Documentary filmmaker Andrew Berends is still being held in Nigeria, along with is translator Samuel George. Get updates here: helpandy.wordpress.com and take action here: helpandy.wordpress.com/contact-your-representatives.

“CPJ calls for the immediate release of Samuel George and Andrew Berends whose only crime is carrying out their work,” said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Tom Rhodes. “The Nigerian military must stop arresting local and international journalists on spurious allegations, and it should halt its effort to censor reporting of the Niger Delta region.”

CPJ’s board also expressed deep concern. “Nigeria’s democratic government must release Berends and George and allow journalists to freely cover this vital story,” said Christiane Amanpour, a CPJ board member and CNN chief international correspondent.

The Times of Harvey Milk has been one of my favorite documentaries ever since I first saw it in a politics class at Berkeley (it won an Academy Award for best documentary in 1984). Now Gus Van Sant is bringing the story of the first openly gay city official in the United States back to the screens with Sean Penn in the lead role. I’m really thrilled that more people will get to know the story of this remarkable man and this crucial moment in San Franciscan political history and the struggle for gay rights (and understand the outrage over Dan White’s “Twinkie defense”). The trailer is below and it looks really good.

From Thom Powers’ Doc Blog:

I received word from filmmaker James Longley this morning that our friend and colleague Andrew Berends has been detained in Nigeria while working on a film. Berends directed two memorable documentaries in Iraq Blood of My Brothers and When Adnan Comes Home that screened widely on the festival circuit…

…Berends colleagues have issued the following press statement, urging anyone who might have influence in politics or media to shine more light on this case. Contact: helpandyberends@gmail.com

American documentary filmmaker detained in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

NEW YORK, September 2, 2008 - Andrew Berends, an established, award-winning American filmmaker and journalist from New York, was detained Sunday August 31st by the Nigerian military along with his translator, Samuel George, and Joe Bussio, the manager of a local bar. Andrew entered Nigeria legally in April 2008 to complete a documentary film.

Andrew was held in custody without food, sleep, or representation, and with limited water for 36 hours. He was questioned by the army, the police, and the State Security Services in Port Harcourt. He was then temporarily released, with an order to return to the SSS office at 9AM Tuesday morning. The State Security Services has confiscated his passport and personal property. Andrew’s translator, Samuel George, remained in custody over night.

The US State Department is aware of the situation, and an attorney has been retained on Andrew’s behalf. We, Andrew’s friends, family, and colleagues, are deeply concerned that he has been held without cause and are calling for his safe treatment and immediate release.

Well, yes of course it does. But this is a sticky, tricky issue that the independent film community is going to have to grapple with as new sources of funding become available and new partnerships are sought. I just finished writing an article for MovieScope Magazine in the UK about the possibilities for outreach around documentaries, focusing on the productive partnerships that Third Sector funding(NGOs, charities, social enterprises, voluntary organizations etc.) can help foster. However a couple of recent Guardian articles (click here and here) have highlighted the ethical issues involved when financial support is given by organizations with a particular agenda. Who has editorial control if a film is funded by Amnesty or Oxfam? The Guardian quotes Chloe Baird-Murray, Amnesty’s director of creative relationships: “If the film-maker wants to tell both sides of the story, they can do that. We support … freedom of expression. Any storytelling is positive for us if it shines a light on what is happening in the world. We get involved to tell our side of the story correctly. Documentaries can be overwhelming if they do not contain a solution to the problems they highlight. NGOs can give that. Al Gore’s film ended with an example of what people can do. People are ripe for that kind of activism.”

The Good Pitch at BRITDOC opened many people’s eyes to the possibilities of Third Sector and commercial funding (see also the work that the Channel 4 Documentary Film Foundation did in bringing the non-profit world together with filmmakers last year at The Media Conference). Just take a look at the list of observers - many will not be folk you would consider “the usual suspects” when it comes to documentary funding:

Fledgling Fund
IMPACT PARTNERS
ITVS
C4BDFF
Sundance Institute
AOL True Stories
Participant
CBA-Dfid
Christian Aid
Oxfam
Avaaz
Amnesty
NCVO
RED
Gucci Fund
The Sunday Telegraph
Hartley Film Foundation
One World Broadcasting Trust
Vice Magazine
JRRT
Gulbenkian Foundation
Channel 4 (Corporate Affairs)
No2ID
Oak Foundation
Ecostorm
Greenpeace UK
British Beekeepers Association
Camfed
MySpace
World Development Movement

There is definitely a need for funding outside of television/government in the UK but filmmakers will have to be alert as they navigate this new landscape. There is a longer tradition of this kind of funding in the US (much of it necessitated by the profound lack of government/public service funding here) but the recent Nike/Beautiful Losers deal on this side of the pond has led to much debate about the ethics and politics of big corporations giving support to independent films. As Spout’s Karina Longworth put it: “Beyond the knee-jerk “corporate=bad” response, what should we think about indie documentaries looking to multinational giants for the kind of support that studios are no longer willing to give?”

