Six ITVS Documentaries to Screen in Competition at Sundance 2012

On Wednesday, ITVS welcomed the announcement that six of its funded films have been selected to screen in competition at the upcoming 2012 Sundance Film Festival (January 19-29). ITVS domestic co-productions claimed four of the 16 spots in this year’s U.S. Documentary competition and two of the 12 spots in the World Documentary competition.

There could be no better recognition of the diversity and quality of our films and makers than such a large claim of the documentaries in competition at Sundance. These films represent an extraordinary range of stories – both deeply personal and broadly profound – and it gives us great pride to know that each of them will eventually be presented to millions of viewers on public television. - Sally Jo Fifer, president and CEO of ITVS

ITVS FILMS IN U.S. DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

Detropia by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady. The woes of Detroit are emblematic of the collapse of the U.S. manufacturing base. This is the dramatic story of a city and its people who refuse to leave the building, even as the flames are rising. 

The House I Live In by Eugene Jarecki. For over 40 years, the War on Drugs has accounted for 45 million arrests, made America the world's largest jailer and damaged poor communities at home and abroad. Yet drugs are cheaper, purer, and more available today than ever. Where did we go wrong, and what is the path toward healing? 

The Invisible War by Kirby Dick. An investigative and powerfully emotional examination of the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the U.S. military, the institutions that cover up its existence and the profound personal and social consequences that arise from it. 

Love Free or Die: How the Bishop of New Hampshire is Changing the World by Macky Alston. One man whose two defining passions are in conflict: An openly gay bishop refuses to leave the church or the man he loves. 

ITVS FILMS IN WORLD DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

5 Broken Cameras by directors Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi. A Palestinian journalist chronicles his village’s resistance to a separation barrier being erected on their land and in the process captures his young son’s lens on the world. 

Putin’s Kiss by Lise Birk Pedersen. Nineteen-year-old Marsha is a model spokesperson in a strongly nationalistic Russian youth movement that aims to protect the country from its enemies. When she starts recognizing the organization’s flaws, she must take a stand for or against it. The participation of these films in the festival brings the number of ITVS-funded films that have screened at the Sundance Film Festival to a total of 77, since ITVS’s first presence at the festival in 1994. Screening dates and times are still pending. Up-to-date information can be found online here.