Center For
Independent
Documentary
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Industry News & Opportunities
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With the generous support of the Boston Cultural Council, CID has now held our first three Filmmaker Workshop events. So far, filmmakers who have shared their works-in-progress include Eric Stange ('ACTIVIZED'), Kathryn Ramey ('El Signo Vacio'), and Monica Cohen ('Dreams of Chonta').
If you are interested in sharing your rough cut at a future Filmmaker Workshop, please reach out to Mira Simon (
[email protected]
).
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HELP KEEP MASSACHUSETTS FILM JOBS ALIVE
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On June 11th hundreds of industry members came to the Massachusetts State House to show their support at a public hearing for House Bill 2419 and Senate Bill 1728 to eliminate the sunset on the film and tv production incentive program.
The Massachusetts Production Coalition has now released a new short
3-minute animated video
that talks about the amazing economic impact of the film and television production industry in Massachusetts. Please share it with your legislators today through the
Voter Voice link
and ask them to watch it!
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NEW ENGLAND FILM STAR AWARD
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NewEnglandFilm.com
has announced a free open call for the New England Film Star Award, a grant for a film by a New England filmmaker marginalized by race, gender, sexuality, able-bodiedness, or other. There is no fee to apply, and
applications are due by July 15
.
For more information about the grant guidelines, eligibility requirements, and to apply click
here
.
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ERNIE AND JOE
ACQUIRED BY HBO
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HBO has acquired the North American TV and streaming rights to Jenifer McShane's
ERNIE & JOE
. The film follows Ernie Stevens and Joe Smarro who are part of San Antonio Police Department’s (SAPD’s) highly progressive and successful Mental Health Unit, which was founded in 2008.
Ernie & Joe
made its world premiere in March at the
SXSW
Film Festival, where it received Special Jury Recognition. In addition, the film earned the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary Feature at this year’s Independent Film Festival Boston. The film will continue its festival run at the AFI DOCS Film Festival and is slated to debut on HBO later this year.
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WORLDS OF URSULA K. LE GUIN
ON AMERICAN MASTERS
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(Check your local PBS station for times in your location.)
Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin
is the first feature documentary film about Ursula K. Le Guin, a singular writer who defiantly held her ground on the frontier of American letters until the sheer excellence of her work, at long last, forced the mainstream to embrace fantastic literature. Read more
here
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EAST LA INTERCHANGE
AVAILABLE TO STREAM ON AMAZON
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EAST LA INTERCHANGE
, the award-winning film by Betsy Kalin, is now
available on Amazon
. Amazon Prime members can stream the film for free and non-Prime accounts can rent the film for as little as $1.99. You can help the indie film get noticed on Amazon by watching, rating and reviewing. Every play, rating & review counts!
East LA Interchange
will be released to more platforms in the coming months.
East LA Interchange
follows the evolution of working-class, immigrant Boyle Heights as it fights the largest and busiest highway system in North America. Will Boyle Heights, like many cities across the U.S., survive the next round of challenges from development and gentrification? Featuring
will.i.am
(The Black Eyed Peas), Danny Trejo (Machete), Father Greg Boyle (Homeboy Industries), and Josefina López (
Real Women Have Curves
).
Visit the film's website
here
.
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STONEWALL: THE MAKING OF A MONUMENT
STREAMING ON THE NEW YORK TIMES OP-DOCS
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WBCN AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
AT THE WOODS HOLE FILM FESTIVAL
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Tickets are available
here
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FROM BAGHDAD TO THE BAY
AVAILABLE FOR EDUCATIONAL DISTRIBUTION
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We are also excited to announce that the film is now available for educational distribution and includes Spanish subtitling and English closed captioning.
Over the past year at festivals, in classrooms, and at community screenings,
From Baghdad to The Bay
has sparked important and life-changing reactions from our viewers, including those who have had misconceptions about the LGBTQ and refugee communities. With this education release, we look forward to bringing this film to colleges and universities where the next generation of influencers are being cultivated.
More information here.
"a mandatory educational tool”
Jasmina Bojic
| Lecturer, International Relations, Stanford University
“not only necessary, but life-saving.”
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RHINESTONE COWBOY
PRODUCTION UPDATE
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A message from director, Petrine Mitchum:
"
RHINESTONE COWBOY
is off and running! On Memorial Day weekend Holly & I went to the Nashville Boogie at Opryland where we attended the Western Round-Up Fashion Show filled with fabulous Nudie-inspired designs. During our week in Nashville we taped interviews with six designers and made plans to return to do more filming in September, if not before.
The overwhelming support of the Nashville community and Boogie attendees strengthened our conviction that the time is right for
Rhinestone Cowboy
!
Back in California, on June 17 we interviewed the great Chris Hillman, founding member of the
Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers & the Desert Rose Band at the Ventura Country Museum.
