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The Top 25 Film Festivals for Documentaries, 2nd Edition - 10 More American Fests That Matter

Previously: #25. Ashland

There's a bunch of other great American film festivals that do good work for documentaries and filmmakers.  And if our Top 25 Film Festivals list was completely US-centric, the following ten film festivals would all make the list.

Here's an alphabetical list of 10 more American festivals that matter, with comments from filmmakers and industry who've attended:

AFI Fest

Selection of US films screened at 2009 festival:  THE ART OF THE STEAL, BEETLE QUEEN CONQUERS TOKYO, LA DANSE: THE PARIS OPERA BALLET, NEIL YOUNG TRUNK SHOW, REPORTER, SWEETGRASS

Our coverage of AFI Fest here.

They said:

Filmmaker:  "awesome people.  didn't get to attend, but heard good things.  have budget to fly and house filmmakers"

Filmmaker:  "Lots of glitz but not much substance, particularly for weighty films."

Industry:  "I was really impressed with the way they remade themselves this year. I'm definitely interested in returning. And yes, they paid for my flight and room."

Industry:  "Major film showcase with more than a passing nod to docs. Range of activity, organizing and facilities (up until this year). John Wildman and has staff are first rate. The many questions surrounding AFI Fest's "up-in-the-air" status the past year left attendees -- regulars, new and potential -- in a quandry: Is it or isn't it happening? The shortened program. Overall disorganization. The seeming lack of support from the institute."

Industry:  "A good screening opportunity in LA - don’t get much bang but if you can get a few journalists in to see the film, always helpful.  To be fair, the film selection gets better and better and I respect that they tried new things this year.  Don’t know how it panned out with the free public tickets, but liked the idea.  They were very accommodating in trying to travel an international filmmaker.  They offered vouchers but only out of European hubs – but appreciated the effort.  Not a lot of business happening but another good screening opportunity for those who need people (acad members) to see films on the big screen."

Industry:  "it's no longer a discovery or missed gems festival - it's just a best of the fests. They only screen one program of short films and very few docs and independent films now."

Industry:  "Can be valuable depending on the slot.  Also, the festival is changing and they seem to primarily be programming best of other festivals and less films for sale so it's a question mark going forward."

Birmingham Sidewalk Festival

Selection of US films screened at 2009 festival:  45365, BEST WORST MOVIE, BRANSON, CRUDE, FORGETTING DAD, GUEST OF CINDY SHERMAN, OFFICIAL REJECTION, SAY MY NAME, WE LIVE IN PUBLIC

Our coverage of Birmingham Sidewalk Festival here.

They said:

Filmmaker:  "You wouldn't think anything happens in Birmingham, and maybe it doesn't, but for one outstanding weekend it seems like the town was built for you.  Great hospitality.  There were field trips for filmmakers and the after parties were delightfully strange (80s hair rock bands, rappers, rooftop dance parties, arcade games…) Leisurely atmosphere with eclectic programming.  A very nice and unique regional weekend film festival."

The Monday Brief: Sundance! Spirits! IDA! Gothams! Is This the Biggest Week of the Year?

The Monday Brief is back and just in time - as a month full of European mega-fests comes to a close (and VIDEOCRACY takes Sheffield, TRASH HUMPERS shocks Copenhagen and LAST TRAIN HOME conquers Amsterdam) and what may just be the biggest week of the year...

The Gothams kick off the award season in New York tonight as high profile docs FOOD, INC., GOOD HAIR and TYSON take on underdogs MY NEIGHBOR, MY KILLER and PARADISE.  In addition to those, festival favorite OCTOBER COUNTRY is up as the sole nonfiction title in the Films Not Yet Playing at a Theater Near You category. 

Here's a piece of trivia - in the five years that the Gothams have awarded a Best Documentary prize, the winning film has never gone on to win the Oscar, which is pretty good news if you're betting on THE COVE in March.

For the first time, the Gothams will be streaming live here, starting at 8 PM eastern tonight.

Then early tomorrow - probably before some Gotham revelers have gone to bed - Film Independent will announced nominations for its Spirit Awards.  Worth watching - will FOOD, INC. sweep the major doc award nominations prior to the Oscars?  Will the Spirits act (consciously or no) as a corrective on some of Oscar's snubs (I'm looking at you ANVIL, WE LIVE IN PUBLIC and SEPTEMBER ISSUE)? 

