| News & Links | Thursday at SILVERDOCS SILVERDOCS

Thursday at SILVERDOCS

THURSDAY AT SILVERDOCS: ALBERT MAYSLES HONORED AT GUGGENHEIM SYMPOSIUM Silver Spring, Maryland, June 18, 2009—The Charles Guggenheim Symposium celebrates the legacy of Charles Guggenheim, the late multi-Academy Award winning documentary filmmaker, in honor of his contributions to our culture and commitment to cinematic excellence and freedom of expression. This year, SILVERDOCS is honoring Albert Maysles, widely recognized as a pioneer of "direct cinema" and regarded as one of America's foremost non-fiction filmmakers. With a career spanning over five decades, Albert’s work covers the most iconic figures of our time – from The Beatles to Truman Capote, Marlon Brando to Muhammad Ali, among many others. His vast and impressive body of work includes the acclaimed PRIMARY (1960), which he co-directed with Robert Drew, about the Democratic primary election campaigns of Kennedy and Humphrey; SALESMAN (1968), the quintessential portrait of four door-to-door Bible salesmen from Boston; GIMME SHELTER (1970), the dazzling portrait of Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones on their American tour which culminated in a killing at the notorious concert at Altamont; and GREY GARDENS (1976), which captures the idiosyncratic relationship of the Beales, a mother and daughter living secluded in a decaying East Hampton mansion. Artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude and Academy Award-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple pay tribute to Maysles’ prolific and storied career followed by an in-depth conversation between Maysles and Entertainment Weekly film critic Lisa Schwarzbaum.

WHAT: Guggenheim Symposium

WHO:

Albert Maysles, Honoree Filmmaker
Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Artists
Barbara Kopple, Academy Award-winning filmmaker
Grace Guggenheim, Filmmaker, Guggenheim Productions
Sky Sitney, SILVERDOCS Artistic Director
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly film critic, Moderator

WHEN: Thursday, June 18, 2009 6:15 p.m. Press Check-In 6:30 p.m. Photo Op 7:00 p.m. Guggenheim Symposium

WHERE: AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD Space is limited for the symposium and reception. Not all media can be accommodated. Media wishing to attend event or participate in the photo op should RSVP to Emily Maddox at efm245@nyu.edu.

OTHER THURSDAY EVENTS:

11.00 a.m. SILVERDOCS presents SUPERMEN OF MALEGAON, a terrifically fun feature documenting the making of a low-budget interpretation of Superman, infused with the local culture of Malegaon, India. Disasters beset the cast and crew, and one obstacle after another threatens to derail production. Showing with THE REAL PLACE.

11:30 a.m. SILVERDOCS Conference—Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein, Co-Directors of NO IMPACT MAN, present a panel discussion HOW GREEN IS GREEN: DO FILMMAKERS HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY? Panelists explore the transition to sustainable filmmaking, ensuring that filmmakers “walk the walk” as films increasingly engage in environmental issues.

12:00 p.m. SILVERDOCS presents “CULTURE CLASH,” a free showing of four short films, including BRONX PRINCESS, THE FIRST KID TO LEARN ENGLISH FROM MEXICO, ME BRONI BA (MY WHITE BABY), and TEAM TALIBAN.

12:15 p.m. SILVERDOCS presents SALESMAN, as part of a retrospective honoring this year’s Guggenheim filmmaker Albert Maysles. This landmark documentary follows four Boston bible salesmen as they struggle to make a living. As the pressure of the job bears down, the film reveals the dark underside of the American Dream. Q&A with Albert Maysles after the screening.

12:30 p.m. Filmmaker Alexander Olch presents THE WINDMILL MOVIE, a complex portrait of celebrated artist and documentarian, Richard P. Rogers, whose death led Olch, a former student of Rogers, to excavate his archives and piece together the more than 20 years’ and 200 hours’ worth of footage.

1:15 p.m. Filmmaker Kimberly Reed present PRODIGAL SONS, an absorbing and unpredictable family drama featuring director Kimberly Reed’s journey home to small-town Montana to reconcile with her estranged adoptive brother. The story evolves into a surprising meditation on gender, sibling rivalry, mental illness and cinematic royalty.

1:30 p.m. Filmmakers Magnus Gertten and Elin Jönsson present the North American Premiere of LONG DISTANCE LOVE, the story of a newlywed young man, Alisher, in Osh, Kyrgyzstan, who, faced with unemployment, heads to Moscow, where nothing goes according to plan, while his wife stays behind with her new in-laws.

2:00 p.m. SILVERDOCS Conference—STUDENT PITCH: THE NEXT GENERATION OF STORYTELLERS HIT THE BIG LEAGUES. Students from top graduate film present their projects to a distinguished panel of commissioning editors, distributors, and executive producers.

2:15 p.m. Filmmaker Peter Kerekes presents COOKING HISTORY, his innovative film re-imagining Europe’s troubled past through the unheralded culinary workers who “catered” some of the pivotal armed conflicts of the modern era. Punctuated by recipes, cooking demonstrations and interviews, this record of the quotidian details of military cuisine underscores the futility—and unfortunate persistence—of ethnic and political warfare.

2:30 p.m. SILVERDOCS Landon van Soest presents GOOD FORTUNE, which examines the persistence of poverty in Africa despite western aid. The film examines two multi-million dollar international aid projects that may actually be undermining the very communities they seek to help. Showing with CHINA’S WILD WEST.

