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It was 1992, and the Rodney King riots were being felt across the country, especially amongst the high school students filing into Sarah Feinbloom’s Ancient History class at Boston Latin School in Massachusetts.

“My students were riled by the riots. They couldn’t concentrate. I felt like what I was teaching was irrelevant. What they really wanted to talk about were issues of police brutality, violence in their neighborhoods, the fact that they couldn’t sleep because they heard gunshots in the night, and they were scared.”

Feinbloom veered off the curriculum and started talking with her class about civil rights, and soon she and her students were collaborating on her first film, "Youth to Youth: A Video About Violence." With no film school experience, Sarah improvised as she went along.

“I wanted my students to cultivate a deeper understanding of how personal and systemic violence affects them and even in small ways do something themselves to prevent it. So we went out together and interviewed students, police officers, a Vietnam veteran, a rape survivor, and created segments about the ways people confront and experience violence. I was hooked on documentaries after that. I saw how important it was for young people to be able to tell their own stories and have safe spaces where they could discuss what was really going on in their lives.”

"Youth to Youth" ended up being shown in classrooms around the country, and this first foray launched a lifelong journey of framing social justice, diversity and human rights issues through documentary film.

Feinbloom, an award-winning filmmaker and educator, was one of the first directors to bring the voices of young people reflecting on religious diversity to the media spotlight. Her 2002 documentary "What Do You Believe?" highlighted the spiritual lives of American teenagers, leading Feinbloom along with Dp and co-producer Klara Grunning-Harris into the homes of Muslim, Pagan, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and Native American teenagers. "What Do You Believe?" premiered at the Mill Valley Film Festival, has sold more than 2,000 copies, was voted "One of Ten Best Videos for Young Adults in 2003" by the American Library Association, and aired on PBS.

“When I started touring with the film, it was often those kids that were in the minority at their schools that approached me. Muslim and Pagan girls said it was the first time they had ever seen something about themselves on screen. Some conservative Christian students said it was the first time they had ever really considered someone else’s religious perspective.”

Using her film as a centerpiece, Sarah created and led workshops nationally on interfaith dialogue and violence prevention and has been featured at conferences including the American Academy of Religion, Ford Foundation Difficult Dialogues, and the National Association of Multicultural Educators. However, her main goal has always been to reach young audiences.

"Teens are often the subject of stories about alcohol and drugs, crime reports, and educational statistics, but rarely are they asked for their intellect and perspective. I want people from different backgrounds to watch my films, talk about them, discuss them – together. I want them to talk about being alive."

Sarah’s filmography is expansive, showcasing a number of pertinent social concerns. Her film "Earth, Water, Woman" spotlights the Fondes Amandes Community Re-Forestation Project in Trinidad and Tobago, and its charismatic Rastafarian leader Akilah Jaramogi, in their ongoing efforts to transform barren hillsides into a vibrant, healthy ecosystem. "Daughters and Sons: Preventing Child-trafficking in the Golden Triangle" took Feinbloom to Thailand, where she profiled a program that rescues children before they are trafficked into the sex-industry, and subsequently won the award for Best Short in Child Advocacy at the Artivist Film Festival and helped raise over $250,000 trafficking prevention.

“I am especially interested in stories that offer solutions to what might seem like intractable problems, stories that offer hope and don’t just leave us in despair.”

Although most well known for her activist documentaries, Feinbloom also dabbles in lighter subjects. "In Search of the Heart of Chocolate," a “chocumentary” featured at Palm Springs International Short Fest, follows Feinbloom as she searches for the origins of her chocolate obsession, interviewing chocolate enthusiasts along the way, delving into chocolate cake, art, fantasy, chocolate croissants, spirituality, sex, love and hot fudge, and journeying into the past to uncover chocolate’s special place in our hearts.

Sarah’s success in documentary filmmaking, her experience as an educator, and her long time involvement with New Day Films prompted filmmakers to reach out to her for assistance with educational sales and community impact campaigns. After working as a consultant with several great projects, such as Jarreth Merz’s Sundance Film An African Election, Sarah founded the boutique documentary distribution company, Good Docs, in order to share her expertise with fellow independent filmmakers and generate revenue from sales in the educational market.

