role of festivals in launching films, and Gordon talks about the realities of self-distribution, grassroots marketing techniques, and identifying and interacting with educational instructors who may be able to place films […]
The post Watch: Rachel Gordon and James-Michael Boyer Explain Documentary Educational Distribution first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Watch: Rachel Gordon and James-Michael Boyer Explain Documentary Educational Distribution first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 10/25/2022
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
DocuMentality project is backed by BFI Doc Society Fund in the UK and American Documentary/Pov in the US.
UK-based mental health specialists Film In Mind and US documentary community The D-Word are joining forces on a new industry-led pilot scheme, DocuMentality, to develop a mental health risk assessment process and free toolkit for the film industry.
The research is funded by BFI Doc Society Fund in the UK and American Documentary/Pov in the US.
The organisers will start to carry out baseline research and a total of 16 focus groups in the US and UK in March and April.
UK-based mental health specialists Film In Mind and US documentary community The D-Word are joining forces on a new industry-led pilot scheme, DocuMentality, to develop a mental health risk assessment process and free toolkit for the film industry.
The research is funded by BFI Doc Society Fund in the UK and American Documentary/Pov in the US.
The organisers will start to carry out baseline research and a total of 16 focus groups in the US and UK in March and April.
- 2/4/2022
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
This piece is one part loving obituary and one part urgent call-to-action around the undeniable need for our independent film industry to put some sort of safety nets in place for our beloved and aging indie film leadership. Ironically, when I wrote this piece just two months ago, who could have imagined that the topic of safety nets would become so important to All Of Us given the ways in which our industry has been so dramatically halted and upended by the #Coronavirus public health pandemic?By Marc Smolowitz
30 March
For context, I am currently developing a new film as a director on these topics, and I hope to gather steam among key indie film organizations in the coming months, so we can all come together (either online or in-person when safe to do so) to create new programs and initiatives that help build safety nets for the most vulnerable in our industry.
30 March
For context, I am currently developing a new film as a director on these topics, and I hope to gather steam among key indie film organizations in the coming months, so we can all come together (either online or in-person when safe to do so) to create new programs and initiatives that help build safety nets for the most vulnerable in our industry.
- 5/5/2020
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
In its continuing push to swell the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences membership ranks, 842 artists and executives from 59 countries have been invited to join this year. The branches have increasingly actively sought eligible people to become Academy members, but the Board of Governors makes the final call.
People of color (29 percent) and women (50 percent) are among the many invites, as the Academy continues to address its long-term white-male dominance. As always, actors make up the largest branch of the Academy, but many new members also come from overseas.
In 2018, the Academy invited 928 new members.
Twenty-one Oscar winners are among the new invited members, including Guy Nattiv (“Skin”), filmmaker Jimmy Chin (“Free Solo”), Phil Lord, and Chris Miller (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”), and 82 Oscar nominees (including newbies like Lady Gaga and “Roma” breakout Marina de Tavira). Ten of the 17 branches invited more women than men. The percentage of women...
People of color (29 percent) and women (50 percent) are among the many invites, as the Academy continues to address its long-term white-male dominance. As always, actors make up the largest branch of the Academy, but many new members also come from overseas.
In 2018, the Academy invited 928 new members.
Twenty-one Oscar winners are among the new invited members, including Guy Nattiv (“Skin”), filmmaker Jimmy Chin (“Free Solo”), Phil Lord, and Chris Miller (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”), and 82 Oscar nominees (including newbies like Lady Gaga and “Roma” breakout Marina de Tavira). Ten of the 17 branches invited more women than men. The percentage of women...
- 7/1/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
In its continuing push to swell the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences membership ranks, 842 artists and executives from 59 countries have been invited to join this year. The branches have increasingly actively sought eligible people to become Academy members, but the Board of Governors makes the final call.
People of color (29 percent) and women (50 percent) are among the many invites, as the Academy continues to address its long-term white-male dominance. As always, actors make up the largest branch of the Academy, but many new members also come from overseas.
In 2018, the Academy invited 928 new members.
Twenty-one Oscar winners are among the new invited members, including Guy Nattiv (“Skin”), filmmaker Jimmy Chin (“Free Solo”), Phil Lord, and Chris Miller (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”), and 82 Oscar nominees (including newbies like Lady Gaga and “Roma” breakout Marina de Tavira). Ten of the 17 branches invited more women than men. The percentage of women...
People of color (29 percent) and women (50 percent) are among the many invites, as the Academy continues to address its long-term white-male dominance. As always, actors make up the largest branch of the Academy, but many new members also come from overseas.
In 2018, the Academy invited 928 new members.
Twenty-one Oscar winners are among the new invited members, including Guy Nattiv (“Skin”), filmmaker Jimmy Chin (“Free Solo”), Phil Lord, and Chris Miller (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”), and 82 Oscar nominees (including newbies like Lady Gaga and “Roma” breakout Marina de Tavira). Ten of the 17 branches invited more women than men. The percentage of women...
- 7/1/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Exclusive: The producers of Oscar winners Moonlight and Icarus, Oscar nominee Carol and Showtime series Billions, are among those bringing new projects to the Ifp Project Forum, which runs during the 40th Ifp Week in New York.
This year’s particularly buzzy Project Forum slate will comprise 150 U.S. and international films, series, digital and audio projects (for the first time) in different stages of development.
The co-production market will feature new narrative films and series from producers and Ep’s including Lamb On The Throne from Adele Romanski (Moonlight) and Sara Murphy (Land Ho!), Breezin’ from Amy Lo (Nancy), The Gymnast from Brian Koppelman and David Levien (Billions), The Fugitive Game from Ryan Cunningham (Broad City), Sleepwalkfrom Ryan Zacarias (A Ciambra), Bitterroot from Giulia Caruso & Ki Jin Kim (Columbus) and Nine Days from Jason Michael Berman (Amateur), Mette-Marie Kongsved (I Don’t Feel At Home In This World...
This year’s particularly buzzy Project Forum slate will comprise 150 U.S. and international films, series, digital and audio projects (for the first time) in different stages of development.
The co-production market will feature new narrative films and series from producers and Ep’s including Lamb On The Throne from Adele Romanski (Moonlight) and Sara Murphy (Land Ho!), Breezin’ from Amy Lo (Nancy), The Gymnast from Brian Koppelman and David Levien (Billions), The Fugitive Game from Ryan Cunningham (Broad City), Sleepwalkfrom Ryan Zacarias (A Ciambra), Bitterroot from Giulia Caruso & Ki Jin Kim (Columbus) and Nine Days from Jason Michael Berman (Amateur), Mette-Marie Kongsved (I Don’t Feel At Home In This World...