Also worth watching are the nominations in the Truer Than Fiction category, which recognize films and filmmakers who have not yet received the attention they deserve.

Then, on Wednesday, the dam will fully break as the Sundance Film Festival announces its competition films for 2010.  Here's what we know already - after what many agreed was a lackluster 2009 festival, next year's Sundance is shaping up (on paper at least) to be a barn-burner for docs.  At least three films from Oscar nominated filmmakers are on tap, along with 2 new films from folks who took Sundance by storm with their previous features, plus a veteran Sundance filmmaker is back as producer on a debut feature.

And that's not even including LAST TRAIN HOME, the IDFA-champ that everyone and their mother expects to show in Park City (along with 2 or 3 or more titles from the just-wrapped European doc circuit).

By the way, if you haven't checked it out yet, gander at the newly re-designed Sundance fest website, which leads off with a retro graphic manifesto:

"REBEL.  This is the renewed rebellion.  This is the re-charged fight against the establishment of the expected.  This is the rebirth of the battle for brave new ideas.  This is Sundance, reminded.  And this is your call to join us."

That's a whole lot of "re" words. 

And what does it say, exactly, that John Cooper's first year at the helm begins with the declaration that Sundance needed a rebirth and a re-charge?  (Although, again, after last year, you won't get much argument from these's parts.)  Slogans aside, the week's first peak at this year's line-up will give our first clues as to whether there's a true revolution (a "re" word they didn't use) afoot.

IN DEPTH: Part Two of The 25 Top Film Festivals For Documentaries

Continuing our first of what will hopefully be an annual look at the world's top 25 film festivals for documentary films.  For numbers 1-10, go here.  As always, rankings are based on our research as well as the anonymous thoughts of numerous filmmakers and industry figures.

11. Berlin

Our take:
Berlin screens a limited selection of documentaries each year, so those that do get in have a unique spotlight on them.  Still, the same issues at play in Toronto count here as well.  The focus tends to be elsewhere.  One of the best organized festivals in the world and surprisingly easy to navigate, plus a huge industry presence from around the world.  But one wonders what the Berlinale's POV on docs is.  This year, for the first time, a doc screened in competition (granted it was Errol Morris) and a doc screened as the opening night film (granted it was Martin Scorsese), so maybe things are changing.  But it's criminally easy to premiere at Berlin and have no one stateside take much notice.

12.  BritDoc

Our take:
A kind of English cousin to True/False, BritDoc is often compared to its American relative in terms of fun, intimacy and opportunities for connecting with others.  Plus, it has a pitching forum, although bear in mind that it is exclusively reserved for Brit filmmakers.  Only 10 international films are screened, but worth attending even if you don't have a film in the festival as the pitching forum draws a stellar line-up of major international doc players and there's none of the crush that greets them in Amsterdam.  Plus, there's the summer camp vibe - staying in the Oxford dorms, eating in the Harry Potter dining hall and drinking late into the morning at the on campus bar.  Working out some funding issues and newcomer kinks (this will be its 3rd year), but hard to beat on lots of levels.

Others:
Filmmaker:
"Great films, a tight little program of unusually high quality stuff. Great parties. Fantastic atmosphere and they really take care of all their filmmakers.   Has all of the above plus it’s a bit more serious about being an industry event too (which is good if that’s what you’re wanting). Great networking, also great atmosphere and a lot of fun."

Industry:
"The most fun of any doc fest i've been too - they make it so open and inviting, and the pitch panel is the best going.  Plus i love the open mic punk rock karaoke."

Filmmaker:
"My favorite is BritDoc, am so proud of what they've achieved and think they are just awesome on the doc-only front."

Filmmaker:
"I love great settings and if this is not the greatest....  Imagine spending a couple of days at the Harry Potter Castle. This is it! This is a great oppotunity to meet other filmmakers, but what this festival lacks compared to True/False is audience. Not the most visited screenings I have been to. Parties are great especially do not miss the "live" karaoke."

Filmmaker:
"The Harry Potter-esque setting is a little strange, and the emphasis is definitely not on the films being screened. It felt like a television pitch session with films and panels arranged around it. I've heard that this year's event will be improved on that front. I hate pitch sessions... I just don't like to see artists begging for money, I guess. But the social interaction here is great. Brit Doc attracts the cream of the British film and TV brass, and the punk rock karaoke is top notch!"

