The Border Film Project

The Border Film Project distributed disposable cameras to undocumented migrants crossing the U.S./Mexico border and the American Minutemen who try to stop them. The resulting images culled from the returned cameras provide a first-person perspective from both sides of the border. From the project website: "Migrants and Minutemen have very different backgrounds, yet they share one profound belief: both sides would agree that they are documenting a situation that should not be happening." The Border Film Project is now also available in book form.

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Documentary Animation: Colby Buzzell’s Iraq Ambush Story

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Not seeing the embedded video? See it online.As an Army Specialist in Iraq, Colby Buzzell blogged about his daily experiences at war. His writing was so powerful, and his stories so captivating, that his work was subsequently published in a book entitled My War: Killing Time in Iraq. PBS's Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Expierience included one of Buzzell's stories in the form of this remarkable animation entitled Men in Black. Buzzell's blog, with posts dating back to June 2004, is still online. Link via The Paul Harris Show's Harris Online blog.

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“Sometimes the Absence of Something is the Essence of It.”

  With a careful blend of artistic vision and transparency, Frontline World's POSITHIV+: AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa slideshow features the work and voice of photographer Pep Bonet. The images are subtle, striking, and together with Bonet's narration create a thoughtful perspective of the situation. On shooting a series of people without showing their faces, Bonet explains, "Sometimes the absence of something is the essence of it."

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Eugene Richards Awarded First National Geographic Grant

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National Geographic Magazine has awarded its first ever $50,000 Grant for Photography to Eugene Richards, for his project on veterans of the War in Iraq. The grant was open to all professional photojournalists and will be awarded annually. Entrants were required to submit a statement describing a proposed or current essay, along with a portfolio. The winner was chosen by a panel including Jodi Cobb, a National Geographic Photographer, Michele Stephenson, the former Director of Photography at Time and Michel du Cille, a staff photographer at the Washington Post. For additional information: The National Press Photographers Association's story about the grant. National Geographic's Grant for Photography page. Eugene Richard's personal web site. Feature stories by Eugene Richard's on the VII Photo Agency site.

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Iraqi Kurdistan by Ed Kashi accepted at 2007 SILVERDOCS festival

Iraqi Kurdistan by Ed Kashi has been selected as an official entry for the 2007 SILVERDOCS Documentary Festival. This year SILVERDOCS will honor Silence of the Lamb's director Jonathan Demme. The festival runs June 12 - 17 in Silver Spring, Maryland. Ticket information is available from their site.

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