- 7/26/2018
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Doc NYC Artistic Director Thom Powers Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
James Crump's Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco is the Grand Jury Prize Metropolis Competition winner and The Stranger, directed by Nicole N Horanyi, tops the Viewfinders Competition in the 2017 Doc NYC juried feature programs.
Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco poster
Statement from Metropolis jurors Andrew Rossi (The First Monday In May, Bronx Gothic), Art Basel film programmer Marian Masone and Nantucket Film Festival executive director Mystelle Brabbée: "For rescuing a vital figure in the fashion industry from the background of New York in the 1970s, when the joy and diversity of a new creative vision helped the city emerge from darkness, the Metropolis jury awards Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco by filmmaker James Crump."
Statement from Viewfinders jurors Doug Block (The Kids Grow Up, 51 Birch Street), Vox film critic Alissa Wilkinson and Women Make Movies executive...
James Crump's Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco is the Grand Jury Prize Metropolis Competition winner and The Stranger, directed by Nicole N Horanyi, tops the Viewfinders Competition in the 2017 Doc NYC juried feature programs.
Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco poster
Statement from Metropolis jurors Andrew Rossi (The First Monday In May, Bronx Gothic), Art Basel film programmer Marian Masone and Nantucket Film Festival executive director Mystelle Brabbée: "For rescuing a vital figure in the fashion industry from the background of New York in the 1970s, when the joy and diversity of a new creative vision helped the city emerge from darkness, the Metropolis jury awards Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco by filmmaker James Crump."
Statement from Viewfinders jurors Doug Block (The Kids Grow Up, 51 Birch Street), Vox film critic Alissa Wilkinson and Women Make Movies executive...
- 11/17/2017
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Months ago, I got the crazy idea to write, produce and direct my first documentary. I wasn’t completely unrealistic — I knew enough to start small with a short, micro-budgetfilm. I also knew I could count on a supportive network of documentary filmmakers — including pros such as Doug Block, Marshall Curry, Laura Nix, Tracy Droz Tragos, Robert Greene, and others — to help guide me through the process. Later in this piece, I’ll share some of their invaluable wisdom. But first, here’s a bit about my film and my process so far. I had been on the lookout for a subject that […]...
- 8/25/2016
- by Paula Bernstein
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
It’s been a couple months since the last edition of What’s Up Doc? placed Michael Moore’s surprise world premiere of Where To Invade Next at the top of this list and in the meantime much shuffling has taken place and much time has been spent on various new endeavors (namely my Buffalo-based film series, Cultivate Cinema Circle). Finally taking its rightful place at the top, D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hagedus’ Unlocking the Cage is in the midst of being scored by composer James Lavino, according to Lavino’s own personal site. Though the project has been taking shape at its own leisurely pace, I’d expect to see the film making its festival debut in early 2016.
Right behind, the American direct cinema masters is a Texan soon to make his non-fiction debut with Voyage of Time. Just two weeks ago indieWIRE reported that Ennio Morricone, who scored...
Right behind, the American direct cinema masters is a Texan soon to make his non-fiction debut with Voyage of Time. Just two weeks ago indieWIRE reported that Ennio Morricone, who scored...
- 11/5/2015
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
The fall festival rush is upon us. Locarno is currently ramping up. Venice has released their line-up and Thom Powers and the Toronto International Film Festival team have dropped a bomb with a previously unannounced new feature from powerhouse docu-provocateur Michael Moore. It is truly a miracle that the production of a film such as Moore’s upcoming Where To Invade Next (see still above) managed to go completely undetected by the filmmaking community until it was literally announced to world premiere at one of the largest film festivals in the world. Programmed as a one of the key films in the Special Presentations section at Tiff, the film sees Moore telling “the Pentagon to ‘stand down’ — he will do the invading for America from now on.” Also announced to premiere at Tiff was Avi Lewis’ This Changes Everything, which has slowly been rising up this list, as well as...
- 8/7/2015
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Premiering at the Full Frame Film Festival in 2014 with stops at notable docu-geared fests such as HotDocs, Sheffield, Traverse and Cph:dox, 112 Weddings would see Doug Block make the rare choice to skip over a U.S. theatrical release and favor a stateside release during the wedding season friendly month of June via HBO.
Over the years, Block has proven himself to be an astute chronicler of the interpersonal, a filmmaker interested in the emotional impact of human relationships and the distinct difference between their public and private implications. Both his personal account of his own parents’ complex relationship in 51 Birch Street and the multilayered look at how child/parent relationships transform over time in The Kids Grow Up perfectly exemplify Block’s fascination with the topic, and his supplemental work as a wedding videographer proves to be yet another avenue for investigation within. Two decades ago, Block decided to start...
Over the years, Block has proven himself to be an astute chronicler of the interpersonal, a filmmaker interested in the emotional impact of human relationships and the distinct difference between their public and private implications. Both his personal account of his own parents’ complex relationship in 51 Birch Street and the multilayered look at how child/parent relationships transform over time in The Kids Grow Up perfectly exemplify Block’s fascination with the topic, and his supplemental work as a wedding videographer proves to be yet another avenue for investigation within. Two decades ago, Block decided to start...
- 7/28/2015
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
More than half of the Independent Filmmaker Project’s (Ifp) 140 titles at the upcoming Project Forum in Septembers’ Ifp Independent Film Week hail from women.
Announcing the slate on Wednesday, Ifp executive director Joana Vicente noted the strong representation of women when she praised the organisation’s “long-standing history of supporting diverse voices.”
In recent years Ifp has played a key role in launching the first films of many of today’s most adventurous women filmmakers including Desiree Akhavan, Anna Boden, Rama Burshtein, Debra Granik, Leah Meyerhoff, Laura Poitras, Gillian Robespierre and Dee Rees.
Under the curatorial leadership of deputy director/head of programming Amy Dotson and senior director of programming Milton Tabbot, this year’s nexus for filmmakers and executives comprises Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers programme, No Borders International Co-Production Market and Spotlight On Documentaries.
Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers highlights creative visionaries and showcases narrative features and web series in development new to the independent scene.
Short...
Announcing the slate on Wednesday, Ifp executive director Joana Vicente noted the strong representation of women when she praised the organisation’s “long-standing history of supporting diverse voices.”