13.  Telluride

Our take:
The prestigious fall fest in the Colorado mountains only screens a handful of documentaries each year and those that do are often on their way to Toronto.  Yet for those that do get in, it's a spotlight like none other.  You will get reviewed by nearly every major outlet just by virtue of your presence here.  But warning, it's invitation only, so maybe you should know someone who knows someone to get them to make an inquiry.  Tough to beat the setting and the warm, intimate environment.

Others:
Filmmaker:
"All around best fest"

14.  Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival

Our take:
Despite the presence of its legendary sister festival in the fall, Thessaloniki Documentary is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the best documentary festivals in Europe.  Less of an industry fest and more focused on connecting with other filmmakers.  Supportive audiences, easy to navigate, extremely social and a focus on films from oft-neglected regions of the world.  The latter can lead to some spotty programming choices but also some gems that may never have a presence outside the Balkans.

Others:
Filmmaker:
"A great fest for the visiting international filmmaker.  Though the programming isn't uniformly great, there are a lot of gems to be discovered, and their retrospectives are both surprising and very strong.  Audience turnout tends to be good (not great) and Q&A's can be lively.

Their hospitality is superb.  You can look forward to nightly dinners at a rotating group of great Greek restaurants, beautiful views of theharbor, and the occasional late night adventure to a smoky disco.  The
dinners (and their famous Ouzo lunch) are as good as any fest, and the intimacy of them (most will involve 8 - 16 people) makes for great, and relaxed, conversation.

Screening rooms are relatively close together, films are almost always subtitled in English, and their discussions, which delve much deeper into social issues than most fest panels, come with headphones and a translator."

Filmmaker:
"Great films, great guests, all very easy to have a good time at."

Industry:
"Great because they're getting regional perspectves--European, Balkan, Chinese, Middle Eastern--and grouping thematically--in a way that's unlike north American curating/grouping."

Filmmaker:
"The Thessaloniki Film Festival I am told, attracts A-list stars and directing talent from across the international spectrum of filmmaking and hundreds of film journalists, executives and fans for the biggest film fest in the Balkan Peninsula.  The Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival (held in mid-March) attracts....documentarians! And hallelujah for that.  Freed from the blinding glitz and glam of major film festival, with no red-carpets to navigate and no VIP hierarchy to worry about, Thessaloniki Doc Fest gathers some of the best international docs and an impressive roster of filmmaker guests for an intimate celebration of the form.  The market arm is pretty low-key as well, but it does exist, yet it's not a high-pressure sales & pitch forum like HotDocs or IDFA. Thessaloniki is about discussions & dialogues - whether over some of the most sumptuous lunches & dinners I have ever encountered on the fest circuit or at moderated panels & workshops. And it gave me a chance to meet some other filmmakers in a very relaxed and nurturing setting - and they bring in some real stellar documentary talent; both legends and newcomers.  The city isn't much to look at, it was mostly gray and wet, but the students were on strike, so screenings were heaving and the hospitality was top-notch.  If you can make it a stop on your tour - it's a pretty busy time on the fest calendar (we went from there to Copenhagen for NatFilm Festivalen) - I'd highly recommend it."

15.  Festival de Cannes

Our take:
Good luck getting in, but if you do land a spot as one of the only documentaries in what is arguably the biggest festival in the world, be prepared to fight for attention like nowhere else.  There are just too many anticipated films to see, and critics and buyers put first priority on those in competition for the Palme d'Or.  Further, it can be by far the most expensive festival to screen at - it is the French Riviera after all.  Still, if lucky, you can get attention and the prestige of having played on La Croisette.

16.  AFI Fest

Our take:
Usually has an extremely strong competition line-up (treated on par with narrative) and other nonfiction titles are sprinkled throughout the festival.  Great venue in the Arclight Cinema complex, with amazing sound and picture.  Treat filmmakers exceptionally well with lots of parties and chances for interaction.  Industry presence in LA is huge - HOWEVER, most stay in Santa Monica for the concurrent AFM market and are not willing to trudge over to Hollywood for screenings.  The fest has attempted to bridge the gap between the festival and the market but hasn't yet come up with a winning combination.  If you go with no expectations (i.e. sales), you'll have a great time.

