Documentary Insider

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, Keiko Beatie, Mitch Levine, Jay Miracle, Frederick Wedler and myself came up with the following in no particular order.

The Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide
Chirs Gore

Clearance and Copyright
Michael Donaldson

The Hollywood Rules
Anonymous

Rebel Without a Crew
Robert Rodriguez

Contracts for the Film and Television Industry
Mark Litwak

You’ll Never Eat Lunch in this Town Again
Julia Phillips

Down and Dirty Pictures
Peter Biskind

Spike, Mike, Slacker and Dykes
John Pierson

I know it’s no comprehensive list. But it’s fun to note what’s on the top of our heads. I’ve read them all except for The Hollywood Rules. So I guess I’ve got homework to do.

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 accompanied by supporting documentation including a synopsis of the film in English, a 12-month theatrical exhibition plan, film credits, filmographies of the director(s)/producer, scene stills, 20 VHS cassette tapes or 20 DVDs of the film and proof of qualifying exhibition.

Videotapes or DVDs will be distributed to Academy screening committees comprised of documentary filmmakers who will determine the nominees for both the short subject and feature-length categories. The 78th Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, January 31, 2006, at 5:30 a.m. PST, in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

In 2004, “Born into Brothels” and “Mighty Times: The Children’s March” won for best documentary feature and best documentary short subject, respectively. The Documentary Oscar for short subject was first awarded in 1941 to “Churchill’s Island.” In 1943, the Academy awarded “Desert Victory” the first Oscar for best feature-length documentary.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements for 2005 will be presented on Sunday, March 5, 2006, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. PST, preceded by a half-hour arrival segment.

Additional information about the Documentary Awards categories may be obtained by contacting Assistant Awards Coordinator Michelle Ayala via phone at 310-247-3000, ext. 117; by fax at 310-247-2600; by email at mayala@oscars.org; or by visiting www.oscars.org/78academyawards/rules.

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 Tickell getting down.

The slate of films is not considered a festival, but a showcase, a showcase that helps to qualify documentaries for potential Oscar nomination. In this case all the films are projected in 35mm. There are two alternatives to qualifying in a showcase, 1) you can 4-wall (you pay the theater to play it and you get the box office) your film to play once a day for 7 days in a movie theater in LA County or the Borough of Manhattan or 2) you can get a bona fide theatrical release before the Academy’s deadline. In some cases films playing in DocuWeek will receive a theatrical release anyway. They use the IDA as a launching pad for their film. What’s interesting about some of the films is that this may be really one of the few times that it will show in a theatrical setting. So it is a terrific opportunity to see a film projected that would otherwise only be on TV. Click here for Oscar Rules.

As of today I have seen 8 of the 15 offerings. Friday night I saw the short program including Family Portrait, God Sleeps in Rwanda and Positively Naked. All three films were well done. It was a nice selection as oftentimes short programs can be put together haphazardly based on what’s available. But, these three really complimented one another in both subject and style.

Yesterday I managed to cram in 3 films as well. Only this time they were features. Occupation: Dreamland is a very raw portrait about the US Army’s 82nd Airborne living and working in the Iraqi city of Falluja during the winter of 2004. The filmmakers Garrett Scott and Ian Olds managed to remain unbiased presenting a very true life feel. Rumur Releasing will release the film theatrically.

Next on the slate was 39 Pounds of Love. The theater was sold out and the audience was electric with excitement to see the film. It was great to see that kind of support at a Saturday afternoon screening. Then I stayed put for Protocols of Zion.

Tonight I’m off to see Darwin’s Nightmare. I’ve heard exceptional buzz on this film. And I missed it at Silverdocs. It will mostly likely be my last film for the showcase. Leaving a few of the films to my imagination and a little more time to cram in some more AFI Fest screening.

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 the plunge. Yesterday after plunking down my $10 I found myself in a dark theater at 5:30 in the afternoon with about 30 other people oohing and aahing over the penguins, their remarkable lifestyle and the breathtaking scenery.

Sure, they must be spending a ton on advertising. Sure, it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Sure, it’s rated G. It’s got a lot going for it. It’s a good, solid, beautiful, not too long movie. It is surprisingly violent for a “family film”. But, there’s no PG-8 rating. And it certainly isn’t PG-13. (But we’ll have to take on the MPAA another day.)

The good news is people are going to see a smart, well-made, educational documentary as if it were Shrek. Some of the kids in the audience were a little restless. But, I’d rather they’d be checking out the new doc that everyone’s into instead of flocking to see Herbie Fully Loaded.

