The Sundance Film Festival showcases cinema, particularly Independent cinema, in categories including Documentary, Dramatic, Premieres, American Spectrum, American Showcase, Frontier, Native Forum, Park City at Midnight, World Cinema/Documentary, Short Films, Animation, and an Online Film Festival.

This year the program encompasses works such as WHALE RIDER, directed by Niki Caro -- about a 12-year-old Maori girl in a small New Zealand coastal village who fights to be allowed to fulfill her destiny as The Whale Rider, a chieftain's title reserved once in every generation for a male heir (based on the novel by Witi Ihimaera) -- as well as TOM DOWD & THE LANGUAGE OF MUSIC, directed by Mark Moormann, which, with the music and words of Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Eric Clapton, the Allman Brothers Band, and many others, chronicles the evolution of the modern recording industry through the life of recording engineer and record producer Tom Dowd.

2003 Festival selections also include CIVIL BRAND, directed by Neema Barnette, which centers on corporate exploitation of prison labor, and is described by BLACK CINEMA CAFE as "...a hard edged hip-hop tale about young Black women caught up in abuse and exploitation, and the reality of prisons as modern plantations...."; and BROTHER OUTSIDER: THE LIFE OF BAYARD RUSTIN. (Directed by Nancy Kates and Bennett Singer)

"Bayard Rustin was a critically important figure in the history of the Civil Rights movement and the man who organized the movement's biggest protest, the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Yet he has been overlooked in many historical accounts, in large part because he was gay," Producer/Director Bennett Singer told NYFA CURRENT. "We wanted to help restore Rustin to his rightful place in history, and the selection of Brother Outsider for competition at Sundance -- along with the upcoming national PBS premiere on January 20, 2003 -- is a terrific way to introduce viewers to Rustin's life and legacy. In a nation still torn by racial hatred and violence, bigotry against the gay community, and extraordinary divides between rich and poor, Rustin's eloquent voice has much to teach us today."

Sundance Film Festival 2003 films range:

from AMERICAN SPLENDOR, directed by Shari Springer and Robert Pulcini and based on the true story of Harvey Pekar, a Cleveland Hospital file clerk who writes comic books about his life and experiences;

to SILT, directed by Keith Evans, Christian Farrell & Jeff Warrin, a walk-in cinematic environment using projection performance in which the images are manipulated live;

to BALSEROS. Directed by Carlos Bosch and Josep Maria Domenech, Balseros interviews seven Cuban refugees who risked their lives in homemade rafts to reach the United States and documents the trajectories of their lives in search of the "American Dream."

"The Festival operates at a level outside other festivals. It is in a league of its own," said Elizabeth Peters, Executive Director of The Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers. (AIVF) "It's an opportunity to showcase films, for professional and business development, and to get films to distributors. It is invaluable to Independents for those reasons."

But she also pointed out that the Sundance Film festival only serves a small portion of the Independent field. AIVF, a membership organization serving local and international film and videomakers, produces THE AIVF GUIDE TO INTERNATIONAL FILM & VIDEO FESTIVALS which lists hundreds of film festivals.

"There are so many festivals now, and they really vital to independent filmmakers because they provide an important opportunity for the filmmaker to see and hear how a live audience responds to their work," Independent Television Service (ITVS) Executive Director Sally Jo Fifer noted.

In response to a question from Current about what other Festivals are important, Fifer added that "Most of the documentary filmmaking process takes place with just a small crew and in a dark editing suite, so being able to bring their films out to the light of day and before a live audience is a great service that festivals provide. ITVS projects have screened at just about every festival-large and small-in this country so it's impossible to single out just a few. They all serve the filmmakers and the audiences who get introduced to this important work."

Debra Zimmerman, Executive Director of Women Make Movies, which distributes of films and videotapes by and about women, emphasizes that The Sundance Film Festival is "without a doubt the most important film festival in the United States -- an incredible launching pad for any Independent."

Noting that Lourdes Portillo's SENORITA EXTRAVAIDA, a film about the murders of women and girls in Ciudad Juarez, was a jury prize winner last year, she commented that "wining that award made it so much easier for us to launch the title after the Festival gave it such attention." THE DAY I WILL NEVER FORGET, (directed by Kim Longinotto) which documents the practice of female genital mutilation through personal stories of Kenyan women, will be included in this year's Festival. "Kim Longinotto has had eight feature films released, but this screening will bring her to a new level," Zimmerman said.

