The doc news world has been subsumed by posts coming out of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this week, so let’s get right into it. On Saturday, Sept. 16 the festival’s awards hardware was handed out. The short doc on French surrealist Jean Benoit, KEEP A MODEST HEAD by Deco Dawson, won best Canadian short film, and the Blackberry People’s Choice Documentary Award went to ARTIFACT, a film about the perils of the music industry, by Bartholomew Cubbins.

At Reuters, Julie Gordon took note of all of the buzz earned by docs screening at TIFF, highlighting the gala treatment given to Liz Garbus’ LOVE, MARILYN and Shola Lynch’s FREE ANGELA AND ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS. Brian Johnson of Macleans magazine presented his top 10 list of films to see at TIFF, with documentaries THE ACT OF KILLING by Joshua Oppenheimer and STORIES WE TELL by Sarah Polley nabbing the numbers one and two spots, respectively. Eric Kohn at Indiewire was similarly struck by Polley and Oppenheimer’s films. On the POV blog, Tom Roston turned out a list of must-see docs screening at the festival.

Basil Tsiokos of the What Not to Doc blog wrote up a post about the films at TIFF that had caught his attention. Writing for Vogue Magazine, John Powers took note of the hype surrounding fictional narrative CLOUD ATLAS, but also had good things to say about doc VENUS AND SERENA, about the tennis-playing Williams sisters, that earned a bit of notoriety after news broke that the pair had withdrawn their support for the film, reportedly due to unhappiness at the way the film portrayed their father. Jay Cheel at the Documentary Blog took time to write up a group of capsule reviews of the docs he managed to catch in Toronto. B. Ruby Rich, writing for Fandor, had a pretty comprehensive overview of the festival as well.

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The Toronto International Film Festival got underway on Sept. 6, drawing attention from various media outlets. At the CBC, Andre Mayer took a look at the rise of the “hybrid doc,” which really seems to be another way of expanding the definition of documentary film. The Toronto Star’s Linda Bernard shined a spotlight on the number of women directors showing work at TIFF this year, among them doc directors Liz Garbus and Amy Berg. Writing for Movieline, Frank DiGiacomo highlighted 10 TIFF docs he was eager to see, with Sarah Polley’s STORIES WE TELL topping the list. And Indiewire’s Alison Wilmore reported that HBO had already picked up the Alex Gibney film MEA MAXIMA CULPA, about the Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal, for theatrical release in November. Both Realscreen and Canada’s POV Magazine had interviews with director Peter Mettler regarding his film THE END OF TIME. The radio station 680 news also took a minute (several, actually) to speak with Jamie Kastner, director of THE SECRET DISCO REVOLUTION. And Thom Powers was kind enough to provide a thorough run-down of the documentary buyers at TIFF that regular readers of the STF blog may have already seen.

Roger Ebert on Sept. 7 announced via Twitter that Steve James had been tapped to direct a documentary about his life, with Martin Scorsese and screenwriter Steven Zaillian named as producers on the project. Christopher Campbell at the Documentary Channel noted the natural fit for James on the film, pointing out that Ebert had been a strong supporter of James’ HOOP DREAMS back in the day. Kartemquin Films, the nonprofit production house with which James has had a long professional relationship, also expressed excitement at the news in a post on its site.

Calls for the release of Syrian filmmaker Orwa Nyrabia continued unabated this week, with the International Documentary Association (IDA) posting a list of film organizations agitating for his release. Nyrabia, a co-founder of the DOX BOX film festival, has been missing since August 23, and is widely suspected to be in the custody of the oppressive regime of President Bashar al-Assad due to his pro-democracy beliefs.

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As the Toronto International Film Festival gets underway September 6-16, hundreds of representatives from theatrical distributors, broadcasters, digital platforms and other acquisition teams will be in town looking for new films to buy. Last week, we profiled some of the documentary sellers (and we continue to update that list). Now we present a list of prominent U.S. companies who took the time to answer our questions. Thanks to my SVA SocDoc student Erik Spink who helped me compile this information. If you’re an active buyer at TIFF who would like to be added, please email me.

