Television
As Sundance Sells to Cablevision, Filmmakers Ponder the Future
Is the $496 million deal good or bad for independent filmmakers who rely on the channel for a sense of community and crucial distribution?
May 8th, 2008 | Mike HofmanOn Wednesday, May 7, the Sundance Channel announced that it had been acquired by Cablevision—the nation's fifth biggest operator, the parent of IFC and AMC, and a big player in the Northeast—for nearly $500 million. Robert Redford would remain affiliated with the network under the terms of the deal. So what does this mean for filmmakers who view the channel as both a key distribution outlet and a place that creates a sense of community for them? The Independent's Mike Hofman asked a few filmmakers for their views on the deal. Do you have an opinion? If so, read the article and then add your comment.
The Sundance Channel was scooped up by Cablevision's Rainbow Media for $496 million on May 7. That division of Cablevision also owns the IFC Channel, AMC, Fuse, and We. In announcing the deal, officials took pains to quash speculation that Cablevision would combine IFC and Sundance, the channel founded in 1996 by Robert Redford and partially owned by Redford, General Electric's NBC, and CBS Corp.
How to Get a Short on Logo
Marc Leonard, an executive at the cable network, talks about "The Click List," a weekly program devoted to short film
November 19th, 2007 | Mike HofmanSixty short films a year are aired by the Logo Network on its Wednesday night program "The Click List: The Best in Short Film." Marc Leonard, an executive at Logo, talks about the evolution of the program, its online reach, how films are selected, and why he thinks Talladega Nights was a bit of a watershed moment in the depiction of LGBT characters on film. (The photo above is from Dare, a current Click List short by filmmakers Adam Salky and David Brind.)
Grassroots filmmakers are always looking for mainstream distribution, and short films often have a particularly tough time gaining exposure. Which is why the success of the Logo Network’s short-film programming is welcome news. Two years ago, Logo, which is basically MTV’s gay cousin, launched The Click List: The Best in Short Film, a weekly show featuring an eclectic mix of stories.
AIVF: And What it Meant to Me
July 1st, 2006I first became aware of AIVF when Martha Gever was editor of The Independent. I marveled at this national organization that put out each month a magazine chock full of weighty, intellectual and critical articles on film and video.
Making it on public TV
The Documentary Doc outlines how you can get on PBS, and the difference between the network's hard and soft feeds
April 1st, 2006 | Fernanda RossiHow can I get my work onto public television?
Hell or High Water
How the independent film community is coping with Katrina
April 1st, 2006 | Hannah RosenzweigIn 1998, I joined the production team of Julie Gustafsons Desire, a documentary about teenage girls from three diverse New Orleans neighborhoods. Funded by both local and outside foundations, Desire was one of the first in New Orleans to create paid opportunities for local documentary makers. As a member of Julies crew, I met many independent filmmakers working in the city, and my short stint on the project turned into a long-term relationship with New Orleans. I visited many times over the next eight years to see filmmaking friends and to hear about their projects.
How Far We've Come
After 15 years, ITVS looks back even as it looks ahead.
April 1st, 2006 | Kyle MinorIn 1988, 19-year-old Joanna Katz and her friend were abducted at gunpoint by five men who took turns raping, beating, and torturing them. Joanna managed to escape and later testified in the trials that led to the sentencing of all five men to 30 to 35 years in prison.
Room for INPUT
The annual conference is more dialogue than market
July 1st, 2005 | Niall McKayThe International Public Television (INPUT) conference was hosted this year by Independent Television Service (ITVS). Held in a different country (and hosted by a different public media outlet) each year, INPUT serves public television executives and
independent producers from around the planet through screenings and discussions about some of the most innovative and controversial programming being done today.
The BBC Bully
Nick Fraser’s expanding empire
July 1st, 2005 | Lisa Selin DavisNick Frasers career has been a constant battle between what I will and wont do for television, says the 57-year-old series editor of the BBCs international documentary showcase Storyville. A kind of documentary filmmaking godfather, Fraser is able to fund dozens of films each year, but hes waged a war on media biaswhether thats what he se
Q/A: Tamara E. Robinson
Vice President and Director of Programming at Thirteen/WNET New York
April 1st, 2005 | Rebecca CarrollRebecca Carroll: Where are we with public television? What do peopleboth those who are watching and not watchingneed to know about public television now thats different from 10 years ago?
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