"One of the most important aspects of the Festival is the attention they play to documentaries," she added. "Very few festivals give documentaries such attention. It would be great if more festivals took their cue from this."

ITVS Executive Director Sally Jo Fifer also commented on the importance of Sundance in promoting documentaries. "Sundance is an invaluable venue for independent filmmakers, especially documentary makers because their work is treated with the same respect and prestige that is afforded filmmakers working in drama and fiction," she told NYFA Current. "The House of Docs is a wonderful addition to the festival because it has given documentary filmmakers a real 'home' at the festival. I think the people at Sundance continue to make great changes each year and will continue to find innovative ways to support Independents."

Calling attention to other venues for Independent documentaries, Debra Zimmerman mentioned both the Museum of Modern Art's DOCUMENTARY FORTNIGHT and the New York Film Forum which will host Sundance 2003 selection LOVE AND DIANE, (directed by Jennifer Dworkin) a film about the impact of crack addiction on families.

This month the New York Film Forum's program also includes MASSOUD THE AFHAN, (written, directed and photographed by Christophe de Ponfilly) described as "....an extraordinary journey, filled with images of unreal beauty (navy blue skies, red mountains) and terrible cruelty, punctuated by the filmmaker's trenchant thoughts on the failure of the West to support Massoud and his followers over more than two decades...."; and THE TRIALS OF HENRY KISSINGER. (produced by Alex Gibney and Eugene Jarecki)

The Trials of Henry Kissinger examines charges that Kissinger -- recently appointed by President Bush to head the investigation of 911 security -- was instrumental in creating the coup that toppled Chilean President Allende; prolonged the Vietnam War by undermining LBJ's Vietnam peace talks; engineered the secret bombing of Cambodia; and approved Indonesian president Suharto's use of U.S. arms to massacre 100,000 East Timorese.

Among other films on this year's Sundance Film Festival program are:

• ROBERT CAPA IN LOVE AND WAR (Documentary)
  This film By Anne Makepeace centers on life-long pacifist Robert Capa who photographed five wars on three different continents. Capra landed with the soldiers at Omaha Beach on D-Day, and his pictures inspired Steven Spielberg's SAVING PRIVATE RYAN.

  "As John Steinbeck once said, 'he could photograph thought...and capture worlds.'...." notes the PBS series AMERICAN MASTERS which will air Robert Capra in Love and War in May, 2003 as part of an ongoing series of documentaries examining the lives, works, and creative processes of American artists.

• MY FLESH AND BLOOD (Documentary)
  Directed by Johnathan Karsh and produced by Jennifer Chaiken, My Flesh and Blood centers on Susan Tom of Fairfield, CA who adopted 11 special needs children. The film chronicles their successes; the difficulties caused by the anger of one of the children; the death of one of the children; and the family's coming together in a crisis-filled year.

• STATE OF DENIAL (Documentary)
  Directed by Elaine Epstein. (Lovett Productions) Through conversations with dozens of South Africans stricken with AIDS in-depth interviews with politicians, health care professionals, and activists, Producer/Director Elaine Epstein, a native South African who has worked extensively in AIDS and public health, looks at how the citizens of South Africa are living with the AIDS epidemic in a climate of official neglect.

• QUATTRO NOZA (Dramatic)
  Director: Joey Curtis; Executive Producer: Fredric King, Fountainhead Films. Quattro Noza combines the racing experiences of director Curtis and those of his father and the film's young cast, including Latinos and Asian-Americans with a soundtrack by DJ Spooky. Director Curtis' reimmersed himself in the street racing subculture by roaming Los Angeles streets with a Canon XL-1 and interviewing young people.

  "Because of the genre of this movie being documentary in style and concept, it became the stories of the actors," says Executive Producer Frederic King. "Maybe 50 hours of footage from the documentary research was cut, to create a foundation for the characters. Once that was done, we wrote a script. There was a lot of improvisation and a lot happened in the shoot to change it."

• RHYTHM OF THE SAINTS (Dramatic)
  Directed by Sarah Rogacki and Cyn Canel Rossi Cynalex Productions -- founded in 1998 by partners Cyn Canel Rossi and Alexander Rossi to develop, write, and produce theater and film projects by emerging writers which exhibit social conscious, particularly relevant works exploring the coming-of-age voice of America's young latinos -- describes the film as "...the coming-of-age story of Rena Juarez, a beautiful fifteen-year old Latina from New York's Washington Heights. While Rena's mother, Mariela, works the night shift at a local hospital, Rena spends her nights on the streets trying to avoid her abusive stepfather, Ricky. When his advances become more than she can handle, she turns to her best friend Wanda Love, a true believer of the mystical practice of Santeria....."

