There was an abundance of parties, with a more swanky, centrally located Cinema Lounge and the essential Moose Lodge and Quarry House late night gatherings. I also caught Peter Broderick's enlightening talk and took a 1/2 day workshop on social marketing and outreach.

I am a product of the power of documentary - the characters of films I have seen along the way have changed my life and made me want to be a better person. When I worked for SILVERDOCS, we would always wax poetic about the power of docs to inspire and call you to action. I ended up being a living example of this, as Oliver Hodge's 2007 film GARBAGE WARRIOR moved me so much that I decided to work on the biggest environmental issue of our time - building pollution. I landed at the U.S. Green Building Council, a non-profit working for healthy buildings and communities within a generation. I haven't really left the film world, so I'll try to pop back in here from time to time and focus a bit on a cross-section of film and the environment. If you live in D.C. there is still time to catch the award-winning films through Tuesday eve.

SILVERDOCS is rapidly approaching and I can’t wait to meet some of our amazing special guests, one of whom will be a real life goddess. That’s right, a goddess. The 8-year-old girl is considered to be the incarnation of the Hindu goddess Kali, and she’s going to be gracing us with her presence in support of the World Premiere of LIVING GODDESS.

SILVERDOCS is especially honored to have Academy Award-winning director Jonathan Demme with us this year. We are celebrating his body of documentary work at our Guggenheim Symposium, and he’s presenting the theatrical World Premiere of his latest documentary NEW HOME MOVIES FROM THE LOWER 9TH WARD.

I can’t forget to mention that the awe-inspiring Reverend Billy from WHAT WOULD JESUS BUY? (check out his TODAY show interview), the precision jump ropers from DOUBLETIME and the dysfunctional husband and wife duo from FRANK AND CINDY will all be at SILVERDOCS in their uninhibited glory.

If you haven’t committed to coming to DC for SILVERDOCS, there is still time. It’s a hop, skip, jump or Chinatown bus away from Manhattan…

I wish that I had a chance to make it to Hot Docs, but I'm office bound getting ready for SILVERDOCS in June. My colleagues, Patricia Finneran and Diana Ingraham will make it to Toronto for our Canadian friends' fabulous festival. I can't wait til we are able to reveal our plans for June!

"SILVERDOCS is thrilled to partner with Clean Currents to do our part in the race to save our planet. Documentary film has long been at the center of social awareness on environmental issues. Taking the lead from Al Gore and Davis Guggenheim's AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, now we're not only talking, but changing how we do business. This June, SILVERDOCS will be carbon neutral, and we invite the documentary community to join us in going green," said Festival Director Patricia Finneran.
"We're pleased to help SILVERDOCS make an amazing statement about the need to fight global warming and protect our environment," noted Gary Skulnik, Clean Currents' President. "Silver Spring was home to the mother of the environmental movement, Rachel Carson
, and now it's home to the first carbon neutral documentary film festival in the entire country." It is the 100th anniversary of Rachel Carson's birth. The Silver Spring activist and writer is commonly credited with starting the environmental movement with her book, Silent Spring.

If you live in the DC area, check out Clean Currents.
You can purchase clean energy from them and it just shows up on your regular power bill that a portion is for wind power.

Read the full press release:

corn-pone [kawrn-pohn]
–adjective Usually Disparaging.
of or characteristic of an unsophisticated rural person, esp. from the South; hick: a corn-pone accent.

This is not the season to take in such lurid pulp, as I'm watching about 20 docs a week, but thanks to A.O. Scott's review of BLACK SNAKE MOAN,
I almost don't need to see the flick. His rich descriptions say it all and it makes me want to wash myself in Tide.

Listen to the in-depth discussion following the film’s World Premiere at SILVERDOCS 2006

This story remains of vital interest, as the HIV/AIDS crisis in China is far from over,
Learn More about China AIDS Media

SILVERDOCS celebrates the power of documentary to draw people together around the issues that matter. No film exemplified that better than AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH. We salute our 2006 keynote speaker Former Vice President Al Gore on his Oscar win. Gore challenged SILVERDOCS audiences to use their power of storytelling to make a difference, and be actively engaged in our democracy. As Gore says, “it’s not a political issue, it’s a moral issue.” Explore ways to walk the doc talk at Climate Crisis Site

Last year we honored the legendary Martin Scorsese at our annual Guggenheim Symposium, named for the late 4-time Oscar winner Charles Guggenheim. Kudos to Davis Guggenheim for continuing the extraordinary family legacy.

Listen to Martin Scorsese talking with Jim Jarmusch

See the interview with Martin Scorsese

-Patricia Finneran and Amy King

I had the pleasure of attending the world premiere of Jeff Krulik's film THE LEGEND OF MERV CONN at the AFI Silver last Sunday. It is a delightful documentary tribute to Merv Conn, a Silver Spring, MD native, who has been teaching and performing the accordian for over 75 years. The sold-out show was also a celebration of Merv's 87th birthday and the accordion playing community came out in full force to honor Merv. To top it off, there was a post-screening accordion performance with about 15 accordion players on stage and birthday cake in the lobby. Merv worked the crowd and crooned to some of his all-time favorites, including "You Made Me Love You." It was amazing to see so many over-70's in the audience and even better to feel the love in the crowd. Over 20 people raised their hands when Jeff asked how many people were former students of Merv Conn. I would kill to visit Merv at his house, that holds over 50 antique accordions - how fabulous! Jeff Krulik is the DC native documentary filmmaker who brought us HEAVY METAL PARKING LOT and my second favorite, NEIL DIAMOND PARKING LOT.
In case you live in DC, there is an encore screening
this Sunday Feb 25 at 4pm.

Merv and friends on stage
The next generation!

Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady on the nomination for documentary feature for 2006 Sterling Feature Award Winner, JESUS CAMP

Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon on their Academy Award nomination for documentary short for BLOOD OF YINGZHOU DISTRICT

ROAD TO GUANTANAMO
by Michael Winterbottom/Mat Whitecross,

TRIALS OF DARRYL HUNT
by Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg and

YOU'RE GONNA MISS ME
by Keven McAlester- all Independent Spirit Award - Best Documentary nominees

Martin Scorsese (SILVERDOCS 2006 Guggenheim honoree)
for 2006 DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film In 2006, SILVERDOCS turned its attention to the issues of global health
and helped launch several international award-winning films in the US marketplace. Documentary film can make a difference in raising awareness about compelling social issues, and the recognition of these films by DGA and the Motion Picture Academy, the leading organizations in the field goes a long way towards bringing these documentaries to a wider audience. It is still a challenging marketplace for international films and stories with a global perspective. We are so proud to have contributed to the launch of these amazing stories, BEFORE FLYING BACK TO EARTH about pediatric cancer treatment in Lithuania and BLOOD OF YINGZHOU DISTRICT about the dramatic story of a young HIV AIDS orphan in China.

The 2006 Sterling Award, Best Feature helped Heidi and Rachel secure distribution for JESUS CAMP. We are proud to have helped launch this compelling film.

Good luck Heidi, Rachel, Ruby and Thomas at the Oscars on February 25 and to Keven, Michael, Mat, Ricki and Annie at the Independent Spirit Awards on February 24! What a weekend that will be! Photos (in this order) 1. Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady 2. Arunas Matelis 3. SILVERDOCS' Nina Gilden Seavey, Ruby Yang, Thomas Lennon and SILVERDOCS' Patricia Finneran ]]> 2007-01-29T13:47:24Z 2007-01-29T08:42:12-05:00 tag:blogs.indiewire.com,2007:/amyking//53.12371 2007-01-29T13:42:12Z