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| ImageMakers: Season One: Press Release |
Discover Tomorrow's Filmmakers Today on "ImageMakers," KQED's Newest Series of Independent Films
New Weekly Series of Short Narrative and Documentary Films is Part of KQED's Independent Initiative, Treating Bay Area Audiences to the Best in Independent Film
Maurice Kanbar Signs on as Sole Funder Through a Gift to the "Campaign for the Future"
San Francisco, California, March 24 -- Despite their prevalence,
many short films and documentaries are rarely seen outside of film festivals
in the United States. ImageMakers, KQED's new 20 episode, one-hour
weekly series, will provide a forum for these entertaining and thought-provoking
works. ImageMakers debuts at 6p.m. Sunday, April 20 on KQED
Public Television 9, and continues on Sunday evenings.
ImageMakers includes works from student filmmakers, local and international filmmakers, and first-time Hollywood directors. In addition to the United States, viewers will see films from Australia, Canada, Columbia, France, Great Britain, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Scotland and South Africa. Each episode of ImageMakers groups films together that revolve around a central theme or topic. Episode themes include: "A Fragile Existence," "This American (Suburban & Surreal) Life," "Coming Out, Coming of Age," "It Takes a (Diverse) Village," and "Through the Eyes of a Child."
The series' Web site can be found at kqed.org/imagemakers. There, viewers can find detailed descriptions of each episode, links to the filmmakers' Web sites (if available), as well as opportunities to view certain films again online.
"Bay Area audiences have always supported challenging, creative, and diverse independent films, and ImageMakers will offer them just the sort of cinematic experience they seek," said Scott Dwyer, series producer for ImageMakers. "The series will provide television exposure, and often television premieres, for films that would typically get little attention outside of the film festival circuit."
ImageMakers is a part of KQED's Independent Initiative, created in 1999 to provide exposure and a voice to independent filmmakers that do not have an outlet on other television networks. In the past year alone, KQED aired over 270 works by independent filmmakers.
ImageMakers has been made possible by a grant from Maurice Kanbar, celebrating the vitality and power of the moving image. Mr. Kanbar's gift was made through a grant from KQED's Campaign for the Future.
In response to the unfunded federal mandate to convert television broadcast technology from analog to digital, KQED Public Broadcasting has embarked on its $70 million Campaign for the Future. The initiative is an effort to secure funding from individuals, corporations and foundations for the conversion to digital technology for television and radio; the development and production of new and existing television and radio programs; and the transition of KQED's infrastructure to move toward the digital future. The KQED Campaign for the Future also encourages broad-based strategic partnerships with other organizations throughout the region.
KQED operates KQED Public Television 9, the nation's most-watched public television station, and Digital Television 30, Northern California's only public television digital signal; KQED Public Radio 88.5 FM, the most-listened-to public radio station in the nation; the KQED Education Network, which brings the impact of KQED to thousands of teachers, students, parents and media professionals through workshops, seminars and resources; and www.kqed.org, which harnesses the power of the Internet to bring KQED to communities across the Web.
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