Inaugural Docurama Film Festival
The Launch
June 27, 2006
Wild About Movies is happy to announce the launch of the inaugural Docurama Film Festival - a film festival devoted to DVD fanatics. Inspired by the unique, creative energy and exclusive “buzz” only experienced at a film festival, Docurama launched an innovative, home entertainment industry first with the Docurama Film Festival. Creating a new way for audiences to experience the excitement of a festival, anywhere, and at any time, on DVD, the Docurama Film Festival will feature a slate of ten astonishing, unforgettable films home viewers won’t see anywhere else and a host of singular tools to help deepen the viewing experience - a dedicated website featuring filmmaker Q&A’s, podcasts, an interactive “buzz” blog, a festival catalog and more. The Docurama Film Festival is already changing the way audiences view documentaries on DVD.
DOCURAMA FILM FESTIVAL II is scheduled for September 26, 2006.
The DOCURAMA FILM FESTIVAL will surely change the way audiences view documentaries on DVD forever.
Click on any DVD or Link below to watch a clip and/or to purchase.
The ten films now on DVD, featured in the just launched DOCURAMA FILM FESTIVAL, include:
LEGACY
As headlines blare about the shocking violence, rampant drug use and destitute living conditions found in our country’s poorest urban neighborhoods, it is easy to see how the American dream can be abandoned in the projects. Though it may often be abandoned, it is not forgotten, as evidenced by the Academy Award®-nominated LEGACY, Tod Lending’s unflinching chronicle of one family’s triumphant journey out of poverty and despair. Touchingly narrated by Nickcole Collins, a teenage girl wise beyond her years, the film follows the Collins family over five years as they slowly pull themselves out of a haze of poverty, drug addiction, and violence that plagues their public housing project in Chicago.
Stereotype-busting and open-minded, LEGACY paints the American Dream in honest colors to rousing effect. Improbably, the senseless killing of 14-year-old Terrell, a straight-A student and role model for the neighborhood, spurs the family to seek a better life against impossible odds. Nickole’s mother, a high school dropout, moves in fits and starts to find a meaningful job. Aunt Wanda, mother of Terrell and longtime crack addict, enrolls herself in a drug treatment program. And Nickole catapults herself out of the inner-city trap to a college degree and a comfortable life. It’s impossible not to cheer for these incredible real-life people as they cry and laugh, stumble and get back up again on their way to something better.
In LEGACY, award-winning filmmaker Tod Lending (Omar & Pete) does that rarest of things – he gives voice to the voiceless. And, Docurama’s DVD release delves deeper into the riveting story of the Collins family, following up the original film with deleted scenes, a filmmaker interview, a Collins Family Update, an interview with Terrell Collin’s murderer and a filmmaker biography.
BROKEN RAINBOW
Often thought of as a piece of America’s history akin to pilgrims, Native Americans are a group long forgotten by much of America. What has become of this vibrant group and the land of which they were once the sole occupants? Called “passionate” and “compelling” by The New York Times, the Academy Award®-winning BROKEN RAINBOW (Best Documentary, 1986) is the poignant tale of the forced relocation of 12,000 Navajos from their ancestral homeland in Arizona that began in the 1970s and continues to this day. Beautifully photographed and scored, the haunting film captures the sweeping majesty of sacred Native American lands and the people who inhabit them.
Although there is no word for relocation in the Navajo language, BROKEN RAINBOW bears witness to the machinations of energy companies and their government proxies as they eagerly cast aside the peaceful Native Americans to make way for oil, gas, uranium and coal exploration. In their own words, elders and outside experts discuss the rich culture and the history of the Navajo as well as their close friends and neighbors the Hopi. The film follows these Native Americans as they take their protest to Congress and join with the militant American Indian Movement, turning their tragedy into acts of heroic resistance.
Narrated by Emmy®-winning actor Martin Sheen and Oscar®-winner Burgess Meredith, BROKEN RAINBOW compassionately illuminates a modern Trail of Tears, giving voice to the conflicts faced by indigenous peoples who struggle to survive in the face of Western imperatives. To further deepen viewers’ understanding of the plight of the present-day Native American, the DVD release of BROKEN RAINBOW features interview updates, an event timeline and filmmaker biographies.
