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January, 12, 2015

Darius Clark Monroe’s Evolution from Criminal to Filmmaker

Craig Phillips in Uncategorized

[caption id="attachment_6221" align="alignnone" width="600"] Filmmaker Darius Clark Monroe[/caption] Darius Clark Monroe's own evolution from loving son, to incarcerated criminal, and then back to student and filmmaker, is quite a journey. In his documentary Evolution of a Criminal, he points the…
January, 12, 2015

Evolution of a Criminal

Independent Lens

In examining a bank robbery committed by Texas high school students, Darius Clark Monroe’s film interweaves suspenseful reenactment footage with candid interviews from people involved in every angle of the crime. The twist? The filmmaker himself was one of the…
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December, 6, 2014

And the winner of IDA Award for Best Curated Series goes to…

Craig Phillips in Uncategorized

At Friday night’s 30th annual IDA Documentary Awards, given out every year by the International Documentary Association to recognize and honor outstanding documentary films and filmmakers, Independent Lens was given the great honor of winning the 2014 Best Curated Series…
Twin Sisters Mia and Alexandra in a museum with giant wind-up teeth.
Where Are They Now?
October, 20, 2014

Update on Twin Sisters Mia and Alexandra from the California Mom

Craig Phillips in Where Are They Now?

We have an exclusive update on the two twin girls featured in Twin Sisters (the film by Mona Friis Bertheussen premieres on PBS tonight, Monday, October 20, at 10 pm; check local listings), from someone who would know: the mother…
October, 20, 2014

Twin Sisters

Independent Lens

Twin Sisters tells the moving true story of Mia and Alexandra, twin Chinese infants found in a cardboard box and taken to an orphanage in 2003. Two sets of hopeful parents — from Norway, and Sacramento, California — arrived in…
Headshot of Twin Sisters Director/Producer Mona Friis Bertheussen.
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October, 17, 2014

Twin Sisters Filmmaker Captures Sibling Bond

Craig Phillips in Uncategorized

Twin Sisters tells the story of the remarkable journey of identical twins, adopted by families from opposite ends of the world who discover their daughters are sisters. The film won the prestigious Audience Award at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, and it's…
Leveled Philadelphia row houses after the MOVE bombings
July, 11, 2014

From RealScreen: Archive Masterclass on the Making of the Film

Craig Phillips

Super piece by Adam Benzine on Let the Fire Burn's extensive, exhaustive archival process, with insight from filmmaker Jason Osder: "Archive masterclass: Making Let the Fire Burn'."  The film had its television premiere on Independent Lens in May. (more…)
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July, 7, 2014

PBS Online Film Festival (Including Independent Lens Shorts)

Craig Phillips in Uncategorized

WATCH. VOTE. SHARE. For the third year running, the PBS Online Film Festival is happening as we speak. Two excellent short films are representing Independent Lens as part of the line-up: Tryouts, by Susana Casares [official site], and Border Bedazzlers, by Grace Jackson [official Facebook…
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June, 30, 2014

The Winner of 2013-2014 Independent Lens Audience Award Is…

Craig Phillips in Uncategorized

The votes are in and Independent Lens viewers have spoken! Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey is the winner of the Independent Lens 2013-2014 Audience Award. Congratulations to filmmaker Ramona S. Diaz and her team. The music-filled film [official site] about Journey’s new…
African American protestors carry a sign that reads "Vote for Prop 6."
June, 15, 2014

The New Black

Independent Lens

The New Black tells the story of how the African American community is debating the marriage equality movement and the fight over LGBT rights. The film documents activists, families, and clergy on both sides of the campaign to legalize gay…
The New Black filmmaker Yoruba Richen
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June, 12, 2014

The New Black: Yoruba Richen Expands the Conversation on Marriage Equality

Craig Phillips in Uncategorized

Yoruba Richen brings to her films a diverse perspective coming from a multifaceted background, all of which came into play when making her new documentary The New Black. "As The New Black shows repeatedly and so compellingly,” wrote Cynthia Fuchs…
A Philadelphia police officer observes the rubble after the MOVE bombings
Where Are They Now?
May, 12, 2014

The MOVE Bombings 29 Years Later

Craig Phillips in Where Are They Now?

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="594"] MOVE members and police during the 1978 confrontation outside MOVE headquarters.[/caption] It's the week of the 29th anniversary of the MOVE bombings, and for those who were in the middle of it and are still with us,…