Others:
Filmmaker:
"Hats off to anybody who can figure out how the hell to have a great, dynamic festival in the middle of the city that has no middle. By the sheer genius of co-opting the ArcLight theaters and having just ONE center for all activities, AFI Fest rocks. It's also staffed by total film-loving AFI types who are very helpful and kind.  Just a fun vibe overall, and you absolutely can't beat the quality of the projection.  What other festival schedules a specific appointment for you to meet with the projectionist a half-day before your screening, where he will allow you up to a half-hour to tweak and listen and adjust the details of your screening?  I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. AFI Fest is better than the other LA Festival. And even though AFI plays the celeb card and bring out the stars for their gala events, the docs do not get buried there. They play in the same theaters as everyone else (and do just as well)."

17.  San Francisco International Film Festival

Our take:
The venerable Northern California fest has long put a big spotlight on its nonfiction line-up and provides an excellent introduction to the well-established bay area documentary community.  Tends to lean toward serious, social issue topics (as does the community) and you might find a warmer reception if that's your bent.  A screening here often disqualifies you from playing at LAFF.

Others:
Filmmaker:
"Very nice hotel and great shopping, but I felt very alone there. The festival was not very good at "putting" filmmakers together, and that is often important for the impression of the festival. I used a lot of time on transportation and it was not a very "festive" festival even though I had a lot of expectiontions from this city I have heard so much about."

18.  Seattle International Film Festival

Our take:
The biggest (in terms of length alone) of all North American festivals, Seattle's month long cinema pilgrimage is also screens more docs than nearly any other fest.  But the length and size can also be a detriment.  Filmmakers are often only in town for a couple days, making it difficult to connect with others (despite the presence of a fully furnished hospitality lounge inside the host W Hotel).  Audiences are notoriously superb, with many screenings selling out within hours of going on sale.  The size and sheer logistical issues can tend to daunt the staff, leading filmmakers to sometimes feel on their own.

Others:
Filmmaker:
"Always has great response to docs but it's huge."

Filmmaker:
"Those people are absolutely fanatical about movies (and books, and music of course).  They definitely win the contest for "Most People Willing To Stand in the Cold and the Rain to see your Film".  And again -- they're an incredibly smart audience.  The festival really makes the filmmakers feel special and throw great parties too (also a nice bonus)."

Filmmaker:
"Great for locals, but too long, too unfocussed and not a good festival for "working" your doc (unless you're premiering on opening weekend, or have a locally-produced film). The press is erratic (well, it's a 100% guarantee that the Seattle Weekly will fucking hate your movie and tell the whole city before you arrive), the technology in the theaters is subpar. This is a filmgoer's festival, not a filmmakers festival. Go there to watch."

19.  Sheffield Doc Fest

Our take:
While BritDoc is the UK's documentary summer camp, Sheffield is quickly becoming the UK's rival to IDFA, complete with market, pitch sessions and lots of opportunities to connect with European commissioning editors.  Schedule-wise, it's not always convenient for Americans, coming as it does just a couple weeks before IDFA, but it's reputation is growing quickly as an important place to premiere and screen nonfiction work on the continent. 

Others:
Filmmaker:
There weren't that many US filmmakers there, but it's the center of the UK doc scene & the UK doc scene is really fascinating & diverse (in style & content) & the programming is fascinating & there are good panels, and a great pitch market (the 'meet market' - one on one meetings with commissioners).  Good audiences, everything very close together & easy to manage, good events, well organized... I'm a big fan.  It's a great way for US people to meet European funders & filmmakers, smaller & more manageable than Amsterdam.  One of my favorite fests.

Filmmaker:
Sheffield is all about the networking and meetings and they have some pretty good films too. Not very generous to filmmakers. The parties and decent I suppose.

20.  Denver Film Festival

Our take:
One of the best regional film festivals in the US, with audience support that almost rivals Seattle and filmmaker hospitality that is second to none - flights, hotels, food, drinks, more drinks are all on the house.  Certainly one of the best social festivals - you will get ample, ample time to meet and mingle with other filmmakers and make new friends - it has a surprising strong and curated line-up of documentaries.  Its placement late in the year means that it can sometimes serve as a summary of the year's best - from Sundance all the way through Toronto and is often a champion of films that might otherwise go unnoticed, like this year's Spirit Award nominee RUNNING STUMBLED.  Not heavy on industry, but recent efforts to draw more press were largely successful in the 2007 edition.

Others:
Filmmaker:
"It was really intimate.  It felt like a family atmosphere."

