Tribeca and Gucci Give out Money

Yesterday, the Tribeca Film Institute and Gucci announced the recipients of the 2009 Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund. In this second year of the fund, seven projects have been selected to receive $100,000 each. The prize is awarded to documentary filmmakers whose projects “promote social change and illuminate issues in need of deeper coverage currently missing from mainstream media.”

According to Indiewire, the topics of the films include the phenomenon of outsourcing surrogate mothers to India, a Cambodian journalist’s time spent with Khmer Rouge killers, one high school’s unique approach to education, the controversial rise to fame of the world’s youngest marathon runner, the combined impact of privatization and foreign investment in Tanzania, chaotic childhood experiences in Colombia, and one American’s attempts to save thousands of Iraqis.

The projects that will receive funding are:
- “Anatomy of Poverty,” by Elinyisia Mosha
- “Born Under Fire,” by Jairo Eduardo Carrill
- “Enemies of the People,” by Rob Lemkin & S. Thet
- “Growing Small,” by Jyllian Gunther
- “Made In India,” by Rebecca Haimowitz & Vaishali Sinha
- “Marathon Boy,” by Gemma Atwal
- “The Promise of Freedom,” by Beth Murphy.”


For more details, head on over to Indiewire.com

China tries to bar documentary in Australia

The Chinese Government doesn't necessarily have the best "free speech" record in the world, and earlier today it's understandable as to why.  Reports have popped up that the Chinese consulate in Australia demanded the Melbourne Film Festival withdraw the documentary The 10 Conditions of Love or justify its inclusion.  Festival director Richard Moore flatly refused to either demand and has not been shy to talk to the press about the incident.

The 10 Conditions of Love follows exiled Uighur businesswoman Rebiya Kadeer- highlighting her relationship with activist husband Sidik Rouzi and her desire to gain greater independence for China's 10-million Muslim Uighur population.   Kadeer doesn't exactly have the best history with the Chinese government.  She was arrested back in 1999 for "providing secret information to foreigners" and three of her eleven children have since been imprisoned.  The government most recently accuses her group, the World Uighur Congress, as being a front for extremist militants and for instigating this month's ethnic riots in China that have claimed close to 200 lives.

Obviously, the Chinese Government doesn't want Kadeer to garner supporters around the world, but with the Melbourne Film Festival refusing to pull the documentary, it's clear all they are doing now is providing free marketing for a once relatively obscure movie.  This battle is certainly not over so we will definitely monitor the situation leading up the Festival in early August.

For more information, check out the full article at Reuters.com.

News & Documentary Emmy Awards Nominees Announced

Earlier today the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) announced the nominees for the 30th annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards.  Awards will be given in 33 categories, because with the Emmy's, everyone is a winner!  Actually, that's not true, but at a whopping 33 categories, it's impressive to see NATAS acknowledge the depth and diversity of the news and documentary genre. 

In case you are wondering (and you can check the list for yourself), PBS leads all networks with 41 nominations while CBS sits at a distant number 2 with 23.  As you can guess, the list is long enough to rival War & Peace, but if you have the time, I suggest checking it out because there are certainly some documentary gems to discover.  Beyond the plethora of nominations, CNN Productions will be honored with the President's Award for its documentary production.

The Emmy award presentations occur Monday September 21, so you have plenty of time to scour the list before the winners are announced.

HBO Summer Documentary Series Kicks Off

With the summer heat in full swing up in the Northern Hemisphere, documentary film are set to enjoy HBO's annual Summer documentary series. The series is set to begin Monday (July 13th) with a bang, premiering Teddy: In His Own Words. Developed by Peter Kunhardt and Sheila Nevins, this documentary is not a simple interview but rather a look back at the Senator's life through his past speeches, interviews and conversations. The piece most likely won't be anything close to a scathing expose, but it sounds intriguing enough to spark my interest.

Of course, the series isn't just centered around famous U.S. Senators, so if that's not your cup of tea, stay tuned. HBO will air a feature length documentary every Monday for a solid two months, so rest assured, there's something here for everyone. Trust me, the series is the perfect escape for film lovers looking to relax on their couch after a long day of basking in the sun.

Check HBO's website for the complete series schedule as well as a summary, trailer and other bits of useful information for every film.

Michael Moore's Documentary Gets a Name... and Date

After branching out to cover Health Care, Gun Control and the Bush Administration's response to the September 11th Attacks, Michael Moore is returning to the subject that made him the darling of the liberal film viewer: capitalism. His latest film is officially titled Capitalism: A Love Story and hopes to strike a chord with recession weary audiences everywhere.

