Saturday, November 12, 2011

ArcLight YouTube Doc Fest Draws to a Close

Tonight in Hollywood, a winner will be announced and $10,000 awarded to close out ArcLight Cinemas' first ever Documentary Film Festival. It started with a public vote on the movie theatre chain's YouTube page, continued with Q&A screenings this week and culminates via tonight's gala.

The finalists are a fascinating bunch. Here for example is Marina del Rey based TV reporter Nathan Lang, explaining how he came to make God in the Box:

 

Other finalists include Ester Brym's look at the star-making power of YouTube (Butterflies), Bill Philputt's appreciation of Dan O'Bannon's classic horror screenplay for George Romero (More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead), Bryan Storkel's examination of Christian blackjack players (Holy Rollers)* and Nicole Karbin and Mark Katcher's sobering look at the everlasting traumatic aftermath of the Columbine student massacre (13 FAMILIES).

The ArcLight received more than 150 entries for its first-year competition, registering upwards of 100,000 views and 30,000 votes over the course of the YouTube trailer selection process. Tonight's winner was selected by a panel of four esteemed judges: Rebecca Cammisa, director of 2009 Academy Award nominee Which Way Home; Rhadi Taylor, Associate Director of the Sundance Institute's Documentary Film Program; Marjan Safina, a board member at the International Documentary Association; and Gretchen McCourt, the event's executive producer.

*Update - 11/13/11: Holy Rollers was crowned the Grand Prize winner.

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