At a film festival devoted to non-fiction works from around the world, the presence of a true documentary master is cause for celebration. Such was the atmosphere on Wednesday evening at the AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Festival, which honored documentary pioneer Frederick Wiseman with its annual Guggenheim Symposium (the Festival's equivalent of a career achievement award). Wiseman, who has been making controversial and thought-provoking films since the 1960s, is...

The SILVERDOCS International Film Festival, which is entering its final weekend, is by most s a very sober affair. After all, many of the films are about challenging subjects of human rights abuse, political exploitation, ecological ruin and the inhumanity of men and their regimes. But the programmers of the event have made sure to season this sober brew with some films whose premises are a bit "out there". However, instead of simply being comic relief for what is mostly a rather serious ...

  by Sandy Mandelberger, Festival Dailies Editor Coming to a climax after a week full of screening premieres, information sessions, special events and networking parties, the 2009 SILVERDOCS Documentary Film Festival, co-presented by the American Film Institute and The Discovery Channel, announced its award winners this past weekend, spreading the wealth amongst a diverse group of documentary titles. This year, the Festival screened over 120 films representing 58 countries and incl...

Nothing is more prized at a film festival than a World Premiere, the first go out of the gate of a film that can trace its origin to that very film event. It is what builds reputations for festivals and captures the attention of media professionals and press with special attentiveness. The Silverdocs International Film Festival, which ends on Sunday, has a good number of World Premieres to tantalize. Chief among them is tonight's Closing Night Gala screening of THE NINE LIVES OF MARION BARRY, a ...

Coming to a climax after a week full of screening premieres, information sessions, special events and networking parties, the 2009 SILVERDOCS Documentary Film Festival, co-presented by the American Film Institute and The Discovery Channel, announced its award winners this past weekend, spreading the wealth amongst a diverse group of documentary titles. This year, the Festival screened over 120 films representing 58 countries and included more than 1000 filmmaker and media professional attendees ...

  by Sandy Mandelberger, Festival Dailies Editor Nothing is more prized at a film festival than a World Premiere, the first go out of the gate of a film that can trace its origin to that very film event. It is what builds reputations for festivals and captures the attention of media professionals and press with special attentiveness. The Silverdocs International Film Festival, which ends on Sunday, has a good number of World Premieres to tantalize. Chief among them is tonight's...

 by Sandy Mandelberger, Festival Dailies EditorIn a theater full of documentary filmmakers and film lovers, the appearance of an eminence grise the likes of Albert Maysles is the equivalent of having a member of documentary royalty in your midst. Maysles, along with his late brother David, was responsible for some of the most iconic documentaries of the past fifty years and has served as a mentor to hundreds of filmmakers.Albert Maysles is widely recognized as a pioneer of “direct cinema” a...

  by Sandy Mandelberger, Festival Dailies Editor The SILVERDOCS International Film Festival, which is entering its final weekend, is by most s a very sober affair. After all, many of the films are about challenging subjects of human rights abuse, political exploitation, ecological ruin and the inhumanity of men and their regimes. But the programmers of the event have made sure to season this sober brew with some films whose premises are a bit "out there". However, i...

  by Sandy Mandelberger, Festival Dailies Editor President Barack Obama is, if nothing else, very telegenic.....the camera simply loves him and cannot get enough. This fact plus his historic ascendancy in a mere two years from junior Senator to the top political leader of the world is an astounding one that will certainly be the stuff of legend in years to come. But for the moment, we are living that legend and the media fascination on and surrounding Obama is electric. Afte...

  by Sandy Mandelberger, Festival Dailies Editor Perhaps it is only a coincidence or a kind of cinematic convergence that sometimes happens at a film festival, but the boxing legend Muhammad Ali is the subject (or at least the subtext) of several of the most anticipated films showing here at the Silverdocs Documentary Film Festival. The three-time World Heavyweight Champion and one of the most colorful sports figures of the past 50 years is the focus of FACING ALI, which recei...

The sports documentary MORE THAN A GAME, a tale of inspiration set in the hardknock basketball courts of Akron, Ohio, opens the 2009 edition of the SILVERDOCS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL, prior to its theatrical release in October 2009 by Lionsgate. Directed By:Kristopher BelmanProduced By:Harvey Mason, Jr., Kristopher Belman, Matthew Perniciaro, Kevin MannStarring: LeBron James, Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III, Willie McGee, Romeo Travis, Coach Dru Joyce IIScreenplay By:Kristopher Belman & Brad HoganF...

