International Documentary Association Announces Jury Selections for DocuWeek(TM)
Showcase Helps Qualify Docs for Oscar(R) Consideration
The International Documentary Association (IDA) is featuring 16 documentaries in its 10th Annual Theatrical Documentary Showcase, DocuWeek(TM). A dozen feature length documentaries and four short nonfiction films will be shown on two screens at the ArcLight(R) Hollywood from August 18-24 before traveling to other venues across the country.
"We developed this showcase to give deserving filmmakers an opportunity to qualify for Oscar(R) consideration by providing theatrical platforms where their films can be seen," says IDA Executive Director Sandra Ruch. "We also want to keep encouraging exhibitors to dedicate more screens to nonfiction films."
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences' rules require documentary features to be exhibited on theatrical screens for paid admissions in either Los Angeles County or Manhattan for at least seven consecutive days, as well as in eight other cities.
Since its inception 10 years ago, 17 films featured in the showcase have gone on to be nominated for Academy Awards(R) with four films winning Oscars.
Features appearing in the 2006 DocuWeek are: * ABDUCTION: THE MEGUMI YOKOTA STORY is the chilling account of a 13-year-old Japanese girl who was abducted by North Korean spies in 1977. * AN UNREASONABLE MAN traces the life and career of Ralph Nader, one of the more controversial political figures of the past half-century. * BLACK GOLD follows one man's fight for fair trade in the multi-billion dollar coffee industry. * DELIVER US FROM EVIL is the story of Oliver O'Grady -- a notorious pedophile priest in the modern history of the Catholic Church. * THE GROUND TRUTH follows patriotic young Americans, articulating their war stories on-camera. * IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS illuminates post-war Iraq in three acts, building a vivid picture of a country pulled in different directions by religion and ethnicity. * JESUS CAMP is a first-ever look into an intense training ground that recruits born-again Christian children to become an active part of America's political future. * PURVIS OF OVERTOWN is the story of Purvis Young who taught himself to paint while in prison, and is now an acclaimed contemporary artist. * SO MUCH SO FAST focuses on Stephen Heywood who finds out he has a paralyzing neurological disorder and how it affects his life and loved ones. * THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED is an unprecedented investigation into the secret Motion Picture Association of America's film ratings system and its profound impact on American culture. * TOOTS is an authentic portrait of legendary, self-made Manhattan saloonkeeper Toots Shor. * THE TRIALS OF DARRYL HUNT is the portrait of a wrongful conviction that offers a haunting examination of a community and criminal justice system subject to racial bias and tainted by fear. DocuWeek also features the following short films (40 minutes or less): * THE BLOOD OF YINGZHOU DISTRICT documents a year in the life of children in the remote villages of China who have lost their parents to AIDS. * HALF LIFE: A JOURNEY TO CHERNOBYL tells the story of the people who dealt with the world's worst nuclear disaster at ground level. * A SON'S SACRIFICE follows the journey of a young American Muslim who confronts his roots at his father's slaughterhouse in New York City. * PHOENIX DANCE is the story of accomplished dancer Homer Avila when he returns to the stage after losing a leg to cancer.
A complete schedule is available on the IDA website at www.documentary.org.
Tickets and Showcase passes for the Hollywood run of DocuWeek are only available at the ArcLight Hollywood box office (6360 Sunset Blvd.) beginning July 28, 2006, or at www.ArcLightCinemas.com. General admission is $11. Passes are $110 for the full week or $50 for a day.
The IDA is a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles. For more information about IDA, visit www.documentary.org or call 213-534-3600.
DocuWeek is a trademark of the International Documentary Association.
Oscar and Academy Award are registered trademarks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.
ArcLight is a registered trademark of ArcLight Cinemas Company.
IFC and The Independent Film Channel are service marks of The Independent Film Channel LLC. (c)
Source: International Documentary Association
