Read: The Independent

Quest for Truth

michele — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 07:22:26 -0500

Rory Kennedy didn’t always know she wanted to be a filmmaker, but she did see herself as a political activist. As the daughter of former U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, politics run strong in her blood. In wanting to make an impact on people’s lives, she gravitated towards film as a means of educating herself and others about political and social issues.

Blogging RIIFF: Wrap Up

Abra_Moore — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:31:20 -0500

On Sunday morning, August 10th, a sold out 100-seat brunch was held at the Providence Biltmore for those lingering filmmakers who remained for the last day of the 12th Annual Rhode Island International Film Festival. In attendance were filmmakers, family members, cast, crew, and the entire RIIFF staff.

Rider Strong Moves On

erin — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:00:00 -0500

Rider Strong grew up on television. Not like most of us, consuming it after school with a Hi-C juice box and a Swiss Cake roll, but as Shawn Hunter, the beloved boy next door on Boy Meets World. Considering the fate of other child actors, spending ages 13 to 20 under the hot lights of American television could have been his one-way ticket to rehab.

Letter from Buenos Aires: Subsidies Create More Films, But Not an Eager Audience

mike — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

It’s not surprising that a country known for its artistic and cultural liveliness is garnering critical acclaim and attention for its films.

Blogging RIIFF: Drawing Crowds in the Ocean State

Abra_Moore — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 19:26:48 -0500

Tuesday night, the Providence Performing Arts Center showcased an extraordinary selection of shorts, which made up the Opening Night screening for the Rhode Island International Film Festival.

Blogging RIIFF: Pre-Festival Madness

Abra_Moore — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:34:21 -0500

This past Sunday afternoon, the Rhode Island International Film Festival headquarters, located in the Columbus Theater in Providence, was eerily quiet. The phone wasn’t ringing; the hallway was vacant. Interns and staff members cast suspicious glances to one another from their desks; no one dared to mention the unusual silence.

Party Like a Doc Star

michele — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Filmmakers increasingly need to seek funds from as many sources as possible. A fundraising party may seem like a fun way to raise much-needed dough, but they are a lot of work. Still, securing the right host, making a personal connection to the guests, and laying the groundwork for future "asks" can have

Filmmaker's Journal: Far East

michele — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Jason Rosette made two films in the U.S.—Bookwars and Susan Hero—before moving to Southeast Asia. His original plan was to travel a bit and learn how to teach English as a second language. But on a stopover in Cambodia, Rosette found himself infatuated with the country and its people. And since the once-troubled nation lost a generation of artists and journalists, he also saw an opportunity and even a responsibility to put his media-making skills to good use. So he organized a film festival and started a production company that works for a number of NGOs. He is now at work on his latest film Freedom Deal. He chronicles his work in this filmmaker journal series for The Independent.

Werner Herzog Made Me Do It

michele — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Stuck in a dead-end job and worried he'd never make it as a filmmaker, Lee Kazimir decided to take Werner Herzog's advice. Legendary filmmaker Herzog had once said in an interview that he believed the best way to become a filmmaker would be not to practice filmmaking but to walk -- say, from Madrid to Kiev.

Beyond Broadcast Interviews: Prometheus Radio Project

CecchineR — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

In its 10th year, the Prometheus Radio Project has been building low power FM (LPFM) radio stations with farm workers, civil rights organizations, and neighborhood collectives -- basically any underdog community group that wants a slice of the increasingly consolidated media.

Beyond Broadcast Interviews: United States Institute of Peace

CecchineR — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:53:46 -0500

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP), a nonprofit founded over 20 years ago, studies and supports peace. The organization focuses on conflict prevention, mediation, negotiation in conflict zones, and peace-building and stabilization.

Beyond Broadcast Interviews: New American Media

CecchineR — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 10:29:28 -0500

Calling themselves “the first and largest collaboration of ethnic news organizations,” New American Media (NAM) represents a consortium of 3,000 ethnic media organizations, typically organized by ethnicity -- African American, Chinese, Spanish, Russian, and so on.

Beyond Broadcast: A Report from the Conference

CecchineR — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 10:57:00 -0500

On June 17, 2008, I attended the 3rd Annual Beyond Broadcast Conference, titled “Mapping Public Media,” at American University. It was organized by the Center for Social Media and ran at the beginning of the week of SILVERDOCS Film Festival and Conference.

The Doc Doctor's Anatomy of a Film: "This Is Where My Dog Is Buried"

michele — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:22:46 -0500

About this column: Many filmmakers ponder in anguish, How do other people—celebrated people—do it? Am I taking too long to make this documentary? Does everybody spend as much money as I am spending, or am I spending too little? And when filmmakers share their lessons learned in interviews in the glossy trade magazines, their tales seem to follow the arc of otherworldy heroes rather than real documentary makers, i.e. human beings like you and me. So each month, the Doc Doctor will go out into the world (this real world) of filmmakers who are successful and find out how they made it. The "Anatomy of a Film Column" is a chance to learn from filmmakers' hits and misses in real life examples. —Fernanda Rossi, story consultant a.k.a. the Documentary Doctor