AFI DOCS (formerly Silverdocs)

HOLBROOK/TWAIN: AN AMERICAN ODYSSEY

AFI DOCS announced its full slate of films for the 2014 festival, which runs from June 18 – 22 in Washington, DC, and Silver Spring, MD.  The festival will showcase 84 films representing 28 countries, including four World, three U.S. and eight East Coast Premieres.  AFI DOCS opens with HOLBROOK/TWAIN: AN AMERICAN ODYSSEY and closes with LIFE ITSELF.  The festival’s annual AFI DOCS Charles Guggenheim Symposium will honor Academy Award® -winning documentarian Alex Gibney (TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE).  Committed to bringing artists and our nation’s leaders together, AFI DOCS will do this through Catalyst Screenings that include in-depth, expanded discussions with filmmakers, issue experts and policymakers.  Launching in this 12th edition of the festival is the Filmmaker Engagement Program – professional development for documentarians. 

Catalyst Screenings include THE HOMESTRETCH (DIRS Anne de Mare, Kirsten Kelly) THE INTERNET’S OWN BOY (DIR Brian Knappenberger), IVORY TOWER (DIR Andrew Rossi) and THE NEWBURGH STING (DIRS Kate Davis, David Heilbroner).  The subjects of these films – homeless youth seeking an education, the state of the Internet, skyrocketing college tuition and government overreach – will be examined in panel discussions immediately after the screenings.

The Filmmaker Engagement Program will comprise events for festival artists to connect effectively to our nation’s leaders, film industry decision-makers and cultural-thought leaders.  Select sessions of this program will be open to the at-large community of documentary filmmakers.  Details will be announced in the coming weeks.

As mid-festival films, Spotlight Screenings include E-TEAM (DIRS Katy Chevigny and Ross Kauffman), FREEDOM SUMMER (DIR Stanley Nelson) and GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME (DIR James Keach).  Films by notable documentarians include HAPPY VALLEY (DIR Amir Bar-Lev), LAST DAYS IN VIETNAM (DIR Rory Kennedy) and POINT AND SHOOT (DIR Marshall Curry).

This year’s program also includes five films with the involvement of seven alumni of the AFI Conservatory in Los Angeles, including DINOSAUR 13 featuring Kristin Donnan Standard (AFI Class of 1988); HEAVEN ADORES YOU by Associate Producer West McDowell (AFI Class of 2010); THE LION’S MOUTH OPENS by Co-Producer Sabrina Doyle (AFI Class of 2012) and Co-Producer/Cinematographer Nick Higgins (AFI Class of 2002); WE ARE THE GIANT by Line Producer Diane Becker (AFI Class of 2006) and Archival Coordinator Erikka Yancy (AFI Class of 2006) and WHEN THE GARDEN WAS EDEN by Executive Producer Doug Ellin (AFI Class of 1992).

“AFI DOCS 2014 is a true celebration of documentaries and storytellers,” said Christine O’Malley, Interim Festival Director.  “While there are serious thought-provoking issues presented artfully in the films, there are equal amounts of whimsical and entertaining experiences.  What they all do, however, is inform and hopefully inspire different types of change – policy, perspective or heart.”

2014 AFI DOCS DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL PROGRAM

OPENING AND CLOSING NIGHTS AND SPOTLIGHT SCREENINGS:

Wednesday, June 18, 2014
OPENING NIGHT:  HOLBROOK/TWAIN: AN AMERICAN ODYSSEY DIR Scott Teems.  USA.

For 60 years, actor Hal Holbrook has been touring with his award-winning one-man show, “Mark Twain Tonight!,” in which he portrays the renowned American writer and satirist before sold-out crowds.  Filmmaker Scott Teems takes us behind the scenes with Holbrook for an intimate peek at Twain’s continuing influence on our culture and the dedicated actor who brings him to life.  Filmmaker and select talent will be in attendance for this World Premiere.

Thursday, June 19, 2014
SPOTLIGHT SCREENING:  E-TEAM  DIRS Katy Chevigny, Ross Kauffman.  USA.

With international conflicts raging, Human Rights Watch sends its specially trained Emergencies Team to the frontlines of Syria and Libya to document human rights abuses and capture the world’s attention. These courageous and fiercely dedicated individuals regularly risk their lives to report atrocities that would otherwise go undocumented.

Friday, June 20, 2014
SPOTLIGHT SCREENING:  GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME  DIR James Keach.  USA.

Grammy® Award-winning country legend Glen Campbell has been making music for over 50 years.  Having recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, Campbell decides to go public with the news to help bring attention to the devastating effects of the illness while hitting the road one last time for a farewell tour.  Filmmaker and some subjects in attendance.

GUGGENHEIM SYMPOSIUM:  The Charles Guggenheim Symposium honors the legacy of the late four-time Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Charles Guggenheim.  This year, the Symposium celebrates Alex Gibney, one of the most significant documentarians of our time.  His films have etched a place in American history, both as compelling independent storytelling and journalism.  The Symposium will feature a series of excerpts from Gibney’s body of work and he will be joined on stage to discuss his career.  His films include CATCHING HELL (2011), ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM (2005), MEA MAXIMA CULPA: SILENCE IN THE HOUSE OF GOD (2012), NO END IN SIGHT (2007), Academy Award® -winning TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE (2007) and WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS (2013).

OUTDOOR SCREENING: 
SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS  DIRS Will Lovelace, Dylan Southern.  USA.

This captivating film documents the high-energy farewell concert of alternative band LCD Soundsystem at Madison Square Garden on April 2, 2011.  Punctuated by a frank conversation with front-man James Murphy about the reasons he chose to go out on top, this is a can’t-miss for music fans.

Saturday, June 21, 2014
CLOSING NIGHT:  LIFE ITSELF  DIR Steve James.  USA.

Roger Ebert was one of America’s most influential film critics until his death from thyroid cancer in 2013.  Based on Ebert’s 2011 memoir of the same name, acclaimed filmmaker Steve James (HOOP DREAMS) paints a vivid portrait of the critic, whose genuine love of movies helped him remain a relevant voice in the film world even after his physical voice had been silenced.  Filmmaker in attendance.

Sunday, June 22, 2014
SPOTLIGHT SCREENING:  FREEDOM SUMMER  DIR Stanley Nelson.  USA.

In the summer of 1964, hundreds of student volunteers from across the U.S. spent 10 weeks in Mississippi in an historic effort to shatter the foundations of white supremacy.  This inspiring film tells the searing story of those volatile and violent months and reminds us of the risks and sacrifices involved in ending segregation.

FEATURE FILM SELECTIONS:

112 WEDDINGS:  DIR Doug Block.  USA.  Filmmaker Doug Block (THE KIDS GROW UP) started filming people’s wedding videos 20 years ago as a way to make extra money.  Whatever became of those hopeful brides and grooms?  In this funny and often touching film, Block tracks down several of them to find out if marriage was everything they dreamed it would be.

1971:  DIR Johanna Hamilton.  USA.  In March of 1971, a break-in occurred at an FBI field office outside of Philadelphia, PA, that resulted in the theft of every single document contained within it.  The true nature of what was discovered within those files would soon prove to be more shocking than the crime itself.

ACTRESS:  DIR Robert Greene.  USA.  After landing a part on THE WIRE, actress Brandy Burre’s career was rising fast, but she gave it up for the real life role of wife and mother in upstate New York.  Now, Burre is eager to find her way back into acting, but at what cost to her family?

THE AGREEMENT:  DIR Karen Stokkendal Poulsen.  Denmark.  Some international skirmishes happen far from battlefields; they take place in quiet negotiating rooms.  Yet no matter how unassuming those spaces may be, the players can be just as immovable as their armed equivalents.  THE AGREEMENT takes viewers into one such discussion – the high-stakes Serbia-Kosovo negotiations to make Serbia’s EU candidacy possible.  East Coast Premiere.

ALFRED & JAKOBINE:  DIRS Jonathan Howells, Tom Roberts.  UK/Canada.  In 1955, passionate newlyweds Alfred and Jakobine bought a beat-up old taxi cab and embarked on a memorable trip around the world.  When Alfred abruptly left the marriage, it left Jakobine heartbroken.  Forty years later, Alfred decides to restore their old taxi and deliver it to Jakobine as a surprise.  U.S. Premiere.

ALIVE INSIDE: A STORY OF MUSIC & MEMORY:  DIR Michael Rossato-Bennett.  USA.  Millions of elderly Americans suffer from the debilitating effects of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.  In this moving film, social worker Dan Cohen experiments with a music-based program to help these patients unlock deeply buried memories and emotions that had long been forgotten.  The results will astound you.

AN HONEST LIAR:  DIRS Justin Weinstein, Tyler Measom.  USA.  James “The Amazing” Randi has been mastering the art of illusion and sleight of hand to entertain audiences for over half a century. When he sees magicians’ tricks of the trade being used by con artists like faith healers and psychics to bilk the masses, however, Randi dedicates himself to exposing them.

APOLLONIAN STORY:  DIRS Ilan Moskovitch, Dan Bronfield.  Israel.  For over 40 years, Nissim has been chipping away at a seaside limestone cliff just north of Tel Aviv.  Though continually under construction, the intricate home he has built for himself is truly incredible.  When his son comes to help for the summer, eccentricities arise that surely predate his work of passion.

