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    Simon Kilmurry named executive director of International Documentary Association

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments449 Views
    LOS ANGELES --

    The International Documentary Association (IDA) has appointed Simon Kilmurry to the position of executive director. Kilmurry will relocate from New York to Los Angeles to begin work on July 6, 2015.

    Kilmurry joins IDA following a 16-year tenure at POV, the long-running PBS showcase of independent documentaries, where he has served as executive producer since 2006. 

    “It’s hard to imagine anyone better qualified to take the reins at IDA,” said Marjan Safinia, president of IDA’s Board of Directors. “As an internationally recognized leader in our field, Simon’s name is synonymous with excellence in documentary, and his passion for the form is unrivaled. He is truly from the tribe of documentary filmmakers that we serve. This, coupled with his extraordinary track record in organizational management and deep insight into the needs of the documentary field, makes him the strongest possible leader to continue our evolution.”

    Kilmurry observed, “Documentary is one of the most exciting forms of cultural expression, it is absolutely vital to a thriving democracy, and I am deeply passionate about it.  The IDA has never been better positioned to play a leadership role in the field, advocating for and providing support to filmmakers, and convening an international dialogue for filmmakers telling the most relevant stories of our time.”

    Kilmurry has won numerous accolades in his role at POV including a Primetime Emmy Award, 12 News and Documentary Emmy Awards, a Special Emmy Award for Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking, as well as more than 50 News and Documentary Emmy nominations. He is also the recipient of five Peabody Awards, three Du Pont Columbia Awards, two Overseas Press Club Awards, a Grierson Award, and is a two-time recipient of the Best Continuing Series Award from IDA. In 2011 he received the National Association of Latino Independent Producers’ Award for Corporate Commitment to Diversity.

    Kilmurry has also served as executive director of American Documentary, POV’s non-profit parent organization. Under his leadership, the organization was the recipient of a $1 million MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions in 2013. In addition to POV, he is the executive producer of America ReFramed, a documentary series on the WORLD Channel. Established in 2012, America ReFramed is a year-round showcase of independent documentaries featuring contemporary American stories.

    Tags:IdaInternational Documentary AssociationSimon Kilmurry



    Is “Glicked” The New “Barbenheimer”? “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” Hit Theater Screens

    Thursday, November 21, 2024

    "Barbenheimer" was a phenomenon impossible to manufacture. But, more than a year later, that hasn't stopped people from trying to make "Glicked" — or even "Babyratu" — happen.

    The counterprogramming of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" in July 2023 hit a nerve culturally and had the receipts to back it up. Unlike so many things that begin as memes, it transcended its online beginnings. Instead of an either-or, the two movies ultimately complemented and boosted one another at the box office.

    And ever since, moviegoers, marketers and meme makers have been trying to recreate that moment, searching the movie release schedule for odd mashups and sending candidates off into the social media void. Most attempts have fizzled (sorry, "Saw Patrol" ).

    This weekend is perhaps the closest approximation yet as the Broadway musical adaptation "Wicked" opens Friday against the chest-thumping sword-and-sandals epic "Gladiator II." Two big studio releases (Universal and Paramount), with one-name titles, opposite tones and aesthetics and big blockbuster energy — it was already halfway there before the name game began: "Wickiator," "Wadiator," "Gladwick" and even the eyebrow raising "Gladicked" have all been suggested.

    "'Glicked' rolls off the tongue a little bit more," actor Fred Hechinger said at the New York screening of "Gladiator II" this week. "I think we should all band around 'Glicked.' It gets too confusing if you have four or five different names for it."

    As with "Barbenheimer," as reductive as it might seem, "Glicked" also has the male/female divide that make the fan art extra silly. One is pink and bright and awash in sparkles, tulle, Broadway bangers and brand tie-ins; The other is all sweat and sand, blood and bulging... Read More

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