Transparency is clearly key in all these instances. I’m inclined to agree with the Frontline Club’s Vaughan Smith who says: “I can’t think of subjective journalism that I have a problem with, if it is marked as subjective and clear. Most journalism is already subjective, even if it is labelled as objective. I am suspicious of all organisations, including news organisations. There always needs to be proper controls to protect editorial integrity.”

Thank you to Mark Rabinowitz/Docsider for the heads up about the Guardian articles.

The team behind Black Gold at The Media Conference in 2007

Two fun events in Brooklyn tonight for New Yorkers wanting some Monday night doc-action. Me! Me! First, Sync or Swim is playing at McCarren Park Pool - fun starts at 6pm and the film starts at 8pm. This will be one of the last events held at the venue before construction begins to turn the pool back into a, um, pool!

Meanwhile across Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Independent Cinema Series, curated this week by Michael Tully, brings a screening of John Maringouin’s unsettling Running Stumbled to the lovely Barbes back room, preceded by 1983, a short by Jeff Peixoto. If you’re heading to Barbes the films start at 7pm.

Ooh, that’s way too much activity for a Monday night! I feel rather faint.

Maxyne Franklin with SXSW’s Janet Pierson

Teddy Leifer, Jeremy Chilnick and Paul Taylor

SnagFilm’s Andrew Mer with Jess Search

Beadie Finzi introduces Larry Charles

Jamie Campbell deep in conversation with Larry Charles

AJ Schnack announces that Man On Wire has won the Best British Film prize at Britdoc

The Britdoc gals and Larry: Katie Bradford, Jess Search, Larry Charles, Maxyne Franklin, Beadie Finzi

Rebecca Lloyd-Evans and Beadie Finzi rocking out to Heavy Load

Jess Search and Beadie Finzi get wigged out at the end of the festival

And then it all got very, very surreal…

Maxyne Franklin (Britdoc), Daniella Eversby (CPH:DOX) and Louise Platel (Channel 4) soak up the sun before a screening

Jess Search gives Peter Dale a few pointers before the DocFest Debate: “The house believes docs should be more serious”

Kurt Engfehr has his say at the debate

Britdoc’s Charlotte Dale rocking her blue eyelashes at the Handlebar Moustache Disco

Shooting People’s Tamsin Wright looking very glam

Danielle DiGiacomo (IndiePix) and Sandra Whipham (More4)

Current TV’s Emily Renshaw-Smith draped in Mardi Gras beads

The Disco Gang: Ryan Harrington (Gucci Tribeca Fund, IndiePix), Matt Dentler (Cinetic), John Dower (Thriller in Manila) Maxyne Franklin, and Joel Wilson

Maxyne “I thought this was Burning Man” Franklin and Ryan Harrington

Me and Daniella Eversby looking terribly fetching with facial hair!

Full Battle Rattle opens at Film Forum today and we have an interview with the directors Jesse Moss and Tony Gerber up on Shooting People. Read the interview and see the film. It’s surreal and powerful - the US military can’t control a simulation so how can they control a war?

The BRITDOC festival is coming up later this month in the UK: July 23-25 at Keble College, Oxford. I should declare my allegiances straight away because I am good friends with the BRITDOC gang and have helped out at the fest since its inception but, blatant bias aside, it really is a wonderful event and does all the things a good festival should by showing great films, creating genuine community and giving filmmakers useful resources going forward (from strategic knowledge and contacts to cold hard cash). BRITDOC’s themes this year are comedy and music, and events include pitching forums, speed networking with composers, talking sessions (including Larry Charles in conversation) and the Handlebar Moustache Disco!

I’m producing the Surgeries again this year which gives filmmakers the chance to get one-on-one meetings with experts including Cara Mertes (Sundance Institute), Debra Zimmerman (Women Make Movies), Cynthia Kane (ITVS) and Matt Dentler (Cinetic). If you are coming to BRITDOC make sure you apply to see one of our good Doctors!

With so much attention on the hardships faced by some sectors of the independent film community at the moment, an event like BRITDOC is a real tonic. We may be a ship of fools but it is a ship I am happy to be sailing on!

The Intelligent Factual Televisual Festival starts tomorrow at The Arts Club in London - 2 days of televisual education with panels allowing you to hear from lots of different commissioning editors. Topics include Alternative Sources of Funding and Where Next for Factual and feature loads of big names in British telly like Peter Bazalgette, Roger Graef, and Stephen Lambert - plus some great doc filmmakers including Kim Longinotto, Brian Woods and Leo Regan.

I’m at Silverdocs till Thursday so shall be going to some panels of my own (including this frightening sounding trio: Does Public TV Have a Future? Future of Non-Fiction Storytelling, U.S. Factual Budgets Forecast). I only wish I could beam myself between the two events to take the televisual temperature on both sides of the Atlantic!