The ITVS Indie Roundup
A curated list of indie news and recommendations from ITVS’s Rebecca Huval.
More documentary films are being made now than ever. To make sense of their impact, social scientists are using Big Data to measure cultural shifts within social media. People of all professions go through quarter-life crises, but young filmmakers have a specific set of anxieties.
Raindance ticks off the fears of twenty-something directors, including financial insecurity and getting into the “inside track.” “If you don’t know who’s funding you on day one, do not start your campaign,” said Indiegogo founder Slava Rubin at DOC NYC. Learn other invaluable crowdfunding tips from Vimeo’s synopsis of DOC NYC’s online fundraising event.
When voting for foreign films, the Academy picks with its heart, but for the documentary category, it chooses with its head. Even film festivals have to compete for higher ratings. Apparently, Oprah’s interview with Lance Armstrong stole some thunder from the opening night of Sundance.
This year, Sundance brings an embarrassment of documentary riches. Doc Soup Man Tom Roston interviewed Senior Programmer David Courier about his process sorting through the nonfiction films, and which stood out: “Narco Cultura, about the culture of drug traffickers in Mexico, was a complete surprise for me. It brings you into a world that I had no idea existed. This is a film that will be talked about after the festival.”
Topics
From our blog
-
ITVS Responds to Rescission Vote
July 18, 2025[July 18, 2025] Carrie Lozano, President and CEO of the Independent Television Service (ITVS), issued the following statement in response to Congress' vote clawing back congressional approved funding for public media.Congress’ decision to pass the rescission package that removes the $1.1B of previously approved federal funds for the Corporation of…
-
Protecting Our Future and Charting the Course Ahead
June 4, 2025We are sharing the sad and difficult news that ITVS is reducing its staff by 13 individuals across the organization. For a staff so committed to our mission and to each other, this 20% staff reduction is a painful moment. Our dedicated staff have made important contributions that are part of ITVS' legacy and success story. In the past few months, ITVS has…
-
ITVS Documentary "Greener Pastures" Honored by the Television Academy
May 1, 2025The Television Academy announced that the ITVS-supported, Independent Lens documentary Greener Pastures will be celebrated at the 18th Television Academy Honors. Established in 2008, the Television Academy Honors Award recognizes “Television with a Conscience” and seeks to celebrate programs that inspire, motivate, and harness the power of…