The Good Pitch San Francisco starts off with an intensive two-day campaign development workshop led by Working Films for the selected filmmakers September 24-25. A day-long event on September 27 will bring together the filmmakers with NGOs, foundations, philanthropists, brands and other stakeholders to forge coalitions and campaigns that are good for all these allies, good for the films and good for the world.
Below are descriptions of the six selected projects and their award-winning directors:
American Village(Dir. Mary Posatko, Emily Topper)
1972: a father of thirteen is murdered in Baltimore, Maryland. Three boys are arrested, represented by a famous civil rights attorney, and acquitted. Traumatized and confused, the victim’s family flees, and never looks back. Now, amidst a family crisis, his granddaughter returns – to uncover the era’s brutal history, meet the men involved, and begin to heal her family.
Gardens of Paradise (Dir. Bernardo Ruiz)
A veteran reporter and his colleagues at an embattled news weekly challenge the drug cartels and corrupt local officials during a wave of unprecedented violence against journalists in Mexico.
God Loves Uganda (Dir. Roger Ross Williams )
In a journey that spans two continents, African-American director Roger Williams, son of a Baptist minister, explores the nature of belief – in America, where congregants search for spiritual meaning, and in Uganda, where American missionaries and Ugandan evangelicals struggle for the hearts and souls of a people facing dire poverty and tumultuous social change.
How To Survive A Plague (Dir. David France)
Using never-before-seen archival footage, How to Survive a Plague is the intense story of how AIDS stopped being a death sentence, and the improbable group of young HIV-positive activists who, though lacking scientific training, infiltrated the pharmaceutical industry to help develop effective, breakthrough medications. They saved millions of lives – including many, though not all, of their own.
The Invisible War (Dir. Kirby Dick)
The Invisible War is an investigative and powerfully emotional documentary about the epidemic of rape within the US military, the institutions that perpetuate and cover up its existence, and its profound personal and social consequences.
Turkey Creek (Dir. Leah Mahan)
Turkey Creek tells the story of a group of determined Mississippians who struggle to save their endangered Gulf Coast community in the face of rampant development, industrial pollution and disaster. Bridge the Gulf is a citizen journalism and new media initiative designed to help the Gulf Coast’s most marginalized communities convey their stories and their vision for the future.
The Good Pitch was created by Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation, in partnership with the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program. Support for The Good Pitch comes from Chicken & Egg Pictures, The Fledgling Fund, Ford Foundation, Impact Partners, Wyncote Foundation, CrossCurrents Foundation, Amnesty International and anonymous donors. Campaign support for filmmakers is provided by Working Films.
Eight documentary projects were selected out of hundreds of applications. The selected filmmakers and their projects are:
Gideon’s Army
Dir. Dawn Porter Gideon’s Army is the story of new public defenders working in the South. With long hours, low pay and staggering caseloads, many will not last. But now they have an advocate. Super-lawyer Jonathan Rapping, founder of the Southern Public Defender Training Center, is revolutionizing criminal defense by mentoring and supporting those who represent the people society would rather forget.
We The People
Dir. Soniya Kirpalani
United Arab Emirates, 2010: 17 Indians are given the death penalty for murdering 1 Pakistani. Further investigation reveals 1,785 more Indians languishing behind bars, 200 of whom face capital punishment. As Arab defense teams and India’s Lawyers for Human Rights challenge the Sharia Law Processes, We The People highlights the plight of migrant workers in repressive environments.
Who Is Dayani Cristal?
Dir. Marc Silver
An anonymous body is discovered in the Arizona desert. The only identifying feature is a tattoo reading ‘Dayani Cristal’. To unravel the mystery we must go on an epic journey beginning in a tiny Honduran village and ending in the corridors of power in Washington. Who Is Dayani Cristal? is a groundbreaking fusion of drama and documentary, starring Gael García Bernal, one of the most exciting actors of his generation.
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry
Dir. Alison Klayman Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry is an intimate portrait of an international art star during two tumultuous years of his life. A “dissident artist” in the headlines, an online god to liberal Chinese netizens, Ai Weiwei blurs the boundaries of art and politics. But can an artist change China?