Filmmaker:
"Meaningless in terms of visibility, but just a fantastic, well-organized festival where you feel appreciated and have fun."

Filmmaker:
"Like the secret bar for filmmakers that's open until 4am every night-- that's smart. Denver felt like a smaller festival, and it is, but the audiences were good, the theaters were good, and the staff was attentive to filmmaker needs."

Next up: Numbers 21-25 plus thoughts on some other fests of note.

Catching Up!: All November Festival Edition - AFI Bloggers, Denver Changes and True/False Comes to St Louis

The always busy fall festival season shifts again into high gear this weekend with the culmination of AFI Fest in Los Angeles and the kickoff of both the Denver and St. Louis Film Festivals:

• I haven't had much of an opportunity to get over to AFI this year, what with my stomping around Missouri for much of last weekend and the beginning of this week, but a number of my fellow bloggers have been steadily on the case.  Matt Dentler has his usual round of updates and photos (see here, here, here and here), the Rabbi is laying down a base layer of debauchery prior to Denver  (here and here) and Variety's Mike Jones has coverage on his blog.

Meanwhile, indieWIRE's Eugene Hernandez reports on this year's documentary competition at AFI Fest and the nonfiction thoughts of Werner Herzog:

"Objective truth is baloney," Werner Herzog noted bluntly during the AFI Fest conversation, adding that there is no such concept, even in mathematics. Continuing he detailed that "facts do not constitute truth." He explained that the guiding principles for filmmakers and audiences alike -- perhaps the ultimate power of documentary -- should simply be a genuine "quest for truth."

• Just a short flight away from LA, the 30th Denver Film Festival launches tonight and it was announced yesterday that this year's fest will be the swan song for longtime Denver guru Ron Henderson.  Reports the Denver Post's Lisa Kennedy:

Mayor John Hickenlooper said Colorado owes Henderson "a tremendous debt." He added: "Few people in Denver have been able to so indelibly leave their mark on an institution as Ron Henderson has on the film festival."

Denver will remain in strong hands, however, as longtime Denver senior staffers (and my good friends) Britta Erickson and Brit Withey step into the roles of Director of Festivals and Artistic Director, respectively. 

• Also opening tonight is the 16th St Louis Film Festival, which starts with a tribute to indie icons John Sayles and Maggie Renzi.  St Louis also has a stellar doc line-up this year, including handing the Contemporary Cinema Award in Documentary to TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE director Alex Gibney and inviting neighboring Missouri festival True/False to co-host a sidebar of six films - BANISHED, CHICAGO 10, HEAR AND NOW, MEETING RESISTANCE, A WALK INTO THE SEA and WE ARE TOGETHER.

On a related note, St Louis Fest award recipient James Gunn (who will receive the Charles Guggenheim Award) has been posting some interesting observations on his MySpace blog about the ongoing Writers Guild strike.  Gunn even offers some suggestions on how you can help.  My favorite is #4:

"Have sex with a writer.  Seriously, it's a little known fact that there are very few things writers like more than having completely awesome intercourse.  Also, we've been fucked by the studios for so long, it'd be great to be fucked by someone else.  For variety's sake, if nothing else!"

Catching Up!: Fall Festival Edition - AFI Announces Doc Lineup, Woodstock & Chicago Give Awards

In this brand new edition of Catching Up!™ we dive into a bit of the recent festival news that has escaped us in the midst of our theatrical release/Oscar rule changes mind-spin.

