the films i want to make are films that speak honestly about people who live in this country.ew, maybe even a little bite. we worked out of our apartments about a year-and-a-half ago, and it's a hassle working out of your apartment. there's no separation between work and life. so we decided to create a place for those without money. (larry meistrich) the shooting gallery is a home for independent filmmaking within two floors here, about 10,000 square feet of anything you could think of having to do with making films. you could shoot here for a couple hundred dollars a day, cast and have a somewhat more professional atmosphere than casting out of your apartment. and at the same time, not spending a lot of money and keeping that money for the production you're working on. you've just got to get up and get the film stock, and borrow a camera and go out and shoot it, as opposed to sitting around and planning and submitting, trying to raise funding through the powers that be. well, the film that we made cost $35,000 dollars, so there isn't a lot of precedence for that. so what we w

as a film is noted but a prison camp it's a film about treachery love and human integrity i mean yes eternal truths to stay alive inside and outside prison in short a war crime the car of course we can't physically make a film about anything but prison life becomes the knockers but that's a different story from the war. when the prison authorities realized the film directors works of to improve the cole and his image they began to take his work seriously last year when his i'd like to have two shooting areas are missing. ok i'll talk to the chief of the operation section hopefully he can help us aside from that is everything going according to plan yes valarie cheval of the man in charge of education at the colony is also the chief producer of unthought of the movies it is he who made sure the films shot in this high security camp don't push the limits of what is permitted all members of the crew get together in the colonies clubhouse they want to discuss a new script and congratulate a film director on his success of the film festival and is proud to show off the top prize a gold pl

he has won several top prizes at film festivals yes that's it the film director and his actors have no expectation of public recognition or fame all they really want is to get away from this dismal scenery as soon as possible and never return what it said thank you they call everybody. the film crews artistic freedom is confined to this high security jail petersburg for. the actors cameramen and director all serving sentences the serious crime. roll call finished return to your area. you'll toss that snowball from here. film studios run by inmates in russian colonies a not just for fun the aim is to rehabilitate prisoners their involvement in filmmaking is meant to help them reform and start a new life of basic camera is the only piece of equipment at the disposal of the prison produces the crew is normally made up of inmates who know how to handle video recording this colony is lucky there is a professional film director serving his term among them. i mean it comes completely against the will one american leader once said the thinking is the hardest word theory is mediocre award wh

cherished films. much more than i ever sensed that the american journalists loved and cherished pictures. but i was sort of idealized and idolized and lionized. and i felt wonderful about that and i said to myself, "gee, there really is a generation overseas that loves movies with a passion." he once mentioned to me that he liked to make -- there were films and there were movies. and he liked to do films. unaware he'd be the biggest moviemaker of all time. (dramatic music playing) that's a 20-footer. "jaws," because it came from a number one best-selling novel that universal gave a little more topspin to the advertising program. but no more so than they gave to the other 12 films they had coming out that year. i know that they didn't spend any more money on that film than they did on any other film in terms of publicity. only after "jaws" was a hit the first week in theatres did universal begin chasing the success to keep the film in the awareness of the public. (yelling) get everybody out! (narrator)

asked him to compose a soundtrack for his new film the convicted film director going off doesn't care much about whether anybody outside needs his films he hopes that his films help leo and other young men learn new skills when they are released the director's wish is that they realize they are stronger more worthwhile things in this life than drugs . i yearn for the day when i'm released on parole and in the last. there are still three years two months to go i thought. you know i want to return home so very much. so i work hard and try to be on my best behavior here much as if i were to come to think of it the two years i spent in this call only of taught me to manage my time properly in marshal service i've also been learning new skills from the other inmates the soldiers that people here know how to teach them. my son he's a successful teaching. one zero told my wife and me i know what the junto saying yeah it's all good if i mean drugs and all that stuff we're going to war from for the meaning of business and she said. i trust him so much i can't imagine him doing anything wrong a

documentary film makers. we have a lot to talk about. i am also excited about some of the ideas that have already been on the books. but now that we have the space, we have a great -- production crews have already started here. i understand there is pot luck productions. cob great -- congratulations for being here. [applause] >> there is stampede productions here. >> [applause] >> there is ecopoise here. [applause] >> and then there is a production company, and i will have to admit to you when i heard this name, i thought they were engaged in horror films. scary cow. [applause] >> having learned what they do, and what their reward system is and how they incentivize by rewarding the great initiatives that some of the film has, and when their popularity grows, they get rewarded to get their next film. i love that concept. i have an entry for you. it is something called too legit to quit. [laughter] anyway, i had a little bit of fun watching the producers of that come out as well. that should indicate to you the

