Documentary Film Festivals

DOCUMENTARY EDGE FESTIVAL

2010-01-28T02:27:00.000-08:00

Last night, the DOCNZ Festival held its Media Launch for the 2010 Festival. Not only did they announce their lineup of films, they also announced that the Festival has re-branded. The Documentary NZ Trust which is the umbrella organization, has after working with renowned Brand strategist, Brian Richards, decided to re-brand their events and work under Documentary Edge.

The DOCNZ Festival is now the Documentary Edge Festival.

It is joined by the Documentary Edge Forum (which takes over the DOCNZ Summit) and there will be a new inititiative known as the Documentary Edge Campus which will move ahead to develop the proposed Documentary Edge Resource Centre, a permanent physical space to house documentary resources and to run meetings, classes and other activities in the Trust's role as the documenatry advocate group in New Zealand.

Designer Simon Cohen of Simon Inc. created the striking visual identity which emphasises the Trust's mission to bring the very cutting-edge in documentary media to New Zealand and to be a leading innovator in the documentary world.

56 films from 25 countries have been announced. The categories include Best of Fest, World Cinema, Heroes & Icons, Culture Vultures, NZ Competition, International Competition and two spotlight categories - China and Eco-Warriors.

A number of films will have their world and international premieres in New Zealand. The line-up is one of the best line-ups of documentaries for a festival of this size and Australians may well find it is worth travelling to NZ to view the selection. We will look at each section more closely in other posts later.

DOCNZ FESTIVAL 2010 MEDIA LAUNCH

2010-01-26T01:31:00.000-08:00

The Documentary NZ Trust will hold its 2010 Media and Programme launch on 27 January at the Penthouse of Auckland's best boutique hotel, The Quadrant. The Quadrant is known for its promotion and support of the arts and this partnership provides a perfect ft for both the hotel and the festival.

We will bring news of the selected films tomorrow. Festival organizes promise the best selection of documentary films to be seen in the Australasia.

Berlin Film Festival 2009

2009-02-08T17:06:00.001-08:00

The Berlin Film Festival 2009

So I made it to Berlin after 33 hours of flights and transit. I hardly got any sleep and when I arrived, one piece of luggage was still in San Francisco but hery, the rest fo me got here in one piece.

Martin Jabs from Goethe-Institut met me and helped to file the missing luggage report. Then I jumped into a cab and went to Hotel Maritim in Friedrichstrasse where I met the other Goethe staff Anna Held, Daniel and Boris. It was around 2.30 pm when I checked in and spent the next few hours sorting out the luggage claim and emails.

Human Rights Film Festival Aotearoa

2007-04-17T20:51:00.000-07:00

This is scheduled for 2 - 19 May 2007 and will be held at the Academy, Paramount and Regent on Worcester respectively. The 2007 theme is 'Identity'. Carol Nelson, Boris van Beusekom and Carolyn Brown, the Festival Co-directors have worked hard to curate a programme of human rights related films for our viewing. Congratulations are in order.

The festival website (http://www.humanrightsfilmfest.net.nz/) says "From films in which people attempt to assert their right to be recognized as a state, to situations where expressions of identity are taken to the extreme with disastrous results for others. Identity politics is an issue that underpins many of the debates that take place in public forums about the kind of society that we as a nation are striving to build." The organizers have arranged that after each screening, there will be a speakers' forums hosted by a panel of between 1 and 3 people who will speak about the film and the issues raised from an informed perspective. Interactive dialogue is encouraged.

All around the world, the phenomena which is "film festival" is spreading unabashedly. With the growth of all types of film festivals, it is important not to become territorial and competitive and lose sight of the greater goal of creating wider viewing and screening opportunities for New Zealand audiences.

In New Zealand, it is always harder for smaller festivals to establish themselves. It is clear that what festivals like the HRFF, Latin American Film festival, Asia NZ Film festival, DOCNZ etc all strive to do, is to bring a vareity of films and topics to New Zealand audiences that will normally not be seen. Their contribution to our cultural landscape and ability to understand and appreciate the different communities that make up our community is vital. There does not need to be any competitive environemnt between more established film festivals and the newer ones as no one festival can attempt to be all things to everyone. It is important to work together to bring the very best to New Zealand.

Full Frame Documentary Film Festival

2007-04-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

Full Frame Documentary Film Festival celebrated its 10^th edition this year. It closed on Sunday, April 15th and had record-breaking attendance. The total number of tickets rose to 26,828 for 2007 with ticket sales for 2006 at 22,661. The festival opened up an additional screen this year bringing the total of screens to seven venues in downtown Durham. 20 films were sold out.

