$35,000 in Prizes Awarded to Top Videos Profiling Entrepreneurs

Cinéma Prospérité is open for submissions. This competition is actively seeking short films (2-5 minutes) that use the power of film to expand our experience and shape our understanding of the world around us. Videos should be suitable to be posted online in forums such as MySpace TV, YouTube, etc. The video should use the best film techniques to showcase the story of an entrepreneur – to show the story of what odds this person has overcome, what impact they have had on the world, and how they’ve managed to achieve their goals. Profiled entrepreneurs should be engaging in for-profit, sustainable and ethical business practices.

Deadline for submissions: September 15, 2008.

More about Cinéma Prospérité.

More UT Doc Center Calls.

Mass Communication & Society Special Symposium

DOCUMENTARY FILM: FORMS, FUNCTIONS, AND IMPACTS

Mathew C. Nisbet & Patricia Aufderheide, Guest Editors
School of Communication
American University

Quickly changing trends in documentary content, distribution, and reach generate a range of questions for media scholars to examine. In this special issue of Mass Communication & Society, the editors seek theoretically-driven and empirically-grounded manuscripts that investigate the forms, functions, and impacts of documentary film. They especially seek submissions that explore the subject in one or several of the following ways:

• Cultural production questions.
• Normative and ethical questions.
• Influence and impact questions.
• Civil society and democracy questions.

Manuscripts due no later than January 12, 2009.

Download full call (pdf).
More guidelines.
More about Mass Communication and Society.

More UT Doc Center Calls.

The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program, in partnership with the Skoll Foundation, will provide $1.2 million in film project grants to enable the development and/or production of new feature-length independent documentary films that frame, examine and amplify social entrepreneurship as an innovative approach to the central questions of our time. The initiative anticipates funding up to 8 films in the range of $30,000-$150,000 per project. Editorial control must be retained by the filmmaker/s.

Documentary films that combine the art of storytelling with topics in social entrepreneurship and the work of social entrepreneurs, and which have a high potential for co-production and for a full distribution plan, including theatrical, broadcast and DVD distribution, will be given priority. Films can be at any stage of development, production or post-production to apply. Completed films will not be considered.

Deadline for Submissions: August 15, 2008
Awards announced: December, 2008

More information on STORIES OF CHANGE, including application procedures.
Visit Sundance Institute’s site.
Visit the Skoll Foundation’s site.

More UT Doc Center Calls.

James Kleinert, filmmaker and advocate, announces the U.S. premiere of “Saving the American Wild Horse.”

The Documentary Center was honored to welcome James as its first Artist in Residence during the Spring Semester of 2007, and is pleased to announce this premiere on the Documentary Channel, Monday July 7th in primetime.

Download official press release.
More information about film.
View film poster.

Visit James’ Production Company.
Visit the Documentary Channel.

The Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, the premier venue for nonfiction film in the American West, is seeking submissions for its sixth annual event. From February 13-22, 2009 the festival will screen 100 films, including world and U.S. premieres, classics, rare and experimental works. The competitive event is open to non-fiction films and videos of all genres, subject matter, lengths and production dates. Awards and cash prizes will be given for Best Documentary Feature (over 50 minutes), Best Documentary Short (15-50 minutes), Best Mini-Doc (under 15 minutes) and best documentary about the American West (the “Big Sky Award”).

Early Deadline - July 1, 2008
Regular Deadline - September 1, 2008
Final Deadline - October 20, 2008

Visit Big Sky’s Call for Entries.

More UT Doc Center Calls.

The Coney Island Film Festival is open to filmmakers working in ALL GENRES, SUBJECTS AND FORMATS.

The festival jury will present awards to films and videos selected as best in these categories: Feature, Short, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short, Experimental, Silent Film, Animation, Music Video and “Made in Coney Island”.

Extended late deadline: July 3, 2008.

See Coney Island Film Festival’s Call for Entries.

More UT Doc Center Calls.

Tia Lessin and Carl Deal, Directors and Producers

Zeitgeist films has announced that they will release Trouble the Water for theatrical distribution beginning in August.

Trouble the Water opens the day before Katrina makes landfall, just blocks away from the French Quarter but far from the New Orleans that tourists know. Kimberly Rivers Roberts is turning her video camera on herself and her 9th Ward neighbors trapped in the city. As the hurricane begins to rage and the floodwaters fill their world and the screen, Kim and her husband Scott continue to film, documenting their harrowing voyage to higher ground and dramatic rescues of friends and neighbors.
Read full synopsis.

DP: RTF Alum PJ Raval

Read Hollywood Reporter article.
Read the Indiewire announcement.

Visit Trouble the Water’s website.
More about PJ and his work.

The Sundance Documentary Fund is a key program of the Documentary Film Program, dedicated to supporting U.S. and international documentary films that focus on current human rights issues, freedom of expression, social justice, civil liberties, and exploring critical issues of our time. The Documentary Fund was established at Sundance Institute in 2002 with a gift from the Open Society Institute and is supported by a leadership grant from the Ford Foundation.

Documentary Fund grants are announced 2-3 times a year and between 2002-2006, the Fund has disbursed almost $5.2 million to over 175 projects in 52 countries. In supporting such work, the Sundance Documentary Fund encourages the diverse exchange of ideas crucial to developing an open society, raising public consciousness about human rights abuses and restrictions of civil liberties, and fostering an ongoing dialogue about these issues.

UPCOMING DEADLINES:
JULY 7, 2008
FEBRUARY 5, 2009

Visit Sundance Funding site for more information.
Visit Sundance Institute’s homepage.

UT Doc Center Calls

TONIGHT! | THURSDAY, JUNE 12 7:30PM
Regal Arbor Cinema (9828 Great Hills Trail)

FREE for AFF Members, $4 Public
*Filmmakers Steve Metze & Don Swaynos in attendance
(Documentary filmmaker Steve Metze – who taught Radio-Television-Film undergraduates at UT from 1997-2004 before he was deployed & Don Swaynos – a local screenwriter, director, and editor)

Click image above to see teaser trailer.

Nine days after getting married, Steve Metze found out he was being deployed as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Metze, a West Point graduate, Desert Storm veteran, and documentary filmmaker, decided to pack a camera and document his year in Iraq.

No RSVP required.

Info for Regal Arbor Cinema.
More about Austin Film Festival.
More about AFF Member Screenings.

Trinidad is set to premiere in competition at the Los Angeles Film Festival, June 2008.

Dir. by PJ Raval and Jay Hodges
DP. PJ Raval
Ed. Kyle Henry

TRINIDAD uncovers Trinidad, Colorado’s transformation from Wild West outpost to “sex change capital of the world,” and follows three transgender women who may steer the rural ranching town toward becoming the “transsexual mecca.”

Visit Trinidad’s website and see the trailer!
See Trinidad at 2008 LA Film Fest.
Visit the Los Angeles Film Festival site.

More about PJ Raval and his work.
More about Kyle Henry and his work.