When your own mother tells you you’re behind on your blog you KNOW you’d better get to it! This was the first year I didn’t stay for the music at SXSW but I had a great and busy time at both the Film and Interactive Festivals. It’s tricky to try to do both because there isn’t really enough time to do either one justice but the Interactive panels are fascinating and cover all sorts of topics that filmmakers need to…

Really sweet thank you video from True/False and Boxcar Films:

I love Helvetica and am really looking forward to seeing Hustwit’s latest film, Objectified, at SXSW in March. I can see long lines for this film too. I nearly didn’t get into the Helvetica screening at SXSW in 2007. The line went all the way through the convention hall because it was a joint Interactive/Film screening and everybody was going crazy over fonts. Look I have proof! Here’s the trailer for Objectified.

I posted footage and photos from the Cinema Eye Honors nominations over on the Festival Focus blog since I attended the announcement in Park City earlier this week. Here’s the full list of nominees. Congratulations to all! OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NONFICTION FEATURE FILMMAKING MAN ON WIRE Directed by James Marsh Produced by Simon Chinn view website MY WINNIPEG Directed by Guy Maddin Produced by Jody Shapiro and Phyllis Laing view website ORDER OF MYTHS Directed by Margaret Brown Produced by…

I’m knee-deep in accounts (such fun!) but wanted to mention this free Rooftop Films screening of David Modigliani’s Crawford in Chelsea Market tonight, Monday January 12th. Live music at 7pm (Matteah Baim), film starts at 7.30pm. Free beer! It’s a special screening to say farewell to Bush – now that’s something I can drink to!

Awards are a bit like weddings. You sort of wish that everyone would just get together and throw a party and pay attention to each other just because it’s a nice thing to do but you really have to add a little something extra into the mix to get people to rent hotel rooms and buy toasters and china and, well, I guess my point is that sometimes, although the competition aspect of film award events doesn’t sit so well…

Oh dear. I’m a terrible blogger. I went back to England for a while over the holidays and fell off the map. Sorry everyone. I just had this very un-American need to go underground for a while and re-charge my failing batteries. AJ Schnack who is definitely NOT a terrible blogger recently wrote a post about all the documentary bloggers who fell silent this year. I have to agree with Agnes Varnum (who is also NOT a terrible blogger) that…

I’m really excited to see Brett Gaylor’s Girl Talk documentary, RiP: A Remix Manifesto, which recently won the audience award at IDFA. The more I read and learn about Creative Commons, debates around fair use and the amazing work of people like Lawrence Lessig and Cory Doctorow, the more I realize what a vital debate this is to be having at this time. The ability to re-use and re-mix has always been part of our creativity. With innovations in technology…

It is always really interesting to see what is in the works and to look forward to seeing the finished films in coming months and years. These 20 projects were selected from nearly 800 submissions from more than 70 countries. Whew! Congratulations to all the recipients. DEVELOPMENT Elinyisia Mosha TANZANIA PROJECT (Tanzania/U.S.) This film explores the impact of foreign direct investment in the filmmakers native Tanzania. Priya Giri Desai and  Ann S. Kim MATCH +: A STORY ABOUT LOVE IN…

Not bad, not bad. This list often causes some consternation in the doc community as great films are ignored in favor of the obviously not so great but this year’s list includes some really strong films. I, like many others, am disappointed that Margaret Brown’s assured and intelligent The Order of Myths is not on this list but I am really thrilled to see Jeremiah Zagar’s In A Dream on there. I saw In A Dream at the Woodstock Film…