>> i caught up with two of the film's stars, terence howard and david oyelowu. >> i just saw the filman amazing film. >> when we came under your command, colonel, you stated clearly that you would never find negroes who passed the pilot exam and make it through flight school and survive basic combat. we've done all of that. >> how important is it to have films like this in hollywood? >> well, it's every -- every great individual or great accomplishment has had someone to champion it along the way, there's been someone to endorse it. so for the black community or the black cinematic community to have been championed by george lucas, to have been championed by the magical experience associated with green screen, that we haven't really been afforded before. now we're afforded that by the master of it, by the inventor of it and what we are able to do and such an incredible story, the tus keyingee airmen, the gods of the sky. these young men, 18, 19 years old that were able to go and conquer the world and even be humble about it and not care that anyone know about it. >> how did that oppor

>> the film premiered at the tribeca film festival. it was almost a year ago.fter that, we started screening the film all over the country. we did do a special screening on capitol hill last june, right before the senate vote on 277. it has received a tremendous amount of coverage. we made it to the oscar short list, at the top 15 films vying for an oscar. we did not make the final five. that was a big push. a short version aired oftebnn msnbc. a new head of attention happens. it has been great. >> give us a ballpark figure out how much of this cost you? >> there is so much that was deferred in kind. it is much less than a feature film. >> would it be more are less than a million? >> less than a million. >> did you get paid to do this? >> absolutely not. it would not be a documentary the people that were in it got paid. i do not expect any money for its. i look at it this way. what they are doing with this film and what this bill would mean for this issue in forging an advancing this issue, it is priceless. just like your program here. our founding fathers real

the oldest film festival in the country the film societies had a tough year with the sudden death in january of their new executive director of previous director was often at the show died just last august. karen on size mission you're 55 raising its curtain on april 19th at presenting to water foams telling stories from all over the globe will welcome back the program director clad to have you back. condolences on them since your last year both of them haven't had the to but have to be very tough on the society in general in terms of momentum in getting set excited for a festival and losing to people over so passionate about fomented so much for the society in the festival. >>> that's exactly right in its most tragic because we lost two great people. the society is strong and it will continue on but we certainly miss the leadership of both of them. >>> was it hard i think it would be little dispiriting to go through to lose gramm and to those bingham they're both so 7. gramm to cancer but he had all limiting rushed the position one month before. >>> very shortly after he left the fi

i will just point out one film.sissippi burning that came out a few decades ago with made by a british director who really knew nothing about american history. if you watch mississippi burning, the fbi is a great hero of the civil rights movement. well, that's about 180 degrees from what actually happened. jay edgar hoover tried everything he could to bring down martin luther king. so you know, those kinds of films can give you misinformation about what actually happened in american life in the american past. >> one other aspect of a running out of time so it's not just using celebrity or studios for messages, it's also dollar contribution. have you studied and are you interested if money goes to the left into the right in terms of actual dollar

i don't do many blockbuster films. have done some studio films. out of all the films i have done, probably only a hdful that are big-budget films. it is an honor that is part of the world. hi enjoy the intimacy of the small film, and if you can make something good, how it happened with memento. tavis: is the acting fulfiling used in this program? or are you looking to do other stuff beyond the acting? the riding, the director in? >> is fulfilling, i have to say. i am a much more satisfied a person just within myself. i am more confident and more capable of feeling like i can make informed decisions rather than just kind of going with the wind, you know? i do have aspirations when it comes to directing, i suppose. but in sort of a vague way. it would probably come about if i found a project that i felt passionate about. i don't really want to change what i am doing. i am a musician as well, and that is the other half of my life. it is fine, i say it is a glorified an expensive hobby that i do. and probably lemay, i will release 1000 songs. tavis: i