Good Docs’ curated collection highlights labor and civil rights struggles, environmental activism, juvenile justice reform, multicultural visibility, the fight for gender equality and much more. Their titles include several award-winning documentaries, including Amir Bar-Lev's "Happy Valley," Richard Ray Perez's "Cesar's Last Fast," Darius Clark Monroe’s "Evolution of a Criminal," and Grace Lee’s Peabody Award-winning film "American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs."

“They have been an indispensable partner with us in the educational market,” Grace Lee praised. “Good Docs has personally reached out to dozens of institutions and individuals, with a keen eye to the different disciplines that might appreciate my film, and there are many more than I had even imagined.”

Sarah’s right-hand woman, Alana Hauser, is the Educational Research and Outreach Coordinator at Good Docs. While earning her bachelor of arts in Latin American Studies and Spanish at Washington University in St. Louis, Alana worked at Whole Kids Foundation, Meals on Wheels and More, and the Migrant and Immigrant Community Action Project. After moving to Los Angeles, Alana looked to film to reflect the poignant micro-narratives she had collected over the years.

“Good Docs is a perfect synthesis of my knowledge and passions, as it uses film to shape social discourse and connect audiences with stories that are too often invisible from the public eye. “

Alana also interns at Sundance Institute Women’s Initiative and works for the La-based non-profit WriteGirl, constantly working to advocate for stronger representations of women in the media.

Feinbloom and Hauser make up a powerful Good Docs team, searching for films with the potential for positive social change, spreading the word about social activism, and supporting filmmakers both creatively and financially throughout the process. For further information about Sarah Feinbloom see http://sarafinaproductions.com or go to http://gooddocs.net to find out more about Good Docs and their work.

And the Independent Spirit Awards have revealed the winners and it's looking a lot like the Academy Awards! "Birdman" beat "Boyhood" for the Best Feature trophy but Richard Linklater took away the Best Director award from Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu.

Is this a sign of what's going to happen at the Oscars tonight?

Stay tuned...

2015 Film Independent Spirit Award Winners (Highlighted) And Nominees

Best Feature

(Award given to the Producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)

Winner: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Producers: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, Arnon Milchan, James W. Skotchdopole

Boyhood

Producers: Richard Linklater, Jonathan Sehring, John Sloss, Cathleen Sutherland

Love is Strange

Producers: Lucas Joaquin, Lars Knudsen, Ira Sachs, Jayne Baron Sherman, Jay Van Hoy

Selma

Producers: Christian Colson, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Oprah Winfrey

Whiplash

Producers: Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook, David Lancaster, Michael Litvak

Best Director

Winner: Richard Linklater

Boyhood

Damien Chazelle

Whiplash

Ava DuVernay...

Just one night before the Oscars take over town, stars flocked to the 2015 Film Independent Spirit Awards on the Santa Monica Beach on Saturday (February 21).

Fred Armisen and Kristen Bell joined forces for co-hosting duties and put on a fabulous show as actors and actresses including Scarlett Johansson, Ethan Hawke, Jessica Chastain, Cate Blanchett, Jared Leto and Emma Stone turned up to lend their star power to the IFC airing ceremony.

As for this year's cream of the crop, Michael Keaton (Birdman), Julianne Moore (Still Alice), J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) and Patricia Arquette (Boyhood) took home top honors in the lead and supporting acting categories.

Meanwhile, in what very well may be an indicator for what's to come tomorrow at the Academy Awards, "Birdman" was recognized as Best Feature while Richard Linklater nabbed Best Director accolades for "Boyhood".

Check out the full list of winners from the 2015 Spirit Awards below!

Best...

The 2015 Spirit Awards were handed out today and it was Birdman taking Best Feature and Best Actor (Michael Keaton) while Boyhood went home a double winner taking Best Director (Richard Linklater) and Best Supporting Actress (Patricia Arquette). However, while that's the result for the two big guns that will be going head-to-head at tomorrow night's Oscars, Nightcrawler was also a double winner taking Best Screenplay and Best First Feature, both awarded to writer/director Dan Gilroy. Otherwise, no big surprises with Julianne Moore (Still Alice) taking Best Actress and J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) taking Supporting Actor, Citizenfour took Best Documentary and Birdman scored a third win for Emmanuel Lubezki for Best Cinematography. Justin Simien (Dear White People) took home Best First Screenplay and, whoa!, Look!, Whiplash was also a double winner, with Tom Cross winning for Best Editing (well deserved!) and anticipated Oscar winner in the same category, Ida won Best Foreign Language Film.

