15th Annual UNAFF

Fixing the Future Across America

Media That Matters Educational Discount

Sundance Institute Documentary Fund Accepting Applications

POV Premiere Party Initiative
The Center for Social Media is proud to be one of the sponsors of POV's Premiere Party initiative! POV, American television's longest-running independent documentary series, began its 25th season on PBS on June 21, 2012. To celebrate their 25th anniversary, POV is inviting viewers to host their own POV Premiere parties. Tell POV about your premiere party experience and enter to win a POV Party Pack including Pat Aufderheide's Documentary Film: A Very Short Introduction; autographed film posters; DVDs; books; snacks; and memorabilia. Visit pov.org/premiereparty to find Official Entry Rules and the Premiere Party Planning Guide.

Rhythmic Uprising Screening
Rhythmic Uprising is a documentary project that seeks to empower a movement of artists who are using Afro-Brazilian traditions to elevate the quality of life for children in the culturally rich region of Bahia, Brazil. The screening, brought to you by the Center for Social Media, American University's School of Communication, The Wild Kat Show, and The Instituto Midia Etnica, will begin at 7 pm on August 1, 2012 in Wechsler Theatre on the 3rd floor of American University's Mary Graydon Center. To RSVP, click here.

Is This What a Documentary Looks Like? Silverdocs 2012
Silverdocs, the largest documentary film festival in the U.S., showcased a striking range of documentaries this year, and of course far more of them than I could ever hope to see.  The styles ranged from highly personal to big-picture essay, from meditative to thriller-paced, from celebrity-focused to featuring the people you usually pay no attention to. The commonality?  All the ones I saw richly rewarded my attention. Read more...

Silverdocs' Hottest Topics: Are Filmmakers Journalists? Can Filmmakers Help Themselves?
AJ Schnack sure knows how to stir up trouble. His panel, “Hot Topics,”at Silverdocs, became one of the most talked-about at the fest for pushing the hot button of ethics. Read more...

Finding the Right CMS for Your Media Project
This guest post is from Land of Opportunity, creators of an interactive web player demo. CMS: Content Management System. If it sounds utilitarian, that’s because it is.  Like so many innovations in the wide world of the web, CMS’ exist to make it easier to create cool stuff online. Read more...

Military Malfeasance: Exposing 'The Invisible War'
Graduate Fellow Katie Bieze recently interviewed filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering about their film, The Invisible War, for Documentary Magazine. The magazine has generously agreed to let us republish the article on our website. Read more...

Libraries, Publishers, and Fair Use Game Shows
The Center for Intellectual Property Biennial Symposium in Baltimore early June was a hotbed of fair use discussion. How do you teach art students about making fair and legal decisions, especially in an era in which appropriation is everywhere? Paul Dobbs and Greg Wallace from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design have an answer: JeopARTy. Read more...

Fair Use Question of the Month: Digitizing & Streaming Videos from a University Library
This month's fair use question comes from an employee in the IT department at a university library who is looking to take advantage of fair use in order to fulfill a professor's request. Read More...

Pop Culture Critic Elisa Kreisinger's Fair Use Video of the Month: "African Men. Hollywood Stereotypes."
In an effort to combat stereotypes of African men in mainstream Hollywood movies, Joe Sabia created this docu-mashup for a non-profit organization called Mamma Hope. The organization works with local African groups to connect them with the resources required to transform their own communities. Read more...

Public TV and Documentarians at Silverdocs
At this year's Silverdocs film festival, the largest documentary film festival in the nation, public television had a central role. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting was the lead sponsor, and on a panel I had the pleasure of moderating, PBS had some good news for independent documentarians: It's showcasing indie work like never before. Read more...

15th Annual United Nations Association Film Festival
The 15th UNAFF (United Nations Association Film Festival) from October 18-28, 2012 celebrates the power of documentary films dealing with human rights issues, the environment, racism, women’s issues, universal education, war and peace. The theme for this year is HUMAN DIGNITY. To learn more, visit http://www.unaff.org/2012/index.html

Fixing The Future Across America
On July 18th, dozens of cities and towns will shine light on revitalizing their local economies with the launch of Fixing the Future Across America. Hosted by Active Voice in partnership with JumpStart Productions, this national event marks the theatrical premiere of the documentary Fixing the Future, which features communities using innovative approaches to create jobs and build sustainability. Find a screening near you.

Media That Matters Educational Discount
School’s out for summer and Arts Engine is excited to offer educators a special end-of-the-year discount on our specially curated Media That Matters collection. For the month of June, you can add this important resource to your classroom toolkit and receive 10% off the Media That Matters 11 DVD by entering the promo code TN1008 upon checkout; discount only applies to Schools, Libraries & Community Organizations, and Universities, Colleges & Institutions.

Sundance Institute Documentary Fund Accepting Applications
The Sundance Institute Documentary Fund which grants between $1 and $2 million per year to support U.S. and international contemporary independent documentary films is now accepting applications. The postmark application deadline for submissions in the Development and Production/Post-Production categories is July 10th, 2012. For more information about the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program and  Fund and to apply for a grant, please visit www.sundance.org/documentary .