ART AND CRAFT:  DIRS Sam Cullman, Jennifer Grausman; co-directed by Mark Becker.  USA.  For 30 years, Mark Landis, one of the most skilled art forgers in U.S. history, has used his astonishing talent to duplicate the work of famous artists and dupe museum curators nationwide.  Diagnosed with schizophrenia, this eccentric forger isn’t in it for the money – he prefers to donate his work. 

BACK ON BOARD:  DIR Cheryl Furjanic.  USA.  In 1988, Greg Louganis became the first male athlete in history to sweep the diving events in consecutive Olympic games.  Despite his success, Louganis’ real challenges were still to come.  Director Cheryl Furjanic’s (SYNC OR SWIM) film gives us an intimate glimpse into the life of one of the world’s greatest champions.  World Premiere.

BRONX OBAMA:  DIR Ryan Murdock.  USA.  Louis Ortiz was an unemployed single father from the Bronx in 2008 when people noticed that he bore an uncanny resemblance to presidential hopeful Barack Obama.  With Obama’s victory, Ortiz transformed himself into a professional lookalike, joined a motley group of political impersonators and began to chase an unlikely version of the American dream.

BUTTERFLY GIRL:  DIR Cary Bell.  USA.  Abbie Evans’ coming-of-age struggle is complicated by a rare life-threatening skin disorder, epidermolysis bullosa, which makes her body as fragile as butterfly wings.  Alternately snarky and self-deprecating, optimistic and reckless, Evans is ready to assert her independence and break free from her stalwart parents in this unsentimental yet moving portrait.

DANGEROUS ACTS STARRING THE UNSTABLE ELEMENTS OF BELARUS:  DIR Madeleine Sackler. USA.  Go behind the scenes of the Belarus Free Theatre, an award-winning troupe of underground performers who dare to tackle dangerous topics that can easily put them behind bars.  In the midst of an unstable political climate, these brave performers are constantly torn between fighting artistic censorship and worrying about their families’ safety.

DINOSAUR 13:  DIR Todd Miller.  USA.  In 1990, a team of scientists from South Dakota’s Black Hills Institute stumbled onto a spectacular discovery – the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex specimen ever found. Nicknamed “Sue,” the T. rex soon became the center of a messy custody battle involving landowners and the federal government.  East Coast Premiere.

DIOR AND I:  DIR Frédéric Tcheng.  France.  Much is afoot in the iconic House of Dior, as newly hired artistic director Raf Simons has only eight weeks to present his first haute couture collection.  The unconventional Simons collaborates with Dior’s unflagging and enchanting veteran atelier seamstresses, marking the auspicious arrival of a formidable fashion persona.

THE DOG:  DIRS Allison Berg, Frank Keraudren.  USA.  Based on true events, the classic film DOG DAY AFTERNOON tells the story of a bank robbery gone awry.  Combining present-day interviews and archival footage, THE DOG introduces us to John Wojtowicz – the real-life inspiration for Al Pacino’s character – while presenting a fascinating snapshot of New York City’s LGBT liberation movement of the 1970s.  East Coast Premiere.

THE FIX:  DIR Laura Naylor.  USA.  After years of heroin addiction, a young father from the Bronx tries to turn his life around.  With the support of former junkies in his community, he works towards creating effective solutions to help empower those fighting the deadly grasp of drug addiction.

THE HAND THAT FEEDS:  DIRS Rachel Lears, Robin Blotnick.  USA.  This inspiring film focuses on a group of employees at a popular New York City eatery, many of whom are undocumented and vulnerable to being exploited.  When they stand up to management to fight for better wages and working conditions, they learn how to empower themselves and emerge as leaders.

HAPPY VALLEY:  DIR Amir Bar-Lev.  USA.  During the Penn State scandal, the media focused on the accused and the university.  They missed the private tragedies – the community questioning its perceived identity, the Paternos watching their reputation slide and Jerry Sandusky’s adopted son losing his family.  Bridging the public and private dramas, HAPPY VALLEY reexamines the scandal and its aftermath.

HEAVEN ADORES YOU:  DIR Nickolas Rossi.  USA.  When singer/songwriter Elliott Smith died in 2003, it devastated the indie rock community.  Smith, best known for the Academy Award®-nominated song, “Miss Misery,” was a trailblazer for Portland’s indie scene in the ’90s.  Through interviews with friends and archival footage, Nickolas Rossi’s film proves a heartfelt tribute to Smith’s legacy and music.  East Coast Premiere.

THE HOMESTRETCH:  DIRS Anne de Mare, Kirsten Kelly.  USA.  High school can be tough under any circumstances, but what if there is the added burden of having no consistent place to call home?  This powerful film follows three homeless teens – Kasey, Anthony and Roque –  as they share their struggles and victories while navigating their way through the Chicago Public School system.  U.S. Premiere. Catalyst Screening.

HOW I GOT OVER:  DIR Nicole Boxer.  USA.  Fifteen formerly homeless women in the Washington, DC, area come together to share their harrowing life stories, bravely setting out on the path to addiction recovery.  Collaborating on an original play that they will perform at the Kennedy Center, these strong and courageous women tap into artistic talents they never knew they had.  World Premiere.

I AM BIG BIRD: THE CAROLL SPINNEY STORY:  DIRS Chad Walker, Dave LaMattina.  USA.  Big Bird has been an iconic and beloved figure to all since SESAME STREET first aired in 1969.  But who is the man in the Big Bird suit?  This delightful film tells the story of Caroll Spinney, the amiable Muppeteer who has filled Big Bird’s huge orange feet for over 40 years.  U.S. Premiere.

THE INTERNET’S OWN BOY:  DIR Brian Knappenberger.  USA.  At 13, Aaron Swartz co-authored the Web’s RSS format.  His passion to liberate information ended tragically when a disconsolate Swartz killed himself at 26 while facing federal charges regarding his attempt to replicate a proprietary database.  Swartz’s inspiring life saga celebrates extraordinary accomplishment and laments the stinging absence of an unswerving visionary.  East Coast Premiere.  Catalyst Screening.

IVORY TOWER:  DIR Andrew Rossi.  USA.  Over the past 30 years, the cost of higher education has increased at an alarming rate along with the mounting burden of student loan debt needed to fund a traditional college experience.  Filmmaker Andrew Rossi (PAGE ONE:  INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES) probes the future of higher education and investigates alternatives to the traditional four-year university.  Catalyst Screening.

KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON:  DIR Alan Hicks.  USA.  Jazz trumpet legend Clark Terry has performed with such greats as Count Basie and Duke Ellington and acted as mentor to Miles Davis and Quincy Jones.  When he meets blind piano prodigy Justin Kauflin, Terry works with him to pass on some of his musical gift and help Kauflin find his own voice.

LAST DAYS IN VIETNAM:  DIR Rory Kennedy.  USA.  As the war in Vietnam draws to its inevitable close, the North Vietnamese army swiftly rolls toward Saigon.  At the city’s U.S. Embassy, a small but dedicated crew of Americans must make some hard decisions in its attempts to protect the South Vietnamese allies it has been told to leave behind.

MISCONCEPTION:  DIR Jessica Yu.  USA.  From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Jessica Yu (BREATHING LESSON:  THE LIFE AND WORK OF MARK O’BRIEN) comes this intriguing look at the attitudes surrounding population growth in different areas of the world.  Tied together by the fascinating observations of statistics expert Hans Rosling, the film follows three individuals who have a personal stake in population growth within their homelands.

MUDBLOODS:  DIR Farzad Sangari.  USA.  In the whimsical world of her wildly successful Harry Potter books, author J. K. Rowling invented the thrilling – but imaginary – sport of Quidditch.  With Potter fans reaching adulthood, Quidditch has turned into a real sport that has taken college campuses by storm thanks to some creative minds and entrepreneurial spirit.  World Premiere.

THE NEWBURGH STING:  DIRS Kate Davis, David Heilbroner.  USA.  In 2009, the FBI uncovered a Muslim terror cell plotting to attack a synagogue and U.S. military aircraft.  Closer analysis, including FBI hidden-camera footage, raises substantive doubts:  Were these four men tenacious terrorists or merely hapless targets of entrapment caught up in a post-9/11 hunt for “red meat” to mollify a traumatized nation?  Catalyst Screening.

THE OVERNIGHTERS:  DIR Jesse Moss.  USA.  Each day busloads of men arrive in the towns of North Dakota in search of jobs.  They find scarce housing, employment hassles and a hostile citizenry.  Trying to practice the compassion he preaches, Jay Reinke uses his church as a home for these men while his parishioners and neighbors grow frustrated with him.

POINT AND SHOOT:  DIR Marshall Curry.  USA.  Matthew VanDyke, a young man from the suburbs of Baltimore, dreamed about a life of adventure that seemed outside his grasp.  When VanDyke decided to turn his fantasies into reality, he soon found his life heading toward a winding path that led to the front lines of the 2011 Libyan Revolution.

THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS:  DIRS Edward Lovelace, James Hall.  UK.  In 2005, gifted Scottish musician Edwyn Collins suffered two devastating cerebral hemorrhages that left him with large gaps in his memory and trouble with the most basic language.  This inventive film artfully puts the viewer inside Collins’ experience as he fights back from the brink of death.  East Coast Premiere.

THE SEARCH FOR GENERAL TSO:  DIR Ian Cheney.  USA.  One of the most popular dishes in Chinese restaurants in America is the deep fried, slightly spicy dish known as General Tso’s chicken. But who exactly is General Tso, and why is this menu item named after him?  Filmmaker Ian Cheney (THE CITY DARK) takes us on a mouth-watering journey to the root of this amusing mystery.

SILENCED:  DIR James Spione.  USA.  The term “whistleblower” is usually attached to controversy, and those who expose misconduct within an organization often stand to lose everything.  This film looks at the post-9/11 crackdown on those who attempt to lift the veil on U.S. national security practices and the devastating costs that come with telling the truth.

SLAYING THE BADGER:  DIR John Dower.  USA.  Greg LeMond was the first American to win the prestigious Tour de France.  This engaging story looks back at the 1986 Tour in which LeMond went neck and neck with teammate, mentor and fierce competitor Bernard Hinault –  nicknamed “The Badger” – whose promise to help LeMond win was abandoned in the heat of competition.

SLINGSHOT:  DIR Paul Lazarus.  USA.   Dean Kamen invented the Segway and lives in a house with secret passages and a heliport.  His latest passion is the SlingShot water purification system created to obliterate half of human illness.  Kamen reminisces about accepting dyslexia, foregoing parenthood and losing his brother to cancer, while lamenting he has only one lifetime for inventing.

SOFT VENGEANCE: ALBIE SACHS AND THE NEW SOUTH AFRICA:  DIR Abby Ginzberg.  USA/ South Africa.  In 1955, the People’s Congress declared, “South Africa belongs to all who live in it.” SOFT VENGEANCE focuses on Albie Sachs, a leading member of the National Conference in South Africa who was forced into exile for many years.  The film recounts Sachs’ story through personal interviews and historical footage.

THE SPECIAL NEED:  DIR Carlo Zoratti.  Italy/Germany.  Enea is in his late twenties and longs to experience the pleasures of a sexual relationship.  However, the challenges of autism make finding the right mate difficult.  In this sensitive and charming film, Enea enlists the help of his two closest friends and embarks on a road trip to seek help from sex workers.  East Coast Premiere.

THE SUPREME PRICE:  DIR Joanna Lipper.  USA/Nigeria.  In 1993, Nigeria elected MKO Abiola as president, ending the reign of military leadership.  Shortly after the presidential election, Abiola was imprisoned and his wife, Kudirat, became the leader of the Nigerian pro-democracy movement.  THE SUPREME PRICE weaves the past and the present of the Abiola family through the eyes of their daughter, Hafsat Abiola.

UKRAINE IS NOT A BROTHEL:  DIR Kitty Green.  Australia/Ukraine.  Ukraine’s feminist group FEMEN creates quite a stir when the women demonstrate topless across European borders to protest against the patriarchal regime in their native country.  As the protests gain international attention, however, questions grow as to who is the real driving force behind these outspoken women and their campaign for change.

VIRUNGA:  DIR Orlando von Einsiedel.  USA.  In the DRC exists Africa’s oldest national park containing the last natural habitat for endangered mountain gorillas.  As civil unrest grows within the Congo, a British oil company pursues efforts to drill within the park.  VIRUNGA highlights the small number of dedicated individuals fighting to secure the park’s borders.

WE ARE THE GIANT:  DIR Greg Barker.  USA/UK.  The recent Arab Spring uprisings were often organized by young people who embraced the tools of social media to communicate and call for lasting change within their governments.  This powerful and inspiring film talks to some of these young activists to discover what drives them forward despite great personal risk.  East Coast Premiere.

WHEN THE GARDEN WAS EDEN:  DIR Michael Rapaport.  USA.   The time was the late 1960s and the “Garden” was Madison Square Garden in this fond look back at the New York Knicks basketball team, which meant little to New Yorkers at the time.  But with new coaching and a band of talented players with personality, the team turned the sport around for the city.

WHITEY: UNITED STATES V. JAMES J. BULGER:  DIR Joe Berlinger.  USA.  For decades, legendary gangster James “Whitey” Bulger ruled South Boston with seemingly free reign.  After spending 16 years in hiding, however, Bulger is finally put on trial to answer for his crimes.  AFI DOCS 2012 Guggenheim honoree and acclaimed filmmaker Joe Berlinger (PARADISE LOST Trilogy) sheds new light on Bulger’s notorious history amid allegations of deep corruption within law enforcement.

SHORT FILM SELECTIONS:

21 DAYS:  DIR Damian Kocur.  Poland.  When a shy, young bus driver becomes desperate to find his soul mate, he takes a 21-day seminar on how to successfully interact with women and applies himself with vigor to his training.  But will he acquire the skills and confidence he needs to win the woman of his dreams?

A PARADISE:  DIR Jayisha Patel.  UK/Cuba.  Director Jayisha Patel (ADENTRO) travels to Granma, Cuba, where she encounters a family mourning the loss of their 12-year-old son.  This young boy, like many others in this small village, committed suicide.  A PARADISE follows several families as they grieve for their loved ones and ponder who is at fault in these tragic deaths.

A PLACE CALLED PLUTO:  DIR Steve James.  USA.  Acclaimed director Steve James (HOOP DREAMS) looks at one family’s journey facing Alzheimer’s disease in this lovely, personal film.  When a lifelong newspaper reporter is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, he decides to face its challenges head on, armed with the strength of his family’s support and his skills as a journalist.

AMANDA F***ING PALMER ON THE ROCKS:  DIR Ondi Timoner.  USA.  Punk cabaret icon and former Dresden Doll co-founder Amanda Palmer is a woman who knows how to make an impact.  As she prepares to perform at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado, the fearless Palmer opens up about her life, career and dedication to thinking outside the box.

BEYOND RECOGNITION:  DIR Sam Thonis.  USA.  After a brutal attack left her with devastating chemical burns all over her body, a woman undergoes a highly experimental face transplant. Receiving the visage of an anonymous donor whose life was cut short, she has a profound experience when she meets the daughter of the woman who gave her a second chance at life.

CHERRY POP: THE STORY OF THE WORLD’S FANCIEST CAT:  DIR Kareem Tabsch.  USA.  Cherry Pop was no ordinary cat.  Beloved by her wealthy socialite owners, she lived life in the lap of luxury.  Her taste for filet mignon and the comfort of Rolls-Royces made Cherry Pop a celebrity before her death in 1995.  This delightful story will tickle your funny bone and touch your heart.

THE CHILEAN ELVIS:  DIR Marcelo Kiwi.  Chile.  Marcelo Rossi has spent the better part of his life being an Elvis Presley impersonator in Chile, and at 78 years old, he shows no signs of slowing down.  This charming film shines a spotlight on one man dedicated to keeping the King’s spirit alive in Chile for as long as possible.

FAST ICE: RESCUE FROM ANTARCTICA:  DIR Laurence Topham.  UK.  In a matter of only a few hours last Christmas Eve, 52 passengers on the MV Akademik Shokalskiy became trapped in a vast sea of “summertime” Antarctic ice.  As approaching icebergs threatened, first one and then a second rescue ship failed to reach the stricken vessel, leaving one option – evacuation by helicopter.

FONT MEN:  DIRS Dress Code.  USA.  Go behind the scenes with two typeface geniuses and former business competitors who have joined forces to take the world of fonts by storm.  Quirky and brilliant, there is far more to the art of font design than meets the eye.  You will never look at Times New Roman the same way again!

FOUNDRY:  DIR Oliver Cheetham.  UK.  A small, family-run foundry in Normandy accepts its biggest project ever:  replacing 36 tons of hand-cast bells that hang in the tower of Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral.  Ancient materials, including horse dung and goat hair, are blended with modern technology to accomplish this endeavor with great pride and master craftsmanship.

THE HOME TEAM:  DIR Joshua Seftel.  USA.  Heart is the X-factor that propels the Murray State Racers basketball team to successfully compete against its rivals.  Spending a few minutes with these players and fans in their bucolic town will make you reconsider what it means to be a college athlete and discover the true meaning of “team.”  

JOANNA:  DIR Aneta Kopacz.  Poland.  Joanna is a young woman living in Poland with her husband and adolescent son.  She has three months to live, having been diagnosed with an untreatable form of cancer.  Now she must prepare her family for life without her as her time draws to a close.

THE LION’S MOUTH OPENS:  DIR Lucy Walker.  USA.  With the support of her friends and family, a young woman waits to find out if she carries the gene for Huntington’s disease, an inherited disorder that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain.  This emotional and deeply personal film from Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Lucy Walker (WASTE LAND) resonates with warmth and sensitivity.

LOUIS THE FERRIS WHEEL KID:  DIR Tara Fallaux.  Netherlands.  Louis has only known the carnival life.  He and his family travel across Europe from fairground to fairground with their Ferris wheel. When he is older, Louis must move away from his family and attend high school.  This moving short examines a unique family unit and the undeniable love between two brothers.

