I'm Going to Doc Summercamp!

I'm very excited to report that I have received a grant to attend the Flaherty/International Film Seminar this year (Robert and Frances Flaherty, pictured).  I've heard from many past attendees that it's a "life-changing" experience, and I'm always up for one of those.

This will be the Flaherty's 54th incarnation, so it's a bit of a granddaddy, especially for something here in the States where a 20th anniversary is a really big deal, let alone a golden 50th.

This year, the seminar is called "The Age of Migration," and this year's guest curator is the multi-talented Chi-hui Yang, festival director of the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival.  Here's the description for this year's program: "From the urban landscapes of Asia, to the conflict zones of the Middle East, to the multi-cultural societies of Europe, the US and beyond, unprecedented migrations of exiles, soldiers, laborers, and adoptees intersect with the legacies of war, global capital and terror.  Through film and video screenings and in-depth discussions, "The Age of Migration" will probe how hybrid documentaries, video blogs and speculative histories have become connective tissues which collapse physical distances and accentuate emotional connections.  We will map these modern migration patterns and explore the relationship between conflict, movement and transmission." 

A few guest artists have also already been confirmed--Ursula Biemann, Lonnie van Brummelen, Pedro Costa and James Hong.  As is the tradition of the Flaherty, no other guests will be announced beforehand and film titles will only be announced before the lights go down in the theater.

The seminar will take place in upstate New York on the Colgate University campus in Hamilton from June 21st to the 27th (hot on the heels of Silverdocs, which I'll also be attending for the second time).  A stellar June is in store for yours truly.  I will be blogging extensively from both events.

And then I leave for Dubai--gulp.

Comments

[Erin]

Congrats, Pamela! The program looks great, I've attended panels Chi-hui participated in and he's got a lot of great insight into the future of indie film-making.

I look forward to reading your posts from camp.

[James McNally]

Congratulations, Pamela! I'll look forward to reading about your experiences. I'm snowed under at the day job these days and feel like I haven't seen a film in about a year. Envying you just a little...