Monday, July 23-------Two must-see documentaries that document political and social "hot button" regions are making their theatrical debuts this week. THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK is an extraordinarily powerful film that exposes the genocide taking place in the Darfur region of Sudan, as seen through the eyes of an American witness. The film, directed by Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern, opens on Wednesday, July 25th at New York's IFC Center, followed by a national release by Inte...
Wednesday, June 13--------With the US at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the crumbling situation in the Middle East and our own citizens rights under fire in the homeland, the films of this year's Human Rights Watch International Film Festival are simply required viewing for informed New Yorkers. The humanitarian group Human Rights Watch and the Film Society of Lincoln Center will celebrate the courage, resourcefulness and advocacy of the many filmmakers who tackle the world’s most pressing...
The Miami International Film Festival (MIFF), presented awards to films today in three competition categories: Documentary Features, Ibero-American Dramatic Features, and World Cinema Features. Jurors in the three categories, along with the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI), awarded prizes to films in competition during the 2007 Festival. The ceremony, which took place at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, was hosted by Mexican actress Gabriela Ribero and from Burkina F...
The International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH) is mobilized to denounce all human rights violations. During one week, the public, filmmakers, victims, journalists, writers, human rights defenders together with policy makers and economic decision makers will meet and dialogue off the United Nations Human Rights Council. Because indifference is the first enemy of human rights, the FIFDH creates a platform, a space for commitment open to every one, at the very heart of Geneva, th...
Thursday, November 30----While it is true that most major international film festivals do showcase important documentary films, the explosion of documentary-only film festivals, as evidenced here at the International Documentary Film Festival (IDFA) in Amsterdam, is nothing less than an explosion. With brochures littering the industry areas, it is amazing and heartening to see such a massive public interest in the documentary form.
So, instead of writing a long article, I am simply going to l...
Monday, October 9----Veteran documentary director Barbara Kopple will be honored with the Maverick Award at the Woodstock Film Festival, which opens on Thursday. She will be honored at a special Awards Ceremony on Saturday evening, with actress-turned-documentarian Rosie Perez giving Kopple her award honors. Perez co-directed her first documentary film this year, the autobiographical I'M BORICUA, JUST SO YOU KNOW!
Rosie Perez
Kopple, a double Oscar winner for her films HARLAN COUNTRY USA and...
The Open Society Institute and Sundance Institute today announced a series of 19 international documentaries that will be screened at Film Forum in New York City, October 26-29, 2006. The Soros/Sundance Documentary Fund: A 10th Anniversary Film Series, showcases provocative social justice and human rights documentaries made with support from the fund. These works attest to the rich artistic and political expression of the filmmakers and demonstrate the power of cinematic storytelling to bring a...
Richard Peña, Program Director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center and Chairman of the Selection Committee of the New York Film Festival, is a film curator and scholar whose wide-ranging knowledge of the medium includes a special expertise and interest in Latin American, Asian, and Arab cinemas.Program Director of the Film Society and Festival Selection Committee Chair since 1988, Mr. Peña has brought a visionary zeal and enthusiasm and a remarkable variety of programs both to the Festival a...
One World, 6th Annual Human Rights Documentary Film Festival Prague, Czech Republic, 15-22 April 2004 Organised by People in Need - Czech TV Foundation, One World has quickly emerged as one of the largest and most important human rights film festivals in Europe and is firmly established as one of Prague's premier cultural and media events. One World 2004 will present 155 films from around the world. The Festival center will be located at the Archa theater. Other screenings will be held in popula...