American Documentary Showcase
n 2008, the UFVA was awarded a co-operative grant by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State to to create the first American Documentary Showcase. This program brings recent American documentary films, filmmakers, and subject area specialists to audiences around the world.
The films, along with Showcase delegations, are now touring the world; to date hosted by American Embassies in Ecuador, Czech Republic, Poland, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Belarus, Turkey, Indonesia, Jordan, Israel, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, with others to come.
Our delegation experiences are proving to be remarkable opportunities to learn and to teach in extraordinary ways. We invite you to discover the Showcase, to hear the personal stories, and to share the pride that every UFVA member should take in our Association’s achievement.
Betsy A. McLane, Ph.D.
Project Director
About the Showcase
The American Documentary Showcase is a curated program of contemporary documentaries that is offered to US Embassies for screening abroad. Funded by, and as a cooperative program with, the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State, the Showcase is designed to promote American documentaries and their filmmakers at international overseas venues, including US Embassy-organized events and/or US Embassy-supported international documentary film festivals.
The goal of the Showcase is to offer a broad, diversified look at life in the United States and the values of a democratic society as seen by American documentary filmmakers. The Showcase is intended to demonstrate the role documentary plays in fostering understanding and cooperation.
The American Documentary Showcase is administered through a grant to the University Film and Video Association.
Featured Films
A selection committee reviewed over 150 films and selected 29 that best represent the goals of the Showcase: to show specific aspects of American life and culture though exceptional nonfiction work, made by Americans about America. These documentary films and their filmmakers are a vital part of each traveling Showcase delegation.
Specialists
Specialists travel overseas as a vital part of the Showcase delegations, teaming with filmmakers to provide a range of views on the democratic process, documentary film, and American culture. Each specialist has practical experience in aspects of documentary and media, along with educational sophistication and a willingness to engage in discussions with many kinds of audiences. More info about the specialists can be found on our Specialists Page, or click on an individual specialist for bios, photos, reports, etc.
Claire Aguilar, M.K. Asante, Jr., Mitchell Block, Diane Carson, Harrison Engle, Martha Foster, Betsy McLane, Bill Murphy, Patrick Murphy, Sandra J. Ruch, Niklas Vollmer, Bart Weiss, Thomas White
This program was funded in part by a grant from the United States Department of State. The opinions, findings and conclusions stated herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of State.
Project Director, Betsy A. McLane, Ph.D.
Project Manager, Joan von Herrmann
Website designed and maintained by Jeff Warmouth
The American Documentary Showcase is a Cultural Presentation of the United States of America