MI HUA GAO (OR THE CHINESE RICE KRISPIES SQUARE):  DIR Xavier-Justin Nagy.  USA.   On a busy street in the small town of Gaogiao, China, cars, pedestrians and mopeds rush past as a humble man cooks on the side of the road.  What could his delicious concoction be?  It is none other than a traditional Rice Krispies square.  Watch as he prepares and crafts this tasty treat!

OF MANY:  DIR Linda G. Mills.  USA.  Directed by Linda G. Mills (AUF WIEDERSEHEN:  ‘TIL WE MEET AGAIN) and executive produced by Chelsea Clinton, OF MANY examines the remarkable friendship between a rabbi and an imam who seek to create more unity among young people of different religious backgrounds.  Their relationship is an inspiring example of the transformative power of understanding.

OUR CURSE:  DIR Tomasz Sliwinski.  Poland.  Brutal yet hopeful, OUR CURSE captures the day-to-day process of taking care of a newborn with a critical illness.  In their testimonials, the director and his wife talk through the various future challenges that run through a parent’s mind under these circumstances, and build each other’s strength to face them head on.

THE PHOTO MAN:  DIR Ben Kitnick.  USA.  Strewn throughout the bins that fill Mark Kologi’s stand in a Southern California market are found pictures for sale of strangers on vacation, posing for family photographs and caught in candid moments.  These glances into their lives make for a fertile form of people-watching across the decades.

RONALD:  DIR John Dower.  UK.  Joe Maggard has been many things in his career:  deputy sheriff, actor and official Ronald McDonald mascot for the famed McDonald’s hamburger chain.  Join Maggard as he dons his iconic clown suit, visits a local carnival and waxes philosophic on everything from the nature of luck to the childhood obesity epidemic.

SATI:  DIR Bartlomiej Swiderski.  Poland.  Through candid, emotionally raw interviews with Olga, the widow of mountaineer Piotr Morawski shortly after his fatal climbing accident, SATI documents devastating grief, but also the complicated emotions of anger at his recklessness, relief that her fear for Piotr is finished and anticipation of the possibilities of a future previously unplanned.

THE SECRET WORLD OF FOLEY:  DIR Daniel Jewel.  UK.  Behind every movie lies the soundtrack.  Foley artists bring that soundtrack to life, recording sound effects in time with the picture.  Go backstage as two highly skilled Foley artists re-create life in a small fishing village for the big screen.  You will never listen to movies the same way again.

SHOWFOLK:  DIR Ned McNeilage.  USA.  The Motion Picture & Television Fund retirement community in Los Angeles is no ordinary place.  Dedicated exclusively to retirees from the entertainment industry, this special community full of colorful show business veterans is cheerfully devoted to the old adage, “The show must go on!”

THE VISIT:  DIR Matej Bobrik.  Poland.  In a lush Polish forest stands a nursing home.  Each week, the residents wait for Sunday, which is the only day when they are allowed visits from family, friends and loved ones.  We quietly observe the residents preparing themselves for these anticipated arrivals, only to watch the hours pass by in lonely anticipation.

WHAT’S AN EPI?:  DIR Shelly Ortiz.  USA.  Eighteen-year-old Shelly Ortiz was one of 16 young filmmakers chosen to be recognized in the first-ever White House Student Film Festival held in 2014.  In this eloquent short, Ortiz turns the camera on her father, Epi Ortiz, who shares the emotional story of his unstable upbringing in Brooklyn.  Having lived through the pain of having a mother with substance abuse problems, Ortiz learns to break the cycle and start healing the wounds of abandonment.

WILD BOAR:  DIR Willem Baptist.  Netherlands.  A village in the Netherlands finds itself inundated by a steady stream of wild boars, leaving several of the village’s inhabitants to find their own unique ways to deal with the problem.  Director Willem Baptist’s (I’M NEVER AFRAID!) film is an otherworldly and poetic look at the classic conflict of Man vs. Nature.

THE WORLD OF ADRIEN:  DIR Katerine Giguère.  Canada.  Adrien is a precocious young boy with impressive artistic talent and creativity.  Over the course of several years, we watch the delightful child explore his colorful world as Adrien considers what he may want to do with his life when he grows up.

YOU WON’T REGRET THAT TATTOO:  DIR Angie Bird.  Canada.  It’s an ancient art form, yet recently a social stigma surrounding tattoos has developed.  Many associate body art with delinquent or roughneck behavior, but each tattoo has its own tale.  This film elegantly profiles people of varying ages as they mesmerize us with the fascinating, sometimes heartbreaking stories behind their ink.

 

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THE NEW BLACK directed by Yoruba Richen

THE NEW BLACK directed by Yoruba Richen received the Audience Award for Best Feature, and SLOMO directed by Joshua Izenberg received the Audience Award for Best Short at AFI DOCS presented by Audi (formerly Silverdocs). The festival announced the Audience Award winners earlier today wrapping up the five day festival. THE NEW BLACK examines how African-American voters have become bitterly divided on the issue of gay marriage because of homophobia rampant in one of the pillars of the African-American community – the church. Focusing on the fight for marriage equality in Maryland, it argues that this hot-button issue is a matter of civil rights.

SLOMO directed by Joshua Izenberg

This year’s Audience Award for Best Short went to SLOMO directed by Joshua Izenberg. The film asks what would really happen if you quit your lucrative job and just did what you wanted all day, like subject John Kitchin, a doctor who traded his medical practice for rollerblades and sandy beaches, and explores the neurological and spiritual joys of slow acceleration.

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AFI DOCS (formerly Silverdocs) today announced the full schedule of films that will premiere in its 11th edition June 19-23, 2013. Filmmakers presenting their work include Patrick Creadon (IF YOU BUILD IT), Sean and Andrea Nix Fine (LIFE ACCORDING TO SAM), Barbara Kopple (RUNNING FROM CRAZY) and Lucy Walker (THE CRASH REEL).

 2013 AFI DOCS PRESENTED BY AUDI FESTIVAL PROGRAM

GALA SCREENINGS AND SPOTLIGHT EVENTS:

OPENING NIGHT: LETTERS TO JACKIE DIR Bill Couturié. USA.
When President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, the world came to a crashing halt as the nation grieved for its leader whose promise of a brighter future was cut tragically short. During this time the president’s widow, Jacqueline Kennedy, received thousands of letters from the public offering their heartfelt condolences. Oscar-winning filmmaker Bill Couturié’s touching film focuses on these deeply personal letters that flooded in from all over the country to comfort a woman they greatly admired who was not just the fashionable First Lady, but also a wife and a mother. Set against a treasure trove of archival footage taken during the Kennedy era, the moving letters are read by twenty of today’s top actors including Jessica Chastain, Chris Cooper, Viola Davis, Zooey Deschanel, Kirsten Dunst, Anne Hathaway, Laura Linney, Frances McDormand, Mark Ruffalo, Octavia Spencer, Channing Tatum, Betty White and Michelle Williams. Filmmaker and select talent will be in attendance for this theatrical premiere.

GALA SCREENING: HERBLOCK: THE BLACK & THE WHITE DIR Michael Stevens. USA.
Filmmaker Michael Stevens paints a lively portrait of influential Washington Post editorial cartoonist Herbert Block whose distinguished 55-year career spanning 13 presidents earned him three Pulitzer Prizes and the Medal of Freedom. Covering a time when cartoons had clout, HERBLOCK celebrates the days of old school print journalism and media satire. Luminaries, including Carl Bernstein, Lewis Black, Ben Bradlee, Ted Koppel, Bob Woodward and Jon Stewart contribute their insights into Block’s life, work and indelible influence. The film’s producer George Stevens, Jr., Founder of the American Film Institute, will attend along with notables in the film. 

SPECIAL PERFORMANCE: MUSCLE SHOALS DIR Greg “Freddy” Camalier. USA.
Filmmaker Greg “Freddy” Camalier chronicles the unique sound that emerged from the Deep South of 1960s America that would attract some of the most diverse musical talent of the time. The place was Muscle Shoals, Alabama and this is the story of how its sound, and the people who created it, left its mark on music history. There will be a special post-screening performance by Candi Staton with the Washington Performing Arts Society Choir.

CENTERPIECE SCREENING: DOCUMENTED DIR Jose Antonio Vargas. USA.

[caption id="attachment_3940" align="alignnone" width="550"]Jose Antonio Vargas[/caption]

In 2011, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas outed himself as an undocumented immigrant in The New York Times Magazine. The World Premiere of his film DOCUMENTED chronicles the aftermath as he travels around the country as an immigration reform activist and provocateur, lands a historic Time magazine cover story; and unexpectedly re-connects with his mother in the Philippines, whom he hasn’t seen in nearly 20 years. Filmmaker and subjects in attendance.

