texas

Keith Maitland at KLRU’s Texas Independents’ Day

Earlier this week, PBS affiliate KLRU in Austin, Texas, commemorated Texas Independents’ Day by celebrating the work of three local filmmakers whose work will appear on this season of Independent Lens. Learn more about the event from Keith Maitland, filmmaker of The Eyes of Me.

Filmmaker Keith Maitland with film subjects of The Eyes of Me.

Panel moderator Paul Stekler leads a round table discussion with Keith Maitland, filmmaker of The Eyes of Me; Karen Skloss, filmmaker of Sunshine; Michel Scott, filmmaker of The Horse Boy.

Last night, nearly 200 people gathered in a dark room to share an hour-long look into the lives of four blind teenagers. With the twinkling lights of the Austin City Limits stage as a backdrop, I couldn’t ask for a more fitting place to experience the incredible communal experience of watching the live Independent Lens broadcast of The Eyes of Me.

The Eyes of Me follows four blind teens over the course of one dynamic year. It’s about watching these teens growing up before our eyes. As they discover who they are, it is my hope that you will discover something about yourself –– it’s about challenging your own perception and seeing yourself in a new way… at least that’s what it’s always been about for me.

The entire process of creating this film, from a nascent idea, through 250 hours of rolling cameras, and two and half years of editing, has been both rewarding and challenging in degrees that I’m still not sure I can register. Along the way, I have learned many lessons about my creative processes, and my own humanity.

› Continue reading

Tags: austin, blind, film screenings, filmmakers, health, independent film, texas

Thursday, March 4th, 2010 Filmmaker Profile, Partnerships and Supporters, Special Events View Comments

ITVS Films at SXSW 2010

Held annually in Austin, Texas, South by Southwest (SXSW) is considered one of the world’s premiere festivals, recognizing the best of film, music and interactive projects. This year’s festival takes place March 12-21.

We’re really excited about this year’s festival! You won’t want to miss the world premiere of six episodes of our new online fictional series FUTURESTATES on March 14. These narrative mini-features explore many of today’s complex social issues by imagining how they play out in the world of tomorrow.

Learn more about FUTURESTATES on Beyond the Box >>

Also be sure to check out these four other compelling ITVS films at SXSW this year.

› Continue reading

Tags: austin, film festival, SXSW, texas

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 Online Connections, Special Events View Comments

KLRU Celebrates Local Filmmakers Featured on Independent Lens

Do you live near Austin, Texas? Love indie film?

Tonight, KLRU-Austin will commemorate Texas Independents’ Day by celebrating the work of three local filmmakers whose work appears on this season of Independent Lens on PBS.

Filmmaker and University of Texas Professor Paul Stekler will moderate a panel discussion with Michel O. Scott (The Horse Boy), Karen Skloss (Sunshine), and Keith Maitland (The Eyes of Me) starting at 8 p.m.

Following the discussion, there will be a special screening of the Independent Lens broadcast of The Eyes of Me at 9:00 p.m. Space is limited.

Learn more and RSVP today >>

Can’t make the screening or live too far away to attend? Fear not – check out Beyond the Box blog next week for clips from the event and a full recap from Keith Maitland, filmmaker of The Eyes of Me. Stay tuned!

Tags: film, filmmakers, KLRU, texas

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 All Video, Filmmaker Profile, Special Events, Station Spotlight View Comments

Community Cinema Screens The Eyes of Me in Houston

This past week, Community Cinema hosted a screening of the Independent Lens film The Eyes of Me at HoustonPBS. The film follows four visually impaired teenagers in Texas as they face the usual challenges of adolescence while simultaneously learning to navigate a world designed for the sighted. Filmmaker Keith Maitland attended the screening and gives an overview of what happened and the impact the event below.

Patrick Floyd, the producer of The Eyes of Me, and Keith Maitland, the director, at the HoustonPBS Community Cinema Screening of their film.

Patrick Floyd (left), the producer of The Eyes of Me, and Keith Maitland (right), the director, at the HoustonPBS Community Cinema Screening of their film.

Bernice Klepac, with the Houston Council for the Blind, talks about her experience as a student at Texas School for the Blind back in the 1950s.

With more than 125 audience members in attendance –– many of them blind or visually-impaired –– HoustonPBS hosted a wonderful Community Cinema screening of The Eyes of Me. It’s always exciting for me to be able to sit in a crowded theater and share the film with a new audience but there was something very special about this particular screening. Along with producer Patrick Floyd, I was happy to travel to Houston from Austin, Texas, to experience Community Cinema firsthand. Meagan McComic (one of the main characters from the film) and Bill Daugherty, superintendent of the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI), joined Patrick and I on the panel after the film, to share their reflections and perspectives with the Houston community –– many of whom had ties to TTSBVI directly. Two of the audience members were alumni of TSBVI –– Michael Garrett, class of ’69, and Bernice Klepak, class of ’55. It was exciting to hear Michael and Bernice’s response to the film, and the contrasts between their days at the school and the stories of Chas, Meagan, Denise, and Isaac represented in the film. Bernice was impressed with how honest and natural today’s students were compared to her days when she feels that they were all “pretty straight-laced.” › Continue reading

Tags: blind, disability, Houston, texas, the eyes of me

Thursday, February 18th, 2010 Filmmaker Profile, Panelists and Performers, Partnerships and Supporters, events View Comments

How Do You See Yourself When You Can’t See at All?

An extraordinary peek into the world of blind teenagers, where crossing an intersection, cooking a meal or navigating unfamiliar areas can be a challenge that sighted viewers never consider.

For blind teenagers crossing an intersection, cooking a meal, or navigating unfamiliar areas can be a challenge that sighted viewers never consider.

Our Community Cinema selection for February is the documentary The Eyes Of Me by Keith Maitland.

How do you see yourself, when you can’t see at all? At the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI), in Austin, Texas students juggle all the usual pressures of high school along with the added struggles of growing up blind. Spend a dynamic year with four blind teens learning how to fit in and live independently. Forced to confront the world without sight, they share their inner-visions of the outer world. Ultimately, you cannot understand their perceptions without challenging your own.

Denise sings a duet in the school play

Filmmaker Keith Maitland explains, “I’ve always been intrigued by questions of perception and identitybuilding, specifically how teens and young adults define themselves within their communities. After a chance meeting with a staff member from the Texas School for the Blind, I realized that I could delve into these questions of perception and identity through the experiences of the students at the school. Meeting Chas (the first blind person I’d ever met) convinced me that I had to make a film that would explore these questions, simply by spending time with him and experiencing his life as it unfolded that year. Additionally, I chose to follow Denise, Isaac, and Meagan, all unique characters with unique perspectives.”

Preview The Eyes Of Me here.