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.
Review: Director Morgan Neville’s “Piece by Piece”
A movie documentary that uses only Lego pieces might seem an unconventional choice. When that documentary is about renowned musician-producer Pharrell Williams, it's actually sort of on-brand.
"Piece by Piece" is a bright, clever song-filled biopic that pretends it's a behind-the-scenes documentary using small plastic bricks, angles and curves to celebrate an artist known for his quirky soul. It is deep and surreal and often adorable. Is it high concept or low? Like Williams, it's a bit of both.
Director Morgan Neville — who has gotten more and more experimental exploring other celebrity lives like Fred Rogers in "Won't You Be My Neighbor?,""Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain" and "Steve! (Martin): A Documentary in Two Pieces" — this time uses real interviews but masks them under little Lego figurines with animated faces. Call this one a documentary in a million pieces.
The filmmakers try to explain their device — "What if nothing is real? What if life is like a Lego set?" Williams says at the beginning — but it's very tenuous. Just submit and enjoy the ride of a poor kid from Virginia Beach, Virginia, who rose to dominate music and become a creative director at Louis Vuitton.
Williams, by his own admission, is a little detached, a little odd. Music triggers colors in his brain — he has synesthesia, beautifully portrayed here — and it's his forward-looking musical brain that will make him a star, first as part of the producing team The Neptunes and then as an in-demand solo producer and songwriter.
There are highs and lows and then highs again. A verse Williams wrote for "Rump Shaker" by Wreckx-N-Effect when he was making a living selling beats would lead to superstars demanding to work with him and partner... Read More