AFI screening time is almost over. The bag of tapes I have may be the last. This makes me a little sad. This is my 4th summer spent indoors watching documentaries for AFI Fest. Every year I say I won’t do it again next year. But the fact is I really enjoy it. I enjoy […]

Reel Paradise is a documentary about John Pierson. After becoming disenchanted with the independent film world he picks up his family and moves them to a remote village in Fiji called Taveuni. The natives have no electricity, no running water and little to do for entertainment. The Pierson crew opens the downtrodden 180 Meridian Cinema […]

I was on a panel last weekend for the LA Intensive, a sort of summer camp for students who want to break into the entertainment industry put together by the American Pavilion. One of the questions a student asked was about what books to read or own to learn more about the industry. Patrick Gorman, […]

August 23, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Teni Melidonian — (310) 247-3000 tmelidonian@oscars.org Beverly Hills, CA — September 1 is the submission deadline for documentary filmmakers to present materials for either short subject or feature-length films to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for consideration for the 78th Academy Awards®. Entry forms must be […]

IDA’s 9th Annual DocuWeek, formerly InFACT, formerly DOCtober kicked off on Thursday night with a simple gathering at the Arclight Café. It was good to see people I hadn’t seen in a while and a great excuse to eat too many chicken pineapple skewers (they were surprisingly good!). Here’s a pic of doc filmmaker Josh […]

Since its opening on June 24, 2005 March of the Penguins has done over $40 million at the box office domestically. Making it the second biggest documentary ticket seller of all time. After just about everyone I know asking me if I had yet seen “the penguin movie” I thought it was time to take […]

September 19, 2003 I had my first meeting with the guys from 39 Pounds of Love. It was a distribution consultation through IFP/Los Angeles (now Film Independent). I was so thrilled to see something great. Something at an early stage. Something I knew was going to be a hit…eventually. The director and producer met me […]

Last week I attended two stellar events in Los Angeles. Wednesday night it was off to the Arclight for Audi’s presentation of $10,000 and a 2006 Audi A3 to the winner of their Step Ahead with Audi filmmaking competition. They screened all 3 of the nominated documentary films. All 3 were well-made. But my personal […]

Sunday night I went to the first LA screening of a “home movie” by Jeffrey Ross, Patriot Act. He’s calling it a home movie but there is no International Home Movie Association so it screened as part of a screening series that the International Documentary Association (IDA) puts together. There was a terrific crowd. Pretty […]