In recent years Ifp has played a key role in launching the first films of many of today’s most adventurous women filmmakers including Desiree Akhavan, Anna Boden, Rama Burshtein, Debra Granik, Leah Meyerhoff, Laura Poitras, Gillian Robespierre and Dee Rees.
Under the curatorial leadership of deputy director/head of programming Amy Dotson and senior director of programming Milton Tabbot, this year’s nexus for filmmakers and executives comprises Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers programme, No Borders International Co-Production Market and Spotlight On Documentaries.
Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers highlights creative visionaries and showcases narrative features and web series in development new to the independent scene.
Short...
- 7/23/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The premiere post-tiff destination (September 20-25th) in the film community and a major leg up for narrative and non-fiction films in development, the Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp) announced a whopping 140 projects selected for the Project Forum at the upcoming Ifp Independent Film Week. Made up of several sections (Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers program, No Borders International Co-Production Market and Spotlight on Documentaries), we find latest updates from the likes of docu-helmers Doug Block (112 Weddings) and Lana Wilson (After Tiller), and among the narrative items we find headliners in Andrew Haigh (coming off the well received 45 Years), Sophie Barthes (Cold Souls and Madame Bovary), Terence Nance (An Oversimplification of Her Beauty), Lawrence Michael Levine (Wild Canaries), Jorge Michel Grau (We Are What We Are), Eleanor Burke and Ron Eyal (Stranger Things) and new faces in Sundance’s large family in Charles Poekel (Christmas, Again) and Olivia Newman (First Match). Here...
- 7/22/2015
- by admin
- IONCINEMA.com
More than half of the Independent Filmmaker Project’s (Ifp) 140 titles at the upcoming Project Forum in Septembers’ Ifp Independent Film Week hail from women.
Announcing the slate on Wednesday, Ifp executive director Joana Vicente noted the strong representation of women when she praised the organisation’s “long-standing history of supporting diverse voices.”
In recent years Ifp has played a key role in launching the first films of many of today’s most adventurous women filmmakers including Desiree Akhavan, Anna Boden, Rama Burshtein, Debra Granik, Leah Meyerhoff, Laura Poitras, Gillian Robespierre and Dee Rees.
Under the curatorial leadership of deputy director/head of programming Amy Dotson and senior director of programming Milton Tabbot, this year’s nexus for filmmakers and executives comprises Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers programme, No Borders International Co-Production Market and Spotlight On Documentaries.
Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers highlights creative visionaries and showcases narrative features and web series in development new to the independent scene.
Short...
Announcing the slate on Wednesday, Ifp executive director Joana Vicente noted the strong representation of women when she praised the organisation’s “long-standing history of supporting diverse voices.”
In recent years Ifp has played a key role in launching the first films of many of today’s most adventurous women filmmakers including Desiree Akhavan, Anna Boden, Rama Burshtein, Debra Granik, Leah Meyerhoff, Laura Poitras, Gillian Robespierre and Dee Rees.
Under the curatorial leadership of deputy director/head of programming Amy Dotson and senior director of programming Milton Tabbot, this year’s nexus for filmmakers and executives comprises Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers programme, No Borders International Co-Production Market and Spotlight On Documentaries.
Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers highlights creative visionaries and showcases narrative features and web series in development new to the independent scene.
Short...
- 7/22/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
In "112 Weddings," Doug Block revisits the many couples whose wedding videos he shot over the past two decades and finds himself learning about what makes marriage a success. Block manages to get his subjects to open up about sensitive subjects like depression, infidelity and divorce while frankly discussing the highs and lows and middle ground of married life. Below he provides tips on how to get documentary subjects to reveal themselves on camera. Any advice I give for getting interview subjects to open up on camera comes with a caveat. On my own films I almost always work as a one-person crew, which inherently makes for a more casual atmosphere and greater intimacy (it also means my addled brain must juggle camera, sound, producing and interviewing duties all at once!). Nevertheless, the following tips will largely apply to most documentary interview situations. They're not rules, just observations and lessons learned...
- 7/14/2015
- by Doug Block
- Indiewire
Read More: 5 Questions for Jennie Livingston, Director of "Paris Is Burning" and "Who's The Top?" On Saturday, April 18, the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program and the Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship hosted a half-day of panel discussions with a gathering of documentary film editors, directors and producers to discuss the art of editing. The goal of the day and future events is to shine a light on the role of the editor in the filmmaking process, build community and celebrate an under-explored and often misunderstood collaboration between director and editor. Panelists included editors Toby Shimin ("How to Dance in Ohio"), Nels Bangerter ("Let the Fire Burn"), Mona Davis ("Running from Crazy"), Colin Nusbaum ("Tough Love"), and Mary Manhardt ("American Promise") and moderators Tom Roston ("Doc Soup") and Doug Block ("112 Weddings"). The day began with a Keynote from...
- 4/30/2015
- by Jonathan Oppenheim
- Indiewire
It seems with each passing year the flood of year end lists are published earlier and earlier, assuring that at least a handful of films deserving a place on any given list are missed due to a lack of time and opportunity. Even here at Ioncinema.com, posting my list after the calender year has actually closed, it feels a little premature writing up a list, knowing there are plenty of films that I’ve yet to see due to a lack of screenings nearby – Mr. Turner, Foxcatcher, Leviathan, Winter Sleep and Selma just to name a few. I should note that it seems there is a lack of international releases on this list as well, but rest assured, of the many I saw this year, most won’t reach a domestic release until sometime in 2015, so films like Christian Petzold’s Phoenix, Tsai Ming-liang’s Journey to the West,...
- 1/5/2015
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Mike Myers’ Supermensch and fashion house doc Dior and I among sales.
Ahead of next week’s, UK-based sales agent Dogwoof has secured a string of TV deals for their current slate.
Dior and I has been sold to Canal+ (France). This recent Dogwoof acquisition is the latest fashion film from Frédéric Tcheng (Diana Vreeland, The Eye Has to Travel, Valentino: The Last Emperor) and tells the inside story of designer Raf Simons taking over the iconic fashion house.
Recently opened in the Us and the UK, Finding Fela from Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney chronicles the life and death of Nigerian music legend Fela Kuti. It has been sold to Arte France, Vpro (Netherlands) and AMC Global (Mena, Cee).