• AFI Fest in Los Angeles has announced both its Documentary Competition and Non-Competition Lineups (as well as the narrative titles).  Eugene at indieWIRE has the full list of titles.    Here are the docs in competition:
  • 1000 JOURNALS (USA/Germany), Directed by Andrea Kreuzhage
  • AFGHAN MUSCLES (Denmark), Directed by Andreas Mol Dalsgaard
  • ATENCO, A CRIME OF STATE (Mexico), Directed by Klamve Colectivo
  • CHRIS & DON. A LOVE STORY (USA), Directed by Guido Santi and Tina Macara
  • HECKLER (USA), Directed by Michael Addis
  • OPERATION FILMMAKER (USA), Directed by Nina Davenport
  • ORANGE REVOLUTION (USA), Directed by Steve York
  • PLEASE VOTE FOR ME (China), Directed by Weijun Chen
  • PUBLIC ENEMY: WELCOME TO THE TERRORDOME (USA), Directed by Robert Patton-Spruill
  • THE QUEST FOR THE MISSING PIECE (Isreal), Directed by Oded Lotan
  • SIGUR ROS - HEIMA (Iceland), Directed by Dean de Blois
  • THE UNFORSEEN (USA), Directed by Laura Dunn
• The Chicago International Film Festival recently wrapped its 43rd edition, handing out Hugos (not the Yugoslavian minicars from the 80s - although wouldn't that be fantastic - but the festivals' preciously-named awards) to a number of nonfiction films playing the fest.  And you're forgiven in advance if you can't tell the difference between Hugos and Plaques of varying elemental metals:
  • Gold Hugo for Documentary: TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE, Directed by Alex Gibney
  • Silver Hugo for Documentary: CHICAGO 10, Directed by Brett Morgan
  • Gold Plaque for Direction: AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL, Directed by Darryl Roberts
  • Gold Plaque for Photography: 4 ELEMENTS, Martin von Broekhulzen, Cinematographer
  • Silver Plaque Jury Prizes: OPERATION FILMMAKER and A WALK INTO THE SEA
• The Woodstock Fest held its 8th edition this weekend and, as is its wont, it handed out a bevy of awards, including, God bless 'em, craft awards for documentary.  Ryan Harrington has a recap of the fest over at indieWIRE - wait, isn't he our pool reporter?  Among the winners:
  • Best Feature Documentary - THE COOL SCHOOL, Directed by Morgan Neville
  • Honorable Mention for Documentary - CONSTANTINE'S SWORD and RUN GRANNY RUN
  • Best Short Documentary - SALIM BABA, Directed by Tim Sternberg
  • Best Editing of a Documentary - CONSTANTINE'S SWORD, Edited by Kate Hirson
• And in non-festival news, our friends at The Documentary Blog have joined the chorus of documentary list-makers (why should the IDA and IDFA and Chlotrudis have all the fun) and have name-checked their top 25 docs of all time.  Leading their list?  Errol Morris' GATES OF HEAVEN.  Number of films from the past 7 years?  Just eight.  Watch your backs, group list-makers.

Oscar Shortlist Doc Blindsight Screening Thursday in LA

Lucy Walker's new film Blindsight, which premiered at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival and which has been shortlisted for the Oscar Feature Documentary prize, has a number of screenings coming this week, including one that I am hosting here in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Details for the screening are below.  I saw Blindsight at the AFI Fest where it won the Audience Award (my thoughts on the film are here) and these screenings are a great opportunity to see the film prior to its upcoming theatrical run.  Lucy Walker will be at the screening and I intend to grill her within an inch of her life.  Am I kidding?  Come to the screening and see...

Screening of Lucy Walker's Blindsight
Thursday, January 4, 2007 - 7:30 PM
Sunset Screening Room
8730 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA  90069
RSVP: [email protected]

AFI 2006: Barely Legal

One month ago (yes, I am that far behind), AFI Fest took to the Arclight Cinemas in Los Angles to hold their 20th annual event. I usually attend the festival every year - looking forward to catching some of the best foreign language films of the upcoming year as well as some docs that I may not have seen -  and this year, for the first time, I was there with my own film, as About A Son had its US premiere at the fest.  More on that in a moment.

I caught several films while I was at the AFI Fest, the first being the opening night gala screening of Emilio Estevez’ Bobby at the historic Chinese Theater.  A strange mix of historic footage of Bobby Kennedy (most of which was added since the film played in Toronto I was told) and fictional stories about the people who were in attendance for Kennedy’s speech at the Ambassador Hotel the night RFK was assassinated, Bobby left the audience split.  Some thought it was affecting and were moved by the climactic scenes.  Others thought the Love Boat meets Grand Hotel-style of “A Cast of Thousands” didn’t fit in at all with the ultimately sobering subject matter.  But if you’ve ever dreamed of seeing a drunk Demi Moore get her hair done by Sharon Stone, now is your chance.

I also got a chance to catch Almodovar’s latest, Volver, with Penelope Cruz in attendance to receive a career achievement award.  Volver is, for Almodovar, a surprisingly straightforward work, but that doesn’t make it any less wonderful.  Most seem to agree that it’s his best film since All About My Mother (or Talk to Her, depending on your taste).  The preceding clip fest of Cruz's film work made one realize that she'd probably be thought of as a Sophia Loren-type European siren (and may still be one day) rather than the woman who hooked up with Tom Cruise for a while.

