DO YOU KNOW THE D-WORD?

The D-Word Community ( www.d-word.com ), an international online collective of documentary filmmakers, is slated to launch their premiere collaborative project, “Essays on Documentary,” on June 20th, in partnership with Docuweb ( www.docuweb.org ), a leading documentary streaming site.
The first of several web-based ventures planned by the group, “Essays on Documentary” was developed, produced and will now be exhibited exclusively online. The project showcases eight thought-provoking short films that explore the art and meaning of non-fiction filmmaking from the perspectives of professionals working in the doc trenches. From Carlos Gomez’s magical realist portrait of a documentary filmmaker in earthquake-ravaged Columbia (“Seeds”) to Jill Chamberlain’s hilarious account of self-financing her docs (“Living on Borrowed Time”), the films reflect the wide-ranging styles and distinctive voices of the global documentary community.
The D-Word Community was established in 1999 by veteran documentary filmmaker Doug Block and writer Dan Richards as a virtual meeting ground and discussion forum for documentary professionals from around the world. Since its inception, over 250 members have registered from 14 countries.
“Nothing I’ve done professionally has been as rewarding as hosting these discussions,” says Emmy and Peabody award-winner Block, who is a supervising producer of “Essays on Documentary,” and has contributed one of the shorts (“Verité”). “We’re connecting isolated filmmakers across geographical boundaries and creating a genuine sense of documentary community. Wanting to work together was the logical next step.”
“Essays on Documentary” will be streamed online by the San Francisco-based Docuweb for a one-year period. The site will direct viewers to a dedicated D-Word discussion forum where they can question, debate and interact directly with the participating filmmakers and each other.
For more information contact Doug Block at d-word@d-word.com or [ 212-777-5422. ] A VHS viewing copy of “Essays on “Documentary” is available upon request.