And just barely in time (really a day too late re: my “free online movies” post) I received the POV update that this excellent series of documentaries airing on PBS now has a new website, which happens to also stream a select few of the documentaries they’ve shown. Right now there are only three on their full-length video page.
A few years ago I was impressed with the then POV executive Cara Mertes saying at an IFP Market seminar about the future of distribution (and away from the traditional TV and home DVD distribution) that she wasn’t worried about the competition of the Internet because POV was already at the front lines of the integration between the Internet and television. Of course, shortly thereafter she left POV and became the Director of the Sundance Institute Documentary Program.
And while it is true that POV has had an outstanding website for years, which took the conversation and the ideas of a given documentary much further than the initial broadcast, it is also interesting to note that they waited until this year to stream some of their featured films in their entirety online – and as mentioned, only three of them as of right now. I wonder if they will make different deals with filmmakers in the future to acquire the online rights to their films.
Ah, if only I could find out in person… While All God’s Children didn’t get selected for the highly selective series last year, we received a very kind and encouraging hand-written (!) note from current executive director Simon Kilmurry. If you’ve ever received a (or a hundred) rejection letters, you know how special that is! So this year I’m encouraged to submit All’s Well and Fair – even though I know it’s a long shot. The only thing for sure is that it happens to be a film about women with lots of OPINIONS…
Please wish me luck. And watch a documentary!