more than 75,000 film fans attended the san francisco international film festival. the director of programming for the festival joins us live this morning. we have a lot of good years for this film festival. how we grow to be the biggest one in the americas? >>> the big house i'm not sure. but it's certainly is the oldest. and the longest-running. it is actually we have a lot a film lovers in san francisco. the are enthusiastic about what we're showing >>> the variety of films that you guys are showing is all across the board. tell us about some of their categories? >>> the festival has been an international film festival. with films from more than 40 countries and near everything from big popular science-fiction melodramas to documentaries', short films, animation and some wonderful archival presentations >>> with a couple of clouds from the featured films that you guys have run over the next few weeks. >>> this the film which is the english director which showed a lot of his work. and it is a very loose adaptation of thomas hardy's tests of the dollar bills. the s

s oldest and largest film festival film fest d.c. opens tomorrow right here in the district. there's a taste of the caribbean this year, a showcase of music films and a lot of laughs. the festival director is here now, tony. he's been doing it for 26 years. >> 26 years. >>it's still going. it's fantastic. >> it feels like yesterday. >> we were talking at the break and you said it's an international festival. where are people coming from around the world with entries? >> all over. we're showing films from italy, japan, france, argentina. you mentioned the caribbean area and on and on. russia. can i keep going. >> where can people go and see some of these efforts? you said there are several theaters in the d.c. area. >> we show pry pearl in -- primarily in the commercial theaters, the avalon uptown, e street thee doer downtown. -- theater downtown. >> are there any time limits to films? some come be a documentary which can be three hours long. are there certain parameters? >> they're feature films. the vast majority about about 90 minutes long. we bring in the director when we

how can we make the film program better to attract the next generation of films and television showsr city? i am interested in making this more attractive down the road. my only requirement was that we do it in a cost-effective and responsible manner. those discussions are continuing. although today we are introducing a continuation of our existing program my hope is in the not so distant future we can amend the legislation to make this even better into the future, and take our film industry to the next step here in san francisco. the rest, i submit. >> supervisor kim? supervisor weiner? president chiu: colleagues today i am introducing in legislation that would establish an urban agriculture program to oversee and coordinate all of our urban agriculture activities and to adopt goals for the city related to urban agriculture. we right now are in the middle of a new movement in cities around the country to reflect a new interest in healthy and sustainable living through urban agriculture. since 2008, over two dozen urban gardens have been created in san francisco. with many, there are

tavis: why do you think and film these animal stories, these narratives, seem to work?s, but often times. >> there is a lot of people that relate. having an animal is such an intense immediate experience. an animal is only in the movement -- moment. they do not worry about tomorrow or yesterday. there are no grudges. all of the things that we are prone to do as human beings, animals just want to know what is going on right now. are we going to take a walk? are we going to eat? is it time to sleep? and it is an awfully assuring reminder of what life is about, i think, so you find incredible amount of people relating, whether they have family, no family. the pet is a part of the family. i think maybe a lot of people relate to that. tavis: you worked with steven spielberg. i had someone on this program before he said to me that when they were directing their first project, they asked him for advice, and he told them three things not to do on their first bill. the first two was to do nothing with water, and the second was not to do anything with animals. this is not your fi

i do think the successful film industry -- i cannot stand a film that should be made in san francisco but they made it in vancouver. why have an alcatraz that is not really out the trash? -- it is not really alcatraz? we still have one of the have ot beautiful places. i am also investing in china sf, by the way. i want some of those companies from across the world to come and fell san francisco, the real san francisco, and make movies for people in china and japan and all over the world -- come to film san francisco. we have some interesting enticements' going on about how we can get them over here. and being the first chinese mayor, i'd better get some chinese filmmaker to come here. [laughter] otherwise, i miserably failed, because i would love san francisco to be shown at 2 1 billion people in china, to show them about our history. because there is a connection there. they need to learn that. there will be a lot. everything from documentary's do -- i think this is exciting. i am letting you know a little bit of my excitement when it comes to films, that i am very interested to make

the workers have seen almost $60 million raised for films. the company gets by through a commission on donations. donors are giving to film makers not to make a financial investment but because they want to see a project come into being. >> 99% of ideas will not be a good idea of investment because they will not make money. but what would you want to see. a lot more things become possible. >> "nancy, please" is one of the doubt -- 5000 films that have raised funds. they have the support of film director michael moore. >> it has helped a lot of people. i have contributed to it. >> there are some problems with crowd funding. there is little oversight. the lawmakers may fail to deliver or use the donations for a different purpose. but in the world of independent films, crowd funding has become an accepted component of the money raising process. >> this is "bbc world news." we are back in a few minutes time and then we have all of the sports for you. i will be back with a look at the news and much more on james murdoch. stay with us. >> low press