• THE TECHNICAL WRITER (Dramatic)
  Directed by Scott Saunders. Creative Capital which awarded Saunders a grant for the film in 2000, describes the work on its web site as:

  "a dramatic, feature length digital video project that tells the story of a man who, by virtue of an agoraphobia complicated by acute social anxiety disorder, has cut himself from almost all physical contact with the outside world..... As in Saunders' two previous video features, The Technical Writer sets out to examine unusual though realistic characters who are emblematic of our contemporary world. His strategy is to present these characters with a small but defining crisis which reveals impulses and behaviors that they would normally keep hidden. By examining these characters under pressure, Saunders hopes to hint at the larger social forces which make their situation both universal and unique."

• FACE TO FACE (Online Film Festival)
  Created and Produced by Rob Mikuriya Site Designed and Developed by Second Story. This web site opens with the words:

  "December 7, 1941 and September 11, 2001: two days that changed the world forever. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, people of Japanese ancestry living in the United States were subjected to the emotional venting of racial hatred and distrust, eventually leading to the incarceration of nearly 120,000 people, most of them U.S. citizens."

  Through videos and voices, including Tosh Kawahara, Amna Chaudhary, Khaled Abou El Fadl, Sayma Hameed, Toru Saito, Kiyo Sato Viacrucis and Maher Hathout, Face to Face explores the meaning of being an American "with the face of the enemy."

• IS THE CROWN AT WAR WITH US? (Native Forum) directed by Alanis Obomsawin, (Abenaki Nation) which looks at the relationship between Canada and its First Nation through the government's attacks on the fishing rights of the Mi'gmaq from Esgenoopetitj on Miramichi Bay in the summer of 2000.

• AN INJURY TO ONE (Frontier)
  Directed by Travis Wilkerson. A documentary about the turn-of-century lynching of union organizer Frank Little in Butte, Montana. "The unsolved murder of union organizer Frank Little in Butte, Montana, in 1917 provides the basis for this hybrid essay on labor and mining culture in the U.S. in the early part of this century," notes the Museum of Modern Art which is featuring this film in its DOCUMENTARY FORTNIGHT series.

• BORN RICH (American Spectrum)
  This documentary, which features 11 children of wealthy families, was made by New York University film student and Johnson & Johnson heir Jamie Johnson. The movie, includes interviews with Georgina Bloomberg, daughter of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg; Ivanka Trump, model daughter of Donald Trump; and A&P supermarket heiress Juliet Hartford. In October, 2002, according to the FREEDOM FORUM, New York State Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich ruled that Johnson had the right to distribute Born Rich. (which had been challenged) "What (Weil) seeks here is a prior restraint on (Johnson's) First Amendment right to distribute an informative sociological documentary of considerable public interest," the Associated Press quotes the judge as saying. "Prior restraints of the sort requested here are presumptively unconstitutional."

NIGHT LIGHT, (Short Film) directed by Eric Escobar;
SET SET SPIKE, (Animation) directed by Emily Hubley;
THE MALDONADO MIRACLE, (American Showcase) directed by Salma Hayek;
RAISING VICTOR VARGAS, (American Showcase) directed by Peter Sollett;
THE HEBREW HAMMER, (Park City at Midnight) directed by Jon Kesselman;
ROLLING KANSAS, (Park City at Midnight) directed by Thomas Haden Church;
COMANDANTE, (Premieres) directed by Oliver Stone;
TO LIVE IS BETTER THAN TO DIE, (World Cinema/Documentary) directed by Weijun Chen;
THIRTEEN, (Dramatic) directed by Catherine Hardwicke, and written by Catherine Hardwicke and Nikki Reed;
and MOCASSIN FLATS, (Native Forum) directed by Randy Redroad.

Randy Redroad, (Cherokee) whose film THE DOE BOY premiered at Sundance in 2001 and whose start in filmmaking included a workshop at Third World Newsreel, writes (for the 2002 IMAGENATION FILM & VIDEO FESTIVAL) about his work:

"....I can only remember the experience of watching a movie, of going to the movies, of the vast range of emotions that films inspired in me. I've left theatres wanting to fight, scream, laugh and make love. I've left crying, nauseous and believing in ghosts. I always thought it would be great to be an architect of such experiences. Cinema was a language that in my early twenties, I realized I could speak, that I had learned gradually over the course of my lifetime, some basic sense of how a film was put together. It was like growing up in a house with a second language that you never used but one day realized you understood, even if you couldn't speak it well...."