The SILVERDOCS Documentary Film Festival, one of the most prestigious film events devoted to the non-fiction form, has ed forces with UK's Channel Four BRITDOC Foundation (www.britdoc.org/goodpitch) and the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program (www.sundanceinstitute.org/docsource) to present the North American tour of THE GOOD PITCH, a co-production market initiative that will be part of the Festival's industry events this week. The initiative received over 300 applications, with the ...

  by Sandy Mandelberger, Festival Dailies Editor The sports documentary MORE THAN A GAME, a tale of inspiration set in the hardknock basketball courts of Akron, Ohio, opens the 2009 edition of the SILVERDOCS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL, prior to its theatrical release in October 2009 by Lionsgate. Directed By:Kristopher BelmanProduced By:Harvey Mason, Jr., Kristopher Belman, Matthew Perniciaro, Kevin Mann Starring: LeBron James, Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III, Willie McGee, Rome...

  by Sandy Mandelberger, Festival Dailies Editor The SILVERDOCS Documentary Film Festival, one of the most prestigious film events devoted to the non-fiction form, has ed forces with UK's Channel Four BRITDOC Foundation (www.britdoc.org/goodpitch) and the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program (www.sundanceinstitute.org/docsource) to present the North American tour of THE GOOD PITCH, a co-production market initiative that will be part of the Festival's industry events this...

For lovers of non-fiction film, it doesn't get much better than the SILVERDOCS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL, which begins its week-long love affair with documentaries next week. Boasting some of the finest achievements from the world of documentary film, the Festival is sponsored by the American Film Institute and The Discovery Channel. Its home base at the AFI Silver Theater, one of the finest arthouse venues in the country, brings even more allure to the ambitious slate of films. SILVERDOCS bring...

Two premieres have been announced to bookend the SILVERDOCS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL, which begins on Monday. The Festival opens with the U.S. Premiere of MORE THAN A GAME, a remarkable coming of age story about friendship and loyalty in the face of great adversity. Directed by Kristopher Belman, the documentary film follows the incredible rise (and occasional fall) of five talented young basketball players from Akron, Ohio. Led by future NBA superstar LeBron James, the film chronicles the se...

  by Sandy Mandelberger, Festival Dailies Editor For lovers of non-fiction film, it doesn't get much better than the SILVERDOCS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL, which begins its week-long love affair with documentaries next week. Boasting some of the finest achievements from the world of documentary film, the Festival is sponsored by the American Film Institute and The Discovery Channel. Its home base at the AFI Silver Theater, one of the finest arthouse venues in the country, brings even...

SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival announced its distinguished award winners, culminating the weeklong Festival activities that included screening 108 films representing 63 countries, free outdoor screenings and live performances, and a five-day concurrent International Documentary Conference attended by over 650 filmmakers, film and television executives and media professionals. Winning filmmakers received over $70,000 in combined cash and in-kind prizes. With a generally pe...

  Monday, June 23-----SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival announced its distinguished award winners, culminating the weeklong Festival activities that included screening 108 films representing 63 countries, free outdoor screenings and live performances, and a five-day concurrent International Documentary Conference attended by over 650 filmmakers, film and television executives and media professionals. Winning filmmakers received over $70,000 in combined cash and in-kind...

 Friday, June 20----The SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival has, in just six short years, become the festival for non-fiction film in the United States. With documentary films on the rise all over the globe, tackling every subject under the sun and even revealing some considerable box office muscle, this event has become ground zero for appreciating documentary works from the U.S. and overseas and track the trends for non-fiction media of the future.With the explosion...

The SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival has, in just six short years, become the festival for non-fiction film in the United States. With documentary films on the rise all over the globe, tackling every subject under the sun and even revealing some considerable box office muscle, this event has become ground zero for appreciating documentary works from the U.S. and overseas and track the trends for non-fiction media of the future.With the explosion of documentary work ...

Monday, June 18---------After a stimulating and chockful of quality program of 100 films from 42 countries over 5 days (not to mention s and master classes at the parallel International Documentary Conference), SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival announced its distinguished award winners at ceremonies at the AFI Silver Theater on Saturday evening. Winning filmmakers received over $55,000 in cash, goods and in-kind services. Award winners will have special repeat screenin...

Sunday, June 17---------After a stimulating and chockful of quality program of 100 films from 42 countries over 5 days (not to mention s and master classes at the parallel International Documentary Conference), SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival announced its distinguished award winners at ceremonies at the AFI Silver Theater on Saturday evening. Winning filmmakers received over $55,000 in cash, goods and in-kind services. Award winners will have special repeat screenin...

Friday, June 15-------With the accent on documentary production, financing and distribution here at SILVERDOCS, an announcement from the Sundance Institute regarding their own documentary lab initiative is particularly relevant. With many of the SILVERDOCS film having received their world premieres at the Sundance Film Festival in January, it is clear that Sundance has a large role to play in the development and disemination of non-fiction material.The Sundance Institute announced today the se...

  Wednesday, June 13-------We've all seen it in the movies.....a man or woman who has been in a deep coma suddenly wakes up and becomes a kind of savant about the thin line between life and death. It is fascinating stuff, and never more compelling when it happens in real life, and not just to Robert De Niro in the film AWAKENINGS. Four patients who made the incredible transition from comatose to consciousness are profiled in the film COMA, directed by award-winning documentarian Liz Garbus....