A24

We are a New York-based Production and Distribution company.

Attending TIFF: Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, John Hodges, Matt Bires, Noah Sacco

TIFF history: A24 was recently formed and this is the company’s first trip to TIFF.  We are very excited.

Looking for: Cross over commercial films.

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ATO Pictures

We are a NYC-based theatrical distribution company releasing four to six films per year.

Attending TIFF: Johnathan Dorfman, Sarah Lash

TIFF history: We acquired Last Call at the Oasis at TIFF 2011.

Looking for: We are looking for films (primarily narrative) that serve an adult audience and have the potential for crossover success.

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Brainstorm Media, Something to Talk About

Brainstorm Media is acquiring feature length, social issue documentaries for a new series called “Something to Talk About” which will showcase one documentary a month on the Audience Network of DirecTV, with a simultaneous theatrical release and DVD and digital sales. Full details are here and at SomethingToTalkAbout.us

Attending TIFF: Meyer Shwarzstein, founder and Brian Newman, acquisitions

Docs at TIFF: Brainstorm Media is launching “Something to Talk About” at TIFF. Brainstorm Media and EPIX will also present the EPIX Original Movie and animated feature A Liar’s Autobiography – The Untrue Story of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman

Looking For: Social issue documentaries

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Cinedigm Entertainment Group (CEG)
@NewVideoDigital

CEG, the entertainment group of Cinedigm, is a state-of-the-art distributor of award-winning indie films and alternative content both theatrically and via all key digital, mobile and home media platforms. New releases include The Invisible War; Citadel; and In Our Nature.  CEG includes New Video, which Cinedigm acquired in April.

Attending TIFF: Susan Margolin, Vincent Scordino, Mark Kashden, Emily Rothschild
(acquisitions team only – we have other people attending)

TIFF history: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (nominated for 2012 Academy Award, Best Documentary); Last Call at the Oasis (distributing in partnership with ATO); Crazy Horse (VOD and digital distribution)

Other docs in our history: The Invisible War; Hell and Back Again; GasLand; Waste Land; Restrepo; Being Elmo

Looking for: 1) Docs with significant theatrical potential (mainstream subject, visually stunning, awards-worthy); 2) Docs with identifiable fan bases that respond to a targeted marketing approach; 3) Docs by the best filmmakers in the business as well as groundbreaking newcomers; 4) Docs that can change the world.

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Cinema Guild
@cinemaguild

A distributor of documentary, foreign and independent film.

Attending TIFF: Ryan Krivoshey

TIFF history: Seeing Agnes Varda’s The Beaches of Agnes for the first time at TIFF is something I’ll never forget. As soon as the credits began to roll, I ran out of the theater and placed a call to the film’s rep. We met later that afternoon and we closed on the film shortly after the festival.

Other docs in our history: The Interrupters, Planet of Snail, The Law In These Parts, Marwencol, Sweetgrass, Ne Change Rien, The Order of Myths

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Danish director Mads Brugger’s new film THE AMBASSADOR, which reached theaters this week, stole much of the doc world’s spotlight the past few days, with many of the discussions surrounding the ethics of the filmmaker. The film follows Brugger’s efforts to essentially purchase a diplomatic title from an African country. At the Documentary Channel blog, Christopher Campbell interviewed Brugger about the active role he played in the film, as well as his previous documentary THE RED CHAPEL. Indiewire also had an exchange with the director, only to ask him to expound on his favorite scene from THE AMBASSADOR. Anthony Kaufman’s Docutopia blog questioned whether Brugger’s approach constituted an act of exploitation, as he flouts the traditional rules of journalism by employing hidden recording devices, among other techniques. Eric Kohn of Indiewire also wondered whether Brugger had crossed an ethical line in his approach. Reviews by both A.O. Scott in the New York Times and by Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times touched on similar issues.

