the public domain is a 2015 drama film set in minneapolis , minnesota .

the film follows characters whose lives were impacted by the collapse of the i-35w mississippi river bridge on august 1 , 2007 .

the story takes place seven years later .

it is centered on a bar in a polish neighborhood named the public domain .

the time is around the feast of saint casimir ( march 4 . ) the film was shot on location in minneapolis and st. paul .

budget came from the minnesota arts and cultural heritage fund , through a reimbursement program administered by the minnesota film & tv board independent filmmaker project minnesota .

to qualify , films have to be set in the state and/or have a strong minnesota focus .

the public domain ( film )

urltoken public domain movie torrents hosts a wide variety of movies now in the public domain .
ohio artists remix the public domain : q & a with celia c . peters , producer of public domain pop - up exhibit
on ohio artists remix the public domain : q & a with celia c . peters , producer of public domain pop - up exhibit
ohio artists remix the public domain : q & a with celia c . peters , producer of public domain pop - up exhibit | copyright corner
please note that the laws of various countries define the scope of the public domain differently , making it necessary to specify which jurisdiction ' s public domain is being discussed .
on the strength of its film “another earth” , the non - profit - making artists public domain production company is planning to develop a support and advisory site for independent film directors .
films published march 1 , 1989 to present the only films published anywhere after march 1989 in the us public domain are us government films and ones that the producer dedicated to the public domain .
the earliest films are the easiest to explain : those from before 1923 are in the public domain .
this guide concerns films in the public domain . for a guide to all types of creative works ( books , photos , music , software , etc . ) , see the public domain sherpa . this site provides helpful information on finding and using public domain material in the united states .
note : there is no definitive
slam dunk
certainty or official list when it comes to the question of whether a film is in the public domain . because a film can incorporate cinematography , drama , literature , music , art , and / or trademark , it is more difficult to determine the public domain status of film than for any other media . unfortunately , there is no single method for determining if a film , or parts of it , is in the public domain .
festival films festival films claims that it carries the largest selection of public domain feature films in the world .
all titles in the public domain catalog are available from festival films in the inexpensive dvd - r format .
film superlist : motion pictures in the u . s . public domain , a series of copyright reference books created by attorney walter hurst ( 1930 - 1991 ) .
filmmaker patrick coyle’s new movie , the public domain , centers on the psychological aftermath of the i - 35w bridge collapse .
following are some online resources for finding listings of films and television shows believed to be in the public domain .
“forgotten faces : why some of our cinema heritage is part of the public domain , ” by david pierce ( film history , vol . 19 , no . 20 )
in 1998 an additional 20 years was granted to the copyright period making all films for 1923 on available for a 95 year period of protection . all films made before 1923 are permanently in the public domain . through all of these extensions , american films which had already fallen into the public domain for the reasons sited above continued to be public domain .
the public domain ’s official premiere is scheduled for march 27 at the lagoon theater . if you miss it there , you can catch it at the duluth superior film festival in june .
one of charlie chaplin’s most acclaimed works ( and a favorite of chaplin himself ) , the gold rush actually exists in two versions , one of which is entirely public domain . the copyright renewal for the original film was never filed , meaning that version became public domain in 1953 . however , in 1942 chaplin himself reedited and re - released the film with a new score and recorded narration . while the original footage , and therefore the original film in its entirety , are still public domain , chaplin’s additions were copyrighted , and the copyright was later renewed .
first of all , in writing the film , coyle dispensed with all the easy , obvious plot options . whatever your expectations may be for a film “about” the 35w calamity , the public domain will defy them . the characters are not based on real people .
patrick coyle ' s
the public domain ,
opening friday at lagoon cinema , dissects the human damage from the 2007 disaster .
the pd catalog contains mostly american films made before 1964 . these carefully researched films have been considered to be in the public domain in the usa for many years . why is a film in the public domain ? study all about it in this copyright discussion . briefly , films fall into the public domain because they were never properly registered with the library of congress in the first place or were not renewed as required by the prevailing copyright laws at the time .
for larger collections of the best public domain feature films , check out our gold and silver collections of 50 films each .
the christmas classic might be the most famous public domain movie of all time , but you may have noticed it only airs on one tv network ( nbc ) every holiday season , which isn’t exactly public domain treatment for such a sought - after seasonal movie . that’s because , while technically still in the public domain , it does enjoy certain copyright protections now that it didn’t in the decades when it became a constantly re - running holiday staple on public television . in 1974 , the initial 28 - year copyright on the film expired when owner republic pictures failed to renew it , and so the film entered the public domain . in 1993 , though , republic used a new supreme court ruling to essentially reclaim the film by asserting their copyright to the original story on which the film is based—“the greatest gift” by philip van doren stern . using this and their copyright to the film’s music , republic was able to reassert a degree of ownership over the film , and in 1994 they granted nbc a long - term deal to broadcast the film each christmas , which continues today . technically , the film itself is still public domain , so if you wanted to completely reedit it and change the music , you could … but who wants that ?
perhaps the greatest of buster keaton’s legendary silent comedies , the general shares the gold rush ’s slightly complex release history . the original keaton film entered the public domain in 1956 , when the original copyright expired , but another version exists . in 1953 , film distributor raymond rohauer re - released the film with new edits , music , and an introduction . the rohauer copyright was later renewed , but as with the gold rush , only the additional elements are under copyright . keaton’s original remains public domain .