The Sundance Film Festival is a program of the Sundance Institute. Founded by Robert Redford in 1981, the Sundance Institute is dedicated to the development of artists of independent vision and the exhibition of their new work. Since its inception, the Institute has grown into an internationally recognized resource for filmmakers and other artists. The Sundance Institute conducts national and international labs for filmmakers, screenwriters, composers, writers, and theatre artists, and presents independent film exhibition programs across the country and around the world, including the Sundance Film Festival, a showcase for independent film. The Institute also maintains The Sundance Collection at UCLA, a unique archive of independent film.

For a complete list and continuing updates, (not all the program has been announced) visit http://www.sundance.org

Sources/resources

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL - http://www.sundance.org

TOM DOWD & THE LANGUAGE OF MUSIC - http://www.thelanguageofmusic.com/

BLACK CINEMA CAFE -- http://www.blackcinemacafe.com

BROTHER OUTSIDER: THE LIFE OF BAYARD RUSTIN - http://www.rustin.org
http://www.pbs.org/pov/brotheroutsider

THE ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT VIDEO AND FILMMAKERS (AIVF) -- http://www.aivf.org
_Michelle Coe, Editor
THE AIVF GUIDE TO INTERNATIONAL FILM & VIDEO FESTIVALS - http://www.aivf.org/resources/aivf_books.html

INDEPENDENT TELEVISION SERVICE (ITVS) -- http://www.itvs.org

WOMEN MAKE MOVIES -- http://www.wmm.com
On December 17, WMM will be presenting a Master Class with Lydia Dean Pilcher focusing on aspects of independent feature film and video making for producers. For details, visit http://www.wmm.com/assist/currentschedule.htm

NEW YORK FILM FORUM -- http://www.filmforum.com

FREEDOM FORUM -- "Documentary on rich kids can be distributed" - http://www.freedomforum.org
Associated Press
http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=17143-
October 22, 2002

FACE TO FACE -- http://www.itvs.org/facetoface/flash.html

CYNALEX PRODUCTIONS -- http://www.cynalexproductions.com/film.htm

STATE OF DENIAL -- http://lovettproductions.com/02_highlights/denial.html

Museum of Modern Art: DOCUMENTARY FORTNIGHT -- http://www.moma.org/visit_moma/momafilm/doc_fortnight.html

MY FLESH AND BLOOD -- http://www.chaikenfilms.com/

QUATTRO NOZA -- http://www.quattronoza.com/

AMERICAN MASTERS -- http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/index.html

CREATIVE CAPITAL -- http://www.creative-capital.org

FILM CRASH -- http://www.filmcrash.com

THIRD WORLD NEWSREEL -- http://www.twn.org

Randy Redroad 2002 IMAGENATION FILM & VIDEO FESTIVAL -- http://www.imag-nation.com/redroad_statement.html

In an action which threatens to remove protections against media conglomeration monopolies in broadcast markets, in September, the FCC announced a sweeping review of current media ownership rules. Last month, groups -- including The Writers Guild of America; The Newspaper Guild; The Consumer Federation of America; and the Center for Digital Democracy -- asked for a four month extension of the public comment period. However, the deadline was only extended from December 3, 2002 to January 3, 2003.

"The Commission is committed to developing a set of media ownership rules that are internally consistent, tailored to the modern media marketplace and empirically justified. The public interest, and the courts, demand nothing less," Powell said in announcing the hearing.

FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps who has been strongly urging hearings for several months, welcomed the decision to hold the hearing. "I don't believe there is any substitute for getting out and talking with America about this critical decision," he said. "We must not rush to judgment on whether to scrap our media concentration protections."

Calling it the most important decision that the Commission will make in the coming year, Copps emphasized the need to have other hearings in diverse venues, of listening to many communities including those in the Mid-West and West Coast, and of considering the importance of the issue when budget constraints are raised.

"At stake in this proceeding are our core values of localism, diversity, competition, and maintaining the multiplicity of voices and choices that undergird our marketplace of ideas and that sustain American democracy. With such important values at stake, we ought to give Americans access to our decision making process, we ought to rely on granular evidence and engage in studied analysis," he said.

At issue is the FCC's review of rules which seek to protect multiple voices and consumer choice in the media. These rules currently limit a single corporation from dominating local TV markets; from merging a community's TV stations, radio stations, and newspaper; from merging two of the major TV networks; and from controlling more than 35% of all TV households in the nation.

