Canadian filmmakers and documentary fans find an online home with TVO's Doc Studio, launching October 19

Canadian filmmakers and documentary fans find an online home with TVO's Doc Studio, launching October 19

-- Visit
docstudio.tvo.org
for full-length documentaries, forums, and filmmaker resources
-- Alan Zweig film festival on TVO, a retrospective of Doc
Studio's first filmmaker-in-residence
-- Doc Studio Contest offers filmmakers opportunity to have their
short film air on TVO

TORONTO, Oct. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - Canada's documentary filmmakers and fans
will find an invaluable online resource on October 19 with the launch
of TVO's Doc Studio. As the proud supporter of established and emerging
documentary filmmakers, TVO offers this new online initiative as a
platform to showcase documentary filmmakers and their work, as well as
to act as a learning community that supports POV (point-of-view)
filmmaking.

"Doc Studio is about exploring the work and process of Canada's
documentary filmmakers, providing insight into how they think, what
motivates them, and how they apply their craft," says Jane Jankovic,
TVO's Commissioning Editor of Canadian Documentaries. "It's not an
endorsement of any particular style or approach. It's more about
sharing how various filmmakers work and why they do it. It's also
outreach to those communities that don't have film festivals, workshops
and master classes to inspire the next generation of filmmakers."

Visitors to docstudio.tvo.org will find full-length videos of documentaries by some of Canada's best
auteur filmmakers, interviews by directors and the industry's top
names, and will be able to participate in forums with other filmmakers
to exchange ideas on their craft.

Alan Zweig Film Festival and Filmmakers in Residence

Every year, Doc Studio will announce a filmmaker-in-residence whose body
of work will be showcased and who will collaborate with Doc Studio to
offer advice and original content. Doc Studio's first
filmmaker-in-residence is Alan Zweig and TVO will celebrate the launch
of the site with an on-air festival of Alan's films. The festival
includes Zweig's introspective, mirror trilogy Vinyl (October 19 at 9 pm), I, Curmudgeon (October 20 at 9 pm), and Lovable (October 26 at 9 pm), along with Zweig's Genie Award-winning Best
Feature Length documentary A Hard Name (October 27 at 9 pm), all of which were commissioned by TVO and made
their world broadcast premieres on TVO.

Alan's films will also be available online at Doc Studio, where Alan
will provide video follow-ups of some of his most memorable interview
subjects, behind-the-scenes insights from his films, and serialized
filmmaking tips from Alan and his editor, Chris Donaldson.

Doc Studio Contest - October 27 to February 27

Do you have a story to tell and are looking for a place to showcase it?
Beginning October 27, 2011 and running to February 27, 2012 Doc Studio
will launch its first annual Doc Studio Contest. Accomplished and
aspiring documentary filmmakers in Ontario are invited to submit a
short film for a chance to have their work air on TVO next spring.

Films submitted should be no longer than five minutes in running time
and follow an interview-based format, as inspired by the style of Doc
Studio's filmmaker-in-residence, Alan Zweig. Films will be available in
the Doc Studio gallery and a panel of experts including Alan Zweig will
select the top five entries. The public will determine the winner
through an online vote.

For more information on how to enter the Doc Studio Contest and for
complete rules and regulations visit docstudio.tvo.org.

TVO Doc Facts

More than 50% of TVO's primetime schedule is devoted to documentaries.
That is 1,430 hours of documentaries per year including commissions and
acquisitions.

TVO commissions between 8-10 new point-of-view documentary films every
year, more than any other Canadian broadcaster, focusing on
point-of-view films that resonate with Canadians and spark interesting
discussions and debate.

TVO has featured world premieres of TVO-commissioned documentaries such
as Alan King's Empz 4 Life and Dying at Grace, Jennifer Baichwal's Manufactured Landscapes and The Holier It Gets, Jamie Kastner's Recessionize! For Fun and Profit and Kike Like Me, and Jennifer Abbott and Mark Achbar's The Corporation.

Quotes

Jane Jankovic, TVO's Commissioning Editor of Canadian Documentaries

"Doc Studio is about exploring the work and process of Canada's
documentary filmmakers, providing insight into how they think, what
motivates them, and how they apply their craft. It's not an endorsement
of any particular style or approach. It's more about sharing how
various filmmakers work and why they do it. It's also outreach to those
communities that don't have film festivals, workshops and master
classes to inspire the next generation of filmmakers."

Jennifer Baichwal (Director) & Nick de Pencier (Producer,
Cinematographer)

TVO plays a crucial role in Ontario and Canada as both supporter and
source of independent documentary. Without that support, it is unlikely
that our films - The True Meaning of Pictures, The Holier It Gets and Manufactured Landscapes in particular - would have been made in Canada. We have a vibrant
documentary community with an international reputation, and must
provide both resources to those who are just beginning and more access
for viewers who want to see the great work produced here. TVO Doc
Studio sounds like it can do both.

Robert Lang (Producer - Raw Opium: Pain, Pleasure, Profits)

"With broadcasters everywhere pushing reality or scripted factual
programming, it's great to see TVO maintain its strong support for
Canadian social/political documentaries - these films open doors, spark
debate and inspire intelligent discussion among TV viewers. Without
TVO's longstanding commitment to documentaries, many Canadian
filmmakers would never have been able to make the insightful,
provocative films that have drawn attention and praise worldwide."

About TVO

TVO is Ontario's public educational media organization and a trusted
source of interactive educational content that informs, inspires and
stimulates curiosity and thought. TVO's vision is to empower people to
be engaged citizens of Ontario through educational media. TVO is funded
primarily by the Province of Ontario and supported by sponsors and
thousands of donors. For more information, visit tvo.org.

Where to Find TVO

On air: Websites: Online: Connect:
Cable channel 2 tvo.org Yahoo! Facebook
(may vary in tvokids.com YouTube Twitter
some areas) tvoparents.com Rogers-On-Demand-
Bell TV channel ilc.org Online
265 iTunes
Bell Fibe TV TVO
HD channel 1265
Rogers TVO HD
channel 580
Rogers-On-Demand
Channel 100
Shaw Direct
channel 353

 

 

 

 

SOURCE TVO

Image with caption: "Doc Studio (CNW Group/TVO)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20111019_C4784_PHOTO_EN_4918.jpg

Image with caption: "Alan Zweig (CNW Group/TVO)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20111019_C4784_PHOTO_EN_4917.jpg

Image with caption: "Grinders (CNW Group/TVO)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20111019_C4784_PHOTO_EN_4919.jpg

Video with caption: "Video: Doc Studio Promo". Video available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_swDZP8Auhg

Video with caption: "Video: Doc Studio Contest - Alan Zweig's Criteria". Video available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiTXwBhMSWE

Video with caption: "Video: Alan Zweig Interviewing Tip". Video available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ1Pfx5TwzA

Video with caption: "Video: Grinders". Video available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NZOzphwiyQ

TVO

CONTACT: Media contact: Marco Ouji
TVO Communications
416.484.2600 x 2305
mouji@tvo.org

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