press release

"The tragic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina has shone a spotlight on an issue in America that has needed attention for some time," Buirski says. "Class is one of those American taboos--and this year the world saw what we have so carefully hidden in this country. In "Class in America" we want to address not only the tragedies, but all the stories that go with this volatile topic and engage our audiences with some of the most moving--and thought-provoking-- accounts we can find. The Class program lays the foundation for the Southern Sidebar in which we'll be literally showing the first films to come out of the region hardest hit this year."

Distinguished filmmaker St. Clair Bourne will act as the guest curator for this special programming within the festival. St.Clair Bourne is a veteran producer, director and/or writer of some 45 film productions, including documentaries for HBO, PBS, NBC, BBC and National Geographic. Among his body of work, Bourne has directed a feature-length documentary John Henrik Clarke: A Great And Mighty Walk with actor Wesley Snipes as executive producer, produced another feature-length documentary Half Past Autumn: The Life And Works Of Gordon Parks for HBO and directed Paul Robeson: Here I Stand! for the American Masters PBS series. Bourne is currently shooting a documentary on writer Walter Mosley and is developing two documentaries: 9/11, Black America and Islam and a 4-hour series on the rise and fall of the Black Panther Party, both for PBS.

For Bourne, the importance of this theme lies in its resonances — how it defines the national character and yet remains unspoken: "The fact that class is both a motivator and an obstacle is rarely discussed. Its traps and trappings are prevalent in all levels of society; it is more often sought after than realized."

Showing films that look at all the ways in which this idea of class takes hold in a country as diverse as America, Buirski and Bourne feel, will give this year's festival an urgency. "We hope that recognizing this relatively young country's caste system, we can begin to find ways to reduce barriers and increase the mobility that we all seek," Buirski reflects. She further asserts "Dreaming is a good thing, but it is frustrating and demoralizing if it is mere fantasy for the hopeful. It is time to deal with the reality of class."

In addition to a roster of films — a mix of old and new work — the "Class in America" programming will include panel discussions. This year's Southern Sidebar, a traditional program of films at the festival that single out issues and filmmakers from the region, will present the earliest films coming out of the devastated Gulf Coast area.

Held every year in downtown Durham, North Carolina, the festival celebrates the artistry and power of documentary film. Over the past nine years the festival has grown and now features a full four days of over 100 films, panels, and other special programs. In addition to the curated program on Class in America and the Southern Sidebar program, Full Frame's schedule is filled with films in competition from around the world; tributes to the great artists in the documentary world, as well as special evenings celebrating the work of filmmakers and other artists as diverse as Martin Scorsese and Vittorio De Seta, Harry Shearer, Ken Burns and Ric Burns, Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, Albert Maysles, Errol Morris, Michael Atped, Henry Hampton, Frederick Wiseman, Elaine Stritch, Michael Moore, Jonathan Demme, Barbara Kopple, Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker, William Greaves and Charles E. Guggenheim. Many of the films shown at the festival have gone on to be Academy Award nominees, including the 2004 winner of that award, Born Into Brothels.

The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is produced by Doc Arts Inc. a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The presenting sponsors are The New York Times and Duke University.