PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: DOCPITCH COMPETITION 2019: 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 PaleyLive 2019 series, 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.
Simon then introduces the judges: Jill Burkhart (Senior Director, Original Programming (Documentary), EPIX), Diana Holtzberg (President, East Village Entertainment, LLC), Susan Margolin (Founder, St. Marks Productions), Basil Tsiokos (Director of Programming, DOC NYC and the Nantucket Film Festival / Documentary Programming Associate, Sundance Film Festival), and Christine Kecher (Manager, Feature Films, A+E Networks).
The judges briefly discuss what they look for in a strong pitch and clip reel, including the importance of "the three whys," knowing one's audience, and why a pitch deck is now often required alongside a standard reel.
The first filmmaker, Ari Beser, then takes the stage to present "The Nuclear Family," explaining that his grandfather Jacob, a World War II veteran, flew in both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombing raids and eventually died of cancer, much like many of the Japanese victims of the bombings. Beser describes his own activist work in tsunami relief and in the campaign to eradicate nuclear weaponry, adding that the film will explore both his grandfather's experience in the war and the long-term effects of radiation on many Japanese survivors. After viewing Beser's reel, the judges pose questions about whether Beser himself will feature in the film, the use of footage of his late grandfather, how the documentary will depict the "existential threat" of nuclear weapons, and the stark differences in how WWII is taught in Japan and in America.
Next, Khadija Diakite presents "Black + Gold," which explores the history of seven African-American gymnasts that have qualified for the Olympics. In the reel, interviewees describe the social and economic reasons behind the dearth of black gymnasts, and Lucy Collins, who became the first of the seven in 1980, describes joining the team and then failing to compete because of the Moscow boycott. Diakite, also a gymnast, discusses her inspiration from tennis champion Serena Williams and the facets of racism and sexism that have trailed her career, adding that she intends to expand Collins' personal story within the film. The judges pose questions about the other six athletes, including whether Simone Biles, America's most decorated gymnast, will appear in the film, the expense of securing rights to Olympic footage, the film's intended two-hour running time and chronological structure, and Diakite's own background at Sarah Lawrence College and the University of Southern California.
The third filmmaker, Jen Rainin, then presents "Ahead of the Curve," which examines the history and impact of lesbian publication Curve Magazine, founded in 1990 by Frances "Franco" Stevens – who is Rainin's wife. The reel explores how the magazine seeks to promote positive and diverse images of gay women, often ignored in mainstream media, but is now facing a potential shutdown during a time in which LGBTQ rights in America seem to be "going backward." Rainin discusses the importance of educating young LGBTQ people about the community's history and why the achievement of marriage equality in 2015 didn't really mean full and equal legal rights for all. The judges then pose questions about Rainin's Kickstarter campaign, which raised $65,000 for the film's production, her use of verité footage to depict Stevens' eventual decision to transform Curve from a print magazine into a foundation, and details of why the magazine's name was changed from "Deneuve" to "Curve" in 1996.
Next, Marisa Fox presents "My Underground Mother," which examines her late Polish immigrant mother's "secret identity" and her imprisonment at a women's slave labor camp during World War II, matters which she largely refused to discuss with her family. In the reel, Fox uncovers startling details about her mother's past through a diary kept by the girls in the camp, and she tracks down several of her mother's old friends and associates. She explains about traveling the world for eight years to film in many different locales, stressing the importance of reviving the "forgotten history" of sexual violence in women's internment camps during the war, particularly given the rise of anti-Semitism in current society. The judges question Fox about how she came to find the fateful diary, the film's exploration of "two generation of mother-daughter lies," her inspiration from Sarah Polley's biographical "Stories We Tell" (2012), her plans to collaborate with a playwright to create "artistic reenactments" of the stories in the diary, her plans to release a book about her mother's story after the film's release, and the involvement of New York-based alternative rock band BETTY.
Finally, producer Raymond Lambert presents "Punch 9 for Harold Washington," directed by Joe Winston, which tells the story of Chicago's first black mayor, who was elected in 1983 and faced an unusual series of roadblocks from the antagonistic city council before eventually dying at his desk in 1987. The reel explains how Washington is considered to have "paved the way" for Illinois Senator and eventual President Barack Obama. Campaign staffers who worked for both politicians note that Washington's battle with the council was described as "Beirut on the lake" for its level of ferocity. Lambert states that the film will cover the 1983 election to present day, in which both Chicago politics and Washington's estate are "a mess," and will feature interviews with Washington's associates and his opponents, some of whom have since been indicted on a variety of crimes. Lambert answers further questions about the meaning behind the film's title, why shockingly few students at Chicago's Harold Washington College actually know about the man himself, and whether he'll land an interview with "the big O."
The judges convene to discuss the five pitches, and "Black + Gold" is awarded the audience prize, while "Ahead of the Curve" is determined to be the winner of the $5,000 "big check." The judges offer brief final thoughts, noting that "Black + Gold" could be expanded into a miniseries in order to thoroughly explore all seven gymnasts, after which Rainin accepts her prize.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 30, 1999 6:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:46:55
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 138529
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Ron Simon … Host
- Jill Burkhart … Panelist
- Diana Holtzberg … Panelist
- Susan Margolin … Panelist
- Basil Tsiokos … Panelist
- Christine Kecher … Panelist
- Ari Beser … Guest
- Khadija Diakite … Guest
- Jen Rainin … Guest
- Marisa Fox … Guest
- Raymond Lambert … Guest
- BETTY
- Simone Biles
- Lucy Collins
- Catherine Deneuve
- Barack Obama
- Sarah Polley
- Frances "Franco" Stevens
- Harold Washington
- Serena Williams
- Joe Winston