On the doc side I finally got a chance to see Lucy Walker’s Blindsight, which I had missed in Toronto when it premiered there.  The film chronicles a group of young Tibetan blind children who are led by an American team (headed by famed blind climber Erik Weihenmayer, who was the first blind man to ascend Everest) as they attempt to summit one of Everest’s sister mountain peaks.  The struggle between the American guides, who seem singlemindedly determined to reach the top no matter the obstacles, and the kids’ German teacher (also blind), who fears the emphasis on summitting is detrimental to the children’s experience on the mountain - and perhaps their safety, is the heart of the film.  And Lucy Walker does something quite deft in the denouement (which I won’t fully reveal here), that demonstrates that while the children may not be able to see in the way that sighted people take for granted, they can very much see the joy and importance of something that the sighted walk right past.  Certainly a deserving Academy Award shortlist contender, Blindsight also tied for the Audience Award, which was no surprise from the reaction that I saw.

IDA Executive Director Sandra Ruch with Blindsight director Lucy Walker at the Blindsight post-screening party at the AFI Lounge on top of the Arclight parking lot.

I heard a lot of people talking about Buddha’s Lost Children, a film that I wanted to see but missed.  Most I talked to said that the film looked amazing. It went on to win the Jury Prize.

A special jury prize went to J.B. Rutagarama’s Back Home, a personal documentary about J.B. returning to Rhwanda years after having fled amidst the genocide of the 1990s.  There, he looks for what happened to his mother and brother, both of whom stayed behind.  Rutagarama, who at the time of the filming, worked as a cameraman for Fox News, was adopted by journalist Linda Vester, who went on to later host Fox's Dayside program, which she recently left.  Vester produced Back Home. 

As for us, we had two really great sold out screenings at AFI, one on Saturday night and one Sunday afternoon.  It was nice to have our US premiere in Los Angeles, where I live, and to have so many friends and family be able to see the film on the Arclight’s amazing screens, as well as gather for a bit of a celebration before the Saturday screenings.  I hadn’t shown the film to that many friends during the editing process so most were seeing it here for the first time.

Kurt Cobain About A Son producer Shirley Moyers and Dave Simmons of Tomorrow's Brightest Minds, designer of the amazing graphics in our film.

Good pals Alison Roven, Dave Mendel, Nate Reger, Maria McGinnis and John McGinnis post-screening inside the Arclight.

About A Son co-producer Michael Azerrad (who conducted the interviews with Kurt that are the heart of the film) and co-composer Steve Fisk hanging out in front of Amoeba Records on Sunset Blvd.

Publicist Mickey Cottrell, AFI Programming Guru Shaz Bennett and indie film legend Jeff Dowd in the Arclight plaza.

On a personal note, it was great to be able to have our US Premiere at what I have long considered to be one of the best film festivals in the country and I was incredibly honored to be invited by head programmer Nancy Collett and taken such good care of by all at AFI.  Thanks Nancy, Shaz, John and everyone.

As it celebrates it’s 20th edition, AFI Fest seems to be at something of a watershed moment.  It’s partnership with the American Film Market creates a weird sort of industry split, with 3/4 of the folks over in Santa Monica haggling over who will make a B-movie with Randy Quaid, and 1/4 of the others coming to Hollywood to catch one of their own screenings or take part in some event there.  Some filmmakers who felt the proximity of AFM guaranteed that buyers would be showing up for their screenings found themselves mightily disappointed.

And while AFI certainly makes use of the Arclight far better than any of the other festival events that use the same space (the entire roof of the parking garage is turned into a festival village with lounges, parties, press space, box office, etc.), they now face a stronger challenge from the Los Angeles Film Festival, which, with its move to Westwood Village, has thrown down the gauntlet.  While both AFI and LAFF rank amongst the top 10 festivals in the US, in the past AFI held an edge by virtue of its bevy of foreign Oscar hopefuls and high-profile award films, LAFF’s new venues and community feel seem to have tipped the balance in its direction. 

The other question is what will happen with the expansion of the AFI brand into a third festival (it also produces AFI Silverdocs in Silver Springs, MD, which has quickly become the most important documentary festival in the US) in Dallas.  AFI Dallas is set to kick off its first edition in late March, just a week after the close of the monster South By Southwest Film and Music Festival in nearby Austin.  I jokingly asked, can Minneapolis be far behind?

