We recently sat down with one of our heroes, Patricia Aufderheide, the co-author of the essential Documentary Filmmakers’ Statement of Best Practices in Fair Use. Patricia’s work enabled filmmakers whose work built upon other works to understand their rights, acquire the necessary errors and omissions insurance (E&O), and sleep at night. Diane Carson, the co-director of the highly informative and engrossing educational film Other People’s Footage: Copyright & Fair Use joined us in this in depth discussion of fair use and what filmmakers need to know.
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What a beautiful piece of art this award turned out to be!
Look What Arrived By Mail!
How I love Le FIFA film festival - let me count the ways. Le FIFA not only celebrate art and artists on screen, but in everything you do. Our Le FIFA trophy just arrived by mail. Made by Quebec glass-blowing artist Jérémie St-Onge, it is itself a work of art. We shall treasure ours for Best Essay Prize. Thanks so much to Le FIFA and St-Onge for this beautiful and beloved addition to The Faithful’s own art collection. (pictured here among paintings by Kata Billups)
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The Faithful Awarded Best Essay Prize at Le FIFA!
What an honor it was to be named the Winner of the Best Cinematic Essay Prize at Le FIFA 2023! Le FIFA is such a wonderful, inspiring festival that celebrates the arts, and we were so thrilled to be a part of it all. Thank you to the festival’s organizers for making everything possible, and to the film’s audiences for being so attentive, contemplative, and committed to the art of film.
Read MoreAccepting the Prize for Best Essay Film from Le FIFA The International Festival of Films on Art
It was such an honor to receive the Best Essay Prize at Le FIFA 2023. Thanks so much, once again, to everyone involved!
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Pictured from left to right, part of the SXSW 90 minute film school panel: Anna Feder, Annie Berman, Mari Walker, Mischa Jakupcak, Diane Carson. *Not pictured, the fabulous Eileen Level.
As luck would have it, fair use advocate Diane Carson, co-director of an essential fair use film Other People’s Footage was also able to join us and share the stage.
Recapping our time at SXSW
Thank you SXSW for a wonderful festival, thank you to the 90-Minute Film School’s inquisitive and inspiring audience, and thank you Anna Feder for dreaming up a session that brings together the things we are unfortunately not learning at most film schools.
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The Faithful is an OFFICIAL SELECTION at Le FIFA, The International Festival of Films on Art
As the festival unveils the program for its 41st edition, we are ecstatic to announce that The Faithful: The King, The Pope, and The Princess is an official selection for Le FIFA, The International Festival of Films on Art!
Read MoreWhat a Night, Miami!
It was a real homecoming, indeed! How wonderful it was to experience The Faithful alongside such an amazing audience, and to get to speak with everyone to answer questions and discuss the film after. Thank you, O Cinema!
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So excited to bring The Faithful to O Cinema!
MIAMI! The Faithful’s Miami Premiere at O Cinema
The Faithful comes to O Cinema in South Beach!
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A pretty good view, if we may say so ourselves!
DOCPOINT May Just Be Our Favorite International Documentary Film Festival in the World!
February 6, 2023 in Helsinki, Finland with Director Annie Berman
Our International Premiere of The Faithful: The King, The Pope, The Princess at DocPoint Helsinki Documentary Film Festival was something special. Helmed by the brilliant Head of Programming filmmaker Inka Achté, and Executive Director Tape Riihimaki, and team, Docpoint Helsinki presented risk-taking films from around the world, a celebration of truly independent works of nonfiction after three long years without in-person togetherness. Throughout the festival, the chosen films showcased the many different ways to tell important stories and interpret the world through filmmaking, never avoiding difficult subjects or bold experiments. Each year, over one hundred of the best and most talked-about creative documentary films from all over the world are brought to screens in Helsinki, and we were honored to see The Faithful chosen as one of those films this year. Even more honoring was our nomination for the 2023 YLE Award for Best International Documentary Film–many thanks to all who made it possible.
It’s hard to describe the pure joy and delight of finally uniting with our closest collaborators, converging on Helsinki from Portugal, Ireland, England and Spain...to see our film projected in a beautiful theater with a thoughtful, inquisitive, gracious audience. It was a week of films, art, dinners, saunas, dancing, music and immense, gratifying joy.
Thank you Docpoint Helsinki for all of your hard work, generosity, and risk-taking programming. Thank you for bringing us all together. Thank you for introducing us to these brilliant films and filmmakers. And, thank you for showing us the beauty of Finland and its people. We will cherish these memories for a lifetime.
Together for the first time ever. Andrew Kirwan (sound designer) and fiance Diane from Dublin; Oliver David (post-producer) from London; Paulo Cunha Martins (colorist/restorationist) from Porto on the streets of downtown Helsinki. Photo by a very content Annie Berman (director).
Oliver David, Post Producer; Annie Berman, Director; Paulo Cunha Martins, Color/Restorationist at Amos Rex, Helsinki, Finland.
Such an honor to be nominated for Best International Documentary Film alongside these greats: All of our Heartbeats Are Connected Through Exploding Stars & Surround, Burial & Aphotic Zone, How Dare You Have Such a Rubbish Wish, Ladies Only & Virtual Voice, Manifesto, Myanmar Diaries, Périphérique Nord & True Bug, Rojek, The Last Chapter, The Pawnshop, and, While We Watched. 🏆
In the flesh. Breaking bread together at Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art. Oliver David (post-producer) and Paulo Cunha Martins (color/restoration) hold The Faithful postcards. We made a real thing together across an ocean.
Our lovely Oliver shares The Faithful to his social media.
Annie’s POV from The Faithful’s Q&A at Docpoint Helsinki with team - Matt Mankins (collaborating producer), Paulo Cunha Martins (color / restoration), Oliver David (post-producer) - who flew in from Spain, Portugal, England, respectively.
