It is one of the defining news stories of the Iraq/Afghanistan wars….when all-star football player Pat Tillman walked away from a multi-million dollar contact with the Arizona Cardinals in May 2002 to join the Army, he became an instant symbol of patriotic fervor following the events of 9-11. However, when his promising future ended in unexpected and unnecessary tragedy, the Tillman family refused to accept the “official” story being offered by the military and polit...

Documentaries, thanks be to the film gods, remain hot and in demand by both audiences and distributors. Every major film festival in the world now has a prominent documentary film section and there is even an explosion of doc-only events. One of the most important and influential is SILVERDOCS, the AFI/Discovery Communications Festival, which opens tonight with a week-long program of film presentations, conference seminars and special events. Housed at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center,...

 Tuesday, June 17-------Following last evening’s gala Opening Night Film, ALL TOGETHER NOW, SILVERDOCS 2008  kicks into high gear with its first full day of screenings, seminars and special events. In all, this year’s Festival will present 108 films from 63 countries, including six World, eight North American, six US, and seven East Coast Premieres, as well as two retrospective programs. Film screenings take place at the AFI Silver Center in Silver Spring, Maryland, the Festival epicenter ...

Monday, June 16--------Documentaries, thanks be to the film gods, remain hot and in demand by both audiences and distributors. Every major film festival in the world now has a prominent documentary film section and there is even an explosion of doc-only events. One of the most important and influential is SILVERDOCS, the AFI/Discovery Communications Festival, which opens tonight with a week-long program of film presentations, conference seminars and special events. Housed at the AFI Silver The...

April 15-16, 2008 at The Cumberland Hotel London The 2nd Annual IFFS Europe is the largest dedicated gathering of the European film festival community, which provides a platform for the community to explore ways to collaborate and promote the advancement of the film festival industry. This is the exclusive meeting place for industry professionals, vendors and those committed to the film festival and entertainment industry to dialogue with their peers, share insights and gain knowledge that ...

Sunday, June 17----------After five days of what was admittedly some very difficult subject matter explored on screen (torture, imprisonment, war, racism, genocide and all forms of denial of freedom and equality), SILVERDOCS ended on a lighter note, while still staying committed to the issue-oriented nature of the event. The Closing Night Film, making its East Coast Premiere (while screening simultaneously in Seattle, Washington) is this year's nature sensation ARTIC TALE. Directed by Sarah ...

Monday, June 18---------After a stimulating and chockful of quality program of 100 films from 42 countries over 5 days (not to mention panels and master classes at the parallel International Documentary Conference), SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival announced its distinguished award winners at ceremonies at the AFI Silver Theater on Saturday evening. Winning filmmakers received over $55,000 in cash, goods and in-kind services. Award winners will have special repeat screenin...

Sunday, June 17---------After a stimulating and chockful of quality program of 100 films from 42 countries over 5 days (not to mention panels and master classes at the parallel International Documentary Conference), SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival announced its distinguished award winners at ceremonies at the AFI Silver Theater on Saturday evening. Winning filmmakers received over $55,000 in cash, goods and in-kind services. Award winners will have special repeat screenin...

Saturday, June 16-----SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival is setting an example by being one of the first such festival events to actively try and reduce its carbon footprint and demonstrate how it can run its Festival efficiently with an eye towards energy conservation. This reporter, when told that the Festival wanted to encourage visitors to use public transporation to come from the Airport to the DC suburb of Silver Spring, was happy to do his part (although the Festiv...

Monday, June 11-------In a mere five years, SILVERDOCS has emerged as one of the most important and provocative showcases of non-fiction media in the world. With support from both the American Film Institute and Discovery Communications, the event, barely a toddler in festival terms, has become an industry prime mover. Its parallel International Documentary Conference, a series of information panels and master classes, attracts nearly 1000 visiting filmmakers, commissioning editors and programme...

Monday, June 12---While most US-based film festivals regularly showcase at least a few international documentaries as part of their program, non-fiction from around the world is a definite spotlight of the SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival, which launches on tomorrow night at the AFI Silver Center. In a section called World View, which also includes US documentaries, the subject matter and geographical origins of the films bring a broader understanding of political, social ...

Friday, June 2---SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival opens on June 13 with the world premiere of the HBO Films documentary BOFFO! TINSELTOWN'S BOMBS AND BLOCKBUSTERS, directed by Oscar-winning documentary director Bill Couturie. The film takes a behind-the-scenes look at the high risk world of Hollywood filmmaking, where all bets are off as to whether even the biggest budget film will not be a major box office bomb. Featuring candid, often amusing interviews, with such Holl...

SILVERDOCS: AFI/DISCOVERY CHANNEL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL has become one of the most prestigious events in the world of non-fiction film. The 2006 Festival, a mixture of film screenings, information seminars and special events, will take place from June 13 to 18, 2006 at the AFI Silver Center in Silver Springs, Maryland (USA). Return to this dedicated website to read articles, view photos, hear audio files and view video at North America's most intriguing festival devoted to the work of documen...