Ovation TV has acquired an hour-long documentary special Heath Ledger: A Tribute to air on the cable channel in August. The story about the late Oscar-winning actor will air as part of a week-long programming event called Live Fast, Die Young, which will also present specials on Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Marilyn Monroe and more. (via The Hollywood Reporter)
Spanish broadcast network V-me will premiere Ricky Martin's documentary on human trafficking on July 10. Vivir en Libertad: Lucha Contra la Trata de Personas is a 30-minute documentary, co-produced between the Inter-American Development Bank and the Ricky Martin Foundation. The doc was made as part of the Call and Live! project, the first anti-trafficking regional campaign in the Americas. For more information go to www.rickymartinfoundation.org.
KCET, the Friends of the Los Angeles River and students from the Los Angeles Leadership Academy have created an amazing website of video and audio portraits of the Los Angeles River. The site allows users to experience the 52-mile stretch land and meet those who are helping it flow back into our public life and popular imagination. (via KCET)
The 10th anniversary of the Maui Film Festival, which runs June 17-21 in Kahului, Hawaii, will open with foreign-language Oscar winner Departures and Dana Brown's documentary Highwater. The fest will also honor Willie Nelson with its Maverick Award. The award will be presented June 19 at the world premiere of Turk Pipkin's documentary One Piece at a Time, a film about solutions to global problems, with music from Ben Harper and Jack Johnson and appearances by Nelson, among others. (via The Hollywood Reporter)
Plus, don't forget to pick up your tickets for our next installment of our 2009 Doc U Seminar Series: An Evening with Ross Kauffman, the Academy Award-winning director behind Born into Brothels, taking place on June 11 at the Kodak Screening Room in Hollywood, CA. Get tickets and information here.