The winning films for 2007 are:

FULL FRAME GRAND JURY AWARD

Alpha Cine Labs, Seattle - $20,000 in lab services for a tape to film transfer for the winning film or lab services to be used in a two year period from Alpha Cine Labs, Seattle.

The Grand Jury Award recognizes a film as the best feature from the documentary film community this year.
The Monastery, Directed by Pernille Rose Grønkjær. Produced by Sigrid Helene Dyekær

FULL FRAME JURY AWARD FOR BEST SHORT

$10,000 in film stock. Provided by Kodak.

The Jury Award for Best Short is awarded to a film 40 minutes or less in length.
Cross Your Eyes Keep Them Wide. Directed and produced by Ben Wu.

Honorable Mention: Zo is dat (The Way It Is) Directed by Elizabeth Salgado. Produced by Frieder Wallis.

FULL FRAME AUDIENCE AWARD

$3,000 cash award.

The Audience Award is chosen by calculating audience ballots filled out during the four-day Festival.
War/Dance. Directed by Sean Fine, Andrea Nix Fine. Produced by Albie Hecht. A THINKFilm Release.

CENTER FOR DOCUMENTARY STUDIES FILMMAKER AWARD

$7,500. Provided by the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University.

The CDS Filmmaker Award recognizes documentary films that combine originality and creativity with firsthand experience in examining central issues of contemporary life and culture.
The Ants. Directed by Kaoru Ikeya. Produced by Yoko Gon.

THE CHARLES E. GUGGENHEIM EMERGING ARTIST AWARD

$2,000. Provided by the Charles E. Guggenheim Family.

The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is proud to offer this annual prize to a first time documentary feature as a way to foster the work of new filmmakers, young and old.
The Monastery, Directed by Pernille Rose Grønkjær. Produced by Sigrid Helene Dyekær

SEEDS OF WAR

$5,000. Sponsored by Walter Mosley.

Sparked by the worldwide wars—and the policies and cultural attitudes that continue to promote them—this award honours two filmmakers who lay bare the seeds and mechanisms that create war. Two prizes of $2,500 are awarded
Uganda Rising. Directed by Jesse James Miller, Pete McCormack. Produced by AlisonLawton.
The Devil Came on Horseback. Directed by Annie Sundberg, Ricki Stern. Produced by Annie Sundberg, Ricki Stern, Jane Wells, Gretchen Wallace.

FULL FRAME SPECTRUM AWARD

$10,000. Sponsored by the Fledgling Fund.

This award will honor a filmmaker of color whose work demonstrates artistic excellence and achievement.
Banished. Directed by Marco Williams. Produced by Two Tone Productions and Center for Investigative Reporting.

Honorable Mention: Leila Khaled, Hijacker. Directed by Lina Makboul. Produced by Robert Danielsson, Tussilago Productions, Sveriges Television. A Women Make Movies Release.

FULL FRAME INSPIRATION AWARD

$5,000. Sponsored by the Hartley Foundation.

This new award is presented to a film that best exemplifies the value and relevance of world religions and spirituality.
Forever. Directed by Heddy Honigmann. Produced by Carmen Cobos.

Honorable Mention: Lake of Fire. Directed by Tony Kaye. Produced by Tony Kaye. A THINKFilm Release.

FULL FRAME PRESIDENT’S AWARD

$5,000. Sponsored by Duke University.

Aimed at recognizing up-and-coming filmmakers, this new prize is awarded to the best student film.
Lumo. Directed by Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt, Nelson Walker III. Produced by Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt, Nelson Walker III, Louis Ableman. A P.O.V. Film.

FULL FRAME WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP AWARD

$5,000. Sponsored by the White House Project.

This award will be given to the film that best portrays women in leadership.
Shame. Directed by Mohammed Naqvi. Produced by Mohammed Naqvi, Jill Schneider.

THE KATHLEEN BRYAN EDWARDS AWARD FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
$5,000. Sponsored by Julian Price Family Foundation.

This annual award will be presented to a film that addresses a significant human rights issue in the United States. By inspiring advocacy, increasing awareness and promoting equity and justice, the winning film will honor the legacy of Kathleen Bryan Edwards’s passion and activism for human rights.
For the Bible Tells Me So. Directed by Daniel Karslake. Produced by Daniel Karslake. Co-produced by Helen Mendoza and Nancy Kennedy. Executive Produced by Bruce Bastian, Michael Huffington, Robin Voss, Robert Greenbaum and Keith Lewis.