AGING OUT
While most young men and women approach their 21st birthdays with glee at being one step closer to the privileges of adulthood, reaching that milestone has a starkly different meaning for individuals raised in foster care. For them, it means they’ll soon be forced to be completely independent, and growing up in “the system” often leaves them with little means of support. But rarely are their stories ever told. Artfully directed by award-winning filmmakers Roger Weisberg and Vanessa Roth, AGING OUT chronicles the daunting obstacles that three young people in foster care encounter as they “age out” of the system, suddenly on their own for the first time.
Navigating the transition from adolescence to adulthood is challenging for even the most mature and privileged youth. For three teens in urban New York and Los Angeles, however, making the transition to independent living is considerably more difficult. Lacking family support, they are suddenly forced to fend for themselves with no job skills, meager financial resources, and little preparation to survive on their own. Following them as they become parents, battle drug addiction, cope with homelessness, and even end up in jail, Weisberg and Roth show how three teenagers use the resiliency they developed "in the system" to retake control of their lives.
AGING OUT is more than a dark chronicle of young people who move from foster care into the welfare, mental health, and criminal justice systems. This emotionally complex film is also a portrait of young adults struggling to overcome the scars of their troubled childhood in order to realize their dreams of independence and fulfillment.
An Official Selection of Docurama Film Festival I, the DVD release of AGING OUT features exclusive content that include two bonus shorts, “Case Closed,” and “No Direction Home,” and filmmaker bios.
DOING TIME: LIFE INSIDE THE BIG HOUSE
It’s a place almost anyone would do just about anything to avoid, but for the inmates of Lewisburg, a maximum security federal penitentiary, prison is home. Though they’ve become popular settings for prime-time dramas, what really goes on inside the country’s maximum security prisons remains a mystery to most Americans. Called “riveting and beautifully made” by the New York Times, the Academy Award®-nominated DOING TIME: LIFE INSIDE THE BIG HOUSE takes a hard-edged look at life inside the walls of a maximum security federal penitentiary in Pennsylvania, where rehabilitation and parole have all but been abandoned.
After gaining unprecedented permission from the Justice Department, six-time Emmy® award winner Alan Raymond spent five unescorted weeks inside Lewisburg. Focusing on several inmates -- including convicts serving triple life sentences with no possibility of parole, inmates convicted of leading prison riots, and drug lords -- as well as the corrections officers whose job it is to maintain the peace, this documentary details the often-shocking prison conditions and raises questions about the effectiveness of a term inside what is known as the “Big House.” DOING TIME offers a terrifying glimpse behind prison walls to a dark, secret place where prisoners carry “shanks,” and corrections officers defend themselves with riot gear -- a place few will ever forget.
A rare look at a strange, dangerous subculture, DOING TIME takes a first-ever look at the shocking world behind bars, where violence is a way of life and survival is the objective. The DVD debut of this compelling release is enhanced with an interview with filmmakers Alan and Susan Raymond and filmmaker bios.
OMAR & PETE
Although most people are terrified by the thought of prison, the thought of life “on the outside” can elicit an almost paralyzing fear from individuals who have spent most of their time in the regimented, restricted routine of prison life. Returning to a life of freedom outside prison walls can be an incredibly daunting task, and one that is difficult for those that haven’t experienced life in prison to understand. A “vivid, sobering portrait” that “packs a considerable cumulative punch” (Variety), OMAR & PETE is a compelling and highly personal film that examines the social, economic, and personal barriers two ex-offenders face as they try to reintegrate into their communities and families.
In and out of prison for more than 30 years, Omar and Pete are determined to change their lives. Upon release, both participate in the Maryland Reentry Program, which is designed to help long-term repeat offenders stay out of prison. Following the two long-time friends for several years after what they hope will be their final prison release, the film reveals two divergent paths as one wrestles with addiction and fear while the other finds success and freedom through helping others. An intimate and penetrating portrait, OMAR & PETE boldly exposes the many barriers to successful reintegration and the complex, often frustrating challenges that men who were formerly incarcerated face when reentering society.
