We are excited to announce the 8 film projects selected to be part of the 2009 Content + Intent Documentary Institute, Working Films’ Residency at MASS MoCA. We reviewed a number of extraordinary projects and faced a difficult decision narrowing it down to the 8 films that will be part of the residency, which takes place March 11-15^th in North Adams, MA.

Of the many amazing entries we selected those projects that we believe have the greatest potential to benefit from a collaborative workshop focused on creating intentional and strategic audience engagement; factors under consideration included submitted film footage, the written application and the diversity of subjects and timeliness of the issues. The following are the films selected and the members of the filmmaking team that will be representing each project:

The Campaign,  Christie Herring
Cape Wind,  Robbie Gemmel
In the Balance,  Ashley York and Susana Ruiz
Land of Opportunity,  Luisa Dantas
Made in India,  Rebecca Haimowitz and Vaishali Sinha
New Muslim Cool,  Jennifer Maytorena Taylor
Speaking in Tongues,  Marcia Jarmel
Split Estate,  Debra Anderson

We will announce more information on the program and Projections Film Forum shortly.

The Good Pitch is a unique opportunity for filmmakers to pitch social-issue documentary projects and associated campaign strategies to an audience of NGOs, foundations, campaigners, advertising agencies, brands and media. Last summer we co-hosted the inaugural Good Pitch at the BritDoc Film Festival, and had a spectacular time.

The Good Pitch at Hot Docs welcomes submissions from filmmakers of any nationality working on documentary projects with a human rights focus. There is no entry fee to apply and the deadline is  quickly approaching – February 20th, 2009.

Two additional gigs are slated for SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival, and IFP’s Independent Film Week, so check back for updates and more opportunities.

Read about Robert’s experience with co-hosting the Good Pitch last summer, and apply to participate in the upcoming one at Hot Docs!

Rhonda Bellamy, Festival Director of the Cine Noir Festival of Black Film has announced that the deadline has been extended due to several late inquiries. The entry deadline is now February 6, 2009. The festival will be held March 12-15, 2009 in Wilmington, NC, the third largest filmmaking community in the country. The juried and invitational festival showcases features, shorts, animation, and documentary films. Prizes of $500 will be awarded in each category, provided there is a minimum of three entries that will be screened in any given category.

Submission requirements and applications are available at their website http://www.blackartsalliance.org.

On a cold night in January while I was visiting NYC, I ventured out to the 92YTribeca for the screening of The Accidental Advocate co-hosted by us at Working Films, and our good friends at Chicken & Egg Pictures. 92YTribeca is a new arts and entertainment venue whose motto is, “Don’t just watch: Participate.” I can get down with that.

Before the film got started Judith, the Co-Founder of Working Films and Chicken & Egg, made an introduction and invited everyone to stay afterwards for a Q&A with two of the filmmakers.

The Accidental Advocate follows Claude Gerstle and his daughter Jessica as they explore the complicated politics of stem cell research. Claude, a surgeon and athlete, became paralyzed from the neck down after a tragic bicycle accident. The movie brought me into their lives and their wonderfully supportive relationship, ultimately sharing how personal experiences can lead people down the path of becoming a change maker. Instead of choosing to give up and accept the new circumstances in the face of a seemingly insurmountable obstacle, Claude and Jessica decided to research their options, talking with scientists, politicians, and religious leaders in search of hope.

The film was as informative as it was inspiring – before I sat down, I knew almost nothing about stem cell research. Scientists think that stems cells could be the key to discovering cures for things such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, arthritis and many other issues.

When the lights came up, Jessica, who wasn’t able to be there that night, sent a call to action to which the audience responded personally and politically in a way that was in line with the mood of the film. You can watch the video below to see a glimpse of the conversation.

The film is now playing in select cities across the country, so be sure to see it, and then check out Claude’s blog that he is maintaining on the films’ website.