Friday, September 19, 2008

Docs In Progress Trailer Night in DC September 26

It may be the night of the first Presidential Debate, but Docs In Progress will be sponsoring its own version of the democratic process on Friday, September 26. So program your DVRs and head to the Jack Morton Auditorium for our first-ever Trailer Night.

The DC-area film community and the general public are welcome to join us and the filmmakers as we screen six trailers (from 2-10 minutes each) for documentary works-in-progress. Following each screening, we'll ask for your feedback on the trailers and advice for the filmmakers as they continue to work on the broader films.

WHEN?
Friday, September 26, 2008 from 7:00-10:00 pm

WHERE?
Jack Morton Auditorium
(on the campus of George Washington University)
805 21st Street, NW (21st and H Streets)
Washington DC
Close to Foggy Bottom Metro and garage parking. Limited street parking free after 6:30.

HOW MUCH?
$5 suggested donation to cover overhead expenses (cash only, at the door)

WHAT'S SHOWING?
We'll be screening the following trailers (not necessarily in this order):

Murphy's Gambit: A Chess Hustler's Story
by Andre Dahlman

A DC chess savant must decide between living on the fringes as a chess hustler in the parks of the city or taking on the orderly world of tournament chess.

SPONG: Life and Times of a Radical Bishop
by Hugh Drescher

An Episcopal Bishop takes on old beliefs in fighting for the church's inclusion of minorities, women, and homosexuals.

Imani: a Story of Faith
by Taylor Baxter

Passing away before her time, the spirit of a 12-year old girl continues to leave an indelible impression on her family.

Nuclear Bonds
by Beth Humpert

Former enemies in Russia and the United States are living with the legacy of the nuclear arms race.

Go-Go: the Music of a City
by K. Dene Mitchell

What is Go-Go music and why has its popularity been confined largely to the DC area?

My Mother's Journey
by Sam Hampton

In the midst of the civil rights struggle, a woman moves from Alabama to Upstate New York only to experience a different kind of racism and her own awakening as a civic leader.

Audience members will not only have the opportunity to watch and provide feedback to the filmmakers onsite, but will also be able to show their support at the ballot box. We'll be sponsoring an audience ballot to select the film and filmmaker which is most deserving of a one-hour free consultation from the Docs In Progress team (excluding Sam Hampton from the ballot since he is part of our team).

A big shout out to The Documentary Center at the George Washington University for being the location sponsor for this event.

For more information, visit the Docs In Progress website at www.docsinprogress.org

Executive Positions at Silverdocs and the International Documentary Association

While Docs Interactive is not and never aspires to be a job posting board, we did want to share two rather high-profile job openings in the documentary world:

The International Documentary Association, based in Los Angeles, is now advertising for a new Executive Director to replace Sandra Ruch who left IDA in July to pursue private consulting work. You can find out more about the position here.

And right here in Silver Spring, Maryland, the SILVERDOCS International Film Festival is looking for a new Festival Director to replace Patricia Finneran who is moving on to become a Senior Consultant with the Sundance Institute's Documentary Film Program. You can find out more about the position here.

Saturday, September 06, 2008

Distribution Seminar in DC Area

Summer is over and Docs In Progress will be back in action with some brand new programs in the coming months. More on that soon, but first we wanted to share some information on an upcoming distribution film seminar taking place in the Washington DC area for both fiction and documentary filmmakers. While this one's not sponsored by us, Jerome Courshon has graciously extended a discount for Friends of Docs In Progress. Read more below.

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THE SECRETS TO DISTRIBUTION: Get Your Movie Distributed Now!

So you’ve made your movie. Congratulations! Or you’re going to make your movie. Excellent! What do you do to ensure the final step of your filmmaking journey, getting distribution? How do you play ‘the game’? Is there even a game??

The answer is YES. There is a game. A strategy. Whether you’re about to start shooting, have finished your final cut, are on the film festival circuit -- or even if you’ve been turned down by distributors already -- you CAN get distribution. It is not impossible, but there is a strategy that MOST producers & directors do not know or understand.

Where can you learn this? At producer Jerome Courshon’s groundbreaking 1-Day seminar,
“The Secrets to Distribution: Get Your Movie Distributed Now!”
http://www.Distribution.LA

Who should attend this seminar:
- Those with a completed movie
- Those in production or post-production
- Those who intend to make a movie -- Get a head start on what you need to know

Bottom line? This seminar is about getting results and getting the deal, with key resources provided. If you are serious about getting your movie into the marketplace, then you should not miss this day. This is NOT about self-distribution and making DVDs to sell them out of the trunk of your car or on the internet. This is about securing a viable distributor, whether you have a low budget / no budget movie OR a movie with names. Don’t spend years spinning your wheels, only to end with your movie collecting dust on your living room shelf.

“Without Jerome’s information and help, I’d never have gotten a studio distribution deal for my ‘no name’ feature. Not in a million years.”
-- Vince Rocca, Producer, “Kisses & Caroms” (Released by Warner Bros.)

“I’ve been a working actor for over 25 years and have relationships with many mainstream Distributors. When it was time to distribute my first feature film, I thought I knew it all. Jerome not only opened my eyes, but opened doors and on February 19th, 2008, my movie “Revamped” got released on DVD nationwide. Is Jerome’s Seminar worth it? You can’t even put a price tag on the knowledge and connections that you’ll get from his Seminar.”
-- Jeff Rector, Writer/Director/Producer, “Revamped”

DATE: Saturday, September 20, 2008
TIME: 10am - 6pm
LOCATION: NRECA, 4301 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22203

DOCS IN PROGRESS Friends -- SPECIAL DISCOUNT TUITION: Register before seminar date for $155, and includes all handout material. (Regular tuition is $175 in advance or $190 at the door.) Use this special link to register and get the discount: http://www.Distribution.LA/dip.html

For more info, visit: http://www.Distribution.LA
Or call: (323) 662-8877