FULL FRAME/WORKING FILMS AWARD

$5,000 cash and $5,000 in-kind for the development of the film’s outreach plan. Sponsored by the Ettinger Foundation and Chicken & Egg Pictures.

Sponsored by Working Films, the media non-profit that is nationally recognized activist-driven bridge between high quality documentary filmmaking and concrete impact, this prize will be awarded to the film that has the greatest potential for supporting serious grassroots organizing and social change.
The Devil Came on Horseback. Directed by Annie Sundberg, Ricki Stern. Produced by Annie Sundberg, Ricki Stern, Jane Wells, Gretchen Wallace.

FULL FRAME/EMERGING PICTURES AUDIENCE AWARD

Prize to be announced. This award is still to be announced this week.

A special audience, award to be determined, will be presented to the filmmaker whose work is selected by the audience members of the digital extension of the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival being set up by Emerging Pictures and Full Frame in various locations around the country.

Films eligible for this award are:
Angels in the Dust Forgotten
Hands of Che Guevara A Journey of Dmitry Shostakovich
Knee Deep Meeting Resistance
Nobody Revolution '67
Seeing Sally A Psychic's Tale Uganda Rising
Welcome to Nollywood

The Monastery continues its run of festival and award successes. Keep and eye out for War/Dance and Shame, two other stunning films destined for more sucess.

Reflections

2007-04-09T03:27:00.000-07:00

It's been two days since I got back and I am still suffering some jet lag. No doubt I will be up and perky very early tomorrow again (like prior to sunrise) but that's ok. Small price to pay for a good and productive trip.

While the CIDF is a young festival, it is headed by a committed individual, Christopher Kamyszew. he founded Chicago's Polish Film Festival in 1989. which is now the world's largest festival of Polish cinema. It was here that he recognzied that there was a strong demand for documentary films. In 1993 after a stint as the director of the Polish Museum of America, Kamyszew took over The Society for Arts, a nonprofit that promotes artistic and cultural exchange between the U.S. and Europe, organizing exhibitions, concerts, cinema events and so forth, and also offering various scholarships and artists-in-residence programs. He's since relinquished directing duties for the Polish Film Festival to his wife Ewa. He estimates that in 2007, he has received over 2000 submissions and he personally views all the films and helps with curating the programme. Through him, CIDF gives USD $ 100,000 in prizes to the winners of the CIDF competition.

Christopher personally believes that he wants CIDF to look after the film-makers and to encourage them to make more and better films. Certainly, the hospitality offered by Christopher and his team, lends testimony to this. All kudos to Christopher and his team.

As a festival organizer, I am acutely aware of the difficulty in securing funding for a festival let alson to be able to achieve getting USD $100,000 in prizes together with being able to help film-makers get to the festival and the associated hospitality. I understand that Chrisopher has also been philantrophic and has personally helped to fund the festival in part.

The CIDF programme is an ambitious programme. With well over 2000 submissions, the programme comprises about 100 odd films. These films have strong pedigrees and represent some of the best available this year.

It is not easy having 8 venues. However, Chicago does not easily lend itself to having a mulitplex venue and due to its wide spread nature, having the festival screen in the suburbs makes sense as quite often the audiences do not return to the city to catch a movie in the evening or weekends if they reside in outer suburbs. For visitors who are documentary lovers, it can be somewhat frustrating by reason of geographical distances between the venues. However, the organizers work hard in ensuring multiple screenings of the one film at different venues to ensure that the films are acessible by as many people as possible.

CIDF has a lovely coffee-table programme, which can become collector's items.

Overall, it is a festival which will continue to grow from strength to strength. Certainly from my point of view, it is a festival worth watching and work cooperatively together. It is remarkable how universal many of the issues confronting CIDF is and are common to both our organizations.

The CIDF Results Are In !!!!

2007-04-08T22:55:00.000-07:00

2007 CIDF AWARDS

The official results are now in. The recipients for 2007 are:

CHICAGO DOC GRAND PRIX
$ 25,000.00 in unrestricted cash and sculpture for the best documentary feature film
(running time over 60 minutes)
THE MONASTERY– MR. VIG AND THE NUN
dir. Pernille Rose Gronkjaer, DENMARK

CHICAGO DOC GRAND PRIX JURY SPECIAL PRIZE
SOUVENIRS
dir. Shahar Cohen & Halil Efrat, ISRAEL

HONORABLE MENTION
LOSERS AND WINNERS
dir. Ulrike Franke & Michael Loeken, GERMANY

