Actress, FAMKE JANSSEN
Turn The River is the directorial debut of longtime actor Chris Eigeman (Metropolitan, The Last Days Of Disco). The film concerns a single mother trying to regain custody of her only child, who currently lives with his alcoholic father. Famke Janssen plays the lead role, in a particularly dramatic turn for her. The actress, who won the festival's acting jury prize, relates her experiences regarding working for a first-time director, the difference between studio and independent films, and what it was like to work with her 11-year-old costar.
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Director, PHIL DONAHUE
Body Of War, winner of the festival's audience award for best documentary, was co-directed by Phil Donahue - yes, that Phil Donahue. The story of a soldier in Iraq who becomes paralyzed from the chest down is passionately represented in the film, and Donahue was on hand to talk about the ways in which the media has depicted the war in Iraq, how the U.S. wound up in Iraq, and the current political climate.
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Director, ELLEN SPIRO
Ellen Spiro co-directed Body Of War, the documentary about a young soldier paralyzed from the chest down in Iraq which won Best Documentary at the festival. Ellen spoke with us about how she came to be involved with the project (which was conceived by Phil Donahue), the process of becoming close with her subjects, and the need for documentaries about the war in Iraq in these times.
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Director, ANDREW ROSSI
Andrew Rossi is the director of A Table In Heaven, a documentary that chronicles the closing, reconceptualizing, and reopening of one of New York City's most famous restaurants, Le Cirque. Rossi got unprecedented access to the close-knit Maccioni family in order to make his film. Rossi speaks about the various character arcs in the film, the way he reshaped the film during the editing process, and the way in which he conceived of Sirio Maccioni as a character.
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Director, MATTHEW GALKIN
While many Americans are familiar with animal-rights organization PETA, few are aware that the organization's leadership is as centered as it actually is. Matthew Galkin's I Am An Animal: The Story Of Ingrid Newkirk and PETA is a look at the life of the woman who created the organization with one partner almost 30 years ago. Matthew Galkin sat down with FilmCatcher to talk about how to keep the film's message separate from the message of its subject, getting close to Ingrid, and how the film maneuvered through PETA as an organization.
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INGRID NEWKIRK, co-founder and president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
Ingrid Newkirk co-founded PETA over 25 years ago, and has been the head of the animal-rights activism organization ever since. The organization has been at the center of many controversies over the years due to its methods, which are considered by some to be "extreme." I Am An Animal: The Story of Ingrid Newkirk and PETA is a look into her world. Ingrid sat down with FilmCatcher to talk about allowing the filmmakers unfettered access to her life, as well as the struggle for change PETA has been involved in for so long, and how she has attempted to get her political message out.
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Director, HELEN HOOD SCHEER
On a list of competitive sports, jump-rope is perhaps the last thing most would expect to see. But competitive jump-rope is alive and well in the United States, and in JUMP!, Helen Hood Scheer set out to explore this strange and fascinating athletic subculture. Helen speaks about immersing herself in the subculture, finding her characters and getting them to let down their guards, and just what it is about competitive jump-rope that she finds so fascinating.
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