Contacts:POVCommunications:[email protected],212-989-7425CathyFisher,[email protected],BrianGeldin,[email protected]:www.pbs.org/pov/pressroom
POVDigitalandSubmarineChanneltoSneakPreviewKelO’NeillandEline
Jongsma’s‘EXIT:AMobileGuidetothePostApocalypse’atSXSW
InteractiveSmartphoneDocumentaryUnleashesEmmy®-NominatedFilmmakers’ExistentialFearsWhenTheyBecomeNewParents
NewYork,NY–March9,2016–POVDigital,theaward-winninginnovativearmofthePBSdocumentaryseriesPOV(PointofView),andtransmediaproductionanddistributionstudioSubmarineChannelwillpresentasneakpreviewofEmmy®-nominatedfilmmakersElineJongsmaandKelO’Neill’sEXIT:AMobileGuidetothePostApocalypseatConvergenceatSXSWonMonday,March14at2p.m.CTattheAustinConventionCenter.EXIToffersanescapefromthedoomsdaythinkingthatisruiningourcollectiveimaginations.Anexperienceforsmartphonescomposedofasuiteofinterconnectednonfictionstories,EXITdaresuserstoentertainashockingpossibility:thatmankindmaysurvive(andeventhrive)beyondthechallengesthatawaitusinthefuture.Setinanapocalypse-obsessedUnitedStates,EXITchroniclesthejourneyofmarriedDutch-AmericanfilmmakersJongsma+O'Neillastheystruggletocometotermswiththeirexistentialfearsthatareunleashedwhentheybecomenewparents.“Areyouterrifiedtobringchildrenintoourdirty,crowdedworld?”thedocasks.“Isyourmindburdenedbydystopianscenariosbothrealistic(overpopulation,dronewarfare)andfantastical(theRevelation)?”Thisstrugglepropelsthecoupleonacross-countrytripwheretheyencounterawildcollectionofmisfitsandgeniuseswhohavefoundtheirownformofpeacewithanuncertain,andpotentiallydisastrous,tomorrow.AspartofEXIT’ssneakpreviewatSXSW,POV,SubmarineChannelandthefilmmakerswillpresentthefirstchapter,AKid-FriendlyApocalypse.IttellsthestoryofTrackersEarth’sZombieSurvivalCamp,aPortland,Ore.-basedcampwherekids,ages6to16,learnwildernesssurvivalskillsinaday-longsimulationofthe“zombieapocalypse.”Thecompleteserieswillbereleasedinthefallof2016.ToattendthesneakpreviewatSXSW,visit:http://schedule.sxsw.com/2016/events/event_PP57739.ForademoofEXIT,[email protected].“Totellourstory,weoptedforthemostpost-apocalypticofallformats:thesmartphone,”saidJongsmaandO’Neill.“Manyfilmmakersviewmobilephonesnotasidealscreensforwatchingmovies,butaspocket-sizedharbingersofcinematicapocalypse.Butwedecidedtoembracethisscarynewmedium,andhavedesignedastorytellingexperiencethatplaystothetrance-inducing,touch-basedstrengthsofmobiledesign.”“Mobilevideoiscontinuingitswildgrowth,butwhatdoesitmeantomakevideoformobiledevicesandnotjustonthem?”saidPOVDigitalExecutiveProducerAdnaanWasey.“EXITistacklinghowweusethe
inherentfeaturesofthesedevices—touching,moving,turning,swiping,pinching,pulling—tocreateanewkindofexperience,onethatisveryintuitiveandonethatwethinkotherdeveloperswillwanttoemulate.”“O’NeillandJongsmaembodythisethosperfectly,makingitaperfectcollaboration,”saidSubmarineChannelFounderFemkeWolting.“Theyareauteursinanewmedium;theytellapersonalstoryaboutexistentialquestionsaboutlifeafterhavingachild,inaninnovativeway,embracingthequalitiesofthemobileplatformasastorytellingdevice.”EXITiscreated,written,directedandco-producedbyJongsma+O'Neill,whoseEmpirewasnominatedfora2015News&DocumentaryEmmy—andproducedbySubmarineChannelinco-productionwithPOVDigital.TheprojectisdesignedbyBitcavesanddevelopedbytheVanLeeuwenBrothers.AboutJongsma+O'NeillElineJongsma&KelO’Neill,areaward-winningDutch-Americanfilmmakers,workingattheintersectionofdocumentary,artandtechnology.Theyarethe2015winnersoftheTimHetheringtonVisionaryAward.Theirlatestproject,theEmmy-nominatedandWebby-honoreddocumentaryEmpire,wasoneofthefirstinteractiveprojectsacquiredbyPOV.Theirworkhasbeenexhibitedbysuchworld-renownedinstitutionsasLincolnCenter,REDCATandtheStedelijkMuseumBureauAmsterdam,andhasappearedattheNewYorkFilmFestival,TribecaStoryscapes,theInternationalDocumentaryFilmFestivalAmsterdam,TheLosAngelesFilmFestivalandSouthbySouthwest.