Efforts to help director John Maringouin raise funds for lung cancer surgery continue unabated. The IFC Center in Manhattan announced that it would host a benefit screening of Maringouin’s BIG RIVER MAN on Tuesday, September 4 to help defray the cost of his medical bills. UnionDocs in Brooklyn is also hosting a benefit screening on Saturday, September 22 of RUNNING STUMBLED.

This week saw the passing of documentary producer Brian Gerber, a board member of the International Documentary Association (IDA). Gerber’s doc production credits included the global warming film THE 11TH HOUR and THE DUNGEON MASTERS, about fans of the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. In a statement, the IDA noted Gerber’s role in relaunching the organization’s website and helping with the IDA Documentary Awards. Our condolences go to his friends and family.

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The Toronto International Film Festival has always been an active marketplace for docs to be sold. Noteworthy acquisitions at the festival in recent years include First Position; Cave of Forgotten Dreams; Food, Inc; and Every Little Step. This year’s line-up features more commercially promising titles than ever before in my memory. I circulated a survey among the sales agents known to me and was assisted by my SVA SocDoc student Lauren Kraus. If you’re a seller at TIFF missing from this list, please email me to be added. Watch the STF blog next week for a Guide to Documentary Buyers at TIFF.

CINEPHIL

Cinephil is an international sales and advisory firm based in Tel Aviv specializing in documentaries, which has a strong reputation for securing international distribution deals and financing for documentaries from all over the world on behalf of film producers and directors. With a history of selling unique and award-winning films, Cinephil also acts as a strategic advisor and co-producer.

Attending TIFF: Philippa Kowarsky

Docs at TIFF: The Gatekeepers – Cinephil was one of the main producers of this film and we were attracted to the project immediately. The film gives incredible insight into a previously unseen world. For the very first time the heads of the Shin Bet, the Israeli Secret Service candidly share stories and insights. A shocking analysis of the current situation in the Middle East but also a mirror to the rest of the world, how do democracies protect themselves? How far can we go?

The Act of Killing is one of the best documentaries we have ever seen. This film offers a look into the psyches of mass murderers in a creative and innovative way. And it does so both in form and content. The killers’ cavalier attitude is a chilling portrait of how their own narratives are self-perpetuating; it is as they say a “…winner’s narrative, it is the winners who write history”. With extraordinary access and beautiful scenes, this film is both a macabre and breathtaking glimpse into not only a part of Indonesian history that most are unaware of, but the psychological landscape of a killer.

State 194 jointly repping with Submarine (North America). In frozen times such as these, this film and its main protagonist Palestinian Prime Minister Dr. Salam Fayyad are a gust of optimism. His courage and determination are contagious. The fact that so much is going on in the West Bank and so little is known in the world, motivates us to get this story of a remarkable leader, successfully establishing the infrastructure of a state while advocating non violence as the way – out there worldwide.

TIFF history:  Precious Life sold to HBO, short-listed for the Academy Awards, HBO LA, theatrical in Canada Mongrel Media and worldwide

Other docs in our history: Recently, Sundance 2011 Love Free or Die directed by Macky Alston sold to Wolfe Releasing, Emmy nominated, Where Soldiers Come From by Heather Courtney, the critically praised A Film Unfinished by Yael Hersonski (also Emmy nominated), Oscar short-listed Precious Life by Shomi Eldar, Budrus directed by Julia Bacha, which premiered in Berlin and Defamation which premiered in Berlin, Special Mention Tribeca FF, Hot Docs and the Stanly Kubrick award at Traverse City FF, among others.

Looking for: Strong creative documentaries with international appeal. Documentaries with unique access and/or fresh perspectives covering both specific and universal subjects, topics that matter, films that just may make a difference, also arts and culture.

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