"As the Guild prepared statistics on how concentrated the industry had become, even our expectation of concentration was exceeded when we reviewed the ownership of cable and broadcast networks," writes Charles B. Slocum, Director of Special Projects at the Writers Guild of America. "AOL-Time Warner owns 17 major networks and a share in two others; Viacom owns 17 with a share in one other; John Malone's Liberty Media owns eight with shares in nine others; NBC owns four with shares in seven others; Disney owns eight with shares in two; News Corp owns five (not counting sports). The major cable and broadcast channels that can be counted as independent are the two CSPAN channels, two religious channels, and PBS. That's a lot of control in a very few hands."

Slocum points out that originality is one of the greatest costs of just a few companies owning many channels, noting that "The strategic incentive for the owner of a number of channels is to co-brand the channels, cross-market between them, and to repurpose programs, especially if the network owner is also the producer."

Rules which could potentially be relaxed under the pending review include:

• the NATIONAL TELEVISION OWNERSHIP RULE which prohibits one media conglomerate from owning stations which reach more than 35 percent of the total audience

• the LOCAL TELEVISION OWNERSHIP RULE which allows ownership of two TV stations in the same market only if that market has eight independent voices and one of the two owned stations is not among the top four stations in that market

• the LOCAL RADIO-TELEVISION CROSS OWNERSHIP RULE which permits media conglomerate ownership of up to two TV and six radio stations (or one TV and seven radio stations) only if there are at least 20 independent voices in the market. (including TV, radio, daily newspapers, and cable service)

• the NEWSPAPER/BROADCAST CROSS-OWNERSHIP RULE which prohibits common ownership of a broadcast station and newspaper in the same market.

• the LOCAL RADIO OWNERSHIP RULES which limit multiple ownership of radio stations in local markets.

• the DUAL TELEVISION NETWORK RULE -- which limits the major television networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX) in their ownership of emerging television networks.

"The FCC has initiated a proceeding that will lead to further dramatic changes in our media system," the Center for Digital Democracy emphasizes. "It's clear the FCC Chairman Michael Powell and the Bush-controlled Federal Communications Commission plan to end or weaken federal policies that have served as an important 'check and balance' system for much of our media. These changes will have an impact in every community in the US, where there will soon be even fewer owners of TV and radio stations, newspapers, and cable systems. Nationally, a smaller number of conglomerates will control most of the major media outlets. Given the Powell FCC's recent policy decisions on the Internet, the few remaining dominant owners of 'old' media will have their power extended to the new online medium as well. In short, this is a huge giveaway of public resources and political power to a tiny few. "

Among the questions which the Center for Digital Democracy suggests that the public consider when responding are:

• "In what way do locally owned and controlled media outlets-TV stations and newspapers, for example-more effectively serve their communities (versus chain or network-owned properties)?"

• "The Commission [FCC] also suggests that ownership limits may no longer be necessary to promote diversity of expression in the media. Do larger media companies indeed strengthen diverse reporting and analysis?"

• "Has cable television really contributed to program diversity, with real alternatives of genre and scope?"

• "In determining diversity, should the commission, as it suggests, count every web site and cable channel available? Or should it be more focused on the most powerful and dominant outlets?"

Sources/resources:

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (FCC) -- http://www.fcc.gov

THE WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA -- http://www.wga.org
_Reply Comments to the FCC -- http://www.wga.org/pr/0202/fcc-rebuttal.htm

CENTER FOR DIGITAL DEMOCRACY -- http://www.democraticmedia.org
_"Future of Public Interest in the Digital Age at Stake as FCC Proceeds with Plans to End Longstanding Safeguards" -- http://www.democraticmedia.org/issues/mediaownership/index.html
The site includes information on how to respond to the FCC.

MEDIA ACCESS PROJECT -- http://www.mediaaccess.org
_"Media Consolidation/Encouraging Diversity of the Electronic Media Overview" -- http://www.mediaaccess.org/programs/diversity/
_"Broadband Group Urges FCC to ensure consumer freedom on the Internet -- accessible from the top page

CONSUMERS UNION -- http://www.consumersunion.org
_"Executive Summary
Comments in the Federal Communication Commission Proceeding Considering the Newspaper/Broadcast Ownership Rule" -- http://www.consumersunion.org/telecom/fccdc1201.htm
December 3, 2001

THE NEWSPAPER GUILD -- http://www.newsguild.o- rg
"FCC Proposes Relaxing Rules on Media Ownership"

Arts Wire CURRENT -- http://www.artswire.org/current/2002/cur091702.html
September 17, 2002

presented by Independent Television Service, (ITVS) INDEPENDENT, LENS, a weekly primetime PBS series (Tuesday nights at 10 PM) showcases American and international documentaries and a limited number of dramas which explore the complexity of our world and its people. The first 14 programs will air from February 4 through June 3, 2003.

