SILVERDOCS
LIFE
ARE YOU WATCHING?
June 18-22, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SILVERDOCS FILM FESTIVAL
ANNOUNCES ENTRY DEADLINE MARCH 1, 2003
ENTER ONLINE AT: WWW.SILVERDOCS.COM
JURY CHAIRED BY KAREN COOPER, DIRECTOR OF FILM FORUM
February 5, 2003 (Silver Spring, MD)*SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel
Documentary Festival is now accepting entries for its inaugural edition in the
summer of 2003. Created and sponsored through a unique collaboration
between the American Film Institute and Discovery Communications, Inc.,
SILVERDOCS will establish benchmarks for excellence in the international
documentary field.
Completed films must be submitted for consideration no later than March 1,
2003.
Between June 18 - 22, 2003, SILVERDOCS will celebrate, honor and
showcase approximately 60 films worldwide. The Festival will be held at the
newly restored, state-of-the-art AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in
downtown Silver Spring, MD.
Award-winning independent filmmaker Karen Cooper, Director of Film Forum
in New York, will serve as the chair of the SILVERDOCS Jury.
Renowned as a supporter of innovative world cinema, Cooper has been a
jury member for more than 15 international festivals, including the Sundance
Film Festival, the Napoli Film Festival and the Sarajevo International Film
Festival. She has also worked extensively with the Soros Documentary Fund,
HBO and the National Endowment for the Arts.
*SILVERDOCS is honored to have a person of Karen Cooper*s experience
and stature serve as Jury chair,* noted Nina Seavey, Festival Director. *Her
involvement is an indicator of the level of quality expected at this unique
Festival. Her participation immediately distinguishes SILVERDOCS as a
substantial and significant addition to the Festival calendar in its inaugural
year.*
At the awards ceremony on closing night, the SILVERDOCS jury will present
Sterling Awards to the most exceptional documentaries in competition. An
Audience Award will be given to the film that garners a strong popular vote
among Festival attendees.
SILVERDOCS is unusual as a film festival because of its exclusive focus on
documentaries, coupled with its proximity to Washington, DC. Because of its
location, in the center of news, policy and communication, the Festival is in a
unique position to engage filmmakers, international policymakers, journalists,
issue experts, elected officials and activists to explore and challenge issues
raised by selected documentary films.
Every year, SILVERDOCS will include several program strands covering a
range of concerns.
For 2003, programming strands include:
World View
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
Inside Sports
For complete information regarding film eligibility, entry rules or an application
form, go to www.SILVERDOCS.com or contact SILVERDOCS at
301.495.6776,
info@silverdocs.com, or via mail at 8633 Colesville Road,
Silver Spring, MD 20910. Submissions must be received by March 1, 2003.
SILVERDOCS is presented by the American Film Institute with the support of
sponsoring partner, Discovery Channel.
AFI is the preeminent organization dedicated to advancing and preserving the
art of film, television and other forms of the moving image. AFI trains the next
generation of filmmakers, coordinates nationwide film preservation efforts and
explores new technologies in moviemaking. AFI also presents the best of film
through the AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival (AFI FEST); the AFI
National Theater at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC; and the annual
AFI Life Achievement Award, the highest honor given for a career in film. More
information about AFI can be found by visiting its Web site, located at
www.AFI.com.
Discovery Communications, Inc. is the leading global real-world media and
entertainment company. DCI has grown from its core property, the Discovery
Channel, first launched in the United States in 1985, to current global
operations in more than 155 countries and territories with over 830 million
cumulative subscribers. DCI's 33 networks of distinctive programming
represent 14 entertainment brands including TLC, Animal Planet, Travel
Channel, Discovery Health Channel, Discovery Kids, Discovery Civilization,
The Science Channel, Discovery Wings Channel, Discovery Home & Leisure
and Discovery en Español. DCI's other properties consist of Discovery.com
and 167 Discovery Channel retail stores. DCI also distributes BBC America in
the United States. DCI's ownership consists of four shareholders: Liberty
Media Corporation (NYSE: L), Cox Communications, Inc.(NYSE: COX),
Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, the Company's
Founder, Chairman and CEO.
# # #
Press Contact:*Katie Stack
***301.495.6739
***
kstack@AFI.com