Written, produced, and directed by Academy Award®-nominated and Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker Tod Lending, OMAR & PETE provides an honest and unflinching portrait of how challenging life on the outside can be for men who have lived much of their lives behind bars. The viewing experience is enhanced with deleted scenes, and introduces viewers to acclaimed filmmaker Lending with a filmmaker statement, interview and biography.
THE WOBBLIES
“Solidarity! All for One and One for All!” With that slogan, the Industrial Workers of the World, aka the Wobblies, took to organizing unskilled workers into one big union, and ended up changing the course of history. Along the way to winning an eight-hour workday and fair wages in the early 20th century, the Wobblies were one of the few unions to be racially and sexually integrated and often met with imprisonment, violence, and the privations of prolonged strikes. A critical darling, THE WOBBLIES spotlights this exceptionally powerful group, and its resounding impact on labor in the U.S.
This award-winning film airs a provocative look at the forgotten American history of this most radical of unions, screening the unforgettable and still-fiery voices of Wobbly members – lumberjacks, migratory workers, and silk weavers - in their 70s, 80s, and 90s. Eerily echoing current times, THE WOBBLIES boldly investigates a nation torn by naked corporate greed and the red-hot rift between the industrial masters and the rabble-rousing workers in the field and factory. Replete with gorgeous archival footage, the film pays tribute to American workers who took the ideals of equality and free speech seriously enough to die for them.
Directed by Stewart Bird and Oscar-winner Deborah Shaffer, THE WOBBLIES is a rare and challenging invitation to rethink both past and present through the eyes of an organization largely omitted from memory. The film takes viewers inside the organization, introducing them to high profile union members including "Big Bill" Haywood, Helen Keller, and "Mother" Mary Harris Jones.
Docurama’s loaded DVD release provides an even deeper look at the union, its impact and the acclaimed filmmakers with an interview with Deborah Shaffer and Stewart Bird, an interview with historian and author Paul Buhle, original recordings of IWW Songs, exclusive photo gallery and filmmaker biographies.
SISTER ROSE’S PASSION
In the wake of the heated controversy spurred by the release of Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ,” a fresh wave of anti-Semitism seemed to rip through the Catholic Church. However, this uproar was just another minor obstacle on the often-rocky path blazed by Sister Rose, a Dominican nun who made the battle against anti-Semitism her life’s work Nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Documentary, SISTER ROSE’S PASSION tells the inspirational story of this most unlikely activist and powerhouse who recently passed away, leaving a vital legacy to uphold.
Born in 1920, Sister Rose Thering, a Dominican nun and former Seton Hall professor, has blazed a gutsy path for more than 50 years, challenging authority and institutionalized prejudice in the Catholic Church. Drawing on her religious beliefs and abiding respect for humankind, Sister Rose has spoken out for tolerance and understanding even in the face of new challenges between Christians and Jews, including the firestorm of controversy that surrounded “The Passion of the Christ.”
In SISTER ROSE’S PASSION, award-winning filmmaker Oren Jacoby shows “how one person can change the world” (The New York Times) by capturing Sister Rose’s determination and unprecedented sense of right and wrong that has helped change the lives of millions of Christians. The Academy Award®-nominated film is accompanied on DVD by extras that include Sister Rose at Tribeca Film Festival, outtakes, a discussion with Sister Rose at her convent, a filmmaker statement and filmmaker biography.
THE FIRE NEXT TIME
Once a picture-perfect Western town known as the “last best place” in America, Kalispell, Montana is swept up in a firestorm of controversy when the future of their community is put on the line. Set against the backdrop of a raging forest fire, THE FIRE NEXT TIME is a biting portrayal of ordinary people divided – and united – by forces larger than themselves. When hard change comes to a bucolic Montana town, locals quickly choose sides in a nasty throw down over the environment, jobs, and the future of their community, driving some to extreme measures.
In Kalispell, a tinderbox of a town, an actual forest fire burns thousands of acres as a backdrop to a community torn apart by hate and competing worldviews. From an incendiary talk show host to a tolerance-preaching ex-cop, from anti-environmental activists burning a green swastika to Native American families fleeing mounting racism, THE FIRE NEXT TIME never flinches in its harrowing and eye-opening depiction of what human beings are capable of -- both good and bad. Filmmaker O’Neil thoughtfully captures a snapshot of western America in the raw, struggling – sometimes violently – over the complex environmental and economic issues that increasingly dominate the country. In this provocative and elegant film, the possibility of reconciliation emerges as a rewarding upshot to the ugly strife that pits citizen against citizen.