For more details and pictures from Nashville, as well as a photo of Chris Hillman and two of his
What’s next? Interviews with Dwight Yoakam. Marty Stuart, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings are in the works….. and we have a long wish list of performers, designers, curators and collectors
whom we hope to lasso. Meanwhile, we are collecting other visual and audio elements and
editing a new promotional video to entice distributors. We have interest, and just need to
deliver a “sizzle reel” to take us to the next level.
Our very successful Kickstarter crowd funding has brought us to this point but we need more
money to keep going. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to
Rhinestone
Cowboy
you can do so
here
."
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EXILE AND COMMUNITY: THE LIFE OF CAROLA DOMAR
AWARDED MASS HUMANITIES GRANT
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EXILE AND COMMUNITY: THE LIFE OF CAROLA DOMAR
has been awarded a Mass Humanities Grant to create a trailer and teacher’s guide that will supplement the film. The film is conceived as an educational tool for young people. The guide will be directed to middle and high school educators. Donations to this project are greatly appreciated and can be made
here
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SALLY
RECEIVES GRANT FROM THE BERKELEY ARTS COMMISSION
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SALLY
, directed by Deborah Craig, has received a grant from the Berkeley Arts Commission. Sally tells the inspiring story of gay rights activist and feminist Sally Gearhart. Brilliant, charismatic, provocative and visionary, Sally worked side-by-side with Harvey Milk, was an icon to the first generation of lesbians to live openly and one of second wave feminism’s most radical voices.
Deborah's previous film,
A Great Ride
, is currently streaming on Amazon Prime as part of their All Voices Film Festival. The film is also streaming on Alaska Airlines. You can watch the trailer for their full slate of Pride films
here
.
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LAST CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR
THE ANNUAL IRISH AMERICAN MOVIE HOOLEY
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The Fifth Annual Irish American Movie Hooley will be returning
Sep. 27, 28, and 29th at the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago
. If your film is chosen you will be flown to Chicago and put up for the weekend at the luxurious Chicago Hilton on Michigan Avenue. Read more
here.
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SOLOMON TURNER INVITED TO "SUNDANCE CREATIVE PRODUCER'S SUMMIT"
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Solomon Turner, producer of
GHOSTS OF EMPIRE
, has been invited to attend this year's
Sundance Creative Producer's Summit
at the Sundance Resort taking place August 1st through 4th. As part of the Institute’s evolving commitment to independent producers, the Summit is an invitation-only event for up to 50 producers and directors identified through the full array of the Institute’s creative development programs and the Sundance Film Festival. The Creative Producing Summit offers a crucial opportunity for these producers to meaningfully advance their projects.
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MY HALF OF THE ROAD
BEGINNING PRE-PRODUCTION
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MY HALF OF THE ROAD
(working title), begins pre-production in August. A big thank you to Travelers and General Motors for funding the production. Produced by Boyd Productions, LLC,
My Half of the Road
explores the impact distracted behavior is having on pedestrians and cyclists in United States and around the world.
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CID Sponsored Film Of The Month
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THE FATE OF HUMAN BEINGS
A film by
Heather Cassano
In Waltham, Massachusetts there is a cemetery where 310 unidentified people are buried. Graves are marked only with a letter and a number. “C” stands for Catholic and “P” for Protestant, the number indicating the order in which they were buried. The cemetery, known as MetFern Cemetery, served as a burial site for patients housed within the walls of two nearby mental institutions - The Fernald School for “feeble-minded” children and the Metropolitan State Hospital. Hidden among the trees of Beaver Brook Reservation, MetFern Cemetery is only accessible by hiking trails. 310 lives suspended in anonymity.
Massachusetts has a sordid history of improperly interning and mistreating its citizens who fall within the definition of “mentally inadequate,” but the history of MetFern Cemetery is largely unknown even to those who live next door. Today, many residents in Waltham are surprised to learn of the cemetery’s existence. The feature-length documentary The Fate of Human Beings uncovers the history behind MetFern Cemetery, telling the stories of the people buried there. Through a mix of archival and present-day material, the film explores the depersonalization of disabled people prevalent throughout American society. Former patients of the two institutions, the funeral home director responsible for improving conditions in the cemetery, and family members of the deceased will form the narrative of the film.
Read more and contribute to the film
here.
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Featured Resource Of The Month
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"Artist Opportunities with Upcoming Deadlines in July and August"
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Every month, Creative Capital compiles a list of residencies, grant, and award opportunities as part of their commitment to sharing resources and opportunities for artists working in all creative disciplines. This month's list includes residencies in Barcelona and an open call for a fellowship in California.
Read the full list
here
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We are grateful for the generous support of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, and the Boston Cultural Council, a local agency which is funded by the Mass Cultural Council, and administered by the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture.
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Center For Independent Documentary | 1-339-364-1278 | www.documentaries.org
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