It is with great sadness that we announce that Kartemquin founding partner Jerry Blumenthal passed away today. At the core of Kartemquin since our earliest days in the 1960s, Jerry has a credit on our very first film, Home for Life, and was working with us this year to finish projects on the artist Gerda Bernstein, and Murder the Prepositions, about the poet Les Bridges. Continued

Kartemquin is proud to announce a collaboration with Al Jazeera America on Hard Earned, a six-part documentary series scheduled to air in early 2015. Production has already begun on the series, which will explore the lives of five American families striving to keep food on the table and their dignity intact despite the reality of high living expenses and low wages. “We’re pleased to bring this important documentary series to Al Jazeera America, which explores the economic realities that many Americans face,” said Shannon High-Bassalik, senior vice-president, documentaries and programs. “This series goes beyond the politics and policy discussions and immerses the viewer in the true day-to-day struggles individuals and families face, getting by in today’s economy.” Continued

Last night in Chicago, the Community Media Workshop honored Kartemquin's Gordon Quinn and Steve James with 2014 Studs Terkel Awards. The Studs Terkel Community Media Awards honor outstanding media professionals for excellence in covering and reflecting Chicago’s diverse communities. The awards highlight communicators who take risks in covering social issues by offering new or unusual perspectives on topics of general concern, from housing to neighborhood safety and beyond. Also honored were Fred & Nikki Will Stein; Steve Bogira of The Chicago Reader; and Alejandro Escalona of Telemundo, as well as Community Media Workshop founder Thom Clark. Continued

The International Documentary Association (IDA) has given the 2013 ABCNews VideoSource award to our film The Trials of Muhammad Ali. Trials director Bill Siegel (pictured) collected the award - given for the best use of archival footage in a documentary - last night at the IDA awards ceremony in Los Angeles, accompanied by the film's producer Rachel Pikelny, editor Aaron Wickenden, and executive producer Gordon Quinn. Continued

From March 6-10, the world's largest gathering of cinema experts will be in Chicago. The Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS) 2013 Chicago Conference brings together global film academics and critics to discuss the past, present and future of cinematic arts. So, of course, Kartemquin is involved! The showpiece opening night event of the conference is also open to the public: Urban Documentaries and Social Change: Where Are We? Asking the question of "how do we socially understand urban media and how has the contemporary political landscape impacted documentary filmmaking?", the event, hosted by the MCA Chicago, features a very strong and rare meeting of acclaimed panelists. Continued

In a great interview with Jeff Kelly Lowenstein of Hoy, Gordon Quinn and Peter Kuttner discuss the history and philosophy of Kartemquin Films. Get an insight into the production of films from The Chicago Maternity Center Story (1976) to the forthcoming '63 Boycott (in-progress0, with some anecdotes that we have never heard Gordon and Peter put on record before. Continued

Take part in the annual Kartemquin holiday sale! We're offering 25% of everything in our store. Just use coupon code: KTQHOLIDAY12 when you check out. We're also giving back - from now until the end of the year, Kartemquin Films will donate half of all of its sales made on Typeface DVDs and merchandise to Hamilton Wood Type Museum eviction relief fund. Last month, the museum was told it would be forced to leave it's current home in Two Rivers by the end of the year. In order to make the move, the museum must first find and purchase a new space and then pack up it's enormous collection of priceless, historic wood type - the world's largest. The museum is attempting to raise $250,000 to purchase and move to a new location. Continued

This Friday, Steve James will present a special screening of The Interrupters at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, followed by discussion with USC alum Shaft director John Singleton, and The Interrupters stars Ameena Matthews and Eddie Bocanegra. The event is now sold out. Tomorrow, Steve will also present Stevie at USC SCA (get more info & RSVP). But if you can't attend, perhaps an online video interview of Steve James by award-winning documentary filmmaker Ondi Timoner (Dig! and We Live in Public) will help compensate! Continued

The International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) has announced its 2011 line-up, which includes A Good Man and The Interrupters. The festival, regularly cited as Europe's premier documentary event, runs November 16-27. This will mark the 7th festival of our 45th anniversary year in which the two films have screened together, and the two will be part of 7 total Kartemquin films screening at IDFA.   A Good Man and The Interrupters screen in the 'Masters' section of the festival, along with new works by some of the most acclaimed documentary filmmakers alive. The films' respective directors Steve James and Gordon Quinn will attend for Kartemquin.   Continued