GUGGENHEIM SYMPOSIUM: The Charles Guggenheim Symposium honors the legacy of the late four-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker Charles Guggenheim. This year the Symposium celebrates Errol Morris, one of the most significant and original voices in documentary cinema. His films have examined the intricate complexities of the human psyche, uncovered fascinating beauty beneath the eccentric, proved the shrouded realms of war and global politics and made a significant contribution towards freeing an innocent man from prison. The Symposium will feature a series of excerpts from Morris’ body of work and he will be joined on stage to discuss his career. His films include A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME (1991); FAST, CHEAP AND OUT OF CONTROL (1997); THE FOG OF WAR: ELEVEN LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF ROBERT S. MCNAMARA (2003); GATES OF HEAVEN (1978); STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE (2009); THE THIN BLUE LINE (1988); and VERNON, FLORIDA (1981). 

CLOSING NIGHT: CAUCUS DIR AJ Schnack. USA.
While the GOP leadership race in 2012 played itself out for the nation on primetime television with camera ready sound bytes and speeches, a documentary film crew led by filmmaker AJ Schnack went behind the scenes to capture the not-so-ready-for-primetime moments that culminate in a fascinating view of the lead-up to the crucial Iowa caucus. The documentary features conservative hopefuls Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Rick Perry and a particularly intimate view of Rick Santorum. Filmmaker and subjects in attendance for the US Premiere.

FEATURE FILM SELECTIONS:

12 O’CLOCK BOYS:  DIR Lotfy Nathan. USA.
Cruising recklessly through the streets of Baltimore, notorious dirt bike gang, the 12 O’Clock Boys, are heroes to some and a menace to others. Director Lotfy Nathan’s debut feature follows a young boy named Pug over the course of several years as he strives to be accepted into their world.

THE ACT OF KILLING:  DIR Joshua Oppenheimer, Christine Cynn, Anonymous. Denmark/ Norway/UK.
Disturbing and unforgettable, this unique film takes the viewer inside the complex psychology of Indonesian death squad leaders. Encouraging the killers to re-enact scenes of genocide in front of the camera, the filmmakers capture the men’s boastful pride and their slow realization of the full scope of their brutal crimes.

AFTER TILLER:  DIR Martha Shane, Lana Wilson. USA.
The 2009 murder of George Tiller in a Kansas Lutheran church left only four physicians providing late-term abortions in the United States. These four – two women, two men – provide exceptionally intimate access to their professional and personal domains, revealing nuanced decisions likely to surprise viewers on either side of the great abortion divide.

AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY: THE EVOLUTION OF GRACE LEE BOGGS: DIR Grace Lee. USA.

Filmmaker Grace Lee set out in search of other Asian American women bearing the same name and found Grace Lee Boggs, a 95-year-old Chinese American philosopher, activist and force of nature whose remarkable life and work traversed the major social movements of the last century and warranted a film of her own.

ANITA:  DIR Freida Mock. USA.
For three days in October 1991 a mesmerized nation watched as a composed yet demure Oklahoma law professor accused a Supreme Court nominee of flagrant, serial sexual harassment. With hard-earned discernment gleaned in the intervening years, Anita Hill recalls the events of that autumn and shares her remarkable personal history.

APPROVED FOR ADOPTION:  DIR Jung Henin, Laurent Boileau. Belgium/France.

Skilled Korean graphic novelist Jung Henin was only five years old when he was adopted by a Belgian family who raised him as one of their own. Through a mixture of live action footage and his own beautiful animation, the adult Jung shares his story of growing up in a world where he always felt different.

BEST KEPT SECRET:  DIR Samantha Buck. USA.
Erik, Rahamid and Kareem, among others, have found an unexpected haven in a Newark, New Jersey public high school where a fiercely dedicated staff supports students such as themselves with autism and learning disabilities. Looming over them, however, is a ticking clock where at the age of 21 they will “age out.”

BLACKFISH:  DIR Gabriela Cowperthwaite. USA.
When SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau was mauled to death by a “killer whale,” the tragedy was dismissed as a freak accident. In actuality, it was one of many such violent incidents between well-meaning trainers and wild orcas living in captivity. BLACKFISH takes an unflinching look at the disturbing practices that keep marine parks in business.

BRAVE MISS WORLD:  DIR Cecilia Peck. USA.

Two months before she was crowned Miss World in 1998, Linor Abargil, an Israeli beauty queen, was raped in a violent attack by an acquaintance. Ten years later she is ready to talk about her ordeal as she travels the world to hear the stories of other rape victims and help them speak out.

CAMP 14 – TOTAL CONTROL ZONE:  DIR Marc Wiese. Germany.

Little is known about the shadowy world of North Korea, but former prisoner Shin Dong-hyuk has lived to tell his harrowing story. Born inside a North Korean “death camp,” Shin knew of no other reality beyond the barbed-wire fences that encompassed a life of fear, hard labor, starvation and torture.

THE CRASH REEL:  DIR Lucy Walker. USA.
A mere two months before the 2010 Winter Olympics, game-changing pro snowboarder Kevin Pearce suffered a traumatic brain injury that derailed his life, career and a much-anticipated rivalry with competitor Shaun White. Oscar^®-nominee Lucy Walker’s engaging, intimate portrayal of Pearce’s recuperation explores the understated heroism of a recovering champion.

CUTIE AND THE BOXER:  DIR Zachary Heinzerling. USA.
When Noriko moved to New York City, her plans to study art were derailed by love. Now, 40 years into her marriage to Ushio, a painter many years her senior, Noriko seeks her own artistic identity as her 80-year-old husband struggles to establish his legacy. This is a poignant portrait of marriage, sacrifice, aging and dedication.

DRAGON GIRLS:  DIR Inigo Westmeier. Germany.

This exuberant film tells the tale of three adolescent girls studying to become fighters at the largest kung fu academy in China. These three faces (among 26,000) spend every waking moment training, managing injuries and coping with the school’s intense (and often abusive) discipline policies.

EXPEDITION TO THE END OF THE WORLD:  DIR Daniel Dencik. Denmark.

A motley crew of scientists and artists sets sail for the frozen fjords of Northeast Greenland, which are accessible only because of the melting ice cap. The stunning, unexplored landscapes of the Arctic form the backdrop of this madcap expedition to the end of the world.

THE GENIUS OF MARIAN:  DIR Banker White, Anna Fitch. USA.
Filmmaker Banker White’s mother Pam is slowly succumbing to Alzheimer’s disease, which is the same fate that befell her own mother Marian, a noted artist, before her. In this intimate portrait of a woman at her most vulnerable, Pam works to help preserve a meaningful personal legacy before it is too late.

GIDEON’S ARMY:  DIR Dawn Porter. USA.
In this smart, insightful documentary, filmmaker Dawn Porter sheds light on the plight of one of our country’s most valuable and unsung warriors: the public defender. Following a small group of dedicated public defenders in the South, GIDEON’S ARMY highlights the daily battles they face within a flawed legal system.

GOD LOVES UGANDA:  DIR Roger Ross Williams. USA.
Blending vérité style with candid testimonials, filmmaker Roger Ross Williams tracks a group of missionaries from the evangelical Christian right as they take their religious crusade from the comfort of Middle America to the ravaged villages of a fiercely divided Uganda. GOD LOVES UGANDA paints a disturbing portrait of religious fundamentalism taken to extremes.

IF YOU BUILD IT:  DIR Patrick Creadon. USA.

A David and Goliath story for the recession era, IF YOU BUILD IT documents a year in the innovative “Studio H” architectural program. The film examines the work of Emily Pilloton and Matt Miller who give the teens of a crumbling rural town a chance to build a better future.

I LEARN AMERICA:  DIR Gitte Peng, Jean-Michel Dissard. USA.

At a public high school in New York City dedicated to serving newly arrived immigrants, teenage students from more than 50 countries come together in a unique educational experience. I LEARN AMERICA follows four students over the course of a year as they search for a future of their own.

INEQUALITY FOR ALL:  DIR Jacob Kornbluth. USA.
This riveting film takes an eye-opening look at the ever-widening gap in America’s income inequality and the dire threat it poses to the country’s future. Economic policy expert Robert Reich offers a passionate and fully accessible perspective on what happened to the vanishing American middle class and what might be done to fix it.

THE KILL TEAM:  DIR Dan Krauss. USA.
A powerful portrait of wartime atrocities and the men who commit them, this riveting film focuses on an American platoon in Afghanistan who waged a campaign of terror against the Afghani civilians they were sworn to protect. A chilling look at the madness of war that very few will forget.

LES INVISIBLES:  DIR Sébastien Lifshitz. France.

In May 1968, activists in Paris rioted for many different causes, including gay rights. Interviewing some of the gays and lesbians who fought for recognition and respect from the postwar years, through the riots and into the present, LES INVISIBLES shows a different side of the fight for liberty, fraternity and equality. North American Premiere.

LET THE FIRE BURN:  DIR Jason Osder. USA.
On May 13, 1985, Philadelphia authorities battling the black liberation group MOVE dropped incendiary explosives onto an Osage Avenue row house. The ensuing inferno killed five children and six adults, destroying 61 homes. This unfathomable saga of simmering fanaticism is adeptly retold without commentary, using archival footage including previously withheld materials.