The 30th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards were presented Saturday from a tent on the beach in Santa Monica. Check out the full list of winners below. Best Feature "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" - Winner "Boyhood" "Love is Strange" "Selma" "Whiplash" Best Director Damien Chazelle, "Whiplash"    Ava DuVernay, "Selma" Alejandro G. Iñárritu, "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" Richard Linklater, "Boyhood" - Winner David Zellner, "Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter" Best Screenplay Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski, "Big Eyes" J.C. Chandor, "A Most Violent Year" Dan Gilroy, "Nightcrawler" - Winner Jim Jarmusch, "Only Lovers Left Alive" Ira Sachs & Mauricio Zacharias, "Love is Strange"  Best First Feature Ana Lily Amirpour, "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night" Justin Simien, "Dear White People" Dan Gilroy, "Nightcrawler" - Winner Gillian Robespierre, "Obvious Child" Anja Marquardt, "She's Lost Control" Best First Screenplay Desiree Akhavan, "Appropriate Behavior" Sara Colangelo, "Little Accidents" Justin Lader,...

The 30th Independent Spirit Awards was held in Santa Monica Saturday afternoon, and "Birdman" and "Boyhood" were the ceremony's big winners. Hosted by Kristen Bell and Fred Armisen, the more casual Oscar precursor honored the best in independent filmmaking from the past year. Only three films -- "12 Years a Slave," "Platoon," and "The Artist" -- have won best feature at the Spirits and gone on to nab the Best Picture Oscar. Time will tell if this year's Spirit winner will follow in their footsteps. Get a complete list of the nominees with the winners in bold, below:

Best Feature

"Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" - Winner

"Boyhood"

"Love is Strange"

"Selma"

"Whiplash"

Best Director

Richard Linklater, "Boyhood" - Winner

Damien Chazelle, "Whiplash"

Ava DuVernay, "Selma"

Alejandro G. Iñárritu, "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)"

David Zellner, "Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter"

Best Screenplay

Dan Gilroy, "Nightcrawler" - Winner

Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski,...

If you didn't get the opportunity to see Darius Clark Monroe's deeply moving, critically-acclaimed feature documentary, "Evolution Of A Criminal," during its limited theatrical run, you should know that it'll make its broadcast TV premiere on PBS Tonight, January 12, which means far more of you will get to see it. "In examining a bank robbery committed by Texas high school students, Darius Clark Monroe’s film interweaves suspenseful reenactment footage with candid interviews from people involved in every angle of the crime. The twist? The filmmaker himself was one of the men involved in the robbery. In 'Evolution of a Criminal,' filmmaker Monroe explores what...

Actors Emmy Rossum and Michael Pena joined Film Independent president Josh Welsh on Saturday to announce the winners of the 2015 Spirit Awards Grants, which honors emerging filmmakers with $25,000 in unrestricted funds.

The grants were handed out at the organization’s annual Spirit Awards nominees brunch, held at West Hollywood’s Boa Steakhouse, and saw Chris Ohlson, Dan Krauss and Rania Attich and Daniel Garcia take top spots.

“At Film Independent our mission is to support independent filmmakers all year long, helping them to get their films made and to build the audience for their work,” Welsh said.

“One of the...

If you didn't get the opportunity to see Darius Clark Monroe's deeply moving feature documentary, "Evolution Of A Criminal," during its limited theatrical run, you should know that it's coming to PBS this month, which will make the film far more widely available to audiences. "In examining a bank robbery committed by Texas high school students, Darius Clark Monroe’s film interweaves suspenseful reenactment footage with candid interviews from people involved in every angle of the crime. The twist? The filmmaker himself was one of the men involved in the robbery. In 'Evolution of a Criminal,' filmmaker Monroe explores what led him to pull a heist as a...