Films airing in February include:

MAGGIE GROWLS
Producers: Barbara Attie and Janet Goldwater
After she was forced to leave the workplace at age 65, Maggie Kuhn (1905-1995) founded the Gray Panthers. "Her outrage fueled a political chain reaction that left society's treatment of older Americans forever changed."

ON THIS ISLAND
Directed, written, and produced by Stephanie Slewka
"On an isolated Maine island of 350 people, a clash over arts education spins out of control into vandalism and death threats, tearing apart friends and neighbors. John Wulp, a former Broadway producer who retired to the island, creates an original musical about the island's life, attempting to heal the community's wounds through songs about lobstering, loneliness and the beauty of the sea. Narrated by Sigourney Weaver and featuring performances by three generations of islanders."

DOWNSIDE UP
Producer Nancy Kelly Co-presentation with WMHT/Schenectady
"How does a dying working class town end up betting its future on art? With 80% of its downtown buildings closed, North Adams, Massachusetts united blue-collar locals with art world luminaries to transform economic failure into America's largest center for contemporary art, MASS MoCA. A film by North Adams native Nancy Kelly, downside up is about the tentative, dangerous notion of hope in a city widely viewed as hopeless."

In March films to be aired will include" LOS TRABAJADORES/THE WORKERS (Director: Heather Courtney) and CHIEFS (Director: Daniel Junge; Producers: Donna Dewey, Henry Ansbacher)

For a complete schedule, visit http://www.itvs.org/independentlens/

The Museum of Modern Art: DOCUMENTARY FORTNIGHT

The Museum of Modern Art presents a two-weeks of international nonfiction film and video in over 30 programs of shorts, feature-length documentaries by both seasoned and first-time directors. A Tribute to the Director honors Indian filmmaker Anand Patwardhan; also featured are a trilogy of films by Chantal Akerman.

"The artists explore the documentary in a variety of ways: in Nicaragua, young prisoners learn media in video classes; in Harlem, students role-play against violence in video workshops; and in Africa, compelling narrative-driven stories and on-the-street interviews depict the lives of people coping with HIV and AIDS. Many of these national and international directors will be present to offer firsthand accounts of their documentary processes," the Museum notes.

The program is organized by Sally Berger, Assistant Curator, and William Sloan, Librarian, Circulating Film and Video Library, Department of Film and Media.

Among many others, works showcased include:

FOR MY CHILDREN (2001, Israel/USA)
Directed by Michal Aviad. "Contemplating the safety of her children in present day Israel, the filmmaker looks at television news footage and reflects on the family's history of immigration." In Hebrew and English with English subtitles

HITLER'S HAT (2001, USA)
Directed by Jeff Krulik
"On April 30, 1945, nineteen-year-old American G.I. Richard Marowitz was ordered to search Adolph Hitler's Munich apartment for military intelligence. All he found was a black top hat." Presented in association with the Robert Flaherty Seminars. Director present.

A HUNGARIAN PASSPORT (2001, France)
Directed by Sandra Kogut
"The Brazilian filmmaker must follow a convoluted path to reclaim her Hungarian nationality." In English, Portuguese, and Hungarian with English subtitles.

I CALL MYSELF PERSIAN: IRANIANS IN AMERICA (2001, USA)
Directed and produced by Tanaz Eshaghian Codirected by Sara Nodjoumi
"Framed by the Iran hostage crisis of 1979 and the World Trade Center attacks in 2001, this investigation reveals how Iranians living in the U.S. are often stereotyped, held responsible for anti-American activity, and become victims of bias attacks." Directors present.

THE INNER TOUR (2001, Israel/Palestine)
Directed by Ra'anan Alexandrowicz
"A group of Palestinian tourists from the West Bank visit their homeland for several weeks in 2000, and discover Israel to be both familiar and frightening." In Arabic and Hebrew with English subtitles.