A pioneer in setting new standards for social issue films for over 25 years, O’ Neill is devoted to not only providing a voice to the voiceless, but to using their stories to bring about positive social change. THE FIRE NEXT TIME features an exclusive interview with O’ Neill and a biography.
THE POLICE TAPES
It’s 1976, and the South Bronx is in the midst of the worst crime spree in New York’s history. Capturing it all on tape are two acclaimed filmmakers, riding along with the police to fully document a city wracked by rape, gang warfare, murder, arson, and petty revenge. The Peabody Award-winning THE POLICE TAPES is a harrowing, real-life autopsy of the dangerous nighttime work of beat cops, as they try to contain a community coming unraveled. More uncensored than “COPS” and certainly much more perceptive, THE POLICE TAPES, directed by Oscar®-winners Susan and Alan Raymond, is genius verité, a probing peek into the dark underbelly of society.
In dramatically raw scenes, the officers of the 44th Precinct let the camera “in on every secret of society,” capturing explosive footage of a hostage situation, gangs strutting brazenly down the street, and murders impossible to solve. At the squad station and in the patrol car, cops candidly talk about their frustrations and fears in policing a ghetto plagued with not only violent crime, but also downtrodden people with little hope of employment or education.
A critical triumph, THE POLICE TAPES has been hailed as the grittier, real-life inspiration for “COPS,” “Hill Street Blues,” and numerous other police series and docs that have riveted audiences for decades. The eagerly-awaited DVD release also features interviews with and biographies for acclaimed filmmakers Alan and Susan Raymond.
FULL FRAME DOCUMENTARY SHORTS, VOLUME 4
This Official Selection of the Docurama Film Festival brings together another fascinating collection of compelling and delightful short films from North America’s most renowned documentary film festival. Featuring films from around the globe, this singular collection of shorts has previously only been viewed in theatrical festivals. But, now, home audiences can get in on all the “buzz.”
With the help of The New York Times and a board that includes Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Demme, Ken Burns, and Barbara Kopple, The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in Durham, North Carolina (www.fullframefest.org.) showcases over 100 ground-breaking documentaries over four days each year to audiences in sold-out theaters. Featuring six provocative and ingenious new films – never before released to DVD -- FULL FRAME DOCUMENTARY SHORTS, VOLUME 4 invites home viewers to relive the best of the fest, with the following short films:
MILES ABOVE (by Michael Welt) When the shuttle Columbia crashed from the sky it was documented from many points, largely by amateurs. MILES ABOVE stitches these pieces together and experiments with a bold, new form of storytelling, presenting the final moments of the Columbia’s reentry.
IN THE SHADOW OF EDEN (by Rachael Romero) In this spellbinding and haunting film, filmmaker Rachel Romero comes to grips with the abuse she suffered at the hands of her religion-fixated father while growing up in rural Australia.
GOOD MORNING YOKOHAMA (by Satoshi Ono) A visually poetic and humorous meditation that captures rush hour in one Japanese city as a horde of workers funnel through turnstiles and jockey for their position aboard trains.
SMALL TOWN SECRETS (by Katherine Leggett) Filmmaker Katherine Leggett deftly weaves together home movies, photographs, phone conversations and web cam footage to tell this personal story of growing up with closeted gay parents in a small Midwestern town.
CHEEKS (by Tal Sharon and Daniel Barcelowsky) Meet Joe Cheek: folk musician, retro-fashion plate and dedicated son of two paranoid schizophrenic fundamentalists. Part Edgar Allen Poe, part David Lynch, CHEEKS draws on our gothic fascination with families in decay.
GOOD TIMES (by Alessandro Cassigoli & Dalia Castel) Winner of the 2005 Full Frame Jury Award for Best Short Film, GOOD TIMES traces the evolution of Israel’s security wall that runs through the center of Abu Dis. Through candid interviews with Palestinian locals and Israeli soldiers, the film exposes the effect of the wall on their daily lives.