2:45 p.m. SILVERDOCS presents “LOST AND FOUND,” six short films, including LEFT BEHIND (WAS ÜBRIG BLEIBT), POCKETS, POSTE RESTANTE, PRESIDIO MODELO, SALT, and STEEL HOMES.

3:30 p.m. Filmmaker Marshall Curry present RACING DREAMS, a rousing look at youth, passion and tricked-out go-karts. Oscar-nominated director Marshall Curry (STREET FIGHT) profiles three unforgettable pre-teen speedsters as they dream of professional racing stardom while competing in the World Karting Association championships.

3:45 p.m. SILVERDOCS Conference—Master Class: MUSIC. We have asked three composers in totally different genres - classical, experimental, and alternative instrumentation - to score a clip from our SILVERDOCS-featured short, SALT by Directors Michael Angus and Murray Fredericks. The composers will reveal their scores at the Master Class and discuss their approaches. Moderated by Elizabeth Blair, Senior Producer / Reporter NPR News Arts Information Unit.

4:30 p.m. Filmmakers Lucy Bailey present MUGABE AND THE WHITE AFRICAN, told through the lens of 74-year-old white farmer Michael Campbell and his family, exploring Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe’s deeply controversial land seizure program. Post-screening panel featuring the filmmakers, moderated by Peter Godwin, former BBC foreign correspondent and author of When a Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa.

4:45 p.m. Filmmakers Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein present NO IMPACT MAN, which tells the story of Colin Beavan, a New York City resident determined to trim his environmental impact to zero and get his family on board. Post-screening discussion moderated by Award-winning NPR national correspondent Daniel Zwerdling featuring filmmakers and film subject, Business Week senior writer Michelle Conlin.

5:00 p.m. SILVERDOCS presents THIRD COAST INTERNATIONAL AUDIO FESTIVAL: THE TIES THAT BIND. A series of famous documentary audio segments on radio and the internet, curated by the TCIAF for the 2009 Third Coast Filmless Festival. With intro and post-listening discussion with producers Shea Shackelford and Erin Davis, moderated by TCIAF Artistic Director Julie Shapiro.

5:30 p.m. SILVERDOCS presents DOC TALK: CINEMA VERITE FILMMAKING WITH R.J. CUTLER, a discussion of Cutler¹s work as a cinema verite filmmaker and pioneer in non-fiction television programming. Work to be discussed includes The September Issue, Thin, A Perfect Candidate, The War Room, American High, Freshman Diaries, The Residents and 30 Days.

6:00 p.m. Filmmaker Peter Esmonde presents TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION, an intriguing sonic biography of Trimpin—composer, instrument inventor, installation artist and engineering savant—as he plans a new performance piece with the esteemed Kronos Quartet. Post screening discussion featuring filmmaker Peter Esmonde and subject Trimpin.

7:00 p.m. SILVERDOCS presents the GUGGENHEIM SYMPOSIUM, honoring legendary documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles. See advisory lead for details.

7:00 p.m. SILVERDOCS presents “Intimate Encounters,” a program of four short films, including BITCH ACADEMY (KAK STAT STERVOY), BYE BYE C'EST FINI, SISTER WIFE, and TILL IT HURTS (DO BOLU).

7:15 p.m. Filmmaker Patrick Shen presents the world premiere of THE PHILOSOPHER KINGS, granting at last the iconic figure of the invisible janitor a face, name, and personality. Showing with LESSONS FROM THE NIGHT.

7:30 p.m. Filmmaker Danae Elon presents PARTLY PRIVATE, a highly personal documentary about Elon and her husband’s search for guidance in the decision to circumcise their sons. Along the way, she consults rabbis, doctors, priests, parents, activists and Buster, a slightly cracked anti-circumcisionist on horseback. Showing with KINDA SUTRA.

8:15 p.m. Filmmaker Richard Parry presents BLOOD TRAIL, following war photographer Robert King for 15 years as he works war zones worldwide. Along the way, the brutality of the subject steadily takes its toll on King.

9:00 p.m. Filmmakers Alex Vlack and Darmani Baker present STILL BILL, a multi-faceted look at the intriguing and insightful Grammy-winning songwriter and musician Bill Withers, who stopped making albums in 1985, after a 15-year career that included such hits as “Lean on Me” and “Just the Two of Us.”

9:30 p.m. Producer Young-Jae Goh presents OLD PARTNER, an endearing look at Mr. Lee, an old farmer living in a remote South Korean village. The peculiar yet touching relationship between Mr. Lee and his 40-year old ox evolves into an unforgettable companionship that sustains them through failing health and a disappearing way of life.

9:45 p.m. Filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal presents ACT OF GOD, a series of stories sewn together from people who have been struck by lightning. Showing with ALI SHAN.

10:30 p.m. Filmmaker F Stone Roberts presents SPLITTING HAIRS, the tale of Americans Bruce Roe and Phil Olsen as they prep for the World Beard and Moustache Championships in Germany, where “bearded stallions” compete for top chops at the 30-year-old event. Beard and Mustache Contest to follow screening.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:

Jody Arlington, SILVERDOCS 301.495.6759, jarlington@AFI.com

Tammy Shea, Discovery Communications 240.662.6506, Tammy_Shea@Discovery.com