PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: DOCPITCH COMPETITION 2014: BE "IN THE ROOM"! {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented as part of The Paley Center for Media’s PALEYDOCFEST 2014, honoring documentaries and documentary filmmakers. Held at the Paley Center in New York, this seminar sees five documentary filmmakers pitching their ideas for documentaries before a panel as part of an annual competition, who decide which one will receive a $5,000 grant to aid its completion. Ron Simon (curator, The Paley Center for Media) offers opening remarks and explains the rules of the competition, noting that the audience will also be invited to vote for their favorite pitch. He then introduces the judges: Lauren Lazin (executive producer, MTV/Bravo/A&E), Alexandra Hannibal (coordinator of documentary programming, Tribeca Film Institute), Wendy Ettinger (New York Program Director, Chicken & Egg Films and co-founder, Gamechanger Films), Diana Holtzberg (vice-president, Films Transit International and president, East Village Entertainment) and Molly Thompson (vice-president, A&E IndieFilms).
The judges briefly discuss the relative importance of the applicants' verbal pitches versus their film clips, noting the "cycles and trends" of popular themes in multiple films in a given year and the importance of making one's film unique and different, stressing the need for in-depth access and opportune timing.
The first filmmaker, Rebecca Haimowitz, takes the stage to discuss her film, "The Pregnancy Exclusion," which tells the story of a Texas paramedic, Marlise Muñoz, who was forcibly kept on machines after her death because of a little-known law forbidding the removal of life support for pregnant women, despite her family's strong wishes to allow her to die naturally. The family has allowed Haimowitz exclusive access to their story, and in a brief clip from the film, Muñoz's husband and parents comment on the sudden pulmonary embolism that left her brain-dead in November 2013 in her fourteenth week of pregnancy, explaining that they were accused of murder when they attempted to fulfill her wishes and remove life support. They state that they intend to fight the law to help other families, feeling that the decision should be personal rather than legislative. Haimowitz explains that a judge eventually ordered the removal of Muñoz's life support, but clarifies that the case is not an "anomaly" and that 32 other states currently have similar or identical laws. The panelists then offer criticism of Haimowitz's pitch and ask her questions about the film, including her plans to continue filming the family's story after Muñoz's death and whether she intends to also depict the views of those who support the law.
Next, James Solomon discusses his film "The Witness," which focuses on the infamous story of Kitty Genovese, a Queens woman whose 1964 murder was allegedly witnessed by thirty-eight individuals, all of whom failed to intervene, leading to a sensationalized news story and widespread discussion about "the bystander effect." The film focuses on Genovese's younger brother Bill, a Vietnam veteran who decides to investigate the story for himself. In the film clip, Bill interviews several of the so-called witnesses, learning that the story of their mass inaction was exaggerated and unverified – and Kitty's personal life edited – in order to create an intriguing headline in the press. He talks to the son of the convicted killer, William Moseley, about the possibility of his receiving parole, and the Genovese family argues amongst themselves about Bill's long-term "obsession" with the case. Solomon provides background on his relevant personal experiences, including his writing of the similar true-crime film "The Conspirator" (2010) and his own brother's death, and the panelists then offer criticism of his pitch and ask questions about the film, including how the audience will get to "know" Kitty as a character and the potentially confusing nature of the film's "multiple mysteries."
The third filmmaker, Jason Pugatch, takes the stage and introduces "The Joe Donovan/Juvenile Lifers Project," which focuses on Pugatch's high school classmate, Joseph Donovan, sentenced to life in prison without parole for his involvement at age seventeen in the murder of an M.I.T. student during a robbery gone wrong. In the film clip, Donovan explains that he has served over twenty years in prison despite not actually dealing the fatal stab wound himself, and his parents and the trial judge comment on the idea that handing down such extreme sentences to minors violates the Eighth Amendment banning "cruel and unusual punishment." Pugatch explains that Donovan did eventually receive parole in August 2014 after a change in the Massachusetts law, but is now struggling to adjust to home life after two decades in prison, as the film will also explore. The panelists then offer criticism of Pugatch's pitch and ask questions about the film, including the current status of the actual murderer, who was given a lesser sentence because of his age, whether or not Donovan comes off as a reasonable sympathetic protagonist despite his actions, and details about the film's budget.
