During last night’s State of the Union, President Obama called for a clean energy future, but then rattled off a list of our dirty energy past with clean coal and natural gas leading the pack. The films involved with Reel Power: Films Fueling the Energy Revolution uncover the truth behind these so-called “clean” technologies, showing the damaging effects of climate change on populations across the globe, and offering real energy solutions.

And for their efforts and artistry the films are being recognized in big ways!

It was announced on Tuesday that Gasland and Sun Come Up have both been nominated for Oscars. Gasland, about natural gas drilling and the threat it poses to the Marcellus Shale region of the eastern United States, is nominated for Best Feature Documentary. Sun Come Up, a story that follows the relocation of some of the world’s first environmental refugees, is nominated for Best Short Subject Documentary. Congratulations to directors Josh Fox, Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger!

Another Reel Power film receiving a distinguished honor this month is Deep Down: A story from the heart of coal country, which premiered on the Emmy-award winning PBS series Independent Lens in November. The filmmakers of Deep Down have received a major honor from the U.S. State Department in being selected for the American Documentary Showcase. The film’s participation in this prestigious cultural diplomacy program will draw international attention to the subject of mountaintop removal coal mining and community organizing in Appalachia.

These films are extending their reach and receiving critical acclaim, exemplifying the important role documentary films play in social justice movements. Join us and help educate your community by signing up to screen a Reel Power film today. Our film for February is Dirty Business, an exploration into the science and politics behind “clean coal.”

Queen Noor of Jordan and Documentary Director Morgan Spurlock Join First Jury

Today PUMA.Creative and Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation announced the launch of the PUMA.Creative Impact Award, a major new annual award to honor the documentary film creating the most significant impact in the world. This 50,000 Euro award acknowledges the film’s makers and will help the continuation of the film’s campaign work.

The PUMA.Creative Impact Award will be selected by a jury which includes Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan; Morgan Spurlock, Academy Award nominated Director of Super Size Me; Orlando Bagwell, Director of the Ford Foundation Social Justice Media Initiative; and Emmanuel Jal, musician and activist.

“Finally, an award which acknowledges the unique role documentary film plays in society” said Morgan Spurlock. “I am proud to be invited to join the first jury and I encourage documentary filmmakers everywhere to take a look at this initiative. It is really going to make a difference.”

“With a financial reward that encourages best practice in the filmmaking community, the aim of the PUMA.Creative Impact Award is to draw attention to the finest creative, social justice, peace and environmental filmmaking in the world” said Jess Search, CEO, Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation.”

Recent high profile releases such The Cove, Food Inc, Burma VJ, No Impact Man and The Age of Stupid will all be eligible to compete for the prize money as well as less well-known films that have had a large local effect.

“As individuals and as organizations, we are faced with some serious challenges today such as ongoing conflict, climate change, loss of biodiversity. None of these issues will solve themselves without intervention,” says Jochen Zeitz, Chairman and CEO of PUMA. “We, at PUMA, have chosen to intervene through film because it is the most powerful medium to reach mass audiences and influence opinion formers and will contribute to leaving a better world for generations to come.”

The call for the PUMA.Creative Impact Award opens on January 21 during the Sundance Film Festival. Anyone can put a film forward from any country-filmmakers, distributors, film festivals, partner organizations including NGOs and Foundations, film critics and journalists. Each filmmaking team must submit data demonstrating evidence of the film’s social impact and if shortlisted additional data and verifications will be requested. Films can be put forward any time up to three years after release (where the release is defined as first film festival screening, TV broadcast, cinema release or internet release).

Submissions close on April 1, 2011 when Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation will assess
applications and produce a shortlist to be assessed by an international Peer Review
Committee including: Carol Cone, Executive Vice President of Cone@Edelman; Diana Barrett, President and Founder of Fledgling Fund; Yvette Alberdingkthijm, Executive Director of WITNESS; Pat Aufderheide, Director of Center for Social Media, American University; Isabelle Schwarz, Head of Strategic Programmes at European Cultural Foundation; and Sarah Hunter, Head of UK Public Policy at Google.

Five final nominated films will then be put forward to the Jury for consideration. The
PUMA.Creative Impact Award will be given in London in October at the annual PUMA.Creative and Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation Gala and Awards Ceremony.

“Music is one of the few things that has the power to touch your heart mind and soul without your permission. This is why I choose to use this tool to pass my message to the world,” said says Juror Emmanuel Jal. “Film has the same power, moving pictures can tap into the senses, pull on the heart strings and communicate intense and detailed information to the viewer.”

Filmmakers interested in applying for the PUMA.Creative Impact Award should go to
www.britdoc.org/impactaward

The Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation, in partnership with the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program, are delighted to announce that the touring funding and networking forum the Good Pitch – will be returning in 2011 with expanded plans, including a third forum in New York City hosted by the Ford Foundation at their midtown headquarters.

The call for entries for the Good Pitch NY 2011 is now open and will close on February 18^th. The call is aimed at filmmakers of any nationality working on feature-length or hour-long independent documentary film projects which tackle important global and national issues and enhance our understanding of the world. For more information and to apply go to http://britdoc.org/goodpitch.

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2011 has started with a bang, as we celebrate our 10th anniversary with a new grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The grant will support a new residency open to the field of filmmakers and non-fiction media makers, intended to support strategic collaborations between non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and story-driven documentaries.

This one-year grant of $300,000 will enable us to research, design and facilitate a week-long residency built around one urgent theme. Following the residency, and supported by the grant, we will launch a high profile campaign between the filmmakers and NGOs dedicated to the thematic issue at hand.

The goal is to turn “competition” for space in the media landscape into unprecedented collaboration. These new partnerships will leverage multiple opportunities for audiences of social issue films to contribute to civic engagement and progressive public policy shifts. Stay tuned; we will be announcing details of the residency in the coming months.

Press Release in PDF.

Dates and Venues 2011
Session 1: May 15-21, Romania
Session 2: July 3-9, Italy
Session 3: September/October, venue t.b.c.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: MARCH 4, 2011
ESoDoc (European Social Documentary) is now accepting applications for their 2011 trainings. ESoDoc is a training initiative that takes up the challenge of bringing together the demands of different players now involved in documentary film-production. Their focus is on a special genre of documentary production that is particularly suitable for the new multi-platform world: documentaries that draw attention to human rights, social justice and environmental protection.

Last year, Working Films participated in two extraordinary ESoDoc trainings. At the Italy training in October, Robert opened the session with a look at how filmmakers can ensure their films have authentic impact. He was also among a group of experts that trained 22 participants on how to best present their project during pitching forums and at markets. The session ended with an actual public pitching forum held in cooperation with the University of Catania and with the financial support of the Regional Province of Catania. At ESoDoc India in Naukuchiatal last December, I led European and Indian filmmakers in a session on creating a dynamic film campaign to increase the film’s distribution, financing, and impact. This cross cultural and cross market retreat aimed to develop documentary projects that have a potential for the Indian and European audiovisual market and which succeed to respond not only to the distinct market needs of the broadcast industries in both regions but also – and especially – to respond to the communication needs of the NGO sector worldwide.

Learn more about ESoDoc’s upcoming opportunities and apply through their site.