SILVERDOCSJune 16 - 22, 2008
SILVERDOCS is an international film festival celebrating the creative vision of independent filmmakers and the power of documentary to expand our world-view and enhance our understanding of the world around us. Entering its sixth year, SILVERDOCS has become the most talked about documentary festival in the United States. Due to record crowds in 2007, the 2008 edition of SILVERDOCS will be one day longer than usual.
Leading filmmakers such as Nick Broomfield, Werner Herzog, Jim Jarmusch, Alan King, Barbara Kopple, Al Maysles, Stanley Nelson, Jonathan Demme, Penelope Spheeris and Martin Scorsese have shared their work and their perspectives with Festival audiences.
SILVERDOCS provides business and creative connections among filmmakers, broadcasters, distributors and funders from both established and emerging media markets at the International Documentary Conference. The conference includes over 60 panels and workshops and is attended by over 650 filmmakers and guests from around the world. Former Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Al Gore delivered the keynote address in 2006, and speakers from every major documentary media outlet regularly participate. AOL Vice Chairman Ted Leonsis delivered the 2007 keynote address.
SILVERDOCS takes place at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, a year-round cinema complex presenting first-run art house film, calendared screening series and themed festivals. The 49,000 square-foot art deco complex houses three theaters—one historic and two new state-of-the-art stadium-style theaters—and a café; it is located in downtown Silver Spring, Maryland, just across the street from Discovery World Headquarters.
The Festival is presented through a unique alliance between AFI, a national institute providing leadership in screen education and the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television and digital media and Discovery Communications, the number one nonfiction media company in the world with operations in 170 countries and territories reaching nearly 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers.
THE FESTIVAL, SILVERDOCS brings the best new documentaries to Washington, DC, audiences, with six days of programming showcasing nearly 100 films. In just four years, the Festival has built a reputation for presenting compelling and engaging films that connect with audiences in theaters, and beyond, from the celebrated work of Martin Scorsese (THE LAST WALTZ) and Werner Herzog (GRIZZLY MAN) to the controversial JESUS CAMP and the documentary masterpiece 49 UP. SILVERDOCS’ DOCS RX Global Health Documentary Award winner and World Premiere, THE BLOOD OF YINGZHOU DISTRICT, won the Oscar this January. 2006 Sterling Award Feature-winner JESUS CAMP was nominated for the Academy Award in 2007, as were SILVERDOCS’ 2005 films STREET FIGHT, MURDERBALL, GOD SLEEPS IN RWANDA and DARWIN’S NIGHTMARE in 2006. The Festival’s 2004 Audience Award-winner, BORN INTO BROTHELS, won filmmaking’s top prize in 2005.
Now in its fifth year, SILVERDOCS is the most talked about documentary festival in the United States. The Festival-which will take place June 12-17, 2007, at the AFI Silver Theatre just outside Washington, DC-serves as a launch pad for independent documentaries, and affords international filmmakers access to US audiences. Called the “Pre-eminent US Documentary Fest” by Screen International, and the “premier showcase for documentary films” by the Hollywood Reporter, the 2006 edition of SILVERDOCS screened sold-out shows to more than 21,000 participants who viewed the world’s best new documentaries and experienced free outdoor screenings and performances, panel discussions and many special events.
Variety called SILVERDOCS “Non-fiction Nirvana” because it goes beyond screenings to provide business and creative connections for more than 450 filmmakers, broadcasters, distributors and funders from both established and emerging media markets at the concurrent International Documentary Conference. From June 13-16, 2007, Conference programs will explore the “Future of Real” at a moment when distribution technologies are radically altering the financial, marketing and story-telling models of the documentary world. The Conference will also feature a speaker series featuring leaders in the field; Al Gore was the Conference keynote speaker in 2006.
The Festival’s signature program, the Charles Guggenheim Symposium, honors the legacy of artistic excellence, profound respect for humanity and democratic values of the late four-time Academy Award-winning Guggenheim. In 2007, the Symposium will honor the Academy Award-winning director Jonathan Demme for his extraordinary body of work. Past Guggenheim honorees include Martin Scorsese and Barbara Kopple.
Along with the annual Sterling Award feature film competition, the Festival features special thematic programs. “Beyond Belief: Religion, Politics and Film” will showcase documentaries that explore the complex issues surrounding the theme of religion and faith in civil society. The program will feature a collection of contemporary independent films and classic archival selections from around the globe, representing a diversity of geographic, social, political and spiritual perspectives, as well as panel discussions with leading thinkers.
Founded: 2003
Dates: June 12-17, 2007
Location: Silver Spring, MD, just outside Washington, DC
Key Staff: Patricia Finneran, festival director; Sky Sitney, director of programming
Competition:
Sterling Feature Competition
Sterling Short Film Competition
Music Documentary Competition