December 2007

Kartemquin's Maria Finitzo, Gordon Quinn and Justine Nagan just returned from IDFA, the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam, where the 60 minute version of Mapping Stem Cell Research: Terra Incognita was in the Silver Wolf Competition. The film was screened 5 times followed by discussions with the filmmakers and audiences. Allison Kessler, one of the individuals featured in the film, attended the festival for the European premiere of the film.

Additionally, Gordon was one of five documentarians to participate in a panel entitled, "Debate: What Would You Do? Ethics inside and outside film" The panel was moderated by documentary ethicist Brian Winston, and covered social taboos and ethical issues posed in the documentary film process.

Kartemquin was featured yesterday in an insert in the Chicago Sunday New York Times, sponsored by the MacArthur Foundation. Read the article in Chicago Life.

As a part of its Community Cinema program, PBS' series Independent Lens is screening the 60-minute version of Kartemquin's latest release, Mapping Stem Cell Research: Terra Incognita, at venues around the country. These community events draw in local audiences for the screening and discussion afterwards. Check the list for an upcoming screening in your community.

In the Family filmmaker Joanna Rudnick is the featured interview this week on ReachMD's "Advances in Women's Health" Series, airing on XM Channel 157. You can visit here to download the podcast and find out the interview's broadcast schedule.

A Kartemquin crew recently visited local Chicago designers, The Post Family, during a shoot for Typeface. Read The Post Family's Blog about the experience.

Please join us this Sunday at 1:30 as Kartemquin's documentary, The Chicago Maternity Center Story, screens at The Chicago History Museum. Get the details, as the event is featured on the flavorpill website and in The Chicago Reader.

Kartemquin's latest, Mapping Stem Cell Research: Terra Incognita, is playing tomorrow afternoon at the Northwest Film Forum in Seattle. Get tickets.

Chicago's ABC affiliate, ABC7, recently featured Kartemquin's Steve James during their "People, Places, & Things" program. This weekend's show sought to bring audiences an update on Kartemquin's doc Hoop Dreams– by interviewing William Gates, Arthur Agee and Steve James. The program aired Saturday and Sunday evenings.

Kartemquin's Mapping Stem Cell Research: Terra Incognita aired Sunday night across Canada on the CBC's popular series, "The Passionate Eye." Read viewers responses to the film.

Terra Incognita was also highlighted in The Toronto Star

Indiewire's latest production report includes Kartemquin's work-in-progress, Prisoner of Her Past. Read the story.

The holidays have come early for In the Family! In December we received a $30,000 grant from the Michael Reese Health Trust and $10,000 from the Jewish Women's Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago. These grants will support our outreach and education intiatives in 2008. This is the third year of support from MRHT and the second year of support from the JWF. In the Family is grateful to have these strong community partnerships helping us to raise awareness about genetic testing and hereditary cancer throughout Chicagoland and around the country.

Kartemquin's recent DVD release of Vietnam Long Time Coming was covered in "Movie City News." Check it out.

For those of you in Chicago who haven't yet had a chance to see Kartemquin's latest release, Terra Incognita, you're in luck! The film is screening this Saturday at the Chicago Cultural Center as a part of Independent Lens' Community Cinema program. The event is free and open to the public, and will conclude with a discussion of the film with filmmaker Maria Finitzo and Dr. Jack Kessler.

December 15, 2007, 2:00 PM

Chicago Cultural Center

78 E. Washington St.

Read a capsule review in The Chicago Reader by Jonathan Rosenbaum.

Independent Lens recently hosted a community screening of Kartemquin's Mapping Stem Cell Research: Terra Incognita in Philadelphia. The post film discussion included Father Tad who appears twice in the film and presents the Catholic church's perspective on embryonic stem cell research. Read about the event.

Kartemquin Films is sad to convey the passing of a long-time friend of our organization. Dr. Barbara Temaner Brodley (75), ex-wife of Kartemquin founder Jerry Temaner, was active in her career and community, and will be missed by many. Barbara, with then husband Jerry, starred in Kartemquin's 1970 film Marco about parental rights in childbirth.

Read her obituary in the Chicago Tribune.