Shosh Shlam and Hilla Medalia’s Web Junkie about China’s teen internet de-programming camps continues to sell, with sales to Arte France, Pts (Taiwan), Ebs (Korea), Trt (Turkey), Ruv (Iceland), Doc24 (Russia) and AMC Global (Iberia, Mena)
Further...
Ahead of next week’s, UK-based sales agent Dogwoof has secured a string of TV deals for their current slate.
Dior and I has been sold to Canal+ (France). This recent Dogwoof acquisition is the latest fashion film from Frédéric Tcheng (Diana Vreeland, The Eye Has to Travel, Valentino: The Last Emperor) and tells the inside story of designer Raf Simons taking over the iconic fashion house.
Recently opened in the Us and the UK, Finding Fela from Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney chronicles the life and death of Nigerian music legend Fela Kuti. It has been sold to Arte France, Vpro (Netherlands) and AMC Global (Mena, Cee).
Shosh Shlam and Hilla Medalia’s Web Junkie about China’s teen internet de-programming camps continues to sell, with sales to Arte France, Pts (Taiwan), Ebs (Korea), Trt (Turkey), Ruv (Iceland), Doc24 (Russia) and AMC Global (Iberia, Mena)
Further...
- 10/9/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Thanks to the increase in access to small scale non-fiction films through the barrage of streaming services viewers now have access to – Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, Mubi, Vudu, etc – people are watching more documentaries than ever before. You can literally turn on any web ready device of your choosing and be watching any number of top quality docs within a number of seconds. It’s nothing short of incredible. But, with ease of access comes an over saturation of content used to fill in the curatorial gaps. For every Marwencol, Senna, Gimme Shelter or The Act of Killing, there are heaps of ordures cinéma clogging up precious bandwidth. And let’s not forget, cinemas themselves are enjoying a renewed trust in the non-fiction form, exhibiting over 100 documentaries on the silver screen last year and banking over $50 Million at the box office in the process, not including the hundreds of...
- 7/28/2014
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
112 Weddings, which airs tonight on HBO, is such a good idea for a documentary that I'm stunned it hasn't been done many, many times before. Filmmaker Doug Block, who also made the excellent 51 Birch Street, has a side gig (all right, why kid ourselves: a rent-paying job) shooting and editing wedding videos. One day he decided to check in with some of his former clients and see how their marriages turned out. As the clickbait web sites say, the answers will surprise you. Then again, maybe they won't. Every marriage is unique, and in America, at least, nearly half end in divorce.Despite the film's title, Block doesn't interview all 112 couples whose weddings he's covered — just a few of them. There are heterosexual couples and same-sex couples. Some followed up their ceremonies and receptions with long and/or happy marriages. Others basically peaked with the exchange of rings and...
- 6/30/2014
- by Matt Zoller Seitz
- Vulture
Being that roughly half of the human population at some point in their life embark on the insanity that is marriage, it’s unlikely you’ve managed to avoid the various celebrations that come with the amorous union, whether a willing participant or a postulant onlooker. Director Doug Block has himself professionally bore witness to dozens of weddings, documenting one of the single most extreme days in a person’s life with a subjective eye and a feeling for the emotional rhythms of the eponymous event. With 112 Weddings, looks back at these time capsules and asks a select few of the lucky couples to reflect on their matrimonial decisions, essentially investigating the balance between love and the legalities that come with marriage.
Having premiered on the opening night of the Full Frame Film Festival back in April, the film has gone on to play a variety of high profile festivals...
Having premiered on the opening night of the Full Frame Film Festival back in April, the film has gone on to play a variety of high profile festivals...
- 6/30/2014
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
We Are Gathered Here Today To Reconsider: Block Delves Into The Meaning of Marriage Via 20 Years of Wedding Videography
Over the years, director Doug Block has proven himself to be an astute chronicler of the interpersonal, a filmmaker interested in the emotional impact of human relationships and the distinct difference between their public and private implications. Both his personal account of his own parents’ complex relationship in 51 Birch Street and the multilayered look at how child/parent relationships transform over time in The Kids Grow Up perfectly exemplify Block’s fascination with the topic, and his supplemental work as a wedding videographer proves to be yet another avenue for investigation within. Two decades ago, Block decided to start shooting weddings for a little extra income and soon realized his privileged responsibility of documenting one of the most monumental, odd and often moving day in the lives of his subjects. Looking...
Over the years, director Doug Block has proven himself to be an astute chronicler of the interpersonal, a filmmaker interested in the emotional impact of human relationships and the distinct difference between their public and private implications. Both his personal account of his own parents’ complex relationship in 51 Birch Street and the multilayered look at how child/parent relationships transform over time in The Kids Grow Up perfectly exemplify Block’s fascination with the topic, and his supplemental work as a wedding videographer proves to be yet another avenue for investigation within. Two decades ago, Block decided to start shooting weddings for a little extra income and soon realized his privileged responsibility of documenting one of the most monumental, odd and often moving day in the lives of his subjects. Looking...
- 6/30/2014
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
★★☆☆☆With approximately half of all marriages ending in divorce, what is it that still compels couples to take the matrimonial plunge? This is the question posed by 112 Weddings (2013), the latest film from documentary filmmaker Doug Block (51 Birch Street, The Kids Grow Up). For over two decades, Block, like many others, has supplemented his income by filming wedding ceremonies. Known on the circuit for his cinéma vérité approach (as aloof as that sounds) and highly-regarded by his satisfied customers, Block now utilises his connections to revisit the "happy couples" years on after the big day. Unfortunately, and perhaps inevitably, the results are a truly mixed bag, often offering limited insight.
- 6/13/2014
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
A startling and welcome breath of reality for an institution overladen by fantasy in our culture. Happily ever after is hard! I’m “biast” (pro): I’m not married
I’m “biast” (con): I’m not married
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Doug Block is a New York-based documentary filmmaker who, 20 years ago, started shooting weddings as a way to make some money. Now, in 112 Weddings, he revisits nine of the couples he photographed as they got married to get their perspectives on married life: What have been the ups and downs? Has marriage met their expectations, or confounded them? As Block explains to us, he has seen what goes into getting married, now wants to find out what goes into staying married.
It’s not always a pretty picture, with a lot of raw emotion on display, even when the marriages have been...
I’m “biast” (con): I’m not married
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Doug Block is a New York-based documentary filmmaker who, 20 years ago, started shooting weddings as a way to make some money. Now, in 112 Weddings, he revisits nine of the couples he photographed as they got married to get their perspectives on married life: What have been the ups and downs? Has marriage met their expectations, or confounded them? As Block explains to us, he has seen what goes into getting married, now wants to find out what goes into staying married.
