Working Films puts socially conscious films together with target audiences

By Lewis Beale StarNews Correspondent Robert West was working as a film programmer at Charlotte’s Mint Museum when he became increasingly interested in documentaries with a social context – films about race, health care, women’s and gay rights – because “they seemed to be the most powerful stories. I would watch 200 people in a … Continued

Filmmakers Think about Distribution Creatively

We know that filmmakers are looking for new ways to think about distribution. We hear it on our consultations, at film festivals and our residencies that we host. We often hear questions like: “Should I consider a non-exclusive agreement with a distributor?”, “How can I use Facebook and YouTube to release my film?”, and of … Continued

Outstanding Filmmaker Honored: Marco Williams

We’d like to congratulate filmmaker Marco Williams who has been selected by the Organization of American Historians to receive the 2009 Erik Barnouw Award, which is given annually for outstanding reporting or programming on network or cable television, or in documentary film, concerned with American history, the study of American history, and/or the promotion of … Continued

The Good Pitch at Hot Docs

We’re excited to share an announcement of the films in the first Good Pitch North America. Held on May 7, 2009, in Toronto at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, the Good Pitch North America is a partnership between Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation and the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program, generously supported by the Fledgling … Continued

Images of the Institute

Although we wrapped up the Content +Intent Documentary Institute just under a month ago, I wanted to take a moment to share some photos from the event in the hopes of giving you a glimpse into the inner workings of the residency and, if you are a filmmaker, peak your interest in participating in future … Continued

The Good Pitch Comes to SILVERDOCS – Call for Entries

The second stop for The Good Pitch in North America will be at SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival June 18-22nd, near Washington, D.C. The Good Pitch at SILVERDOCS is now open for submissions. The deadline is Monday, March 16, 2009. The Good Pitch is a unique opportunity for filmmakers to pitch social-issue documentary projects and … Continued

Announcing the 2009 Content + Intent Documentary Institute Participants

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 … Continued

Women’s Power Exemplified: Pray the Devil Back to Hell opens in NYC

One of our newest projects is Pray the Devil Back to Hell, a film by Abigail Disney and Gini Reticker. This award winning film chronicles the remarkable story of the courageous Liberian women who came together across faith to end a bloody civil war and bring peace to their shattered country. We are so excited … Continued

Call for Entries: Ninth Annual Media That Matters Film Festival!

“The Media That Matters Film Festival…is unlike most in its insistence on community screenings through the world. The stories are humane, emotionally rich and often humorous despite the heavy subject matter.” – The Indypendent Media That Matters is the premier showcase for short films with big messages. Following a New York City Premiere, Awards Ceremony … Continued

Out of Your Seats and Into the Streets

This week ABCNews.com featured a story on a passionate crop of documentarians touring city-to-city with their films – taking it to the streets and to the right audiences. It’s about niche marketing, identifying strategic partners, taking the film to its most interested audience,’ Robert West of Working Films told ABCNews.com. Read the full article to … Continued