LIFE ACCORDING TO SAM:  DIR Sean Fine, Andrea Nix Fine. USA.
Progeria is an extremely rare and fatal disease in which children suffer the afflictions of accelerated aging. Sam Berns is one such child who shares his life with remarkable grace and courage. Meanwhile, Berns’ physician parents work tirelessly to find a way to help their son and other children combat the deadly disease. East Coast Premiere.

LOST FOR LIFE:  DIR Joshua Rofé. USA.
Is it right for juvenile offenders to receive lifetime prison sentences without parole? Can some killers truly change and make a meaningful contribution to society as free men? This thought-provoking film explores the complex issue with input from both the perpetrators – all charged with first-degree murder – and the victims’ families. World Premiere.

THE MACHINE WHICH MAKES EVERYTHING DISAPPEAR:  DIR Tinatin Gurchiani. Georgia/Germany.

A film director puts out a casting call for local townspeople in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, and the taped “auditions” become the springboard for this portrait of contemporary Eurasian life. As the citizens open up with surprising intimacy, the filmmaker follows some of them in their real lives with fascinating results.

MCCULLIN:  DIR Jacqui Morris. UK.
British photojournalist Don McCullin escaped a hardscrabble childhood to create many of the most profound images of late-20th century wars on three continents. A pensive yet vulnerable McCullin looks back on his career with wistful, sometimes haunted memories touching on the essence of war and his ambivalence about documenting horrific events.

MISTAKEN FOR STRANGERS:  DIR Tom Berninger. USA.
This hilarious film follows indie band The National on the road for a year through the eyes of singer Matt Berninger’s bumbling brother, Tom. As tensions boil, the film Tom meant to make falls apart, and what evolves is a touching, authentic, and delightfully wry portrait of two brothers who could not be more different.

THE NEW BLACK:  DIR Yoruba Richen. USA.
This thought-provoking film examines how African-American voters have become bitterly divided on the issue of gay marriage because of homophobia rampant in one of the pillars of the African-American community – the church. Focusing on the fight for marriage equality in Maryland, it argues that this hot-button issue is a matter of civil rights.

OUR NIXON:  DIR Penny Lane. USA.
Among the stranger remnants of the Watergate era are some 500 reels of Super 8 home movies created by aspiring – and conspiring – filmmakers named Haldeman, Ehrlichman and Chapin. This recently released FBI treasure, with commentary from the secret White House tapes, reveals extraordinary access to everyday intrigues of the Nixon White House.

THE PUNK SINGER:  DIR Sini Anderson. USA.
Musician and feminist icon Kathleen Hanna blazed a politically minded musical trail whose influence can still be felt. Director Sini Anderson’s film is an energetic and intimate look at Hanna’s life and work, from her days in Bikini Kill to her decision to step away from music in recent years.

REMOTE AREA MEDICAL:  DIR Jeff Reichert, Farihah Zaman. USA.
People wait for more than a day outside the Bristol Motor Speedway, lining up not for tickets but for necessary medical and dental procedures that are otherwise beyond their means. Telling stories from those who rely on the clinics, REMOTE AREA MEDICAL serves as a sobering look at life for the uninsured.

RENT-A-FAMILY, INC.:  DIR Kaspar Astrup Schröder. Denmark.
A service in Japan offers actors to stand in for family members, their presence providing support at negotiations and filling weddings. Struggling and depressed, Ryuichi runs one such company, sending himself to fill in for those who need family members and, in many ways, to get away from his own. East Coast Premiere.

RUNNING FROM CRAZY:  DIR Barbara Kopple. USA.
The Hemingways have long been one of America’s most notable families, from literary legend Ernest Hemingway to his famous model granddaughter Margaux and her sister, Academy Award-nominated actress Mariel. Behind closed doors, however, the family has been plagued by mental illness, substance abuse and suicide, which seems to carry from one generation to the next.

TEENAGE:  DIR Matt Wolf. USA.
Those magical and often difficult years between childhood and adulthood didn’t always have a label. In fact, the word “teenager” didn’t even exist until 1945. This fascinating documentary, based on the Jon Savage book of the same name, illuminates the period in which teenagers emerged to claim their unique place in history.

THE TRIALS OF MUHAMMAD ALI:  DIR Bill Siegel. USA.
When charismatic fighter Cassius Clay embraced Islam and renamed himself Muhammad Ali, the boxing icon came under fire for refusing to serve in the Vietnam War. This enlightening film examines the tumultuous period in Ali’s life that saw him forced into a legal battle with the U.S. government that almost cost him his livelihood.

WE CAME HOME:  DIR Ariana Delawari. USA.
Afghan-American musician Ariana Delawari shares the personal story of how she re-connected with her homeland in this thought-provoking film. Born in Los Angeles, Delawari’s life is turned upside down after 9/11. When her parents move back to Kabul, she spends a decade documenting their transition and her own awakening, through music, to her Afghan heritage.

WHITE BLACK BOY:  DIR Camilla Magid. Denmark.
The sun is among the least of his worries for Shida, a Tanzanian boy with albinism. Because witchdoctors believe in the mystical power of albino’s limbs, the white-skinned are often hunted for a bounty. WHITE BLACK BOY looks at Shida’s first year at a boarding school, where he is momentarily safe from harm. North American Premiere.

A WILL FOR THE WOODS:  DIR Amy Browne, Jeremy Kaplan, Tony Hale, Brian Wilson. USA.
As lymphoma thwarts all attempts at treatment, Clark Wang makes his funeral plans. Rather than preserve his body with toxic chemicals, his last wish is for a “green” burial. Environmental preservation takes on a poignant intimacy in this touching portrait of a multi-faceted, ebullient advocate and his final legacy.

WRONG TIME WRONG PLACE:  DIR John Appel. Netherlands.

On July 22, 2011, Norway experienced its deadliest attack on native soil since World War II. Through intimate interviews with survivors of the tragedy and the families of victims, this powerful film takes a haunting look at the result of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

SHORT FILM SELECTIONS:

NOT ANYMORE: A STORY OF REVOLUTION:  DIR Matthew VanDyke. USA.
This vivid film explores the Syrian revolution as told through the experiences of two of its deeply affected citizens. Mowya is a dedicated male rebel fighter and Nour a young female journalist who risks her life in pursuit of the truth. By sharing their harrowing stories, each hopes to inspire action.

THE OTHER DAVE:  DIR Pasquale Greco. USA.
Meet Dave, an ordinary man whose life took an extraordinary turn when he was struck by lightning and lived to tell about it. Ever since, Dave’s life has taken a series of quirky twists and turns while his mind has been left with an altered perception of reality.

OUTLAWED IN PAKISTAN:  DIR Habiba Nosheen, Hilke Schellmann. USA.
This powerful film follows the courageous journey of one young girl in rural Pakistan. After being raped by four men, Kainat Soomro boldly fights the conventions of her society and takes the men to court. Facing a deeply flawed legal system and odds stacked against her, Soomro risks everything to demand justice.

SLOMO:  DIR Joshua Izenberg. USA.
What would really happen if you quit your lucrative job and just did what you wanted all day? Take a brief look into the mind of John Kitchin, a doctor who traded his medical practice for rollerblades and sandy beaches, and explore the neurological and spiritual joys of slow acceleration.

STRAIGHT WITH YOU:  DIR Daan Bol. Netherlands.
Though only 11 years old, Melvin has already become comfortable enough in his sexuality to come out to his parents and his best friend. Bullying and other outside pressures have kept him from going fully public with this self-awareness but now he must decide how to handle with delicacy a schoolgirl’s crush on him.

VULTURES OF TIBET:  DIR Russell Bush. USA/Canada.
For years the “sky burial” has been a private and mysterious death ritual in Tibet where corpses are offered to wild vultures for consumption. In recent years, however, this fascinating practice has become increasingly commercialized as tourists from around the world flock to witness it with their own eyes.

WE WILL LIVE AGAIN:  DIR Josh Koury, Myles Kane. USA.
To what lengths would you go in order to live again? Take a fascinating peek inside the Cryonics Institute where caretakers work to preserve the frozen bodies of 99 people who hoped to be brought back to life one day through creative leaps in scientific research.

WHEN THE SONG DIES:  DIR Jamie Chambers. UK.
This poetic film weaves the fading folklore and songs of Scotland together in a rich tapestry that pays tribute to a vanishing era. Set against the evocative Scottish landscape, WHEN THE SONG DIES is a meditation on past and present featuring the exquisite haunting melodies of yesteryear.

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AFI Docs will open its 2013 edition with the theatrical premiere of LETTERS TO JACKIE written and directed by Oscar^®-winning filmmaker Bill Couturié. The film features letters from the public written to Mrs. Kennedy in the dark shadow of the President’s assassination fifty years ago. The letters are read by 20 of today’s top actors including Bérénice Bejo, Demián Bichir, Jessica Chastain, Chris Cooper, Viola Davis, Zooey Deschanel, Kirsten Dunst, Anne Hathaway, Allison Janney, John Krasinski, Melissa Leo, Laura Linney, Frances McDormand, Chloë Grace Moretz, Mark Ruffalo, Octavia Spencer, Hailee Steinfeld, Channing Tatum, Betty White and Michelle Williams. TLC will premiere LETTERS TO JACKIE as a special television event in November 2013.