CHICAGO DOC SHORT FILM GRAND PRIX
$ 5.000.00 in unrestricted cash and sculpture for the best short documentary film
(running time of 60 minutes or less)
ON A TIGHTROPE
dir. Petr Lom, NORWAY/CANADA

ARIE & BOZENA ZWEIG INNOVATION AWARD
$ 2,500.00 in unrestricted cash and plague for the most innovative filmmaker
BLOCKADE
dir. Sergei Loznica, RUSSIA

EVEN IF SHE HAD BEEN A CRIMINAL...
dir. Jean Gabriel Periot, FRANCE

NATASHA ISAACS CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD
$ 2,500.00 in unrestricted cash and plague for the best cinematography
WAR/DANCE
Sean Fine, cinematographer, USA

CHICAGO DOC AUDIENCE AWARD
$ 1,000.00 in unrestricted cash and plague for the audience's favourite pick
MYSTIC BALL
dir. Greg Hamilton, USA/CANADA

CHICAGO DOC HUMANITARIAN AWARD
$ 1,000.00 in unrestricted cash for the film of special human values
THE BLOOD OF YINGZHOU DISTRICT
dir. Ruby Yang, CHINA/USA

SHAME
dir. Mohammed Ali Naqvi, USA/PAKISTAN

CHICAGO DOC PRESIDENT'S AWARD
ORANGE REVOLUTION
dir. Steven York, USA

IN MEMORIAM ALEXANDER LITVINENKO
dir. Jos de Putter & Masha Novikova, THE NETHERLANDS

CHICAGO DOC SKY IS THE LIMIT PRODUCTION AWARD
$20.000.00 in unrestricted cash
THE STONE SILENCE
dir. Krzysztof Kopczynski, POLAND

JUSTYNA & THOMAS ROSZAK OUR KIDS OF THE WORLD AWARD
$500.00 in unrestricted cash
ANGEL'S FIRE
BREAD
LIMA’S STREETS
WELCOME TO POPTUN
Marcelo Bukin director

CHICAGO DOC CLASSIC AWARD
THE MURDER OF FRED HAMPTON
dir. Mike Gray, USA

FILM CRITICS' AWARD
LOSERS AND WINNERS
dir. Ulrike Franke & Michael Loeken, GERMANY

INTERNATIONAL PRESS & PROGRAMMERS AWARD
GHOSTS OF CITE SOLEIL
dir. Asger Leth, DENMARK

DISCOVERING EYE AWARD
for the most promising young filmmaker
Jason Kohn, director
MANDA BALA (SEND A BULLET)

Congratulations to one and all. I managed to see a number of the winning films and will be looking forward to viewing screeners of the rest shortly.

Back In NZ

2007-04-07T22:21:00.000-07:00

After leaving Chicago on 5 April at 5pm (remember I got up at 7 am and NZ is one day and 7 hours ahead), I finally got on the United Airlines plane from Chicago to LA. I got into Economy Plus (by the way thanks you Jo Silva for your kind support here - what a great friend and hello, to Joe # 2) which is fantastic - talk about leg room and forget what they say about service on American airlines, I thought that United Airlines provided superb service. Got into LA around 7 pm (and there was the time difference between Chicago and LA) and scrambled to get to Terminal I at O'Hare to catch my flight on Air Pacific out to Nadi at 11.30 pm. At midnight I settled into my exit aisle seat and started the long leg through to Nadi and then onto Auckland. Arrived at Nadi at 5 am and transited until 10 am when I got on board FJ 411 for Auckland. The flight was delayed as someone decided after getting on board that he or she wanted to disembark so it meant that his or her bags had to be found and taken off. Finally left at 11 am but that was not the end of the drama. An hour into the flight, an annoucement came over the PA for a doctor. Apparently, the guy seating a few chairs away from me was feeling sick. Turned out he had not slept for 6 days and was needing oxygen to keep him calm. When he did get hix oxygen, he got high and started walking around, refusing to seat down and was getting aggresive. When all else failed to convince him to seat down, the capatain turned on the seat belt sign on and announced there was turbulence so everyone had to be belted up) all the way to arriving into Auckland). Neat trick. Anyway we finally arrived and I managed to get out of the plane, customs and immigration and exited within 10 minutes - what a record and Auckland was gloriously sunny and humid/warm. This was 1.30pm Saturday 7 April.

It was good to be back but it was a great trip and I learned a lot, watched a huge number of films and made significant contacts.