For the past 5 years I’ve been reading and writing about documentaries. And the consensus has been that docs are on the upswing, people want to see them. I recently heard Peter Broderick (a prominent producer’s rep and film consultant) say, ‘we’re in luck because Hollywood is producing content free films.” It couldn’t be truer. Surely people are seeking something with more substance. And they are most surely seeking it in theatres. According to my math and Box Office Mojo of the top 20 grossing films, only 5 of them are pre 2000. Talk about a shake-up in the all time rankings.

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 at the IFP offices on Wilshire and we talked about the film. I was honest about what I thought and they weren’t really sure what they had yet. It’s been almost two years. We’ve had meetings, phone conversations and definitely formed friendships. Now the film has sold to HBO, has a theatrical deal and will show at IDA’s DocuWeek 7 times starting August 19th.

The film tells the story of Ami, a 34-year-old man who weighs 39 pounds due to a rare form of muscular dystrophy. He can’t move a single bone in his body except one finger. With that finger he became a digital animator. The film is inspiring and beautiful using his life and his animation to tell the story.

I am so excited to see the final cut. It has gone through many incarnations to get to this place. The subject and the filmmaker will be on hand at the festival. It will be great to finally meet Ami.

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 favorite Life As We Know It took the prize. Congrats to Kristina Robbins Higgins!

Thursday night I attended a negotiating seminar with world-renowned entertainment lawyer Michael Donaldson. He taught the ways of his Wish, Want, Walk process and why it works. I walked out of there feeling like I could negotiate everything from 2 for 1 tomatoes at the Farmer’s Market to making a great deal on a film sale. His new book will feature a DVD that was shot with “us” (IDA members) as the audience.

Also! Coming up this Thursday night (Aug 18) is the kick off party of IDA’s DocuWeek. Back to the Arclight! There are still tickets available for the party. They’ve got a ton of great films scheduled for their Theatrical Documentary Showcase (Aug 19-25). Every film screens once a day for the 7 day run, thus helping to qualify it for Academy Award status. This is a great way to see some docs you can’t see anywhere else. Plus you can’t beat the Arclight as a venue. The best sounds, the best projection, the best popcorn. This whole entry is starting to sound like a commercial. But! It’s important to remember that word of mouth is the best publicity. People don’t talk about the things they don’t like. Well…I do. But…that’s another story.

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 good for a Sunday night in a bar in West Hollywood.

Jeff brings along his $600 camcorder on a week long USO tour with Drew Carey and other comedians entertaining U.S. soldiers stationed around Iraq’s Sunni Triangle. No sound guy, no crew, just him. And sometimes just him holding the camera on himself. “Someone stole my Ambien.” The film is funny and brutalizing at the same time. The reality that these soldiers are living is painful to watch. Making the comedians journey even more important. Seems that all they want is taste of home.

The audience seemed sometimes stunned, but still laughing at the humor in the face of a war.

How great to be inspired on a Friday afternoon.

I didn’t know I could get all swept up into something I watched on the computer. But! I just watched Kristina Robbins-Higgins‘ short doc Life as You Know It about parents who bring their kids into their work. Not just bring them to work with them, but really get them involved. That life isn’t over when you have a baby, it’s just different…something to work around. How refreshing.

The film was created within the parameters of a contest for Audi. And with enough votes I think they may win an Audi. Cool.

I am a screener for AFI Fest. That means that for the last 3 summers I have spent tons of time in front of the TV watching literally 100s of documentaries. It’s awesome, tiring, thrilling and troubling all at the same time.

How it works: AFI receives 1,000s of submissions in all catagories for the film festival. Screeners are “employed” to watch these films and then they are sent on to the programmers to see. Last year I watched over 100 films and 2 made their way into the festival. It’s definitely a process. And something I enjoy.

I just finished my 4th bag full of tapes/DVDs. There was one good one. One.

Anyone can make a movie. The challenge is to make a good one.

Tomorrow I’ll pick up another bag full. I hope there’s a gem in there.

I’m just back from San Diego Comicon recouperating from a summer cold. So I spent the weekend getting caught up on TV docs that have accumulated on my Tivo. I could write an essay praising the Tivo for its lifechanging qualities…but I’ll stick to the docs for now.

I started with HBO’s Twist of Faith A brutal look at adults who were molested by Priests as children. Then it was on to the Education of Shelby Knox on PBS POV series. And I finished it out with Sweet Honey in the Rock: Raise Your Voice from PBS American Masters series. I missed all three of these at film festivals this year. Both Twist of Faith and Shelby Knox showed at Sundance while Sweet Honey showed at AFI Silverdocs. I always find it interesting how I can catch up on these films all year long. Even if I miss a ton of films at Sundance…they usually eventually end up on my Tivo.

The photo is of the prototype for a new Ron English toy.