who were the big winners of the german film awards? the ceremony is underway right now and after the break, we will go live to our correspondent who will bring us up-to-date. >> we also have a sports news coming up with a look at this weekend in bundesliga. >> and the lawyer, chen guangcheng, has made a daring escape from house arrest and has recorded a video deep healing the abuses that he and his family have suffered. >> chen is blind and manage to flee his closely guarded home with the help of supporters. >> in an online video, he said he had suffered "repeated beatings." >> activists say chen guangcheng skip from his village sunday night and is now in a safe house in beijing. this youtube video shows him on friday. he accuses local officials of corruption and calls on prime minister wen jiabao to act. >> premier wen, the lawless occurrences are confusing to the people. the cadres are abusing power on their own, or do they have the support of the central government? i think you should give the people a clear answer on that. >> he ha

workers here have seen almost $60 million raised for films. the company gets by through a 5% commission on donations. donors are giving to film makers not to make a financial investment, but because they want to see a product come to being. >> 99% of our ideas will never make money. what do we want to see? what do we think will be cool and interesting? >> "nancy, please" is one of 5000 films raising money from kickstarter. >> it has really helped a lot of people. i participated in it. i will go on to kickstarter and contribute to movies i think should be made. >> there is little oversight. the filmmakers may fail to deliver the product, or use the donations for a different purpose. in the world of independent films, crowd funding has become a much valued and exempted component of the money-raising process. >> a reminder of our top story on gmt. the president of south sudan has accused its neighbor, sudan, of declaring war on his country. kiir made the remarks to the chinese president during an official visit he was making to beijing. officials

that was really difficult to film. because he was just broken. a sad, sad time. >> eventually, prison staff had no choice but to physically carry steel back into his cell. >> there we go. >> come on. there we go. there we go. >> don't hurt your shoulder. one, two, three. bring him in. >> he just kind of went limp. and then they dragged him back into his cell. propped him up on his cot. and he just sat there. just staring straight ahead. but looking very much look a broken man. >> we visited steel several weeks later, he agreed to speak with us about the incident we filmed earlier. both he and prison medical staff gave us per mugs mission to air footage we had of him. >> that day i saw you up here with things packed and ready to go home? did you believe in your heart you would go home? >> yes. >> what about now? >> i don't think so. >> what do you think -- youable have to stay in this housing uniit? >> i hope not. >> what do you want? >> i want to be released from prison. >> the prison psychologist, hopes steel will be well enough to transition to

just don't call it a christian film.it theaters and causing a big rift in the christian community. it follows a teen who leaves his christian upbringing behind. there are drugs, drinking, sex and more racy material that some in the christian community say simply goes too far. but my next guest begs to differ. joining me now to talk about the film, co-producer and author, donald miller and marshall allman. thank you for waking up with us on this sunday morning. donald, i want to start with you. the film was written and produced by christians and is about christianity. yet you say you don't want this to be labeled a christian film. why is that? >> well, i don't know about that so much. i just know in the last five years christian film has gotten a reputation for being too sentimental, cheesy, the production quality isn't good even though it's successful at the box office and i think some of the stories coming out of christian films are very intriguing. we want to differentiate ourselves from that. there are people who are

it celebrates film food and wine and the old manor firms films from around the corner.d next saturday i had the choice of entering the great director john waters you get tickets for this event now. nor jones where she is de songstress is coming to town who will perform at lake tahoe in the afternoon there harvey's. on sunday august 12th tickets are on sale always a treat to see her there from $39.50. >>> volume twitter to find my full list there. in general is your weekends cheers. >>> coming up this morning following the money trail after the massacres massive earthquake in haiti joining us live,,,,,,,, [ crickets chirping ] [ traffic passing ] ♪ [ music box: lullaby ] [ man on tv, indistinct ] ♪ [ lullaby continues ] [ baby coos ] [ man announcing ] millions are still exposed to the dangers... of secondhand smoke... and some of them can't do anything about it. ♪ [ continues ] [ gasping ] the two-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake in haiti and now there's a new documentary helps ask the question with the money go? million dollars he where the money go place