But who can quibble when the films look so good on the Arclight screens and one can take a short lift up to the top of the parking garage for drinks and gatherings with other filmmakers.  Here's to the next 20 years.

Buddha's Lost Children Wins at AFI, About A Son Takes Denver

Last weekend, the documentary jury at the AFI Fest in Los Angeles awarded its top prize to Mark Verkerk's Buddha's Lost Children, the story of a former Thai boxer turned Buddhist monk who travels around Thailand building schools and orphanages.  Lucy Walker's Blindsight, which was recently named to this year's Oscar doc shortlist, tied with Carla Garapedian's Screamers - in which the rock band System of a Down investigates why genocides keep happening - for the Audience Award.

And last night in the mile high city, our own Kurt Cobain About A Son took the Maysles Brothers Award for Best Documentary Film, at the 29th Denver Film Festival.  In its statement the jury wrote:

"For originality, honesty and humanity in its portrayal of a cultural icon and for its daring new take on the documentary form. AJ Schnack deftly fuses imagery of the everyday with Cobain’s intensely personal narrative to create an intimate and compelling sense of time and place."

Update - Monday 11 AM - The winner of the People's Choice (Audience Award) in Denver was Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern's The Trials of Darryl Hunt, recently shortlisted for the Oscar and winner of festival awards across the country.

On the fiction side, awards at Denver went to Beauty in Trouble (directed by Jan Hrebejk), which received the Krystof Kieslowski Award for Best Feature, and to Aaron Nee's The Last Romantic, which won the Emerging Filmmaker Award.  At AFI, the Grand Jury Prize in the International Feature Competition went to Jasmila Zbanic's Grbavica.

Full reports on AFI and Denver (with pictures) to come...

Back in Los Angeles on the Eve of the Shortlist Announcement

Back in Los Angeles after five days at the Denver Film Fest (much more about that soon), which was preceded by a non-stop several days here at AFI Fest (again soon), and just in time to start blogging the big 2nd half of November doc extravaganza.  Soon we will have the first look at next year's potentially important nonfiction titles when the Sundance Film Festival announces their line-up as well as the unveiling of this year's Independent Spirit Awards nominees, but first we will learn tomorrow which films made the cut for this year's Academy Awards shortlist.  Last year, 15 films made the cut.  This year, it's anybody's guess, but as of 10:30 PM, David Poland has the names of 10 films that he's confirmed, and they are some of the predicted titles - Inconvenient Truth, The Trials of Darryl Hunt, Iraq in Fragments, Shut Up and Sing, Blindsight, Deliver Us From Evil and Jesus Camp.  Poland says that double Sundance winner God Grew Tired Of Us and recent doc hit The US Vs John Lennon will not be on the list.

We'll have the full report tomorrow.

Toronto Part Three - Photos and Wrap

Never did get around to summing up the last couple of days of my Toronto experience.  Suffice it to say that it was spent in interviews and photos and a panel discussion and drinking with friends and meetings and sleep.  Am just now getting over a cold that seems to be the last remnants of my Toronto hangover, just in time to hop into festival mode for the international and US premieres of Kurt Cobain About A Son - we are screening this month at the first-ever Cinema Festa Internazionale di Roma and next month at AFI in Los Angeles.

In the weeks to come I will try to link some of the press and reviews that we got in Toronto - although there's a good sampling over on the Sidetrack Films website - but for now, I'll close my experiece with a sampling of photos from 6 days in Toronto:

The Denver Film Festival's Britta Erickson and Ron Henderson with Jennifer Cook of the Canadian Consulate at the Canadian reception.

Newport Film Fest's David Nugent, A&E Indie's Ryan Harrington, Silverdocs' Sky Sitney and Docurama's Liz Ogilvie at the party for Liz Mermin's Office Tigers.

Blindsight director Lucy Walker with TIFF Doc Guru Thom Powers at the first Doc Corner gatherings on Cumberland.

Old pals from Seattle reunited in Toronto - Michael Tucker, co-director of The Prisoner Or: How I Planned to Kill Tony Blair, and photographer (and About A Son collaborator) Charles Peterson - at the HDNet party.

4 of my About A Son team - Tomorrow's Brightest Minds' impresario Dave Simmons, producer Shirley Moyers, TBM's Wade Harpootlian and Subtractive's Kyle Schember at the HDNet party.