Much like his first film Roger and Me (which centered on GM), Moore will focus his sarcasm towards large corporate businesses that (as his documentary will most likely argue) led to the current economic situation. Moore tells the Associated Press, "It will be the perfect date movie... It's got it all — lust, passion, romance and 14,000 jobs being eliminated every day. It's a forbidden love, one that dare not speak its name. Heck, let's just say it: It's capitalism."

Capitalism: A Love Story is produced and distributed by Overture Films and is currently set to be released on October 2.

Chipotle embraces Food

In the biggest "huh?" move I've seen in months, it seems Chipotle is sponsoring a free viewing of Robert Kenner’s Food Inc. Now a review of this documentary will be posted shortly, but needless to say, it isn't exactly a film that praises the fast food industry. In fact, Food Inc specifically targets McDonalds (which owns Chipotle) in several of its attacks, so it’s shocking to see the company turn around and promote the film.

If you ask me, this is like the NRA sponsoring a viewing of Bowling for Columbine. I’m sure there is some reason for this madness, but even if it’s pure insanity, don’t let this opportunity to see Food Inc pass you by. After all, nothing beats activism like free activism.


See Chipotle’s website for the specific dates and times for the free viewings.

Errol Morris on Robert McNamara

The passing of Robert McNamara earlier today felt like the reopening of a long forgotten wound.  Something that had not been opened since Errol Morris' 2003 documentary Fog of War.  Much like the feelings surrounding the Oscar-award winning film, few people are willing to accept McNamara as a good, honest man.  He did, after all, engineer our country's entrance into the Vietnam War.

But Morris remembers McNamara in a little less hostile light then most.  After releasing Fog of War he held an interview with Brad Schreiber of Huffington Post.  In honor of McNamara, Schreiber has decided to repost the interview in an attempt to balance out the attacks that have reawakened since his death.  It's worth reading as it provides some valuable insight into the most hated man from the Kennedy administration.  But more importantly, if you haven't seen Morris' Fog of War, I highly recommend it.  

Supreme Court Unsure on Clinton Documentary

A few months ago, it was posted that a documentary bashing Hillary Clinton (that was released while she was still campaigning for a presidential bid) was involved in a free speech/campaign finance case in the U.S. Supreme Court. Surprisingly, the justices postponed their ruling and demanded more focused arguments from both sides in this case.

For those who need a refresher, the issue at hand is whether or not the 90-minute Hillary: The Movie (and its promotional television ads) is subject to strict campaign finance laws on political advocacy or is instead a constitutionally protected form of speech. The court will reconvene in September to hear the case, which could potentially make Obama's Supreme Court justice appointment all the more important.

Both Fox News (good details) and CNN (good summary) provide more depth on this story if you are interested.

Trailer: Act of God

I've never been struck by lightning so the thought of thousands of volts of electricity running through my body isn't exactly something I'm able to comprehend. But, such limitations didn't stop Jennifer Baichwal (Manufacturing Landscapes) from wanting to capture the singular experience endured by those who have been. More impressively, her documentary, Act of God, goes well beyond the simple recounting of people's stories and seems to enter the metaphysical aspects.

As the fi'm's summary puts it: "The film explores seven stories from around the world that raise and respond to these questions, while keeping the sky and what comes out of it as a central visual metaphor and thread." That sounds wholly fascinating and suddenly I find myself eagerly awaiting it's October release date. If you're interested, head on over to Apple to check out the trailer.

Béla Fleck's African Banjo

As odd as this sounds to say, Béla Fleck is the banjo version of a cross between Jimi Hendrix and John Coltrane. A simple listen over at Grooveshark.com and you'll understand what I'm talking about: the man can flat out jam... on a banjo. But I'm not here to talk mere music. It seems Fleck has a strong desire to remind listeners worldwide that his instrument of choice takes its roots from African culture and to do this, he's made a film.

Titled Throw Down Your Heart, this feature length documentary "follows American banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck on his journey to Africa to explore the little known African roots of the banjo and record an album. It’s a boundary-breaking musical adventure that celebrates the beauty and complexity of Africa – an Africa that is very different from what is often seen in the media today" (from film website).

The documentary has already made the festival circuit rounds and racked up two Audience Awards and some high praise. Now, it's making a tour through American cities and (hopefully) will have a DVD release date for those unfortunate enough to miss out. In the meantime, head over to the film's site to watch a trailer, learn more details and even listen to the music resulting from Fleck's quest.