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Women and Film

News Roundup: Climate Change Documentaries Breaking Through?

The COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference opens in Glasgow on October 31, bringing urgency to the race to save our planet. Documentary commissioners, producers and distributors have responded with lots of new orders. Does global warming have the urgent audience appeal of programs that address hot button issues like true crime, gender, and social …

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The Art, Craft & Persistence of Blue Chip Wildlife Filmmaking. WCS executive producer Natalie Cash in conversation with Jacob Steinberg

Natalie Cash is executive producer in charge of video production at the Wildlife Conservation Society, HQ’d at the world-famous Bronx Zoo. She explores the art, the craft and the challenges of wildlife filmmaking with SEASON OF THE OSPREY director / cinematographer Jacob Steinberg. It was nine years since Natalie first met Jacob and heard his …

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Ellen Windemuth discusses conservation, wildlife filmmaking and her Waterbear streamer with Season of the Osprey’s Jacob Steinberg.

Industry legend Ellen Windemuth is CEO of WaterBear Network, the new free streaming platform dedicated to the future of our planet. Ellen was founder and CEO of Off The Fence, and has produced more than 500 hours of programs including this year’s Academy Award documentary winner MY OCTOPUS TEACHER. In conversation with SEASON OF THE …

Ellen Windemuth discusses conservation, wildlife filmmaking and her Waterbear streamer with Season of the Osprey’s Jacob Steinberg. Read More »

Netflix 2023 What You Need To Know Now


Afghanistan in Documentaries: Sunny Side’s Story of the Month. Plus: Is Barack Obama a celebrity-fixated documentary producer?

Essential Afghan Documentaries – War boosters & critics: 15 key documentaries about Afghanistan, From ‘Taxi to the Dark Side’ to ‘Hell and Back Again‘ // Variety ‘Pat Tillman‘ and other films both critical and supportive of the war // Washington Post Art Workers in France Mobilize to Help Afghan Creators // Artnet Women journalists fear brutal Taliban // Vice Director’s escape from …

Afghanistan in Documentaries: Sunny Side’s Story of the Month. Plus: Is Barack Obama a celebrity-fixated documentary producer? Read More »

SUNNY SIDE OF THE DOC – NEWS ROUNDUP, June 2021: Unscripted Investment Frenzy & more

Story of the Month: Investors Target Unscripted Production. There’s a frenzy of investment in unscripted production // Wall Street Journal. New SVOD’s fail to understand that success depends on streaming addiction // Lightshed Partners. Netflix Australia: Revenues surge but avoids taxes and local production // The Age + Documentary Business. Audiences want more documentaries in streaming libraries …

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PBS NEWSHOUR features BIG vs SMALL, a GIANT WAVE surfer story by Finland’s Minna Dufton

BIG vs SMALL stood out at Sunny Side of the Doc 2019 as a pitch to watch. Last Friday, PBS‘s primetime NEWSHOUR dedicated a report to Director / Producer Minna Dufton‘s gripping feature documentary of Giant Wave surfer Joana Andrade. Below is the link to Stephanie Sy’s video report, and the transcript follows in case …

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Netflix 2023 What You Need To Know Now


BIG vs SMALL: Production & festival strategy for a giant wave surfer doc. Indie Case Study from Finland

BIG vs SMALL tells the inspirational story of Joana Andrade, the first Portuguese woman to surf the giant, bone-crushing waves of Nazaré. Finnish director and producer Minna Dufton’s debut feature documentary was released in late 2020, and so far has enjoyed premieres at nine top global festivals including DOC NYC and PÖFF. BIG vs SMALL …

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Selling OCTOPUS to Netflix. A podcast with executive producer & distributor Ellen Windemuth (reposted)

Ellen Windemuth executive produced Craig Foster‘s beautiful film MY OCTOPUS TEACHER, a new Netflix release. (Now OSCAR-shortlisted, I’m republishing my popular September 2020 podcast with Ellen in response to the undiminished hit-level appeal of “OCTOPUS” to Netflix subscribers of all ages and territories.) She describes the years’ long journey of her friend, South African wildlife …

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