When director/producer Steve James and producer Alex Kotlowitz set out to make The Interrupters, their hope was to change the conversation around violence.  As James said back in February, “we hope the film will play some role in communities-in-need and [The Interrupters] will be part of the solution to these issues.”  The Mayors of Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Toronto are among the civic leaders who are now working with Kartemquin to make this a reality.   Continued

Omer M. Mozaffar, a critic on Roger Ebert's "Our Far-Flung Correspondents" blog network, has written a brilliant article about The Interrupters, stating "it might be the most powerful movie I have ever seen." We urge you to read "Extinguishing the Ecstasy of Anger."   The Interrupters opens today in a number of new cities across the USA: San Diego, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Eugene, Kirksville. It also screens at the St. Louis International Film Festival on Sunday, with director Steve James attending. And it continues for an astounding 12th week showing daily at the ICE Theaters in Lawndale, Chicago. See details.   Continued

Kartemquin can confirm that our fans in the United Kingdom will be able to watch The Interrupters on Dec 4th, 9pm on BBC Storyville on BBC Four. This will be the world television premiere of a 119 minute broadcast version film and will come the day before the film is released on DVD in the UK on Dec 5th by Dogwoof.   We can also announce the Danish television premiere of The Interrupters will be on January 10th on DR TV. Expect many more international television air dates to be announced in the coming weeks, including the US television premiere in 2012 on PBS Frontline.   Continued

These are busy times at KTQ. Eleven different Kartemquin documentaries are screening around the USA this week alone, with over forty cumulative screenings total (we have to estimate because we don't know yet just how many times The Interrupters might screen this weekend)!   Continued

The Interrupters has been nominated for 2012 Cinema Eye Honors in four categories: Best Direction, Best Production, the Audience Choice Award, and the main prize: the Oustanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking.    The awards ceremony will take place on January 11, 2012 at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens, New York. View more details on the Cinema Eye Honors website. We are honored to have a Kartemquin film nonimated for the Cinema Eye Honors for the first time!   Continued

Bermuda's National Security Minister has vowed to implement a CeaseFire-style violence prevention program after watching The Interrupters.   The Royal Gazette reports that after reading that interrupter Cobe Williams would be on the island for the Bermuda Documentary Film Festival, National Security Minister Wayne Perinchief requested a meeting with Cobe and Co-producer Zak Piper.   Continued

The Interrupters has been nominated for Best Documentary at the 2011 Gotham Independent Film Awards. The ceremony takes places on November 28th in New York. Read about the announcement in IndieWire, and on the Documentary Channel blog, which notes "I guess Best Ensemble is only for actors, otherwise “The Interrupters” might have scored two nods."   Continued

Kartemquin is honored to take part in the very first Englewood Film Festival (Oct 28th – 29th) at Lindblom High School, 6130 S Wolcott St, Chicago with a screening of The Interrupters as the closing night film at 7pm on October 29th. The Interrupters was primarily filmed in Englewood and surrounding communities.   Filmmaker Mark Harris, the host of the event and resident of Englewood, aims for this festival to be “The Urban Festival Building Community.” Kartemquin is grateful to contribute to this initiative, an effort that resonates with our mission to engage and enrich the Chicago community and beyond. Get tickets. Continued

In honor of Kartemquin's 45th Anniversary, the newly renovated Hill Center in Washington DC will host a Master Class that will feature Kartemquin's Artistic Director and Founder, Gordon Quinn, on November 7th from 2pm - 3:30pm.   Continued