It’s not always a pretty picture, with a lot of raw emotion on display, even when the marriages have been...
- 6/13/2014
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Documentary filmmaker Doug Block, whose previous credits include 51 Birch Street and The Kids Grow Up, revisits selected couples from the 112 weddings he filmed over 20 years as an official wedding videographer, in an attempt to discover what happens when the party is over and what married life really means. The successes of the numerous wedding-based reality TV programs, BBC3’s Don’t Tell The Bride and C4’s My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding to name just two, prove the strong public interest in weddings as a subject, particularly in a “reality” context. Perhaps this is surprising, given the 50/50 success rate of modern marriages, a statistic touched upon in Block’s rather tentative exploration of the contemporary relevance of the institution. There is still something voyeuristically attractive about weddings and marriage, even more so in a contemporary setting where such traditions are seen less and less as socially essential. For some reason,...
- 6/12/2014
- by Georgia Fleury Reynolds
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
It’s an idea so simple it makes you wonder why no one had thought of it till now. A lot of filmmakers make money on the side as a videographer for special events, weddings in particular, but do those men and women that capture those memories ever go back into their editing suite and think about what might have happened to those couples? Are they still together? Did they have kids? Was their road to marital bliss easy or hard?
Doug Block, a part-time wedding photographer, one day became curious about all this and made it the basis for his latest documentary, 112 Weddings, which revisits some of the couples that make up the various weddings that he’s shot over his career.
To Block’s credit, he takes the relatively cutsey concept of going through his filmography of wedding days and reliving the highs and lows and fashion and trends,...
Doug Block, a part-time wedding photographer, one day became curious about all this and made it the basis for his latest documentary, 112 Weddings, which revisits some of the couples that make up the various weddings that he’s shot over his career.
To Block’s credit, he takes the relatively cutsey concept of going through his filmography of wedding days and reliving the highs and lows and fashion and trends,...
- 4/25/2014
- by Adam A. Donaldson
- We Got This Covered
Hot Docs launches in Toronto tonight with the Canadian premiere of Sundance hit "The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz." The screening -- at the festival's hub The Bloor Cinema -- kicks off 11 days and nights of North America's largest documentary festival. And while plenty of other breakout films from Sundance and the like will certainly be a big part of the festival, Hot Docs also offers plenty of opportunity for discovery with dozens of world premieres. So here are 10 films you might not have heard of yet with buzz heading into Hot Docs that we're particularly excited to see. Check them out at Hot Docs, or at many doc film festivals to come (and hopefully theaters soon after that): "112 Weddings," directed by Doug Block Over the past two decades, Doug Block has supported his career as a documentary film director ("51 Birch Street," "The Kids Grow Up...
- 4/24/2014
- by Paula Bernstein and Peter Knegt
- Indiewire
The 2014 Nantucket Film Festival has announced the centerpiece, opening and closing films to be featured at the festival, which runs June 25-30. The festival will open with "The Skeleton Twins," starring Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader as estranged siblings with a new bond. The opening day will also include a screening of Pixar shorts. The festival will also screen Mike Cahill's "I Origins," a drama sci-fi mystery with Michael Pitt and Brit Marling, as its centerpiece. Richard Linklater's "Boyhood," a coming-of-age epic from Richard Linklater will serve as its closing night entry. The full feature film lineup is also complete: check out the list below. 112 Weddings Documentary Feature Director: Doug Block Director Doug Block’s previous films, 51 Birch Street and The Kids Grow Up, explore universal themes of love, marriage, and family as revealed through his personal experiences. For the past two decades, Block has supported his filmmaking career by documenting the.
- 4/22/2014
- by Taylor Lindsay
- Indiewire
Documentaries rely heavily on festivals to obtain the much-needed attention of distribution companies. And few doc festivals carry as much prestige as the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, which will be celebrating its 17th year from April 3-6 and has just announced its "Invited Program" and "New Docs" lineup of new feature and short films. Opening the festival is acclaimed director Doug Block’s documentary “112 Weddings,” which is set to have its world premiere. The film, an HBO documentary feature, is described as "a heartwarming examination of the struggles and joys that come with lifelong partnership." After two decades filming weddings part-time, Block revisits couples years after the big day in order to see how love and life have unfolded after vows. Full Frame, a qualifying event for consideration for the nominations for both the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject and the Producers Guild of America Awards, features 21 films.
- 3/6/2014
- by Ziyad Saadi
- Indiewire
Doug Block’s HBO Documentary will kick off proceedings in Durham, North Carolina, on April 3.
“Among filmmakers, Full Frame is the country’s most revered documentary film festival, so it’s a particular honour to be chosen as this year’s Opening Night Film,” said Block.
“112 Weddings is a thought-provoking film about love and marriage, and I’m hoping it will get the festival off to a rousing, celebratory start.”
The New Docs programme includes 48 titles such as Ilan Moskovitch and Dan Bronfeld’s Apollonian Story and Ian Phillips’ Book Of Days.
The 21 features in the Invited Program include Ben Cotner, Ryan White’s The Case Against 8 and Michael Rossato-Bennett’s Alive Inside: A Story Of Music & Memory.
The festival runs through April 6. For the full line-up click here.
“Among filmmakers, Full Frame is the country’s most revered documentary film festival, so it’s a particular honour to be chosen as this year’s Opening Night Film,” said Block.
“112 Weddings is a thought-provoking film about love and marriage, and I’m hoping it will get the festival off to a rousing, celebratory start.”
The New Docs programme includes 48 titles such as Ilan Moskovitch and Dan Bronfeld’s Apollonian Story and Ian Phillips’ Book Of Days.
The 21 features in the Invited Program include Ben Cotner, Ryan White’s The Case Against 8 and Michael Rossato-Bennett’s Alive Inside: A Story Of Music & Memory.
The festival runs through April 6. For the full line-up click here.
- 3/6/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
HBO has released its doc schedule through the first half of the year, a lineup that includes Doug Block's "112 Weddings" and Ben Cotner and Ryan White's "The Case Against 8." Herblock – The Black & The White (Jan. 27) traces the life of Herbert L. Block, who started cartooning in his teens in Chicago and went on to win four Pulitzer Prizes and the Presidential Medal of Freedom during his 55 years at the Washington Post. For the better part of the 20th century, his cartoons were a must-read for those in Washington and syndicated across the country. Jon Stewart, Carl Bernstein, Bob Woodward, Ben Bradlee, Lewis Black and Tom Brokaw are among those providing insight into Block’s life and career in the documentary, from multiple Emmy® winners Michael Stevens and George Stevens, Jr. Questioning Darwin (Feb. 10) takes an in-depth look at modern-day creationist theory embraced by those who reject evolution, and...