I will do a recap of the CIDF in my next post. What I like to do in the interim is to thank the CIDF crew (Christopher, Ewa, Joanna, Anna, the volunteers (Raoul for a wonderful trip to Wilmette) and everyone else) for their hospitality, Rey for helping with the CBS segment, the wonderful people at Columbia College Nancy Tom and team), the various film-makers and broadcasters who have offered their friendship and support to me, my crew back at DOCNZ.

Finally, Air Pacific - an airline with a big smile and heart for their support of DOCNZ - your support helps DOCNZ further our mission - vinaka.

My Island in the Sky

I'm off to sleepyland again - jet lag is working overtime.

Day 5

2007-04-04T22:57:00.000-07:00

It's O deg Celsius with a chill factor of -12 deg C. It's been snowing today and will continue to be icy cold the next few days. Well, I leave tomorrow so I guess I wont' suffer too much but its been strange getting back to a city that snows. Its the wind that's a killer here in Chicago.

Today's films:

Senior Year A debut feature by Zhou Hao, the film has screened at IDFA. It's about the lives of those in their senior year as they prepare to take their university exams, their families and how they cope with the pressures thrust upon them.

The Monastery - Mr Vig and the Nun Wills are tested, and lives are changed forever in this heartwarming and often-hilarious documentar about 2 very different and stubborn people who have to work together. Mr. Vig is a well educated 86 year old bachelor and owner of a worn down castle situated in the Danish country side. who dreams of turning his castle into an orthodox Russian monastery. Enter a delegation of nuns headed by Sister Ambrosija who have come to Denmark in order to assess the castle's suitability. And this sets the ground for a delicious conflict between Vig and Ambrosija. Vig is sanguine - as only an old man can be - about his shortcomings, he's fixated on people's noses, he's never been in love, and he's only ever been close to one person: his father, while the sister has her own plans. And she is totally dedicated to her cause - and a control freak. A very enjoyable and charming film. *****

War Dance In darkness, some of us reach out to the light. This moving film follows the historic journey of three children (Dominic, Rose, and Nancy) and their school in the Patongo refugee camp. The school is the first school from the northern war zone to make it to the finals of Uganda's national music and dance competition. This cinematic and profound film follows the children in their journey, children who are not only the victims of the rebels but are abducted to become the rebels. Against the backdrop of the war, unimaginable violence and grief, these children sing and dance with vitality without fear in protest and in celebration. They dance and stomp to the rhythms of their ancestors carrying the hopes and dreams of their entire village with them. This film moves you to the core, consuming you in the grief and then taking you on a flight of hope and joy. *****

Day 4

2007-04-03T22:26:00.000-07:00

Hotel Seneca - the official festival hotel

Bahai Temple

It was a hot humid day. I had to stop wearing my thick jacket as it turned out to be a shirt and jeans day for most people. I ventured into the underground and tried buses also today. The day as less hurried as I have seen the early films already in the neighbourhoods I can easily get to. But late afternoon, the weather changed - and very dramatically. This evening, one of the CIDF volunteers, Raoul, took me, Greg and Bill Wolbach to Wilmette Theatre where Bill's film, Row Hard No Excuses played. We drove past the lakes, Loyola University, North Western University and through the most amazing nehgbourhoods with houses that totally took my breath aware. We also past by the Bahai Temple which was amazing. And Wilmette Theatre was a cute neighbourhood theatre in a swanky suburb. I found that here, popcorn has topping sprinkles like onion & garlic, jalepeno, cheddar etc.

Brrr....after the screening, its gone freezing. Snow flutters are expected. I didn't get dinner so I walked to the neighbourhood deli to get a sub but man, it was so cold.

Love the central heating in the USA. Anyway onto today's films:

Hothouse A chilling and humanizing film about Israeli prisons have become the breeding ground for the next generation of Palestinian leaders as well as the birth place of future terrorist threats.The Israeli government sees the prisoners as being no more than "security prisoners," suicide bombers and terrorists, but the 10,000 Palestinian prisoners themselves believe that they are freedom fighters and resisters in a land under military occupation. The jails serve as prisoner-organized training grounds where cellblocks are divided into Hamas and Fatah communities, and jailed leaders inspire men and women to study, hone their political skills and organize resistance from inside. The extraordinarily frank and sometimes shocking conversations with jailed Hamas and Fatah leaders-including the Hamas leader of the West Bank who is elected to Parliament from his prison cell, a woman proud and unflinching of the number of children killed in a suicide bombing that she arranged and a man who dreams of marrying, having kids and then sending his wife and kids out as suicide bombers as being the ultimate sacrifice he can make in the name of religion. *****

