March 2007

Kartemquin receives a 2007 MacArthur Award

March 29, 2007

Dear Kartemquin friends,

We are thrilled to have this opportunity to announce some wonderful and unexpected news. Kartemquin has been selected as one of eight organizations to receive the 2007 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions.

Kartemquin will use its MacArthur Award for board and staff development, the preservation and digitization of older films, the expansion of its presence in the community, and the creation of a fellowship fund for minority filmmakers.

We are honored to be in the company of such invaluable, courageous and inventive institutions from around the world. The staff at Kartemquin realizes that we would never have received this recognition without the countless filmmakers, community leaders, advisors, partners, and friends who have contributed so much to our work over the years. We share this distinction with you.

Thank you,

All of us at Kartemquin Films

Please read some of the press coverage of this award if you are interested:

The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Chicago Sun Times

Crain's Chicago Business

Chicago Tribune

European Documentary Portal

The Week Behind

Kartemquin awards a friend

March 27, 2007

On Friday March 30th, Gordon is presenting the DOC Universe Award to longtime Kartemquin friends John Iltis and David Sikich on behalf of the Chicago International Documentary Festival for their "unwavering commitment to promoting documentary cinema in the Windy City." The Awards Cermony is part of the festival's Opening Night Gala, which kicks off the 10-day documentary fest. Gordon is also serving on this year's Grand Prix jury.

Gordon in Alaska

March 27, 2007

Kartemquin President Gordon Quinn was recently interviewed for a piece on independent documentaries for Alaska Airlines Magazine. Read the article here (1.7m pdf).

Kartemquin in the classroom

March 27, 2007

On Thursday, April 5th, Kartemquin’s Jim Morrissette is giving a seminar as a part of Columbia College’s “Viva Doc” series on his experience in the industry. For more information, click here (1.3m pdf).

Terra Incognita to screen in Chicago

March 20, 2007

Terra Incognita is nearing completion and a Chicago-area premiere screening, hosted by Northwestern University's Center for Genetic Medicine, is scheduled for May 10th at Thorne Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public. A follow-up screening is scheduled for May 16th in Evanston. Save the date and check back for further details

Kartemquin volunteers again

March 16, 2007

Wednesday night a group from Kartemquin volunteered their time for the WTTW - Channel 11 pledge drive, raising nearly $10,000 to help keep Chicago's PBS station on the air.

Kartemquin welcomes new Board of Directors

March 16, 2007

Kartemquin's new Board of Directors gathered last Saturday for an inaugural meeting in Chicago. Much was covered over the course of the day, including staff presentations and the year ahead. The meeting was the center of an orientation weekend including dinner at Wishbone on Friday and a brunch at the home of filmmaker Maria Finitzo and her husband, attorney Tony Valukas.

Thanks to Wishbone for dinner and to The Hyde Park Art Center for hosting the Board meeting Saturday.

Read an article about the new Board in Reel Chicago.

Kartemquin: A subject of Cinema and Media Studies

March 12, 2007

The Society of Cinema and Media Studies held its annual conference in Chicago over the weekend. Kartemquin was the topic of two scholarly presentations. Angela Aguayo, from Eastern Illinois University, presented a paper entitled, "Radical Labor Documentary and Social Change: A Case Study in the Films of the Kartemquin Film Collective" and Judy Hoffman, a Kartemquin alum, presented "Kartemquin Films and the Making of Political Documentaries." Jerry Blumenthal also participated in the weekend conference, hosting a screening of Taylor Chain I: A Story in a Local Union, The Last Pullman Car and What's Happening at Local 70?.

Hoop Dreams lives on in Scholarship Fund

March 05, 2007

On February 27th, Gordon Quinn and Peter Gilbert represented Kartemquin at the 10th Anniversary Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund event at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington DC. The fund has been providing opportunities for inner-city DC public school children since 1996.

Peter Gilbert reflected on the event: "For Gordon and I, it was an exciting evening. Hoop Dreams was a work of passion for all of us at Kartemquin. Seeing the film used as the inspiration for such a wonderful and important organization 10 years after the release of the film was heartwarming. We all make social issue films with the hope that they will make some small impact in the community. Being at The Hoop Dreams Scholarship Foundation anniversary gave us great joy in knowing that we played just a small part in a wonderful organization that carries the film’s name."

Susie Kay, the fund's founder, found inspiration in Kartemquin's documentary Hoop Dreams while teaching American Government at H.D. Woodson High School. She wanted to reward students who were working hard despite immense adversity and help them find means to attend college. Over the last 10 years, Susie and her Board have funded over 1,400 academic scholarships and sent 800 Washington DC Public School children to college. Each student is matched with a mentor in the business world who helps guide him or her through college and life.

Read The Examiner’s coverage of the event here (pdf).

Kartemquin on Post Production

March 02, 2007

On Wednesday, February 28th, Leslie Simmer and Adam Singer spoke at the Chicago Final Cut Pro User's Group on their experiences working on The War Tapes. Although the film was, in fact, cut on an Avid, there was plenty of interest by members of the FCPUG on how to approach editing over 1,000 hours of most non-professionally shot video into a compelling and truthful depiction of these soldiers and their families' experiences as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Kartemquin and the CSM move ahead with Fair Use

March 01, 2007

Kartemquin has been working with the Center for Social Media and their "Documentary Filmmakers Statement of Best Practices", striving for gains in the field concerning fair use. The Newsgrist blog recently covered a big shift in insurance policy. Click here to read.