Also having its world premiere is DOCUMENTED, written and directed by Jose Antonio Vargas, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and founder of Define American and co-directed by Ann Lupo. The film explores immigration in America through the lens of Vargas’ personal story as one of the country’s most prominent undocumented immigrants who himself is documenting America’s growing undocumented immigrant movement. 

 AFI Docs presented by Audi (formerly Silverdocs) returns for its 11th edition June 19-23, 2013.

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AFI DOCS announced today its gala presentation of the Washington, DC premiere of HERBLOCK: THE BLACK & THE WHITE written and directed by Michael Stevens.  The film, traces the career and influence of the most influential political cartoonist of the 20th century and the people who became his subjects during his 55 years at the Washington Post.  His work spanned thirteen presidents, contributed to the downfall of Senator Joseph McCarthy and President Richard Nixon and garnered three Pulitzer Prizes and the Medal of Freedom. 

In the film, Ben Bradlee, Tom Brokaw, Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, Jules Feiffer, Ted Koppel, Eugene Robinson, Tom Friedman, David Brooks, Gwen Ifill, Rick Hertzberg, Victor Navasky and Richard Cohen give first-hand accounts of Block’s life and work.  Jon Stewart and Lewis Black explore the place of political satire in American life. 

AFI DOCS presented by Audi (formerly Silverdocs) returns for its 11th edition June 19-23, 2013. 

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[caption id="attachment_1488" align="alignnone" width="550"]OUR SCHOOL directed by Mona Nicoara and Miruna Coco-Cozma[/caption]

AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Festival announced its distinguished award winners, culminating the weeklong festival activities that included the screening of 108 films representing 52 countries, a free outdoor screening, live performances and a five-day professional documentary conference.  The Festival hosted 27,000 attendees, including more than 1,500 filmmakers, film and television executives and media professionals celebrating the art and business of documentary filmmaking.

This year’s Sterling Award for Best US Feature goes to OUR SCHOOL directed by Mona Nicoara and Miruna Coco-Cozma.  Shot over the course of four years, the film follows the attempt to integrate isolated rural Roma (or gypsy) children into the mainstream school system of Romania.  Focusing on seven-year-old Alin, 12-year-old Beni and 16-year-old Dana, this fascinating film takes an unflinching look at the challenges of a longstanding tradition of prejudice.  The prize is accompanied by a $5,000 cash award.

The Sterling US Feature Jury noted: “The cinematic quality of this film, the filmmaker’s vision and power of the story’s core issue impressed the jury, revealing an intimate depiction of a marginalized and underrepresented community, whose voice is seldom heard.  The filmmaker brings to light a timely human rights issue with compassion and intimacy.”

A Special Jury Mention went to THE BULLY PROJECT, directed by Lee Hirsch, which tackles the timely topic of bullying in this sensitive examination of an urgent crisis in American society.  The film follows five children and their families over the course of one school year as their lives are affected in different ways by bullying.

The Jury noted: “Set in the heartland of America, this film takes a sensitive and volatile issue and brings it to light in a no-holds barred style that is visually stunning and deeply compelling.  This tortuous experience of youth is shared by many, but is bravely revealed in this film through characters who confront their experience and work to reclaim their dignity.  The filmmaker’s access shows the enormous trust established with his subjects. The result is a film that doesn’t reduce people to their worst experience, but rather elevates them to a level of marginalized heroes and sheros we should all aspire to emulate.”

A Special Jury Mention also went to WHEN THE DRUM IS BEATING directed by Whitney Dow. The film reveals Haiti’s complex history and the resilience of its people in the stories of Septentrional, the country’s most celebrated band, whose unique beats and rhythms continue to thrill its people after six decades.

The jury noted: “An ambitious, multi-dimensional articulation of the identity of a country seen through layers of history, inter-generational, political and natural disasters set against a lyrical and poetic narrative backdrop.  The synergy of place is the motif in this beautifully crafted ode to a people.  Both historical and contemporary, this film offers a lens to history through cultural expression, which affords a glimpse at the past, present and future of a complex and fascinating place and its people.”

This year’s Sterling Award for Best World Feature went to FAMILY INSTINCT directed by Andris Gauja.  A unique chronicle of family gone awry, this film is an unsparing exploration of a Latvian household built on the incestuous relationship between Zanda and her imprisoned brother Valdis, whose pending homecoming creates tremendous frisson.  The prize is accompanied by a $5,000 cash award.

The Sterling Award World Jury noted:  “A slice-of-f#@ked-up-life portrait, the director of this film clearly had fly-on-the-wall access to his subjects, but some scenes, shot from multiple angles, are so formally composed as to seem staged.  That’s not a bad thing: For all the desperation and depravity of the story, the filmmaker rescues a narrative of deep sadness and yearning that’s as touching as the circumstances are shocking.”

A Special Jury Mention went to POSITION AMONG THE STARS directed by Leonard Retel Helmrich.  The film is the conclusion of his in-depth three-part portrait of Indonesia as seen through the eyes of one family living in the slums of Jakarta.  The Shamuddin family’s anxieties, hopes, and frequent, often hilarious fights culminate in a poignant mosaic of Indonesian life today.

The Jury noted: “A special jury prize for persistence of vision for the third film in a trilogy that explores a multi-generational family at the cusp of societal upheaval.  It is the culmination of a filmmaker’s aesthetic, thematic and philosophical mission.  This is a film that exemplifies a sustained and consistently maturing vision.”

The Sterling Award for Best Short Film was given to GUANAPE SUR, directed by János Richter.  The film explores a barren island off the coast of Peru that is the breeding ground for thousands of sea birds, its sole inhabitants.  Once every eleventh year, hundreds of men make their way to the island to harvest the birds’ dried excrement, which is then used as valuable fertilizer.  The prize is accompanied by a $2,500 cash award.

The Sterling Award Short Jury noted: “We were won over by the stark beauty of the images, which take us into a world of extreme hardship.  The formal restraint of the filmmaking coupled with complex sound design create a poetic yet unflinching meditation on human beings’ constraint by their environment.”

An Honorable Mention?went to STILL HERE, directed by Alex Camilleri.  In the film, Randy Baron has been living with HIV for over two decades.  In that time, he watched as AIDS ravaged his partner and many friends whose lives were lost to a diagnosis that was considered a death sentence in the 1980s.  The film documents his efforts to carry on and dedicate his life to education and activism.

The Jury noted: “A powerful portrayal of loss and grief, this film is a testament to one man’s resilience. Visually rich and capturing raw emotions, it stays with you long after watching.”

The Sterling Award winners were chosen by an eminent Festival jury, including:

Sterling US Feature Jury: Claire Aguilar, Programming VP, Independent Television Service (ITVS); Chico Colvard, Filmmaker (FAMILY AFFAIR); Shannon Kelley, Head of Public Programs for the UCLA Film and Television Archive. 

Sterling World Feature Jury: Sean Farnel, former Programming Director, Hot Docs; Eugene Hernandez, Director of Digital Strategy, Film Society of Lincoln Center; Karina Longworth, Editor, LA Weekly.

Sterling Short Film Jury: Sadie Tillery, Programming Director, Full Frame; Eva Weber, Filmmaker (STEEL HOMES); José Rodriquez, Program Associate, Tribeca Film Institute.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the best that documentary cinema has to offer and to congratulate all of our award winners.  We thank our Jurors who brought their passion and commitment to the challenging process of selecting winners amongst so many great films,” said Sky Sitney, AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Festival Director.

Other Awards include:

The Cinematic Vision Award went to LIFE IN A DAY directed by Kevin MacDonald.  The film explores what happens when a team of renowned producers put out a call for people professional filmmakers and non-professionals alike to document what is going on in their lives, whether its epic or benign, on July 24, 2010.  The mesmerizing film is culled from more than 4,500 hours of videos submitted from 192 countries.  The prize comes with $4,000 in-kind services from the Alpha Cine Labs in Seattle.

The WGA Documentary Screenplay Award went to THE LOVING STORY written by Nancy Buirski and Susie Ruth Powell.  Mildred and Richard Loving never imagined that their unassuming love story would be the basis of a watershed anti-miscegenation civil rights case.  But in 1967, when this soft-spoken interracial couple are exiled from Virginia—the only home they have ever known—for the mere crime of falling in love and getting married, they feel they have no choice but to fight back.  The Prize is accompanied by a $1,000 cash award, and a five-year membership in the WGAE Nonfiction Writers Caucus.

The inaugural Whole Foods Market and Silverdocs Grant for Works in Progress go to two filmmakers: Margaret Brown for THE GREAT INVISIBLE exploring the effects of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill and its impact on her hometown of Mobile, Alabama and the Gulf of Mexico.  The film looks at the global oil economy through the lens of characters that work in the oil and fishing industries on the Gulf Coast.

The second grant goes to Ian Cheney for BLUESPACE, which explores the degradation and renewal of urban waterways.  With more than half the world’s population now crammed into cities, the way we use water – as a place to grow food, as a method of transportation, as a source of renewable energy – will plunge viewers into the midst of the struggle to rethink this most overlooked resource.  The prize is accompanied by a $25,000 cash grant to each filmmaker for a total of $50,000.