LOSING IT (2000, USA)
Directed by Sharon Greytak
"Confined to a motor driven wheelchair, the filmmaker travels to Siberia, Italy, Hong Kong, Brazil, and New York, interviewing people with disabilities." English, Portuguese, Russian, and Italian with English subtitles. Director present.

MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN WAR (2001, Philippines/USA)
Directed by Camilla Benolirao Griggers, Sari Lluch Dalena
"A documentary based on one family's experience of U.S. foreign policy in South-East Asia, and the events that took place between 1899 and 1913 when over a million Filipinos died in the Spanish-American War." In Tagalog with English subtitles. Directors present.

TE MAC'TE ZAPATA (ZAPATA'S GARDEN) (2002, Mexico)
"Produced by indigenous videomakers from the Lacandon jungle region in Southern Mexico, this video tells the story of how reclaimed land is used to grow vegetables and to build a new society using collective principles." Print courtesy Chiapas Media Project. In Tzeltal with English subtitles.

RED LIGHT GO: ALLEYCAT RACING IN NEW YORK CITY (2002, USA)
Directed by Ben Barraud, Toby Barraud, Manny Kivowitz
"An intimate portrait of hard-core bike messengers in New York City that follows a select group as it prepares for a number of races unsanctioned by city officials." Directors present.

ROCKET EXPERTS (2002, USA)
Directed by Jane Steuerwald
"Based on a Fourth of July weekend spent with the filmmaker's family in upstate New York, the film captures the essence of the ties that bind a family together across generations." Director present.

SOME REAL HEAT (2001, USA)
Directed by Stefanie Jordan
"Six female firefighters in San Francisco talk about why they like their tough job."

For dates, times, more information, and a complete program visit http://www.moma.org/visit_moma/momafilm/doc_fortnight.html

The Museum of Modern Art is holding its Film and Media exhibitions in its temporary new home at The Gramercy Theatre on Twenty-third Street until the Museum reopens in Manhattan in early 2005.

ANCHORAGE FILM FESTIVAL

"....The flickering light of an illuminated screen---like the undulating glow of the Aurora Borealis---has way of soothing and inspiring our souls during this coldest and darkest time of Alaska's year. Whether you're a filmmaker on the verge of success or an accomplished veteran with another fascinating story, there's no greater film-loving public than the people of Alaska. We crave and support the art of independent filmmaking...." - Tony Sheppard AFF Director

This year's Anchorage Film Festival features, among many others:

Feature Films: LAST BALL; JOYFUL PARTAKING; KAATERSKILL FALLS; MACHINE HEAD; THE WEDDING COW

Short Films: ALCHEMY; ANIMAL MECHANIQUE; THE MAN IN THE PYJAMAS' THANKSGIVING; HOPE; PUDDLE JUMPER; THE SEA TURNS TO LEMONADE

Documentaries: THE HARRIMAN ALASKA EXPEDITION RETRACED; WELCOME TO NEW YORK; CHILDREN OF IBIDDA

Animation: HENRY'S GARDEN; STAR WARS ACTION FIGURES; GREEN TEA

Plus Super Shorts and Special Presentations including "Sundance Presents" ; "Vancouver Film School"; "Belgian Shorts Program"; "A Program of Iranian Films"; and "Bob's Shorts Throwdown #8

For more information, visit http://www.anchoragefilmfestival.com

FLORIDA FILM FESTIVAL CHANGES DATE TO MARCH IN 2003

The Florida Film Festival has announced a change of dates for the 2003 event. After 11 successful years in June, the 12th Annual Florida Film Festival will take place in Orlando on March 7-16, 2003. The shift places the festival at a time following the Sundance FILM FESTIVAL and THE MIAMI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL.

"Our weather in early in March is gorgeous. That time of year is also less crowded on the festival circuit. The move will allow us to continue to provide the community with a world class event, and will improve the reputation the Festival has built over the years by welcoming an even larger audience eager to enjoy great films and that famous Florida sunshine," stated Festival director Sigrid Tiedtke.

The Florida Film Festival showcases American Independent and Foreign Films. The Festival will include narrative and documentary features and shorts, animation, as well as a full array of forums, parties, and other special events. These events will be spread across the Central Florida area.

Florida Film Festival 2002 Jury Award Winners included Best Narrative Feature: TATTOO: A LOVE STORY, directed by Richard Bean; Best Documentary Feature: REFRIGERATOR MOTHERS, directed by David E. Simpson; Best Narrative Short: BUS 44, directed by Dayyan Eng; Best Short Film: THE COLLECTOR OF BEDFORD STREET, directed by Alice Elliot.

