Television

As Sundance Sells to Cablevision, Filmmakers Ponder the Future

mike — Wed, 07 May 2008 22:30:51 -0500

The Sundance Channel was scooped up by Cablevision's Rainbow Media for $496 million on May 7. That division of Cablevision also owns the IFC Channel, AMC, Fuse, and We. In announcing the deal, officials took pains to quash speculation that Cablevision would combine IFC and Sundance, the channel founded in 1996 by Robert Redford and partially owned by Redford, General Electric's NBC, and CBS Corp.

How to Get a Short on Logo

mike — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 14:23:58 -0600

Grassroots filmmakers are always looking for mainstream distribution, and short films often have a particularly tough time gaining exposure. Which is why the success of the Logo Network’s short-film programming is welcome news. Two years ago, Logo, which is basically MTV’s gay cousin, launched The Click List: The Best in Short Film, a weekly show featuring an eclectic mix of stories.

Voices from Issues Past

khards — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0500

What happened at AIVF over the last 30 years?

AIVF: And What it Meant to Me

khards — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0500

I first became aware of AIVF when Martha Gever was editor of The Independent. I marveled at this national organization that put out each month a magazine chock full of weighty, intellectual and critical articles on film and video.

Hell or High Water

marla — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0600

In 1998, I joined the production team of Julie Gustafson’s Desire, a documentary about teenage girls from three diverse New Orleans neighborhoods. Funded by both local and outside foundations, Desire was one of the first in New Orleans to create paid opportunities for local documentary makers. As a member of Julie’s crew, I met many independent filmmakers working in the city, and my short stint on the project turned into a long-term relationship with New Orleans. I visited many times over the next eight years to see filmmaking friends and to hear about their projects.

How Far We've Come

marla — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0600

In 1988, 19-year-old Joanna Katz and her friend were abducted at gunpoint by five men who took turns raping, beating, and torturing them. Joanna managed to escape and later testified in the trials that led to the sentencing of all five men to 30 to 35 years in prison.

Making it on public TV

RossiF — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0600

Dear Doc Doctor:
How can I get my work onto public television?

The BBC Bully

marla — Fri, 01 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0500

Nick Fraser’s career has been a constant battle between “what I will and won’t do for television,” says the 57-year-old series editor of the BBC’s international documentary showcase “Storyville.” A kind of documentary filmmaking godfather, Fraser is able to fund dozens of films each year, but he’s waged a war on media bias—whether that’s what he se

Room for INPUT

marla — Fri, 01 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0500

The International Public Television (INPUT) conference was hosted this year by Independent Television Service (ITVS). Held in a different country (and hosted by a different public media outlet) each year, INPUT serves public television executives and

independent producers from around the planet through screenings and discussions about some of the most innovative and controversial programming being done today.

How much should I hustle?

RossiF — Fri, 01 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0600

Dear Doc Doctor:

My film projects and ideas are well-suited for public television. But as an independent filmmaker I can’t envision my work fitting into pre-formatted programs. Do I have any options besides just selling a finished film?