Natlia Almada's El Velador (NDNF '11)
Welcome back to FilmLinc Digest. After a short break for a little thing called the 50th New York Film Festival, we're back to fill you in on what's been going on in cinema news over the past few weeks.
New Directors/New Films alumni awarded MacArthur Grants:
Natalia Almada and Laura Poitras have been announced as two of the 2012 MacArthur Fellows, a program that supports individuals in pursuing their talent—also known as MacArthur “genius grants.” Those who are admitted into the program are given $100,000 a year for five years. This year's fellows encompass a diverse set of vocations, from filmmaking to photography to astronomy to geriatrics. Almada's 2011 documentary El Velador was featured in ND/NF back in 2011, while Poitra's The Oath screened in the 2010 edition.
Reynold Levy announces departure as President of Lincoln Center for the Perfoming Arts at end of 2013:
It has been announced that Reynold Levy will be stepping down from his position as President of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on December 31, 2013. Having taken on the position in March 2002, he was responsible for successfully overseeing Lincoln Center's $1.2 billion transformation, which culminated in the opening of the President's Bridge connecting the Walter Reade Theater to the rest ot the Lincon Center campus. He also pioneered the expansion of LCPA's programming and significantly strengthening its digital presence, among other impressive accomplishments. Levy's replacement has not yet been announced.
Kevin Macdonald's Marley
Kevin Macdonald to be awarded Coutts Grierson Trustee's Award:
Filmmaker Kevin Macdonald has been announced as this year's recipient of the Coutts Grierson Trustee's Award. Celebrating its 40th year, the Grierson Awards are committed to recognizing outstanding contributions to documentary filmmaking. Macdonald's latest documentary, Marley, played at the Film Society of Lincoln Center when it was released this past May. Macdonald won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2000 for One Day In September, his exploration of the Israeli hostage situation at the 1972 Olympics. He has also forayed into the world of narrative film, having directed The Last King of Scotland and State of Play, and is currently working on an adapation of the acclaimed young-adult novel How I Live Now. All of the awards for Grierson 2012: The 40th Anniversary British Documentary Awards in association with Sky Arts HD and Coutts will be presented on November 6 at Empire Leicester Square.
Pathé going digital with film catalog
The french film company Pathé has announced an extensive digitization and restoration project for its film catalog. The project, to be carried out over the course of the next five years, will greatly improve the quality of over 100 films, injecting tremendous vitality into some lesser-seen works.
DCTV to open documentary-only movie theatre
In advance of their 40th anniversary, Downtown Community Television Center Inc. (DCTV for short) has announced that they will start construction on the United States' first documentary-only movie theatre. The theater will be built in DCTV's headquarters, which are located in the landmark firehouse between Lafayette and White Street. In addition to showing first-run documentaries, the theatre will also host events to highlight emerging and established filmmakers in the documentary field. Construction is set to begin in March 2013 and last for a year.