Good morning, Helsinki! Could grow very accustomed to these scrumptious Scandinavian breakfast feasts overlooking the awakening city, in good company.
Finland is known for having the most well-developed education in the world. This was undoubtedly one of the most engaged, thoughtful and inquisitive audiences yet.
What a cool venue!
Left to right: Annie Berman (director), Paulo Cunha Martins (color/restoration), Matt Mankins (Collaborating producer), Oliver David (post-producer). Andrew Kirwan (sound design/mix) had yet to arrive.
Paulo Cunha Martins presents Annie with her very own cabbage bowl, direct from Portugal. 🇵🇹
And along with our memories, lives a patch of primeval forest protected in honor of The Faithful’s international premiere! 🌲🌲🌲
Leaving this country with full hearts, warmed souls, enlarged minds, and full bellies. 🇫🇮
Highlights from the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
Q&A moderated by the brilliant Thaïs Miller
Aunt Nora, filling the magnificent Castro Theater. Her spirit lives on.
Festival director and filmmaker, Jay Rosenblatt, whose films I’ve always adored.
Judith Helfand, director of Love and Stuff, a double header. It’s not everyday you share a screen with a mentor whose work has influenced and inspired your own.
Photojournalist Yoshi James! How magnificent to meet in person after serving on the Indie Memphis jury together!
Friend, photographer, and now local Jim Youll - thanks for the very warm welcome, and for the beautiful photos!
Thanks to the incredible directors of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival and Jewish Film Institute, Jay Rosenblatt and Lexi Leban, brilliant moderator Thaïs Miller, Board President Ralph Guggenheim for bringing THE FAITHFUL to the SFJFF, and for the royal treatment!
THE FAITHFUL: Official Selection of the 42nd San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
Thrilled to announce that The Faithful was chosen to screen at this year's San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, the world’s largest and longest running Jewish Film Festival, which will present 71 films from 14 countries—narratives, documentaries, and shorts—that spotlight bold films and filmmakers that expand and evolve the Jewish story. I'll be attending and excited to finally meet (in person!) fellow filmmakers in residence of the Jewish Film Institute.
Our heartfelt gratitude to JFI and SFJFF's Lexi Leban, Jay Rosenblatt, Marcia Jarmel, Joanne Feinberg, Claudia Finkle, our gracious hosts, and to The Faithful's Faithful Producers and Collaborators Andre Valentim Almeida, Sara Theriault, Sarah Enid Hagey, Matt Mankins, Oliver David, Sound Designer and Mixer Andrew Kirwan and Colorist Paulo Cunha Martins and to all who have supported this film.
More info below, https://jfi.org/sfjff-2022
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The Faithful: The King, The Pope, The Princess
July 25 • 11:15am • Castro Theatre
Annie Berman, 2021, Documentary, USA, 90 minutes, English
Director Annie Berman (2022 JFI Filmmaker in Residence) expected to attend
Annie Berman’s essay film is a witty, frequently surreal reflection on three of the most photographed individuals—Elvis Presley, Pope John Paul II, Diana, Princess of Wales—of all time and the people who worship their images. Filmed over the course of 20 years, on numerous trips from Graceland to the Vatican to Kensington Palace and back, Berman’s fascination with documenting each icon’s adoring public soon morphs into an obsession of her own about how materialism, performance and ritual come together in the making and resurrections of each of these modern icons. Berman’s Jewish identity informs her outsider status in each setting, allowing her to approach scenes of ardent fandom and devotion to celebrity graven images as if they were forbidden fruit.
THE FAITHFUL: Official Selection of the 21st San Francisco Documentary Festival (SF DocFest), June 1-12, 2022 →
THE FAITHFUL is honored to be one of 36 feature films showcased at the 21st San Francisco Documentary Film Festival (SF DocFest), June 3-12th. 100% of live screening ticket sales will benefit the beloved Roxie Theater. Our on demand screening features a very special online Q&A moderated by Kayla Myers, with writer/director Annie Berman, collaborating producer Sarah Enid Hagey, and photographer Ralph Burns. Don’t miss it!
Read MoreCamden International Film Festival Announces The Faithful's World Festival Premiere!
The Camden International Film Festival (CIFF) has announced THE FAITHFUL: The King, The Pope, The Princess among the slate of feature and short films for its 17th edition, which will take place in person, from Sept. 16-19, at venues in Camden and Rockland, and online, from Sept. 16-26, for audiences across North America. We are thrilled to premiere THE FAITHFUL at this most beloved festival.
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PHOTOS FROM LAST NIGHT'S EXTRAORDINARY IN-PERSON THEATRICAL PREMIERE
It was an emotional evening to see THE FAITHFUL premiere on the big screen with an audience in full surround sound during Elvis Week after 20 long years in the making. Thank you to Indie Memphis, Crosstown Arts, Brighid Wheeler, Miriam Bale, Justin Thompson, Augusta Palmer, Adam Hohenberg, Sara Theriault, Anna Feder, Diana Trushell, Haw-Bin Chai, and all who came!!
Read More||paus Presents: An exclusive 24-hour opportunity to watch THE FAITHFUL →
PAUS presents an exclusive 24-hour exclusive opportunity to watch 'The Faithful: The King, The Pope, The Princess', by Annie Berman. The event will go live from Saturday 1st May at 7 pm (UK time).
The event will also include an exclusive and informative Q&A hosted by the talented producer, Oliver David. Joining Annie Berman (Director) will be, Matt Mankins (producer), Andre Valentim Almeida (producer / editor), Paulo Cunha Martins (restorer / colourist).
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