The Tribeca Film Institute and Silverdocs Transmedia Lab Pitch award goes to Amir Bar-lev for THE TILLMAN STORY INTERACTIVE EDITION, to develop a cross-platform interactive project that will allow audiences to actively participate in the acclaimed 2010 documentary THE TILLMAN STORY while viewing it; a navigable platform through which audiences can view outtakes, investigate documents, interact with others, and keep up-to-date on the latest developments in the Tillman controversy.  The prize is accompanied by a $5,000 cash award.

The Audience Award winners will be announced on Monday, June 27, 2011.

[ via press release – Silverdocs]

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[caption id="attachment_1398" align="alignnone" width="560"]DONOR UNKNOWN[/caption]

AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Festival announced its full slate of competition films for the Festival

AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Competition Slate
Sterling U.S. Feature Competition

BETTER THIS WORLD / USA, 2011, 97 minutes (Director: Katie Galloway, Kelly Duane de la Vega) — When two Midland, Texas, activists make Molotov cocktails at the 2008 Republican Convention, a dramatic story unfolds, with multiple domestic terrorism charges, an entrapment defense and a surprising FBI informant.  The film sets in high relief the impact the war on terror has on civil liberties and political activism in a post-9/11 world.

BOB AND THE MONSTER / USA, 2011, 85 minutes (Director: Keirda Bahruth) — Bob Forrest first made his name as an outspoken indie-rock hero and popular front man for the band, Thelonious Monster.  But it is his role as one of the most influential drug counselors in the U.S. today that he would cherish most.  Shot over six years, the film offers an inspiring example of how one man was able to overcome his demons and use his success to help others do the same.

THE BULLY PROJECT / USA, 2011, 90 minutes (Director: Lee Hirsch) — This film tackles the timely topic of bullying in this sensitive examination of an urgent crisis in American society.  The film follows five children and their families over the course of one school year as their lives are affected in different ways by bullying.

DRAGONSLAYER / USA, 2011, 75 minutes (Director: Tristan Patterson) — Few skateboard movies are as vibrant as DRAGONSLAYER, which follows oddball Josh “Screech” Sandoval as he drifts between the skate circuit and an ill-defined but adaptive existence in Southern California’s recession-wracked suburbs.  In a setting where nothing seems whole, first-time director Tristan Patterson finds arid beauty, hazy intimacy and a thread of hope.

GIVE UP TOMORROW / Philippines/Spain/USA/UK, 2011, 95 minutes (Director: Michael Collins) — In 1997, two sisters vanished without a trace on the island of Cebu in the Philippines.  Paco Larrañaga was sentenced to death for their rape and murder despite overwhelming evidence to support his innocence.  Spanning more than a decade, the film chronicles the shocking corruption within the Philippine judicial system and one of the most sensational cases in the country’s history.

INCENDIARY: THE WILLINGHAM CASE / USA, 2010, 102 minutes (Director: Steve Mims, Joe Bailey, Jr.) — In 2004, Cameron Todd Willingham was executed in Texas for the 1991 arson murders of his three daughters, despite evidence that the fire wasn’t arson.  The film masterfully explores why Willingham has become a cause célèbre for arson investigation reform and death penalty repeal.

JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI / USA/Japan, 2011, 81 minutes (Director: David Gelb) — A feast for the senses, JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI introduces us to master chef Jiro Ono, proprietor of the revered 10-seat, $300-a-plate Sukiyabashi Jiro restaurant in Tokyo.  Filmmaker David Gelb offers extraordinary access to the process of preparing the celebrated sushi that has earned Jiro an elite three Michelin stars.

THE LEARNING / USA/Philippines, 2010, 90 minutes (Director: Ramona Diaz) — This absorbing documentary follows four teachers from the Philippines who are recruited to work in the American public school system.  Leaving behind husbands, children and extended families who depend heavily on them, Dorotea, Rhea, Grace and Angel spend one year teaching in Baltimore public schools, where they can make up to 25 times their salaries versus in the Philippines.

THE LOVING STORY / USA, 2011, 75 minutes (Director: Nancy Buirski) — Mildred and Richard Loving never imagined that their unassuming love story would be the basis of a watershed anti-miscegenation civil rights case.  But in 1967, when this soft-spoken interracial couple are exiled from Virginia – the only home they have ever known – for the mere crime of falling in love and getting married, they feel they have no choice but to fight back.

OUR SCHOOL / Romania/Switzerland/USA, 2011, 93 minutes (Director: Mona Nicoara, Miruna Coco-Cozma) — Shot over the course of four years, OUR SCHOOL follows the attempt to integrate isolated rural Roma (or “gypsy”) children into the mainstream school system of Romania.  Focusing on seven-year-old Alin, 12-year-old Beni and 16-year-old Dana, this fascinating film takes an unflinching look at the challenges of a longstanding tradition of prejudice.
Sterling World Feature Competition

AT THE EDGE OF RUSSIA / Poland/Russia, 2010, 72 minutes (Director: Michael Marczak) — Aleksey is eager to serve Mother Russia, but this 19-year-old recruit sees little soldiering while stationed at the country’s frozen northern border.  With invasion unlikely, his burly superior’s lessons teach more about isolation, quotidian civil service and drunken paternity than anything else.

BAKHMARO / Georgia/Germany, 2011, 58 minutes (Director: Salome Jashi) — Incredibly visually striking, BAKHMARO is a quiet, unhurried film about the persistence of hope in the face of irrelevancy.  A restaurant where nobody goes and a staff that serves no one in a building in rural Georgia’s Guria region are at the center of this compellingly claustrophobic documentary.

DONOR UNKNOWN / USA, 2010, 76 minutes (Director: Jerry Rothwell) — Twenty-year-old JoEllen Marsh was raised by two loving mothers in Pennsylvania who used a carefully chosen anonymous sperm donor to create her.  When JoEllen discovers an online registry that connects her to several other young adults fathered by the same donor, she reaches out to her newly discovered half-siblings and sets out to meet her biological father when he publicly reveals his identity.

EL BULLI – COOKING IN PROGRESS / Germany/Spain, 2010, 108 minutes (Director: Gereon Wetzel) — Celebrated chef Ferran Adrìa shares the spotlight with his magnificent culinary creations in a film sure to appeal to foodies and non-foodies alike.  For six months a year, Adrìa and his creative team close shop on his world-famous El Bulli Restaurant in Spain to prepare for a new season’s menu representing the best in molecular gastronomy.

FAMILY INSTINCT / Latvia, 2010, 58 minutes (Director: Anris Gauja) — A unique chronicle of family gone awry, this film is an unsparing exploration of a Latvian household built on the incestuous relationship between Zanda and her imprisoned brother Valdis, whose pending homecoming creates tremendous frisson.

FIRE IN BABYLON / UK, 2010, 82 minutes (Director: Stevan Riley) — This energetic documentary looks back at the legendary West Indies cricket team that rose to prominence in the 1970s and 80s.  Led by the dynamic Clive Lloyd, the team used the game of cricket to battle oppressive forces of prejudice on the playing field through superior athleticism and a bold, insuppressible spirit.

THE FIRST MOVIE / Canada/Iraq/Kurdistan/UK, 2009, 77 minutes (Director: Mark Cousins) — A lyrical and magical look at the power of cinema, director Mark Cousins’ whimsical film explores what transpires after he exposes the children of a small rural village in Iraq to the magic of film.  Through their experiences, Cousins shows viewers a side of Iraq that they are rarely allowed to experience.

GRANDE HOTEL / Belgium/Mozambique/Portugal, 2010, 57 minutes (Director: Lotte Stoops) — The Grande Hotel in Beira, Mozambique, once a luxurious haven in the Portuguese colony, is a shadow of its former self since closing in 1963.  The film traces the history of the building, from its opening in 1954, with 110 sumptuous guest rooms, to today, when the abandoned hotel serves as a home to more than 2,500 people who live in its crumbling ruins.

EL VELADOR (THE NIGHT WATCHMAN) / Mexico, 2011, 72 minutes (Director: Natalia Almada) — The turmoil of Mexico’s bloodiest conflict since the revolution plays out in subtle yet poignant detail as filmmaker Natalia Almada quietly observes the daily routine of Martin, the night watchman and groundskeeper of the cemetery that houses the remains of Mexico’s most notorious drug lords.

POSITION AMONG THE STARS / Indonesia/Netherlands, 2010, 109 minutes (Director: Leonard Retel Helmrich) — Filmmaker Leonard Retel Helmrich concludes his in-depth three-part portrait of Indonesia as seen through the eyes of one family living in the slums of Jakarta.  The Shamuddin family’s anxieties, hopes and frequent, often hilarious fights culminate in a poignant mosaic of Indonesian life today.

WIEBO’S WAR / Canada, 2011, 92 minutes (Director: David York) — When Wiebo Ludwig moves his sizeable family to the rural plains of northern Canada to live closer to God, the last thing he expects is to be transformed from a holy man into an eco-terrorist.  Yet when energy companies start encroaching on his land soon after discovering it lies on Canada’s biggest gas field, Wiebo feels compelled to protect himself and his family from their newly toxic surroundings.

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