The ITVS Indie Roundup

A curated list of indie news and recommendations from ITVS’s Rebecca Huval.

Have you ever wondered what makes YouTube videos go viral? Get the answer and “why that even matters” in this insightful TED Talk that references such classics as Double Rainbow and the world-traveling Nyan Cat. This year’s Oscars boded well for filmmakers outside the Hollywood bubble. 

Pakistan received its first Academy Award for Saving Face, a short documentary about the victims of acid attacks. Even self-proclaimed “swamp rats” from Shreveport, Louisiana, at Moonbot Studios, won for The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. You can watch their 15-minute literary animation for free. Talk about transmedia. Washington D.C.’s Smithsonian Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden will feature the first-ever 360-degree cinema presented in a continuous format around its cylindrical exterior. Eleven high-definition projectors will broadcast the pop song “I Only Have Eyes for You” sung by 15 artists from Beck to The Flamingos.

Since the March 2011 tsunami devastated Japan, much has changed. See the difference a year can make in these striking before and after photos. Heads up! Submissions for both the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund and the TFI New Media Fund are due on Tuesday, March 6. If you think your camerawork is grueling, check out this short documentary about three French alpine photographers who dangle from carabiners with all their equipment.