- 1/10/2014
- by Alison Willmore
- Indiewire
The 2013 St. Louis International Film Festival concluded Sunday night with a party at the Contemporary Art Museum in St. Louis. Sliff announced the audience-choice and juried-competition awards.
Now in its 22nd year, the Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival is one of the largest international film festivals in the Midwest. This year’s festival was held Nov. 14-24, 2013.
2013 Sliff Film Awards
Best of Fest Audience Choice Awards
Best Documentary Feature: “Harlem Street Singer” directed by Simeon Hutner
Best International Narrative Feature: “Philomena” directed by Stephen Frears
Best Narrative Feature: “One Chance” directed by David Frankel
New Filmmakers Forum Award
“This Is Where We Live” directed by Marc Menchaca and Josh Barrett ($500 cash prize)
St. Louis Film Critics Association Joe Pollack Awards Best Documentary Feature: “Blood Brother” directed by Steve Hoover Special Jury Mention, Documentary Feature: “The Pleasures of Being Out of Step” directed by David Lewis
Best Narrative Feature: “Key...
Now in its 22nd year, the Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival is one of the largest international film festivals in the Midwest. This year’s festival was held Nov. 14-24, 2013.
2013 Sliff Film Awards
Best of Fest Audience Choice Awards
Best Documentary Feature: “Harlem Street Singer” directed by Simeon Hutner
Best International Narrative Feature: “Philomena” directed by Stephen Frears
Best Narrative Feature: “One Chance” directed by David Frankel
New Filmmakers Forum Award
“This Is Where We Live” directed by Marc Menchaca and Josh Barrett ($500 cash prize)
St. Louis Film Critics Association Joe Pollack Awards Best Documentary Feature: “Blood Brother” directed by Steve Hoover Special Jury Mention, Documentary Feature: “The Pleasures of Being Out of Step” directed by David Lewis
Best Narrative Feature: “Key...
- 11/25/2013
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Jessica Edwards recently published a book of essays she edited, where she asks documentary filmmakers to tell her something -- specifically, some words of advice for other documentary filmmakers. In this excerpt, direct cinema hero Albert Maysles shares his advice for other doc filmmakers. For more information and to buy a copy of the book, visit the book's website here, and if you're in New York this week, Edwards is hosting a panel with documentary filmmakers as a part of Doc NYC's Masterclass panels. Join her and filmmakers Amir Bar-Lev, Shola Lynch, Liz Garbus, Marshall Curry and Doug Block Wednesday at 3:30 Pm at the IFC Center for advice on how to make your film happen. More information on the panel can be found here. A documentary filmmaker needs to be patient and believe in the process of discovery. Orson Welles described the observational method of allowing things to happen on their own,...
- 11/18/2013
- by Albert Maysles
- Indiewire
Shawney Cohen is a filmmaker, but he also works at the family business, which wouldn't be so unusual if the business wasn't a small town strip club in Canada. Following in the footsteps of other personal documentarians like Ross McElwee and Doug Block, Cohen delves into the story of his dysfunctional family in his debut feature "The Manor," which opened the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in April and makes its N.Y. premiere at Doc NYC on Friday night. Cohen spent three years shooting the film and 15 months editing down the more than 200 hours of footage. Of course, he was concerned about the critical response, but more important than the reviews was his family's response. While Cohen's film depicts his family with love and respect, it doesn't gloss over difficult elements, including his father's struggle with obesity, his mother's anorexia and their strained relationship. Here Cohen provides tips...
- 11/12/2013
- by Shawney Cohen
- Indiewire
Sebastian Junger and Andrea Nix Fine among filmmakers screening in competition at the cinematography festival.
Camerimage , the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography (Nov 16-23), has revealed its 2013 line-up of films screening in six of the festival’s competition sections.
The 21st edition of Camerimage will screen more than 300 feature and short films, grouped into 24 sections, including 10 competitions. There are films from 50 countries around the world.
Around 30 films will receive their European premieres in Bydgoszcz, and more that 50 will have their Polish premieres.
The Golden Frog, Silver Frog and Bronze Frog awards will be bestowed upon competition titles representing the greatest achievements in cinematography. In the Student Etudes Competition, the Festival awards Golden Tadpole, Silver Tadpole and Bronze Tadpole.
It was previously announced that Oscar-nominated cinematographer Sławomir Idziak (Black Hawk Down, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Gattaca) will be the recipient of the Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Competing films
Polish...
Camerimage , the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography (Nov 16-23), has revealed its 2013 line-up of films screening in six of the festival’s competition sections.
The 21st edition of Camerimage will screen more than 300 feature and short films, grouped into 24 sections, including 10 competitions. There are films from 50 countries around the world.
Around 30 films will receive their European premieres in Bydgoszcz, and more that 50 will have their Polish premieres.
The Golden Frog, Silver Frog and Bronze Frog awards will be bestowed upon competition titles representing the greatest achievements in cinematography. In the Student Etudes Competition, the Festival awards Golden Tadpole, Silver Tadpole and Bronze Tadpole.
It was previously announced that Oscar-nominated cinematographer Sławomir Idziak (Black Hawk Down, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Gattaca) will be the recipient of the Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Competing films
Polish...
- 10/11/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Dogwoof has acquired all foreign rights for Ryan Mullins’ documentary Chameleon, currently in production.
The acquisition will see Dogwoof acting as sales agent for all territories, across all platforms, and will include a UK distribution deal.
Chameleon is the story of Anas Aremeyaw Anas, a deep-cover investigative journalist in Ghana who exposed a sex-trafficking ring by masquerading as a bartender, uncovered deplorable conditions in Accra’s psychiatric hospital by admitting himself, and posed as a Crown Prince in order to bypass a rebel checkpoint. The documentary follows Anas on his next big case.
Due for completion in late 2014, Chameleon was pitched at Hotdocs Forum, and has also received development and production grants from the Sundance Institute.
Vesna Cudic, of Dogwoof Global, described the film as “an exhilarating story with a charismatic protagonist, and unprecedented access”.
