Independent Filmmakers

The University of Michigan Library will welcome the papers of another maverick to their growing collection of material that highlights visionaries in the genre of independent film. Ira Deutchman has announced that he will donate his entire archive to U-M's Screen Arts Mavericks & Makers collection. The announcement was made December 2 at Lincoln Center in New York.

While non-traditional gender roles are becoming more widely accepted, stereotypes still have a tendency to get in the way. This is particularly true for a Latina woman who is a teacher by trade, but wanted to blaze her own trail as the first female surfer in a tiny rural fishing village. Filmed on location in Baja, Mexico, La Maestra is a unique surfing movie told in the words of teacher/surfer, Mayra Agulair, which brings to light the issues facing female surfers, as well as the importance of taking care of the environment that we use for recreation and sports.

Organizers of the nonprofit Downtown Film Festival Los Angeles have announced its 7th annual feature film line-up. The five-day event, July 22-26, will be held in venues throughout downtown L.A.’s historic core with The Regent Theater serving as the festival’s primary venue.

Dogs have been considered man’s best friend for centuries, but these days it might be more accurate to consider dogs man’s best baby. This sometimes strange phenomenon inspired filmmakers Kasi Brown and Brandon Walter to produce Gone Doggy Gone, a film with a comedic twist that follows a couple stuck in a lackluster marriage who treat their dog like a baby until it gets kidnapped.