Untitled Partners In Health Documentary
Dir. Kief Davidson
Partners In Health is a remarkable global public health organization, insisting on quality health care as a basic right. This film delves deeply into their methods and beliefs, exploring the controversial characters that refuse to ‘choose one life over another, when there is all this wealth in the world.’
Brooklyn Castle
Dir. Katie Dellamaggiore
Amidst financial crisis and unprecedented public school budget cuts, Intermediate School 318 in Brooklyn, New York, has assembled the best junior high chess team in the nation. Brooklyn Castle follows five young teens for one school year as they struggle, grow and challenge themselves both on and off the chessboard.
Not In Our Town III: Light in the Darkness
Dir. Patrice O’Neill Not In Our Town III: Light In The Darkness follows a community in crisis after the fatal attack of a local immigrant resident. Stunned by the violence, diverse community stakeholders openly confront the crime and the divisive atmosphere, and commit to ongoing actions to prevent future hate crimes and intolerance.
Crime After Crime
Dir. Yoav Potash Crime After Crime is the exclusive documentary on the legal battle to free Debbie Peagler from prison two decades after her connection to the murder of the man who abused her. The film premiered at Sundance 2011 and has been acquired by OWN. Debbie’s Campaign is the accompanying campaign designed to spark public awareness and changes in domestic violence law.
Check out the activity that happened on twitter during the Good Pitch:
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 InstituteDocumentary 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 18th. 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.
Working Films, in collaboration with The Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation and Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program, is delighted to announce the first West Coast edition of the Good Pitch, hosted by the SOCAP10 conference at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco on October 3, 2010 12:00pm – 6:00pm.
The Social Capital Markets Conference (SOCAP) is the world’s premiere social capital markets event. The conference highlights the growing field of social capital: people investing to create social change. SOCAP10’s goal is to make connections, to generate partnerships and to increase the acceleration of capital to social good. SOCAP10 brings together a unique mix of the world’s top social innovators – investors, entrepreneurs, donors and other thought-leaders – who are catalysts of change across the globe.
With SOCAP10 and Good Pitch acting as both leaders and connectors in the thinking around impact and investment, establishing a formal relationship between the two initiatives capitalizes on the major strengths of both events.
Eight fantastic projects have been selected for the Good Pitch at SOCAP10. These include three Good Pitch alumni, presented as case studies outlining what they have achieved since their first Good Pitch and pitching new project goals.
The impressive lineup comprises the following filmmakers:
Barefoot Revolution
Dir. Jehane Noujaim
Noujaim Films presents Barefoot Revolution , an intimate cinema verite film which follows the life-changing journey of six women from rural villages in Africa, the Middle East and South America to Bunker Roy’s Barefoot College in India where they will become solar engineers and return to install solar energy in their own and surrounding villages.
Inocente
Dirs. Sean Fine & Andrea Nix Fine
In America today, one in fifty kids is homeless. For most of us, they are invisible. The documentary feature Inocente delivers a rare glimpse inside the inspirational life of a homeless, undocumented fifteen-year-old artist in San Diego and the extraordinary challenges she must contend with on a daily basis.
Oil & Water
Dir. Francine Strickwerda & Laurel Spellman Smith
Oil & Water is the story of two boys coming of age in the middle of one of the world’s worst toxic disasters. Hugo fights for the survival of his Amazonian tribe, while David attempts to revolutionize the oil industry. Shot over four years so far, Oil & Water is a shocking and inspiring David & Goliath story.
The Revolutionary Optimists
Dirs. Nicole Newnham & Maren Grainger-Monsen
Children are saving lives in the slums of Calcutta. Using dance and street theater, Amlan Ganguly empowers children to become change agents, transforming their neighborhoods with dramatic results. This film has inspired the multi-platform Map Your World, putting the power of mobile technologies into the hands of kids, enabling them to map, track, and improve health in their own communities.
To Be Heard
Director: Roland Legiardi-Laura & Edwin Martinez
To Be Heard is the story of 3 high-school students who find their way into a dangerous poetry workshop in the South Bronx. It is a film about lives and language on the edge. The associated engagement campaign, Power Poetry, will be the world’s first mobile and online poetry community for youth where creative energies convert social networking into social activism.