Dogwoof will release the film to UK audiences in 2015 and act as international sales agents.
The move to...
The acquisition will see Dogwoof acting as sales agent for all territories, across all platforms, and will include a UK distribution deal.
Chameleon is the story of Anas Aremeyaw Anas, a deep-cover investigative journalist in Ghana who exposed a sex-trafficking ring by masquerading as a bartender, uncovered deplorable conditions in Accra’s psychiatric hospital by admitting himself, and posed as a Crown Prince in order to bypass a rebel checkpoint. The documentary follows Anas on his next big case.
Due for completion in late 2014, Chameleon was pitched at Hotdocs Forum, and has also received development and production grants from the Sundance Institute.
Vesna Cudic, of Dogwoof Global, described the film as “an exhilarating story with a charismatic protagonist, and unprecedented access”.
Dogwoof will release the film to UK audiences in 2015 and act as international sales agents.
The move to...
- 9/2/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Documentary. A starchy word, isn’t it? It comes from the Latin documentum, meaning lesson or proof, and carries an implicit threat: “Time for class, children.” That’s better than a quiz, for sure, but nothing you’d want to pay thirteen bucks to see on a big screen. A popular website for doc practitioners is called “the D-Word,” as in (creator Doug Block explains), “We love your film but don’t know how to sell it. It’s a D-word.” A good place to learn to love the D-word is a film festival like Tribeca (April 17 to 28), where you have the opportunity to marvel at the explosion—and creative flowering—of this most commercially unsexy of genres. I was down in Miami for an excellent fest last month and out of my mind with pleasure at the opening movie, a doc called Twenty Feet From Stardom that centers on...
- 4/14/2013
- by David Edelstein
- Vulture
Columns Festival Roundup San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay, Los Angeles International Lesbian and Gay, Locarno, Montreal World Film Festival by Judith Halberstam, Diane Sippl and Scott Macaulay Production Update by Mary Glucksman Imho Mikki Halpin and Eric Saks on multimedia’s new players Short Ends Features In Images We Trust Hal Hartley chats with Jean-Luc Godard Net Profit Doug Block catches Hoop Dreams The State Of Things (Part One) Mary Glucksman on the smaller independent distributors Likes And Dislikes Charlotte Macleod follows Darnell Martin’s I Like it Like That Breaking And Entering Diane Sippl talks to Charles Burnett about The …...
- 3/2/2013
- by t.k.
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Columns Festival Roundup Berlin, Sundance, the AFI, and Rotterdam covered by Jennine Lanouette, Peter Broderick, Holly Willis, and V.A. Musetto Production Update by Mary Glucksman Short Ends Features Fish Stories Holly Willis on Go Fish Pedro On The Verge Of A New Film Peter Bowen talks with Almodovar about Kika In The Kingdom Of The Camcorder Doug Block on tape-to-film transfers The Accidental Filmmaker Gregg Bordowitz’ Fast Trip, Long Drop Crossing The Line A tape-to-film case study by Peter Broderick The Draughtman’S Contract Tips on hiring a production designer from Ted Hope Portraits Of The Artists Production designers Therese DePrez, …...
- 3/2/2013
- by t.k.
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Independent Film Week is currently underway in New York City, and the "Filmmaking in Conflict" panel discussion held Thursday incited an engaging conversation about the trials of documentary filmmaking in the modern age. From conflicts with subjects to dealing with lawsuits, the discussion's panelists provided insight into the process of getting a documentary made and navigating the roadblocks along the way. The talk was led by Heather Croall, the festival director of Sheffield Doc/Fest, and the three panelists were Joe Berlinger ("Paradise Lost"), Doug Block ("The Kids Grow Up") and Alison Klayman ("Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry"). In an attempt to make the most of the 60-minute time frame, Croall broke down the conflicts into seven categories: Subject, Team, Government, Corporations, Family, Other Filmmakers and Funders. Of course, any filmmaker could attest to the fact that there are countless complexities and unforeseen conflicts...
- 9/21/2012
- by Claire Easton
- Indiewire
Filmmaker‘s annual holiday subscription sale is in its last three days. From now through Christmas you can gift a one or two-year subscription to Filmmaker to a friend, family member or yourself for 40% off our normal rates. A one-year subscription is only $10 for our print edition and $6 for our digital. And as we do each year, we’ve reached out to our friends in the community for bonus prizes that will be given to randomly selected new and returning subscribers. It’s a fantastic list, and I’d like to list each item and thank the distributors and publishers who supported Filmmaker by gifting them to our readers.
Subscribe to Filmmaker by Christmas night and be eligible to receive:
* Oscilloscope’s Circle of Trust — A subscription of 10 new DVD releases from this excellent indie distributor.
* Oscilloscope T-shirt.
* From Kimstim and Zeitgeist Films, a DVD of Josh and Benny Safdie...
Subscribe to Filmmaker by Christmas night and be eligible to receive:
* Oscilloscope’s Circle of Trust — A subscription of 10 new DVD releases from this excellent indie distributor.
* Oscilloscope T-shirt.
* From Kimstim and Zeitgeist Films, a DVD of Josh and Benny Safdie...
- 12/23/2011
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
As Jason Guerrasio notes for Filmmaker, Sundance has added two world premieres and two festival circuit veterans to its lineup.
Predisposed is written and directed by Philip Dorling and Ron Nyswaner and features Jesse Eisenberg, Melissa Leo, Tracy Morgan, Sarah Ramos and Isiah Whitlock Jr. The Sundance synopsis: "Eli Smith, a piano prodigy, is dealing with his troubled mother and enlisting help from a hapless drug dealer on the day he has an audition for a prestigious music program. Events spiral comically out of control as this gang of misfits faces the mistakes of the past, the challenges of the future, and the possibilities of love."
Don Coscarelli's John Dies at the End, featuring Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, Paul Giamatti, Clancy Brown and Glynn Turman, is based on a novel by David Wong. Sundance: "On the street they call it Soy Sauce – a drug that allows users to drift across time and dimensions.
Predisposed is written and directed by Philip Dorling and Ron Nyswaner and features Jesse Eisenberg, Melissa Leo, Tracy Morgan, Sarah Ramos and Isiah Whitlock Jr. The Sundance synopsis: "Eli Smith, a piano prodigy, is dealing with his troubled mother and enlisting help from a hapless drug dealer on the day he has an audition for a prestigious music program. Events spiral comically out of control as this gang of misfits faces the mistakes of the past, the challenges of the future, and the possibilities of love."
