Ashley O'Shay, a recent graduate of Northwestern University, found a compelling subject in her own backyard for her first feature-length documentary. In 2015, she scraped up as much funding as she could, grabbed a camera and captured the lives of several female African-American activists in Chicago. Three years later, she is seeking funding to finish Unapologetic. "Here in 2018, I have raised close to $50,000," O'Shay said. "I have received support both from individuals and a number of professional development organizations. I am grateful for the support of these eight programs, yet my film is
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Since IDA's DocuClub was relaunched in 2016 as a forum for sharing and soliciting feedback about works-in-progress, many DocuClub alums have premiered their works on the festival circuit over the past year. In an effort to both monitor and celebrate the evolution of these films to premiere-ready status, we reached out to the filmmakers as they were either winding their way through the festival circuit, or gearing up for it. In this edition of "The Feedback," we spotlight Elizabeth Mirzaei and Gulistan Mirzaei's Laila at the Bridge, which they presented at DocuClub LA in September 2017. We
Screen Time is your curated weekly guide to excellent documentaries and nonfiction programs that you can watch at home. Premiering tonight, Monday, March 26, on Nat Geo is Darren Aronofsky's One Strange Rock, a mind-bending, thrilling 10-part docu-series that explores the fragility and wonder of planet Earth. Also premiering tonight, on HBO, is Judd Apatow's The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling. Epic in scope and intimate in detail, it features conversations with more than 40 of the late comedian's family and friends, and four decades' worth of TV appearances, along with personal journals
Essential Doc Reads is a weekly feature in which the IDA staff recommends recent pieces about the documentary form and its processes. Here we feature think pieces and important news items from around the Internet, and articles from the Documentary magazine archive. We hope you enjoy! At Los Angeles Times, David Pierson reports that Facebook is looking at new ways to compensate video creators. The new payment method would be in addition to existing monetization tools such as branded content and, to a smaller set of creators, advertising breaks in videos. Facebook said it will also be testing a
March 20, 2018 (Los Angeles, CA) — The International Documentary Association announced today that Jacqueline Olive’s Always In Season and Loira Limbal’s Through The Night are the the inaugural recipients of the IDA Elevate Grant. The IDA’s Elevate Grants are supported with a grant from the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation. "IDA’s commitment to funding and educating ambitious nonfiction storytellers makes them an ideal partner for our social justice work,” says Jonathan Logan of the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation. “We are particularly pleased to provide our support and name to the inaugural
Why would a filmmaker go to SXSW, the annual mega film/music/tech conference in "keepin' it weird" Austin? a. The documentary films b. Panels on film industry trends c. Filmmaker talks d. Music all night long e. The virtual-reality showcase f. Networking g. Tech trends that affect media h. Celebrity Q&As i. The tacos j. All of the above You know the answer. Yeah. These days the biggest single problem at SXSW is dealing with the FOMO factor (well, that and finding affordable housing). But they've even got an answer for FOMO—orientation sessions that give newbies survival tips. They've also done
Screen Time is your curated weekly guide to excellent documentaries and nonfiction programs that you can watch at home. Currently airing and streaming at PBS SoCal is Valerie Red-Horse's Mankiller, the story of Wilma Mankiller, an advocate for women and Native Americans, who defied all odds to become the Cherokee Nation's first female principal chief. Premiering March 24 on NBC and March 25 on MSNBC is Hope and Fury: MLK, The Movement and The Media. This new documentary film, produced and directed by Rachel Dretzin and Phil Bertelsen, examines how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and leaders of the
Essential Doc Reads is a weekly feature in which the IDA staff recommends recent pieces about the documentary form and its processes. Here we feature think pieces and important news items from around the Internet, and articles from the Documentary magazine archive. We hope you enjoy! At Variety, Ted Johnson reports that arts advocates are optimistic about NEA funding despite Trump's call for cuts. Lynch's cautiousness stems in large part from past funding battles, in which NEA funding got swept up in high-profile controversy over individual artworks as well as the culture wars in general. In
Rebecca Miller was 21 years old when she realized that she wanted to be a filmmaker. Noticing that her father—distinguished Pulitzer Prize-winning American playwright Arthur Miller—was a different person in his countless public interviews than the man she grew up with, she picked up a Super 8 camera and began documenting everyday life around the Miller home. Years later, in 1995, when her first feature film, Angela, won a Gotham Award, Miller was awarded a prize of 16mm film. She and cinematographer Ellen Kuras, as well as their close friends, made regular weekend trips to her family home in
Held in Bangkok, Thailand from January 30 to February 2, the 8th edition of the Asian Side of the Doc aimed to build on its mission since the event's debut in 2010 under the vision of founder and CEO Yves Jeanneau—namely, to serve as a bridge between Asia and Europe, but also be an incubator to foster business opportunities amongst the Asian countries themselves. Comprised of moderated panel discussions, a four-day pitch competition, and one-on-one meetings between producers, broadcasters and distributors, ASD18 was held at the Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok, in the heart of