The Wise Cat Catches the Mice This gorgeous and lyrical film takes you into rural China that shows - through beautiful cinemtography, wonderful music and snatches of conversations with the peasanst and villagers and causes you to consider the impact of the so-called "new economic miracle". A film that does not require much of the spoken word to convey the story. *****

Row Hard No Excuses John Zeigler and Tom Mailhot are not satisfied with their lives. They feel that they still have something they need to achieve, something to make their fathers and families proud of them. Instead of a simple goal, they decide they want to win the Atlantic Rowing Challenge, a three thousand mile race across the Atlantic in a rowboat. They are among the oldest competitors and spend three years (and personal savings) to make their dream of winning possible, but once on the water, their boat and their bodies are subjected the extremes they hadn't even considered. It is both an inherently exciting sports and adventure story as well as an intimate portrait of the two-man crew and a deeper exploration of their personal quest. Father and son, Bill and Luke Wolbach, have made an absorbing and satisfying film even for those of us who are not sports or rowing fans. *****

Day 3

2007-04-02T07:52:00.000-07:00

Monday - its sunny and not windy today (yet). Yesterday I was a little worried when I heard the winds were severe and causing flights delays/cancellations. However I understand that this part and parcel of life for a Chicago resident. It can become windy here not unlike Wellington (NZ) but there is a bite in the air. I haven't had time to venture out to look at the Lakes yet and hope to find time early one morning to do so.

It's been interesting so far. What is clearly evident is that there is a real opportunity for multi-platform marketing as a means to promote a film. Yesterday, Greg and Mathew were inundated by requests for the soundtrack to their movie, people were buying chinlone balls from Greg and asking about websites, blogs, information about chinlone etc (ie. community gathering). It was great watching audience members of various shapes and ages play with the ball after the film. The same occured with Les's tea film. Les is a self distributor and tireless at that. He brought his own films and merchadise to sell which were snapped up by eager audiences. People are eager and very embracing of the film-makers and their films.

It has also been good to sit with Gunny and talk to him about the EBS International Documentary Film Festival and KBi's mandate. He travels extensively for his festival and has a keen eye for the films. Film-makers have also been very open about sharing their views on the various films in a constructive manner and this helps to build the CIDF community.

Children of Darfur This tells the children's version of what is happening in Darfur. Heart rending account of the pain and struggles faced by these children made vivid and urgent by the strongest testimonies told by the children and etched in drawings made in the support centres that have opened throughout Darfur

On a Tight Rope Agile orphans from the Muslim Uighur minority in Xinjiang Province, China, learn how to walk and od tricks on a tight rope from two very different teachers. Largely focused on the personalities and stories of its cute half-pint protagonists, the film also is layered with comments about freedom of the media, child poverty and religious persecution by the Chinese government. A stellar soundtarck. *****

Crazy Sexy Cancer Young adults with cancer are not usually spoken about and have been in the media. That is all going to change if film-maker Kristin Carr has anything to do with it. Kristin is an irrepressible young actress, diagnosed with a rare form of incurable cancer, who refuses to wait for ther cancer to kick in. She sets out on a video journal to challenge it and search for new treatment options. In an uplifting documentary, Kristin finds that her "death sentence" forced her to live her life to the fullest. Its a happy upbeat positive film about Cancer. *****

Souvenirs This is a wonderful and funny film about a film-maker who agrees to go on a trip with his father and make a film about the Israeli Brigade, a little known Israeli platoon of soldiers that served in the Wolrd War II with various Allied Forces. Shahar Cohen learns from his father, Sleiman that many Israeli soliders left "souvenirs" behind - affairs with local women that result in illegitimate progeny. Fascinated by this disc losure, Cohen probes his father a little deeper and discovers that his father had a couple of affairs in The Netherlands. During the trip, Cohen's curiosity about his father's other life and the possibility of having half siblings prompts him to appoint a private investigator to track down these women. The journey provides a wonderful study of the funny and touching relationship between the father and son. *****

Have You Seen Andy? On Saturday, August 21, 1976, Melanie Perkins's childhood friend Andy Puglisi disappeared from a public swimming pool in South Lawrence. A police investigation failed to find him or the reason for his disappearance. The case remains unsolved, but Melanie has never forgotten. 23 years later, she decided to search for answers and documents her journey. Picked up by HBO, Melanie's investigations raises sufficient questions to cause authorities to revisit their investigations and open the case again. Her enquiries lead her to a convicted paedophile due to be considered for parole release. Well-researched and crafted, you can feel Melanie's ache and pain as she races to find answers to the questions left unaswered for so long about her friend's disappearance. *****

Tomorrow is going to be a great day for films again so come back for more news then.