The three returning Good Pitch alumni are:
25 to Life
Dir. Michael Brown
William Brawner was infected with HIV before he turned two and kept it a secret for over twenty years. Now he struggles to confront his promiscuous past and embarks on a new phase of life with his pregnant wife, who is HIV Negative. 25 to Life is a startling and critical look at HIV and AIDS in America, through the intimate perspective of a family and community that has been affected by one man’s diagnosis.
Green Shall Overcome
Dir. Megan Gelstein
Green Shall Overcome (working title) follows Van Jones, the controversial environmental activist. Jones has a dream for America: social justice through green jobs. Handpicked by the Obama Administration to help create a new “green” energy policy for the nation, his vision collides with the partisan politics of Washington. Set against the backdrop of hope and possibility that accompanied Obama into the White House, this film will offer a unique, first-hand vantage on the challenges of changing the status quo – even as a special advisor to the president.
Out in the Silence
Dirs. Joe Wilson & Dean Hamer
Out in the Silence is more than a movie; it’s part of the growing movement for justice and equality in rural and small town America. Based on the story of a brutal gay bashing of a 16-year-old boy in the filmmaker’s small Pennsylvania hometown, the OITS community engagement campaign has emerged as a compelling, proactive model for grassroots activism and civic participation, helping to build bridges rather than walls on issues that have divided our communities for far too long.
Working Films, in collaboration with The Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation and Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program, is delighted to announce the second edition of the London Good Pitch UK. The Good Pitch UK will take place at the spectacular Royal Institution of Great Britain on September 10th. The event is made possible by the generous support of Amnesty International, The Co-operative, Edelman, PUMA.Creative, and The Wellcome Trust.
Working Films is providing early campaign development for the accepted films; a number of the filmmakers attended our Films for Good workshop in July, co-presented with C4 BRITDOC.
The selected filmmakers continue the high standard set by all Good Pitch presentations, and include Jennifer Arnold (A Small Act), Penny Woolcock (On the Streets), Hugh Hartford (Ping Pong), Elinyisia Mosha (Anatomy of Poverty), David Sington (The Flaw), Rachel Seifert (Not on the Label), Heather Leach (Dancing With Hugo Boss) and Amir Amirani (We are Many).
Whew, just back from Washington DC and the Good Pitch @ Silverdocs, where it was hot hot hot – both inside the Performing Arts Center with an amazing lineup of films and responses from funders, NGOs, and strategists, and outside, where the temp hovered around 99. Jess Search, of C4 BRITDOC, set up a time lapse camera to capture the day:
The call for submissions for the Good Pitch Forum at Silverdocs 2010 is open! The Good Pitch is a one-day forum set to take place during the Festival (June 22-27, 2010), bringing together specially selected foundations, NGOs, social entrepreneurs, brands and broadcasters to maximize the impact and create powerful alliances around groundbreaking films.
The Good Pitch is a project of The Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation in partnership with the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program. It is made possible by The Fledgling Fund, Chicken & Egg Pictures, Tides Foundation and anonymous donors, with campaign development for filmmakers provided by Working Films on June 19-20.
Eight extraordinary projects have been selected to pitch on September 8th with the following filmmakers: Antony Butts (After the Apocalypse), Lesley Katon (A Very Dangerous Man), Dan Edelstyn (How to Re-Establish a Vodka Empire), Hannan Majid & Richard York (Mass e Bhat), Rosa Rogers (Casablanca Calling), Mat Whitecross (Moving to Mars), Morgan Matthews (Seventeen) and Jerry Rothwell (Town of Runners).
We are expecting an equally outstanding line up of organizations to make the event spectacular. Organizations who have already confirmed include: ACEVO, ActionAid, Amnesty International, CAFOD, CND, Fairtrade Foundation, Institute of Development, London Council, NCVYS, One.org, Skoll Centre for Entrepreneurship, Sport England, TRAID, War on Want, UNHCR, UNICEF, Antigone, Ashoka, Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, OSI, Rothschild Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Babelgum, BBC, Channel 4, Google, Yougov, Guardian Films and Freuds.
Find our more about the event, eight projects, and participating organizations from BRITDOC.
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).
The Good Pitch
