Editor

Full Frame Documentary Film Festival (April 12-15, 2007) brings the web to the big screen as part of its special programming called . This new addition to Full Frame’s lineup will bring attention to the innovative work being created by users of the internet and shed light on the places and subjects documentary is moving toward on-line.

“Full Frame has decided to dive into the online doc experience and bring the festival's critical expertise to this challenge,” reflects festival founder, CEO and Artistic Director Nancy Buirski,
“For many reasons these videos are not necessarily seen as art work, they are often viewed as independent, personal expressions or means of communication. We thought it would make a terrific starting point for a conversation about what the impact this phenomenon will have on the documentary as an art form, as a tool for political and social awareness, and a catalyst for social change.”

To jumpstart that conversation, The New York Times, a Presenting Sponsor of Full Frame, will present a TimesTalks panel at the festival entitled “Video on the Web: Inventing the Future” to discuss what’s next for user-generated content as well as institutional videos created for the web. David Carr, a general assignment reporter for the culture section of The New York Times is scheduled to moderate the panel. A reporter whose incisive column for the paper's Monday Business section focuses on media issues, Carr also writes a popular blog called "The Carpetbagger," covering developments leading up to the Oscars, accompanied by a weekly video report.

“Navigating this new world takes time and the willingness to reach out into not only the well-known sites, but some of the up and coming ones as well. Each has its own community which becomes--and is reflected in--the documentaries. We wanted to share the diversity and spirit of this burgeoning society." comments Buirski. The selection committee was comprised of Full Frame’s programming staff, the coordinating producer for PBS-TV’s P.O.V., a documentary filmmaker, and the head programmer of Docurama. The approximately hour-long

lineup of will feature fifteen online documentaries. In order to preserve the online experience of audience choice, Full Frame has culled documentaries from a wide variety of sites including personal video blogs (vlogs), YouTube, CurrentTV, and AtomFilms among others.

Following the festival, Docurama will release the collection on DVD. “The next generation of great filmmakers is being born right now, right here on the web,” states Steve Savage, president of Docurama’s parent company, New Video Group, “We are pleased to be part of Full Frame's initiative to be among the first to search out, recognize and find these new films and their creators.”

Lauded by local, national, and international outlets for its programming, the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is the choice for many filmmakers for World Premieres and special sneak previews. Over the past nine years the festival has grown and now features four full days of over 100 films, panels, industry events and special programs.


The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is scheduled for April 12 -15, for more information visit: www.fullframefest.org