Don Coscarelli's John Dies at the End, featuring Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, Paul Giamatti, Clancy Brown and Glynn Turman, is based on a novel by David Wong. Sundance: "On the street they call it Soy Sauce – a drug that allows users to drift across time and dimensions.
- 12/20/2011
- MUBI
Alma Ha'rel and Doug Block are among the filmmakers who will benefit from the 2012 Tribeca Film Institute's Documentary Fund, which distributes $150,000 in grants for 10 documentary projects in various stages of development. Topics include the evolution of love and marriage, Richard Nixon’s presidency and the 1988 Olympics steroids scandal. Grantees will also receive guidance and consulation from Tfi for their various productions. "The 2012 selections highlight the ingenuity of filmmakers and the power of character-driven stories which are an essential contribution to our cultural conversation," said Ryan Harrington, Director of Documentary Programming at Tfi in a statement. "We are delighted to be among the first institutional supporters of many of these projects, and hope that in helping to fund the development and completion of such work, we will continue to drive industry recognition and increase opportunities for the often-overlooked...
- 12/19/2011
- Indiewire
Okay, I’m aware that anyone can use Flickchart to filter their favorite documentaries. That’s Flickchart 101, Derek.
But I decided to focus on documentaries this week because I made an organic list of my ten favorite documentaries for a post I wrote last year on my own blog. This was at a time when I wasn’t aware of Flickchart’s potential to do the same thing, or at least, didn’t yet use the site that way, if I did know.
What truer measure of the effectiveness of Flickchart at distilling my true feelings, than to compare a list I produced from my brain with one produced from Flickchart’s algorithms? As an added bonus, Flickchart might also help me identify a movie I didn’t realize I loved as much as I do. Here is the list I came up with organically, to prepare you for what...
But I decided to focus on documentaries this week because I made an organic list of my ten favorite documentaries for a post I wrote last year on my own blog. This was at a time when I wasn’t aware of Flickchart’s potential to do the same thing, or at least, didn’t yet use the site that way, if I did know.
What truer measure of the effectiveness of Flickchart at distilling my true feelings, than to compare a list I produced from my brain with one produced from Flickchart’s algorithms? As an added bonus, Flickchart might also help me identify a movie I didn’t realize I loved as much as I do. Here is the list I came up with organically, to prepare you for what...
- 8/3/2011
- by Derek Armstrong
- Flickchart
Sometimes it’s personal, writes Matt Brennan in this week’s “Now and Then” column on the two documentaries The Kids Grow Up and Sherman’s March (trailers below):One is inherently subjective, a collation of interviews, impressions, laughter and tears. The other is only ostensibly objective, a historical artifact turned private heirloom. Both, however, are sure on one thing: there really is no place like home video. Doug Block has made a career out of having a family. His most well-known documentary, 51 Birch Street (2005), was a biopsy of the mysteries of his parents’ marriage; his most recent, The Kids Grow Up (HBO, DVD released July 19), excavates his own life as a father during the year before his daughter, Lucy, leaves for college. This is an ...
- 7/25/2011
- Thompson on Hollywood
From Wiki: The Toynbee tiles (also called Toynbee plaques) are messages of mysterious origin found embedded in asphalt of streets in about two dozen major cities in the United States and four South American capitals. Since the 1980s, several hundred tiles have been discovered. They are generally about the size of an American license plate, but sometimes considerably larger. They contain some variation on the following inscription: Toynbee Idea In Kubrick's 2001 Resurrect Dead On Planet Jupiter. Jordan M. Smith: It's pretty clear in the film how Justin, Steve, and Colin got involved in the project, but how did Jon's involvement come about? Colin Smith: The origins of everyone's involvement might not be as clear as it seems. Justin and Jon, both of whom were involved in West Philadelphia's underground rock scene, met in 2000 through a prank call involving the Toynbee tiles that Jon sent to Justin's roommate, a mutual friend,...
- 6/22/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
From Wiki: The Toynbee tiles (also called Toynbee plaques) are messages of mysterious origin found embedded in asphalt of streets in about two dozen major cities in the United States and four South American capitals.[1][2] Since the 1980s, several hundred tiles have been discovered. They are generally about the size of an American license plate, but sometimes considerably larger. They contain some variation on the following inscription: Toynbee Idea In Kubrick's 2001 Resurrect Dead On Planet Jupiter. Jordan M. Smith: It's pretty clear in the film how Justin, Steve, and Colin got involved in the project, but how did Jon's involvement come about? Colin Smith: The origins of everyone's involvement might not be as clear as it seems. Justin and Jon, both of whom were involved in West Philadelphia's underground rock scene, met in 2000 through a prank call involving the Toynbee tiles that Jon sent to Justin's roommate, a mutual friend,...
- 6/22/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
Doug Block The International Documentary Association will present "The Art of the Personal Documentary: A Conversation with Doug Block" at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 16, at The Cinefamily (the old Silent Movie Theatre). Doug Block is the New York-based director of 51 Birch Street and The Kids Grow Up. He and moderator Marjan Safinia (But You Speak Such Good English, Seeds) will discuss the following topics: How did his filmmaker journey lead him to making personal documentaries? What are the hardest moments he’s had to face while making work about his family? How has he developed the ability to still make strong directorial choice when the subject of his films is, quite literally, so close to home? How does he navigate production as a self-shooter who is in the film? Doc U is the International Documentary Association’s series of educational seminars and workshops for aspiring and experienced documentary filmmakers.
- 5/12/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The International Documentary Association Presents
Monday, May 16, 2011 Doors Open: 7:00pmDiscussion & Audience Q&A: 7:30pm - 9:00pmWine Reception to Follow
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The Cinefamily611 N. Fairfax Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90036
Many of us have incredible stories to tell from our personal and family lives. But few of us have the guts to lay ourselves and our loved ones bare in front of the camera's lens. Doug Block, acclaimed director of 51 Birch Street and ...
Monday, May 16, 2011 Doors Open: 7:00pmDiscussion & Audience Q&A: 7:30pm - 9:00pmWine Reception to Follow
Like on Facebook • Share on Twitter
The Cinefamily611 N. Fairfax Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90036
Many of us have incredible stories to tell from our personal and family lives. But few of us have the guts to lay ourselves and our loved ones bare in front of the camera's lens. Doug Block, acclaimed director of 51 Birch Street and ...
- 5/11/2011
- by amyjelenko
- International Documentary Association
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