February 27, 2014
#SHEDOCS: Online Film Festival Marches into March
Craig Phillips in
March marches in with the second annual #SheDocs, an online film festival showcasing 12 documentaries highlighting extraordinary women and their accomplishments in celebration of International Women’s Day and Women’s History…...
February 20, 2014
The Best of the Best Documentaries of 2013 Lists List
Craig Phillips in
[caption id="attachment_5364" align="alignnone" width="600"] 20 Feet From Stardom[/caption] It was a good year for documentaries. Maybe we say that every year, but 2013 felt particularly strong. How can anyone keep…...
February 14, 2014
Filmmaker Cristina Ibarra Explores Unique Debutante Ball in Las Marthas
Craig Phillips in Interviews
Cristina Ibarra's critically-acclaimed documentary The Last Conquistador had a national broadcast on PBS’s P.O.V., and now she's returning to PBS with Las Marthas, which premieres on Independent Lens Monday, February 17…...
February 10, 2014
Uncle Sam Wants (to Spy on) You: Domestic Surveillance in the USA
Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="270"] Edward Snowden in Moscow, October 2013 (picture via Wikimedia)[/caption] Spies of Mississippi, about a previously little-known chapter in the civil rights movement, comes at a time…...
February 07, 2014
Spies of Mississippi: Filmmaker Dawn Porter Tells Shocking Story
Craig Phillips in Uncategorized
Dawn Porter's first feature documentary, Gideon's Army, had an eye toward the future in telling the story of young public defenders fighting for justice. The film brought her a great…...
February 06, 2014
Update on Rocky Braat
Craig Phillips in Where Are They Now?
[caption id="attachment_5278" align="alignnone" width="594"] Rocky Braat (left) with Blood Brother filmmakers Steve Hoover and Danny Yourd[/caption] Those (many) of you who watched Steve Hoover's documentary Blood Brother on Independent Lens…...
February 03, 2014
Four Films Streaming Online for Black History Month
Craig Phillips in
While PBS kicks off Black History Month in fine style tonight with the broadcast premiere of the ITVS-funded American Promise, an independent Lens and PBS's Black Culture Connection have launched four…...
January 20, 2014
Blood Brother Filmmakers Chat About Personal Journey to India
Craig Phillips in Behind the Films
If ever a project was a "labor of love," it'd be Steve Hoover's documentary Blood Brother, which is about the journey his friend Rocky Braat took, both literally and spiritually.…...
January 16, 2014
Blood Brother Filmmakers to Live-Tweet During Broadcast
Craig Phillips in Uncategorized
When Blood Brother has its broadcast television premiere on Monday, January 20 at 10 p.m. [check local listings], the film's director, Steve Hoover, and producer, Danny Yourd, will be logging…...
January 14, 2014
Immigration Quiz
826chi in Test Your Knowledge
An always hot-button topic, immigration gets at the heart of who we are as Americans. Our immigration quiz is meant to test your knowledge of immigration in the United States.…...
January 10, 2014
At Berkeley: Reviews and Writings
Craig Phillips in Uncategorized
We've collected some of the best reviews and writings about Frederick Wiseman's magnum opus, At Berkeley It's a remarkable work that has inspired a number of prominent critics and film bloggers…...
January 09, 2014
A Look Back at the Films of Frederick Wiseman
Craig Phillips in Film History
The television premiere of Frederick Wiseman's At Berkeley, his 42nd film, seemed an especially apt time to introduce viewers who may not be as familiar with the prolific documentarian's previous…...