July 2007

Director Joanna Rudnick and Associate Producer Beth Iams recently traveled to Carbondale, IL to participate in the Illinois Humanities Council event, "What Would You Do? Genetic Testing and Life Decisions." Joanna was interviewed on WSIU-FM and profiled in The Southern newspaper.

Additionally, Joanna and In the Family were featured in the article "Documenting Risk" in  JUF News .

To celebrate the re-release of Kartemquin's Emmy-Award winning documentary, Vietnam, Long Time Coming on DVD, the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum and Kartemquin Films are hosting a reception at the Museum and an outdoor screening of the film in the beautiful, adjacent Clarke House Museum Park. Please bring a picnic blanket and join us for this free, summer event. Thanks to Goose Island for donating some cold 312 and Rootbeer, and to Wishbone for generously providing snacks.

Friday, July 13th

Reception begins at 7:30pm - sponsored by Wishbone Restaurant and Goose Island Brewery

Film screens around 8:30pm at dusk

1801 S. Indiana Ave, Chicago IL

Watch Free Speech TV on Thursday, August 16th for a 5 Girls marathon: 5 screenings of Kartemquin's 2001 documentary in 24 hours.

2:00 AM, 9:00AM, 2:00PM, 8:00PM, 10:00PM

Free Speech TV is available on DISH Network ch. 9415 and on select cable stations.

JJ Hanley, producer of Refrigerator Mothers, shared the stage with pioneer mothers who raised their autistic children during the era of “mother blame” of the 50s and 60s during the Autism Society of America’s (ASA) national conference in Phoenix, AZ this week. The conference ran from July 11th - 14th.

The leader of the panel, titled "Mothers from the Freudian/Psychoanalytic Era Respond to the Documentary Refrigerator Mothers", was Ruth Sullivan, first elected president of the ASA in the 1960s, founder of the Autism Services Center of West Virginia and a long-time advocate for the rights and advancement of autistic people. Eustacia Cutler, mother of Temple Grandin and author of AThorn in My Pocket, read excerpts from her account of her experience with the psychiatric profession while raising her daughter, who is a well-known autistic person and a very accomplished professional. Mary Flanagan, long-time advocate and crusader for the rights of autistic people in New York and one of the subjects of the documentary spoke of the damage that Freudian era did to families. The four mothers led the panel discussion, before a full house of parents and professionals.

Ssssshhhh… you heard it here first. Kartemquin's latest documentary has a national TV broadcast scheduled for December 18th. Listen to this podcast to get the sneak peek before the press release goes out!

Kartemquin's Director of Communications Justine Nagan has a piece in the Hyde Park Art Center's new show, Constellation. There will be an opening reception Sunday the 22nd in the afternoon.

Read the latest surrounding the issue of Fair Use in documentary with Media Rights.

The Regiment, a documentary short produced and directed by former Kartemquin intern Matt Wittmer, has been chosen as an official selection of the 11th Annual Rhode Island International Film Festival. It will have it's World Premiere in downtown Providence, at The University of Rhode Island's Feinstein Campus on Sunday, August 12 at 1:00 p.m. The film is the story of a small, unlikely group on a big trip. It follows veteran Civil War reenactor Robert Goldman as he struggles to unite his loose band of urban kids from Providence, Rhode Island and introduces his proteges to a history miles from their Dominican heritage.

Kartemquin filmmaker Maria Finitzo has been accepted to attend the prestigious Sundance Independent Producers Conference at the Sundance Resort, from August 2 - 5.

If it is, vote for it as AFI compiles a list of America's favorite movies.

Check out The Chicago Tribune for a engaging story on Kartemquin's latest documentary Terra Incognita. The article's author also featured it on her blog for The Huffington Post, NY. The article also generated other blog interest.

Kartemquin's classic, Hoop Dreams, was recently featured in an article in the Charlotte Observer as a great summer film for kids.

On July 25, as part of Genetics Day on the Hill, Filmmaker Joanna Rudnick traveled to Washington DC to meet with Senators, legislative aides, and other policymakers to advocate for the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), which is on the verge of passing after 12 years. Learn more about GINA, and how to contact your senator about this important bill, here.

The next evening, Joanna spoke and screened scenes from In the Family as the opening plenary of the 2007 Genetic Alliance National Conference. The Genetic Alliance is the leading advocacy organization for thousands living with genetic conditions.