The Florida Film Festival has recently been accepted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a qualifying festival in the category of Short Films.

For more information, visit http://www.floridafilmfestival.com/

Resources:

THE MIAMI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL -- http://www.miamifilmfestival.com -- which next year takes place February 21 - March 2, 2003, is now under the directorship of Nicole Guillemet, formerly co-director of the Sundance Film Festival. The Miami Film Festival is presented by Florida International University and has a strong focus on Spanish language and culture films.

P.O.V.'S BORDERS - WEB-ONLY SERIES ON PBS ONLINE

In an online environment created by Web designer Vivian Selbo, P.O.V.'S BORDERS -- http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2002/borders -- looks at literal and metaphysical borders in our live in an interactive format which utilizes text, audio, video and viewer response to three narratives.

In LEAVING ELSA, produced by Bernardo Ruiz, three teenagers from the US-Mexico border were each given a digital camera to document leaving their home in Elsa, Texas: for Cecilia Garza, her first year in college; for dancer/dance teacher Kate Gandara -- whose family are also dancers -- preparing to go to college; for Gilbert Perales, who wants to be a senator, the idea of going to college, where to go, his family's reaction. The site has allowed for interaction and encouraged discussion of the issues and decisions the protagonists face.

BORDER SNAPSHOTS are digital essays on the idea of borders -- some commissioned; others contributed. In Alex Rivera's LOVE ON THE LINE, because in the 1990's a U.S. law was enacted which punished some legal immigrants for visiting their countries of origin, families meet along a beach, separated by a fence at the U.S.-Mexico Border.

In BORDER JOURNEY, filmmaker Hannah Weyer, who created ESCUELA, (recently featured on P.O.V.) uses the web medium to follow the Luis family through a year's cycle of migration. The video insets in this work create an intimacy which allows the viewer to experience episodes -- such as the long trip and the family being asked for identity at the California border -- almost as a participant in the journey

Many segments of the site are made available in both Spanish and English.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The Independent Television Service (ITVS) has announced LInCS 2003, (Local Independents Collaborating with Stations) a funding initiative which gives independent producers and local public television stations the opportunity to work together. In particular LInCS seeks regionally and culturally diverse projects which reveal universal themes through the lens of local perspectives and realities.

The program will consider single shows and interstitial packages and projects in any genre or stage of development. Independent film and videomakers are encouraged to contact their local public television station to determine whether the station is interested in collaborating, and public television stations are encouraged to solicit and entertain ideas from independent producers.

"By providing matching funds to partnerships, LInCS acts as a catalyst, helping independent producers leverage the support of stations, and helping stations to access the talent of independent producers, creating programs that speak to their communities," ITVS notes. LInCS funding ranges from $10,000 - $75,000 and must be matched.

LInCS guidelines and applications are available on the ITVS website at http://www.itvs.org

The deadline for applications is April 30, 2003.

Opportunities for Artists

"one of the Valley's most consistent and charming filmic delights" "Consistently ingenious, free-of-charge and conceived with an episodic flair perfect for folks with attention deficit problems" - Craig Outhier, Movie Scene, ARIZONA TRIBUNE

The 7th Annual Arizona State University Art Museum Short Film and Video Festival is calling for entries from artists from around the world.

An Annual Outdoor Film and Video Festival "to celebrate the artistic and creative endeavors of individuals with different visions and levels of experience", the Festival takes place on Saturday, April 19, 2003 - 8:00 PM.

The Festival is organized and juried for the Arizona State University Art Museum by Bob Pece, Southern California Filmmaker and John D. Spiak, Arizona State University Art Museum

The Festival is presented in VHS format. The deadline for entering work is February 14, 2003.

Complete details are available at http://asuartmuseum.asu.edu/home.html

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS, formerly published as a part of Arts Wire Current, are now an integral part of NYFA INTERACTIVE, the new NYFA Website. Please visit http://www.nyfa.org/current and click on "Opportunities for Artists" for complete listings.

To submit opportunities, visit http://www.nyfa.org/current click on "Opportunities for Artists" and then on "Submit an Opportunity". Paste the information into the online form.

CURRENT JOB LISTINGS, formerly published as a part of Arts Wire Current, are now an integral part of NYFA INTERACTIVE, the new NYFA Website. Please visit http://www.nyfa.org/current and click on "Jobs" for complete listings.

To submit jobs, visit http://www.nyfa.org/current Click on Jobs, and the click on "Submit a Job Listing". Paste the information into the online form.