The Foundation for the Advancement of African-Americans in Film (Faaaf) announced its nominees for the 15th Annual Black Reel Awards Wednesday morning. Justin Simien's "Dear White People" and Ava DuVernay's "Selma" led the way with 10 nominations each. They were joined by "Belle," "Beyond the Lights" and "Top Five" in the organization's best picture category. Check out the full list of nominees below. Winners will be announced on Feb. 22, 2015. And learn more about what's going on this season at The Circuit. Motion Picture Outstanding Motion Picture "Belle" "Beyond the Lights" "Dear White People" "Selma" "Top Five" Outstanding Actor Chadwick Boseman, "Get on Up" David Oyelowo, "Selma" Nate Parker, "Beyond the Lights" Chris Rock, "Top Five" Denzel Washington, "The Equalizer" Outstanding Actress Rosario Dawson, "Top Five" Gugu Mbatha-Raw, "Belle" Gugu Mbatha-Raw, "Beyond the Lights" Tessa Thompson, "Dear White People" Quvenzhané Wallis, "Annie" Outstanding Supporting Actor Nelsan Ellis, "Get On Up" David Oyelowo,...

As is usually the case, 2014 held a rich vein of great nonfiction cinema … that went mostly untapped by any wide audiences. But just because documentaries are perpetually under-served by popular (and even critical) attention doesn’t mean that we should neglect these films. This is a celebration of all the best docs to come out this year.

But first, for the sake of full disclosure, here are all the notable docs of 2014 that I haven’t gotten around to seeing yet:

1989, 20,000 Days on Earth, Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case, Big Joy, Big Men, Code Black, Evolution of a Criminal, The Great Flood, The Great Invisible, The Kill Team, National Gallery, The Missing Picture, Maidentrip, Manakamana, The Naked Opera, Virunga, Watchers of the Sky, What Now? Remind Me, Whitey

Next,we have some honorable mentions — other docs of 2014 that are well worth seeking out:

A Will for the Woods, Art and Craft,...

The Independent Spirit Awards have revealed the full list of contenders for their 2015 awards which celebrate the best in independent movies. The Michael Keaton-led "Birdman" leads the list with six nominations. "Boyhood," "Nightcrawler" and "Selma" are in a three-way fight for second with three nominations each.

Two awards have already been announced with the Robert Altman award given to Paul Thomas Anderson's "Inherent Vice" and a Special Distinction Award handed out to Bennett Miller's "Foxcatcher" which was ineligible for other awards due to its budget. Notable snubs include "The Imitation Game," "The Theory of Everything," "Wild," "St. Vincent," "Cake," "The Homesman," "Black or White" and major studio films like "Unbroken".

Other notable inclusions this year are "Whiplash,""Love is Strange," "A Most Violent Year," "The Immigrant," "Mommy," "Under the Skin," "Obvious Child," "Still Alice," "Force Majeure," "Only Lovers Left Alive," "Blue Ruin," "Ida," "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night,...

Birdman earned six nods and Boyhood, Nightcrawler and Selma five apiece as Rosario Dawson and Diego Luna unveiled the 2014 Spirit Award nominations in Los Angeles on November 25.Scroll down for full list of nominations

Birdman, Boyhood and Selma are in contention for best feature alongside Love Is Strange and Whiplash, which earned four nominations.

Richard Linklater and Alejandro G Iñárritu join Whiplash’s Damien Chazelle, Selma’s Ava DuVernay and David Zellner for Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter on the directors list.

Much-fancied Michael Keaton is nominated for his lead performance in Birdman and will compete against Nightcrawler’s Jake Gyllenhaal and Selma’s David Oyelowo, a late arrival to the awards banquet who has earned high praise in recent weeks for his role as Martin Luther King Jr.

The best actress category is populated by Julianne Moore for Still Alice — arguably the awards season front-runner in this race — as well as Marion Cotillard for The Immigrant, which...

This is an abbreviated version of our Movies This Week roundup because there will be some turnover at area theaters on as we head into the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. I'll be back with an early post on Wednesday to let you know about what will be changing. In the meantime, here's a quick look at what is on tap for this weekend and early next week.

At Alamo Drafthouse Ritz, they are continuing on with 70mm screenings of Interstellar, but those are currently only confirmed through Tuesday night. It's possible that it will keep playing, but if you've been meaning to catch it there on film, you may want to squeeze it in this weekend. The Ritz has added a Saturday afternoon matinee of Florian Habicht's outstanding documentary Pulp: A Film About Life, Death and Supermarkets. They've also got a Mad Max trilogy marathon on Sunday and Monday...