Day 2 Pt 2

2007-04-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

The Tea Film This film is a labour of love by Les Blank and Gina Leibrecht and is a gentle poetic film about one man's passion for tea. David Lee Hoffman has spent most of his lifetime travelling the world and in the process fell in love with tea and the making of tea. The film follows David over 10 years as he travel through China searching for the right blend of tea andsharing it with the world.

Mystic Ball Greg Hamilton's film about his love for the game of chinlone, a little known ball game from Myanmar took 5 years of filming and two years of editing to complete. Greg, a martial arts exponent, fell by chance into the meditative sport and decided to learn and play it in Myanmar. A beautifully filmed journey directed by Greg and produced by Mathew London with a wonderful soundtrack, the film stirred considerable interest from a full house. *****

Dale Narrated by Paul Newman, this film is on racing icon, Dale Earnhardt's career and life. Using archival race footage, never-before-seen family home videos and interviews with Earnhardt himself, the film takes you up close and personal. His fiercest competitors, most avid fans, family and friends share memories of him on the track and in so doing, tells us about the the depth of Earnhardt's influence in the racing world and beyond. It's a must-see for racing fans.

Tomorrow is another day.....

2nd Day Pt 1

2007-04-01T12:36:00.000-07:00

Yawn....its 4.30am

I set my clock for 4.30am and when it rang, I turned around and fell back to sleep. At 5.30am, Joanna buzzes me and I scramble to get down in 7 mins. We made it into the CBS 2 Chicago studio at 6am. Did i tell you I didn't get to sleep till after 1.30am when I got back from the last screening and how about the jet lag. Suzanne Le Mignot and Alita Guillen anchor the am news. Good interview and segment. Thanks Rey.

Joanna and I at 7.30am having brekkie with Rey - do we look tired? My eyes are really tired..

Lunch

CIDF threw a lovely lunch today at the Seneca. I'm still drowsy and have to have a few expressos before I get to the screenings. Up to today for me The Tea Film, Mystic Ball, Dale and whatever I can fit in between the venues (they are quite spread out os there's a bit of travelling time etc). Will update later.

1st Day

2007-04-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

Julia, Greg, Les and Gunny at 1st day Lunch

Having recovered from the Opening Night, we met up for a lunch for the CIDF Honorees. They are Frederick Wiseman (2007 CIDF Lifetime Acheivement Award), HBO Documentary Films (2007 CIDF Acheivement Award), John Iltis & David Sikicj (2007 CIDF DOC Universe Award). It was also an opportunity for me to meet up and talk more fully with the guests. It was very interesting to meet Gunny Hyoung (Director, EBS International Documentary Festival), Greg Hamilton (Mystic Ball), Don Craven (World War IV), Jos de Putter (In Memoriam Alexander Litvinenko), Masha Novikova (In Memoriam Alexander Litvinenko and Three Comrades), Andre Hormann (Calcutta Calling), Pernille Groenkjaer (The Monastery - Mr Vig & The Nun), Julia Zhu (Second Spring), Les Blank (The Tea Room), Christopher Booker (The C Number). It was a pleasure to meet Marcello Bukin (Lima's Streets, Angel's Fire, Bread, Welcome to Poptun) whose films we scheduled in DOCNZ 2005.

What did I see today:

Shame A works in progress on Mukhtaran Mai, the Pakistani woman who was ganag raped on the orders of the Tribal Council for an alleged infringement by her brother. An inspiring and eye opening account of her strength and resolve in getting justice and to help build a more secure future for Paksitani women like her. *****

Freeheld An emotionally charged film about a police officer's last days as she copes with lung cancer and her fight to get her pension paid to her same sex partner. *****

Manda Bala The Sundance Winner - a very sexy MTV'esque styled documentary about corruption in Brazil. The film cannot be played in Brazil. An expose of a corrupt and powerful politician who still has not been brought to justice - and the dangers that come with this. *****

Recycled Life A short documentary about the people who live among the rubbish tips of Guatemala, recycling rubbish for a living. It was a finalist in the Academy Awards for Best Short Documentary. Cinematic with a message. ****

Calcutta Calling A German student film exploring the outsourcing of call centres to India. Shown at IDFA.

The Great Happiness Space Male hosts ply their charms to seduce their female customers of their money in Osaka Host Bars and in the process, both sides find they have more in common with each other than one would think.

