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And the winner is...'Salt.'

Usually when one is heading to a new place and wants to get an idea of the local culture, a few websites pop up as regular resources for everything from restaurant recommendations to local hikes. But for a deeper dive into the character of a place, the Internet has now become host to mini-documentaries that reveal what lurks beneath the surface of the generic tourism site. Once such series, California Is a Place, played this past fall in the DocLab at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) and was featured as part of a "New Frontiers" panel at the 2011 Sundance Film

One can choose from a myriad of entertainment experiences these days, ranging from online computer games to outdoor theme parks. But with all this entertainment noise, one player has remained strong: Giant-screen cinemas have been around for decades longer than video games, and they are still a viable option for theatergoers of all ages. Giant-screen films, and in particular--nature and wildlife documentaries--have attracted millions of viewers for over 40 years as venues for this unique cinematic experience have proliferated by the hundreds. One of the earliest nature documentaries produced

Excerpt from "Notes from the Reel" - Summer 2011 - Documentary magazine Dear IDA Community, In a US Tax Court trial held in Arizona on March 9, Judge Diane Kroupa made a statement that, if memorialized in a ruling, will have a devastating impact on independent documentary filmmakers across the US. Judge Kroupa questioned whether a documentary could be “for profit,” since by its nature it is designed “to educate and expose,” and she invited the parties to present case law on the issue. Judge Kroupa’s speculation came in a case in which the IRS argued that filmmaker Lee Storey could not deduct

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CHAINSAW , an ongoing supporter of the documentary film community, joins as a sponsor of the 15th Annual DocuWeeks Theatrical Showcase. Other DocuWeeks sponsors are FotoKem, NBCUniversal Archives and the Canadian Consulate. Thank you CHAINSAW for being so awesome and for all that you do for documentary filmmakers! CHAINSAW, based in Hollywood, CA, provides editorial services from concept to completion. Emmy Award winning editors Bill DeRonde and Mike Polito used their years of hands-on experience to build a full-service post facility that gives editors what they need to get the client what

At the Los Angeles Film Festival

SOMEWHERE BETWEEN Screens at the Los Angeles Film Festival SOMEWHERE BETWEEN, an IDA fiscal sponsored film, profiles Chineseadoptees in contemporary America. This deeply moving documentary illustratesthat even the most specific of experiences can be universally relatable. Of theroughly 80,000 girls that have been adopted from China since 1981, the filmmakers followfour giggly, typical American teens who reveal a heartbreaking sense ofself-awareness. Issues of identity, race and gender are brought to life throughthese articulate subjects, who approach life with honesty and open hearts. Sat

Next to the Oscars, the Emmys are the most prestigious awards in Hollywood. Everyone has seen the Emmys on television, but the Emmy broadcast shows only a small number of the actual awards. In fact, there are three separate Emmy organizations, and each one gives out numerous awards for documentary films and series every year. Among the three organizations, documentaries can enter at least 15 categories and possibly more, depending on the category definition that can change from year to year. So now that you've raised the financing, made your film, shepherded it through the festival circuit

CALL FOR ENTRIES 2011 Enter Now! Earlybird Deadline: June 10, 2011 IDA is proud to announce submissions are open for the 27th Annual IDA Documentary Awards. The IDA Documentary Awards is the foremost event dedicated to the art of documentary film. All winners will be honored at the IDA Documentary Awards Gala in Los Angeles, December 2, 2011. Entry is open to any documentary, nonfiction or factual program completed between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011 that qualifies for one of the five main award categories. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT THE 27TH ANNUAL IDA DOCUMENTARY AWARDS EVENT PAGE.