****AboutSubmarineChannelSubmarinechannel.comisanEmmyAward-winningproductionstudioanddistributionplatformfororiginaltransmediadocumentaries,fictionandgenre-defyingentertainment.FromstudiosinAmsterdamandLosAngeles,PreviousproductionsincludetheEmmy-nominatedtransmediaprojectCollapsus,theEmmyAward-winningtransmediadocumentaryLastHijackInteractive,andthemultipleaward-winninginteractivewebdocumentaryRefugeeRepublic.SubmarineChannelispartoftheproductionoutfitSubmarine,foundedin2000byBrunoFelixandFemkeWolting. AboutPOVDigitalSince1994,POVDigitalhasdrivennewstorytellinginitiativesandinteractiveproductionforPOV.ThedepartmentcreatedPBS’sfirstprogramwebsiteanditsfirstweb-baseddocumentary(POV’sBorders)andhaswonmajorawards,includingaWebbyAward(andsixnominations)andanOnlineNewsAssociationAward.POVDigitalcontinuestoexplorethefutureofindependentnonfictionmediathroughitsdigitalproductionsandthePOVHackathonlab,wheremediamakersandtechnologistscollaboratetore-inventstorytellingforms.AboutPOVPOVispublictelevision’spremiershowcasefornonfictionfilms.Since1988,POVhasbeenthehomefortheworld’sboldestcontemporaryfilmmakers,celebratingintriguingpersonalstoriesthatsparkconversationandinspireaction.Alwaysaninnovator,POVdiscoversfreshnewvoicesandcreatesinteractiveexperiencesthatshinealightonsocialissuesandelevatetheartofstorytelling.Withourdocumentarybroadcasts,originalonlineprogramminganddynamiccommunityengagementcampaigns,wearecommittedtosupportingfilmsthatcapturetheimaginationandpresentdiverseperspectives.POVfilmshavewon34Emmy®Awards,18GeorgeFosterPeabodyAwards,12AlfredI.duPont-ColumbiaUniversityAwards,threeAcademyAwards®,thefirst-everGeorgePolkDocumentaryFilmAwardandthePrix
Italia.ThePOVserieshasbeenhonoredwithaSpecialNews&DocumentaryEmmyAwardforExcellenceinTelevisionDocumentaryFilmmaking,threeIDAAwardsforBestCuratedSeriesandtheNationalAssociationofLatinoIndependentProducers(NALIP)AwardforCorporateCommitmenttoDiversity.Learnmoreatwww.pbs.org/pov.MajorfundingforPOVisprovidedbyPBS,TheJohnD.andCatherineT.MacArthurFoundation,theJohnS.andJamesL.KnightFoundation,CorporationforPublicBroadcastingandNationalEndowmentfortheArts.AdditionalfundingcomesfromNancyBlachmanandDaviddesJardins,BerthaFoundation,TheFledglingFund,MargueriteCaseyFoundation,EttingerFoundation,NewYorkStateCouncilontheArts,NewYorkCityDepartmentofCulturalAffairsinpartnershipwiththeCityCouncil,AnnTenenbaumandThomasH.Lee,andpublictelevisionviewers.POVispresentedbyaconsortiumofpublictelevisionstations,includingKQEDSanFrancisco,WGBHBostonandTHIRTEENinassociationwithWNET.ORG.
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