Next, Lisa Cortés takes the stage to discuss her film "Mothership," which explores "the forgotten women" of the early days of hip-hop. In the film clip, several groundbreaking artists are explored and commented on, and Cortés explains that she intends to structure the film around five main characters and a "historical" concert that will take place in summer 2015 and feature many of the female artists discussed in the film, several of whom have not performed onstage in many years. The panelists then offer criticism of Cortés' pitch and ask her questions about the film, including her unique access into the artists' stories, partially because of her own past career at Def Jam Recordings label, details about acquiring the rights to the music featured in the film and to record the concert, and comparisons between the media attention given to modern-day female hip-hop artists versus the largely untold stories of the pioneers.
Finally, Mara Pelecis introduces her film "Surviving the Peace," which explores the story of her father, a Latvian-born Vietnam War veteran who struggled with addiction and mental illness for many years before committing suicide in 2002. She explains that she learned only after the fact about his experiences with post-traumatic stress disorder and his involvement with various veterans' organizations, and the film clip features scenes from home movies as well as archival war footage and family interviews as Pelecis and her relatives work to make sense of her father's emotional journey and eventual death. She explains that he was still in the process of applying for official acknowledgement from the V.A. of his war-related PTSD at the time of his death, and that she hopes that the film can aid other vets and their families in similar situations. The panelists then offer criticism of Pelecis' pitch and ask her questions about the film, including the details of his wartime duties and his benefits from the V.A., how the film is structured around conversations with her father's grandchildren, who are still largely unaware of his personal history, and how she intends to blend old footage with new interview scenes in the film.
As the judges leave the stage to make their decision, clips are shown of the past several years' winners, including: "The Age of Love" (2013), directed by Stephen Loring and focusing on speed-dating for the elderly; "Eleven" (2012), directed by Laura Paglin and Kahlil Pedizisai, which tells the story of the discovery and prosecution of Cleveland serial killer Anthony Sowell; "The View from Bellas Lucas" (2011), directed by Christa Boarini and exploring the high rates of violence and kidnapping in Guatemala; "Charge" (2010), directed by Mike Plunkett, which tells the story of a highly-prized lithium deposit found in Bolivia and its effect on the native salt flat workers; "The Iran Job" (2009), directed by Till Schauder, which explores an American basketball player's experience adjusting to life and culture in Iran; "Circo" (2008), directed by Aaron Schock, which depicts a multigenerational Mexican family's longtime circus career; "The House That Herman Built" (2007), directed by Angad Bhalla, about a prisoner in long-term solitary confinement and his attempts to construct his dream home in the outside world with the help of an artist friend; "Whatever It Takes" (2006), directed by Christopher Wong, about an inner-city principal's determination to help his students succeed despite many obstacles; and "Asparagus! (A Stalk-umentary)" (2005), directed by Anne de Mare and Kirsten Kelly, about the surprising cultural depths and political complications of the asparagus industry.
After the clip package, the judges retake the stage and announce that "The Pregnancy Exclusion" has been named the winner and "The Witness" has won the unofficial audience prize. The judges briefly speak about their difficult decision-making process, and Haimowitz is presented with the $5,000 check.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 30, 1999 2:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 2:51:34
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 116352
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Ron Simon … Host
- Lauren Lazin … Panelist
- Alexandra Hannibal … Panelist
- Wendy Ettinger … Panelist
- Diana Holtzberg … Panelist
- Molly Thompson … Panelist
- Rebecca Haimowitz … Guest
- James Solomon … Guest
- Jason Pugatch … Guest
- Lisa Cortés … Guest
- Mara Pelecis … Guest
- Angad Bhalla
- Christa Boarini
- Anne de Mare
- Joseph Donovan
- Bill Genovese
- Kitty Genovese
- Kirsten Kelly
- Steven Loring
- Winston Moseley
- Marlise Muñoz
- Laura Paglin
- Kahlil Pedizisai
- Mike Plunkett
- Till Schauder
- Aaron Schock
- Anthony Sowell
- Christopher Wong