Congratulations to Marylou Tibaldo-Bongiorno! The poster/brochure with POV’s 20th anniversary lineup finally made its way to my mailbox, and one week from tonight (July 10) PBS will air her film, REVOLUTION ‘67. This substantial and illuminating documentary, which had its World Premiere at the 2006 Florida Film Festival, explores the untold story of the six days of riots that erupted in Newark, New Jersey, in the summer of 1967. The film takes on the causes and personalities behind the riots (including Amiri Baraka, Tom Hayden, and Brendan Byrne), and through them we gain a new perspective on the civil uprisings of the 1960’s. This was a chaotic and violent time in American history, and the airing of Marylou’s meticulous reconstruction of the events will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the revolt.
Congratulations to director Dori Berinstein and her wonderful doc on the Broadway 2003-04 season, SHOWBUSINESS: A SEASON TO REMEMBER. The film, an unflinching and intimate look at the creation and launch of four high-profile musicals—Wicked; Avenue Q; Taboo; and Caroline, or Change —had its Southeast Premiere at the 2006 Florida Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature and was strongly considered for a Special Jury Award for Editing as well.
The International Documentary Association just announced its nominees for the 22nd IDA Distinguished Documentary Awards, and SHOWBUSINESS is one of five excellent films nominated in the features category. Winners will be announced at a Benefit Gala at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles on December 8, and we wish Dori the best of luck even as we eagerly await getting a look at her forthcoming THE TOY MOVIE project.
Congratulations are in order for Bay-area filmmaker Karina Epperlein and her beautiful and inspiring documentary short, PHOENIX DANCE. The 16-minute profile of professional dancer Homer Avila, undeterred by the loss of a leg (!), had its Southeast Premiere last March in the 2006 Florida Film Festival where it preceded Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan’s equally moving SO MUCH SO FAST. Late last week it was announced that the doc short had officially made the “short list” of eight films under consideration for the 3-to-5 nominations to be chosen for the Academy Award in that category. The selections will be announced on January 23, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed that this extraordinary work gets even further recognition from the Motion Picture Academy—I haven’t seen the other films on the list but it’s hard to imagine that there are five better.
Congratulations to Ham Tran—writer/director of the powerful and exquisitely filmed Vietnamese epic, JOURNEY FROM THE FALL (VUOT SONG)—for being named to Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film 2006” list. The film, which made its East Coast Premiere at the Florida Film Festival in March and was runner-up for the Audience Award for Best International Feature, focuses on Vietnam after the fall of Saigon and was inspired by actual events. It follows one family’s fight for freedom post-April 30, 1975, and sheds new light on the communist political prison camps and the mass exodus of boat people. A Schindler’s List for the Vietnamese community, Orlando audiences were incredibly moved by this dramatic tale of faith triumphing over tyranny that finally gives voice to an important untold story.
Congratulations are once again in order for Mike Akel’s wonderfully authentic and hilarious mockumentary, CHALK. Winner of a Special Jury Award for Ensemble Acting at the 2006 Florida Film Festival back in April, this comedy so skillfully weaves universal truths about the high school teaching profession into its narrative that it keeps racking up awards. Cinequest and the Independent Film Festival of Boston have also honored it, and this past weekend the Los Angeles Film Festival gave its Outstanding Performance in the Narrative Competition award to the whole cast.
So congrats to principal cast members Troy Schremmer, Shannon Haragan, co-writer/actor Chris Mass, Janelle Schremmer, filmmaker Mike Akel and Producer Angie Alvarez. Keep it up and the distributors will have to pay attention soon!
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