For as long as I can remember, I've been fascinated by the history of The Friars Club—the legendary showbiz haven where some of the biggest icons of 20th century entertainment have gathered to let it all hang out. In its heyday, it was a home-away-from-home for giants such as Frank Sinatra, Jack Benny, George Burns, Johnny Carson and Dean Martin. The Friars Club is best known for its irreverent celebrity roasts. Milton Berle captured the spirit when he quipped, "Having a roast at The Friars Club is like hemorrhoids: Sooner or later every asshole gets one!" When I moved to Los Angeles in 1994
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Voyeurism, communism, anti-Semitism, racism, ethnic conflict, drug addiction-are these tabloid headlines or topics of recent Canadian documentaries? Canada's National Film Board courts controversy with its latest docs. The NFBC is alive and kicking at 60, with much to celebrate, having successfully weathered '90s reorganization and downsizing without compromising its outstanding documentary tradition and its commitment to Canadian artists and issues. Leading the NFB's list of prize contenders in the year 2000 are two documentaries made by first-time directors. Through a Blue Lens is a gripping
For three decades, George Stoney has been teaching documentary film production and studies at New York University; his former students have included such filmmakers and producers as Jim Brown ( The Weavers, 1982), Judith Helfand ( Uprising of ’34, 1995) and Jackie Glover, former director of programming at HBO. Stoney, the 1998 IDA Preservation and Scholarship recipient, was honored last October with a weekend-long tribute entitled “George Stoney and the NYU Documentary Experience.” At 83, Stoney is also admired for his irrepressible energy, enthusiasm and generosity. On the opening evening of
"Embrace the terror"..."Kill your babies"..."Edit the final scene first"... These are some of the edicts that were uttered at the 2005 IFP (Independent Feature Project) Market in New York City, the annual media industry conference of screenings, panels, special events, awards and, of course, parties. Sixty documentaries were shown at the Spotlight on Documentaries works-in-progress section, plus 10 doc shorts and 25 documentary features. The 27-year-old event has evolved into a program aimed at connecting industry attendees with filmmakers who are in earlier stages of production. Sandwiched in
Over the past few years, the ten-day run of the Sundance Film Festival has coincided with events of historic and revolutionary import-the inauguration of Barack Obama in 2009, the calamitous Haiti earthquake in 2010, the Tahir Square uprising in 2011. This year's festival showcased both panels and films that addressed change and the power of filmmaking to both capture this change and move it forward. Jeff Skoll, the force behind Participant Media and the foundation that bears his name, is a fierce advocate of social change and the power of media to affect it. The partnership that the
With the continued support of NATPE (due to the effort of IDA Trustee Bram Roos), IDA is proud to be a sponsor of the "Documentary Pavilion," along with Real Screen Magazine, for its' second year. Considering the success of the "Documentary Pavilion" at NATPE '99, IDA is very excited about NATPE 2000!! This year IDA's booth will be bigger and better, serving as an information center and home base for independent producers, buyers and distributors working in nonfiction. In its 37th year, NATPE is one of the largest television markets in the world and is also the most affordable for U.S
Music rights clearance is often a cloudy subject for filmmakers and production companies. Oftentimes, this legal necessity is neglected by independent filmmakers until the last minute—when the film is ready for distribution. It is only then, some are horrified to discover, that the obscure 1940's song sung by the main character in their film will cost more to use than the entire budget of the film itself. In an effort to provide clarity around this important issue, three industry veterans were consulted and have provided some helpful hints to help filmmakers understand the necessity of
Welcome to Y2K. For one. l'm relieved that the suspense is over. Now let's get on with it. The documentary community brings a lot to this new century. First, we have a heritage of which we can be truly proud. For within 100 years, the documentary has gone from an experiment by the Lumière brothers in capturing motion picture images, to a powerful and popular genre which records, interprets and preserves human experience for posterity. No small feat for the pioneers who have paved our way! As we enter this new century, documentarians will continue to be in the forefront of testing and
As long as we have been documentary filmmakers, we had always wanted to do a film on children in war. To us, it was one of those great classic themes that seemed at once immensely challenging and truly meaningful. With the brutal ethnic wars raging in Bosnia and Rwanda in 1994 in which children were being deliberately targeted and killed, the time seemed right to try and launch the project. We had just completed our Academy Award-winning documentary film about a troubled inner-city elementary school in North Philadelphia entitled I Am A Promise: The Children of Stanton Elementary School. We
A wise man once said, "If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere." A year and half ago we embarked on a journey that few would want to travel. It was a journey down a path leading to Death's Door'. Autopsy: Through the Eyes of Death's Detectives documentary that explores the much-maligned character and work of clinical pathologists and forensic experts. It's also an unflinching, uncensored look at autopsy and its role in medicine and society. The documentary is our attempt to demystify subject matter that has forever been taboo, in no small thanks to Hollywood