Big Sky Documentary Film Festival has announced the official selections for their ninth annual event to be held in Missoula, Montana February 17-26, at the Historic Wilma Theatre.  The 144 film program, culled from nearly 1000 entries from all over the world will feature a free opening night screening of Matthew Akers's new film Marina Abramovi The Artist is Present (sponsored by HBO Documentary Films); a massive music sidebar of new and classic films and live performances (sponsored by The Aca...

 by Sandy Mandelberger, Festival Dailies EditorIn a theater full of documentary filmmakers and film lovers, the appearance of an eminence grise the likes of Albert Maysles is the equivalent of having a member of documentary royalty in your midst. Maysles, along with his late brother David, was responsible for some of the most iconic documentaries of the past fifty years and has served as a mentor to hundreds of filmmakers.Albert Maysles is widely recognized as a pioneer of “direct cinema” a...

The 9th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival - Images of the 21st Century (March 16-25, 2007)TRIBUTES TO DIRECTORSThe 9th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival - Images of the 21st Century, taking place within the context of the year-round activities of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, will be holding three tributes to important documentary directors. Barbara Kopple, Jon Alpert and the couple Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar will honour the Festival with their presence. A representative se...

Saturday/Sunday, November 25/26----The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has announced the "short list" of feature documentaries that will compete for Best Documentary honors at the 79th Academy Awards in February, 2007. The AMPAS Documentary Screening Committee viewed 81 eligible documentary features, shortening the list to 16 contenders. From this group will come the 5 films that will be compete for the final Best Documentary Oscar. Films on the "short list" include such r...

The Music of Raoul Midon Thursday, October 19----As the Turks and Caicos International Film Festival moved into high gear, a number of provocative and controversial films were unspooled on Wednesday, along with some special events that have already made the event memorable for its core of attendees. The difficult road for black rock-n-rollers is explored in the dynamic feature documentary ELECTRIC PURGATORY, directed by Raymond Gayle. Featuring early clips from such pioneer rockers as Little R...

Wednesday, October 18----The 7th Woodstock Film Festival, which wrapped this past Sunday, has announced its Audience Award winners for this year. Two virtual ties for the 2006 Audience Awards for Best Narrative Feature and Best Documentary saw the awards go to four films instead of two this year. The Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature was shared by AFTER THE WEDDING, a Danish film that was the Festival's Centerpiece Film and FORGIVENESS, an Israeli film by Udi Aloni. AFTER THE WEDDI...

DIXIE CHICKS--SHUT UP AND SING Monday, October 16-----Although the official Opening Night is not until Friday, with the hugely anticipated screening of Pedro Almodovar’s VOLVER, the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival actually began its ambitious program slate this evening, with a number of films being shown this week at the Festival’s year-round cinematheque, the Cinema Paradiso, as a preview of coming attractions. Screening on Monday evening was the hilarious mockumentary CHALK, ...

Best Documentary Winner BEYOND ERUV Sunday, October 15---The "fiercely independent" Woodstock Film Festival announced the winners of its Maverick Awards at a special ceremony on Saturday evening at the Colony Cafe. Eleven awards were given out to films in competition, as well as special tribute awards to distinguished honorees. The Maverick Award for Best Feature Film was awarded to director Julia Loktev, for her provocative DAY NIGHT DAY NIGHT. The film tells the story of a 19-year old girl, ...

Monday, October 9----Veteran documentary director Barbara Kopple will be honored with the Maverick Award at the Woodstock Film Festival, which opens on Thursday. She will be honored at a special Awards Ceremony on Saturday evening, with actress-turned-documentarian Rosie Perez giving Kopple her award honors. Perez co-directed her first documentary film this year, the autobiographical I'M BORICUA, JUST SO YOU KNOW! Rosie Perez Kopple, a double Oscar winner for her films HARLAN COUNTRY USA and...

Thursday, October 5----A documentary co-directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple on the controversial country-and-western group The Dixie Chicks, will have its International Premiere at the Turks & Caicos International Film Festival, a unique event that fuses film and music. The Festival opens on October 17 on the beautiful Caribbean island archipelago of the Turks and Caicos Islands. DIXIE CHICKS: SHUT UP AND SING, co-directed by Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck, follows the D...

Dick Cheney becomes the 44th President of the United States when George W. Bush, after addressing the Economic Club of Chicago, is assassinated outside a Chicago hotel, after a speech marked by l0, 000 demonstrators violently protesting nuclear brinksmanship policies in Iraq, North Korea and Iran. The date is Oct.19, 2007.This is the setting for the 93-minute fictionalized, controversial feature,”Death of a President”. The picture won the prestigious international critics (FIPRESCI) prize ...