Best Friends As kids, we all had best friends that we treated as our rock and peprsonal property. In this film about two teenage girls who have lost their parents, the two best friends, laugh, love and fight with each other as all best friends do until they end up competing in their school's talent competition.

The Blood of Yingzhou District As the 1st person in DOCNZ to invite and preview the film early 2006 as part of the DOCNZ selection process, I could not control my excitement for the film and announced to my colleagues that I thought it was Academy Award worthy. I am very pleased that this film has gone onto both winning the Best Short Documentary Award as well as garnering huge praise, it was nice to see it play in Chicago to a receptive audience. An audience member asked me what opportunities that would be to watch the film in general release to which I replied and encouraged her to get as many of her friends to view it while it continues on the festival circuit. It continues to be one of my favourite films for its cinematic look, its access, its bravery in tackling a subject which few have talked about and the incredible sensitivity in its narrative.
That was it for me for the 1st day of the CIDF, finishing at 12.30 am Sunday am.

Breaking News

A friend, Rey, who works with CBS helped to score a segment of CBS Chicago 2 news tomorrow morning. I have to try to find Joanna Topor, so that I can help set it up. CIDF has not been on CBS yet so this is great publicity for CIDF. It has been hard to get a hold of her as there is terrible weather in Chicago today and she's not getting cell phone reception out at the Wilmette Theatre. But we finally manage to talk to each other. We have to be at CBS at 6am tomorrow morning...a bit early but it's worth it.

Day's Thought

As with all festivals, there are too many great films programmed and an inability to see all of them. It is also very clear that the organizers have taken great care to programme this festival and in selecting the venues for the films taking into account the various communities and the geographical location of each venue. Spread over 8 locations, the organizers are working hard to keep the machine well-oiled and running while at the same time, offering the visitors hospitality. Thanks for this. Documentaries can often deal with topics that considered to be too sensitive for some people. Its hard for many people to make a conscious decision to view a film on cancer, aids, dying, corruption etc yet, in each of these films there is a narrative and a story arc that will make compelling viewing. Many people will go to see a fefature dramatic film that deals with these topics but yet, shy away from similar documentaries. It becomes very important for documentary film-makers and festivals to strategise carefully on their marketing and image. A sypnosis must be compelling and scare people away. Its time to bring sexy back to documentaries because documnetaries are so vital in tellinig our stories and provding a living treasure and archive of who we are, why we are who w eare and where we are going. As has been said: A country without documentaries is like a family without photo albums

Opening Night

2007-04-01T07:07:00.000-07:00

Opening Night

The Opening Night was launched at the Gallery of the Arts. We had a splendid and cosy reception which was followed by the World Premiere of In Memorian Alexander Litvinenko at the Beverly Arts Centre's Pritzker Auditorium. Directors Jos de Putter & Masha Novikova were in attendance. This film which examined the final days of ex-Federal Security Service officer, Russian dissident and writer Aleksandr Litvinenko as well as an engrossing look into the tense political situation in Russia. Composed of candid and riveting interviews with Litvinenko - some of which feature the stoic thinker prophesizing his own death – Litvinenko’s father, his wife Marina and Akhmed Zakayev, the Chechen President in exile, this ripped from the headlines, eye-opening documentary is both a political tour de force and an example of masterful filmmaking. Filmed two years prior to his death, the world will now have another image etched in our minds other than the photo of the bald ailing Alexander languishing on his hospital bed.

The Opening Night festivities concluded with more post screening festivities in the Film Makers Lounger at the art noveau Chopin Theatre. Hats off to Festival Director Christopher Kamyszew and Associate Director Joanna Topor and their team for a great kick-off. Can't wait for the the films to start.

Chicago Documentary Film Festival 2007

2007-04-01T06:33:00.000-07:00

The Chicago International Documentary Film Festival (http://www.chicagodocfestival.org/) has officially begun. After having a couple of days to recover from severe jet lag (after all, it was 42 hours of travelling and various lay overs in Nadi and LA from NZ), it was a glorious start to the festival in a glorious city.

Before I start blogging the festival, I have to say that having never been to Chicago, I had no preconceived assumptions as to the city. Yet, in spite of this, I was quite blown away by the Windy City - the architecture is wonderful, the people friendly and diverse and it's a city with a soul. Highly recommend Chicago for those of you who revel in architecture, music or the arts and the shopping and food just ain't half bad.

Christopher Kamyszew, Pernille Groenkjaer, Klaudiusz Madej, Mr Hormann Snr, Andre Hormann at 65th Floor, John Hancock Centre