Evolution Of A Criminal screens as part of this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival Tuesday, Nov 18 at 7:10pm at the Tivoli Theater (6350 Delmar Boulevard) with director/subject Darius Clark Monroe in attendance and to answer questions. Tickets can be purchased Here

Provocatively returning to the scene of the crime, filmmaker Darius Clark Monroe explores what led him to pull a bank heist as a teenager in Texas in 1997. By interviewing family members, close friends, and mentors, Evolution Of A Criminal, executive produced by Spike Lee, explores Monroe’s transformation as a joyous childhood gives way to a sobering recognition of his family’s severe financial problems. Their struggles changed Monroe’s outlook on his own life, eventually leading to his ill-considered criminal actions. Years after the crime and his imprisonment, Darius visited his neighborhood for his documentary which creates an intimate and personal journey of reflection and forgiveness.

The Reva and David Logan Grand Jury Award went to Darius Clark Monroe’s Evolution Of A Criminal as the 2014 Full Frame Film Documentary Film Festival came to a conclusion (April 6).

Full Frame Audience Award – Feature went to Rachel Lears and Robin Blotnick’s The Hand That Feeds.

The Full Frame Jury Award for Best Short was presented to White Earth, directed by J Christian Jensen.

The Full Frame Audience Award – Short went to The Silly Bastard Next To The Bed by Scott Calonico.

For full results visit the official website.

Kicking off in Austin, TX today is the 2014 SXSW Film Festival. There isn't much African diaspora content for S&A to cover this year, from the list of 115 total titles scheduled to screen, but we should have reviews of those few diaspora films that are in the lineup. Of special note is Darius Clark Monroe's long-in-development feature documentary, Evolution Of A Criminal, which will be making its World Premiere at the festival. Also, John Ridley's Jimi Hendrix bio, All Is By My Side, which stars Andre Benjamin, will screen at the festival. This is only its second screening, since it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall. Per the SXSW lineup, it's now...

Not much diaspora content for us to get excited about - at least, based on a first scan of the entire below lineup. I counted 3 "black films" on the list of 115 total titles. Of course, that doesn't mean there aren't others; after all, there might be names on this list that I'm not already familiar with, and so wouldn't immediately recognize. But I plan to go through the entire lineup closely, and will return with profiles of any films and/or filmmakers we haven't previously highlighted on this blog. Of special note, I'm glad to see Darius Clark Monroe's long-in-development feature documentary, Evolution Of A Criminal, will be making its World Premiere at the festival. I think I've known...

The San Francisco Film Society has announced the contenders for the 2013 Sffs Documentary Film Fund awards totalling $100,000.

The finallists are: John Fiege for Above All Else; Jennifer Grausman and Sam Cullman for Art And Craft; Anne Bogart and Holly Morris for The Babushkas Of Chernobyl; Darius Clark Monroe for Evolution Of A Criminal; Jamie Meltzer for Freedom Fighters; Anne De Mare and Kristen Kelly for Homestretch; and Catherine Gund for How To Become An Extreme Action Hero.

The list continues with Geeta Patel and Ravi V Patel for One In A Billion; Hillevi Loven for Radical Love; Amir Soltani and Chihiro Wimbush for Redemption; Tracy Tragos and Andrew Droz Palermo for Rich Hill; Andrew James for Street Fighting Man; and Jimmy Goldblum and Adam Weber for Tomorrow We Disappear.

The contenders were selected from more than 200 applicants and winners will be announced in late July.

The Sffs Documentary Film Fund has distributed $100,000 annually and was set up...

Update: I’ll repost this as new titles are added to the list…

Compared to recent years, 2011 is shaping up to be one of the better years for black cinema, or blacks in cinema, in terms of both volume and variety.

With For Colored Girls now mostly behind us, I’d like to look ahead to what we can expect to see in theaters in 2011.

I did a bit of research, and these are the titles I came up with, all (or most) of which I expect we will see in 2011. Feel free to add any you know of that I didn’t include. I should note that I’m only counting films in which the characters that black actors play are central to the film’s plot, or films directed by black filmmakers, regardless of whether the cast is comprised of black actors or not.

First, on the indie front,...