manos is famously bad , so much so that almost no one had heard of the film until the cult tv series mystery science theater 3000 mercilessly mocked it in a 1993 episode . that episode vaulted the film into the public imagination , and it has since gained considerable fame among bad movie fans . the original film features no copyright notice , placing it in the public domain , but the story’s gotten more complicated in recent years .
acquires title to , and control over , the physical items . the intellectual property of works not in the public domain remains with their legal owners . the
festival films has been in business for over 35 years and has acquired thousands of public domain films and tv shows . we constantly add titles and update quality with new film to video transfers . click on the cafe roxy sign for
variety programs
of public domain films . click on lost & rare for exclusive rare films !
films created by and for the us government except in fairly rare cases where the us government commissioned a film and expressly allowed the producer to maintain copyright , all films from the us government are in the public domain . the us may maintain copyright protection in foreign countries . in addition , films made by local and state governments may or may not be in the public domain .
public domain is an intellectual property designation referring to the body of creative works and knowledge in which no person , government or organization has any proprietary interest such as a copyright . these works are considered part of the public cultural and intellectual heritage of content that is not owned or controlled by anyone and which may be freely used by all . according to wikipedia :
these materials are public property , and available for anyone to use freely ( the
right to copy
) for any purpose . the public domain can be defined in contrast to several forms of intellectual property ; the public domain in contrast to copyrighted works is different from the public domain in contrast to trademarks or patented works .
the public domain | out + about features | the best of the twin cities | mpls . st . paul magazine - mpls . st . paul magazine
although the film won the international prize at the 1951 venice film festival and was a hit with the british press , critical reaction in the u . s . was mixed . the
infodigi ' s public domain resource infodigi provides an list ( in alphabetical order from a through z ) of films that are probably in the public domain . if you plan to use one of these films we recommend that you consult with an attorney to ensure that it meets the standards .
for laws specific to the united states , see the section
us copyright rules : films in the us public domain
included at the end of this guide .
all users of public domain films should become familiar with the concept by perusing this copyright discussion . briefly , films fall into the public domain if they are released without any © notice in the credits , if they are never registered with the library of congress , or if they were not renewed after 28 years as required for films and tv shows made before 1964 . oh , yes , any film from any country that was made before 1923 is in the public domain . there are other nuances so do study up !
these are some companies that distribute public domain films for commercial purposes such as transferring to different formats for retail sale and generating stock footage .
the film is about four strangers whose lives are connected by the 35w bridge collapse in 2007 . it has also been tapped to screen at the minneapolis - st . paul international film festival in april and the duluth superior film festival in june .
his girl friday is one of the most famous films in the public domain—but with an interesting loophole . the play on which the film is based , 1928’s the front page , was copyrighted and renewed , which means it’s still protected and therefore so is any work directly based on it . this makes his girl friday practically unusable in terms of free exhibition , because you’d need permission from the copyright owners of the front page , even though the film is , technically , public domain .
what was the first article you posted ? we initially focused on things that were coming into the public domain that year . in many countries , works enter the public domain 70 years after the death of the author or artist , and 2011 saw the works of nathaniel west enter the public domain , including his most famous book , day of the locusts . the first article was about that and west’s relationship with hollywood , written by marion meade , who’d recently published a book on the subject .
the public domain is coyle’s third feature film . his first two— detective fiction ( 2003 ) and into temptation ( 2009 ) —were critical ( if not commercial ) successes . likewise , the public domain should secure coyle’s reputation as one of the most serious and interesting filmmakers in town—which may or may not be a good thing , depending on your tolerance for movies that make you think .
a film ' s protected status and protectable life begins with the initial commercial showing , the copyright registration date , or the in - notice date - whichever comes first . to help people understand the general principals of why a film enters the public domain , festival films has put together a helpful synopsis , which is reproduced below .
mclintock ! , one of five films to feature the iconic partnership of john wayne and maureen o’hara , is both a public domain film and the subject of an interesting public domain court case . the initial copyright , held by wayne’s company batjac productions , expired in 1991 . in 1996 , batjac attempted to register copyrights on two drafts of the mclintock ! screenplay , and filed suit that same year against goodtimes home video , a company that began releasing vhs tapes of the film as a result of its public domain status in 1993 . batjac’s argument was that , since it owned the screenplay , the screenplay drafts should be copyrighted and the film should therefore fall under the screenplay copyright . a u . s . district court ruled that the release of the film itself “effected the publication of the unpublished screenplay to the extent that the screenplay was incorporated into the film , ” and denied batjac’s claim . the decision was later upheld by the ninth circuit court in 1998 .
why is this man smiling ? patrick coyle ' s movie
public domain
has been picked up by landmark and will premiere here march 27 .
peters : we initially provided artists with links to a plethora of public domain material that they could use for their pieces . artists in the show are providing me with links to sources that confirm that either the expired copyright of the content they’ve used was not renewed or that the work has been put into the public domain by the copyright owner .
“it’s a wonderful life” became a fixture on television after apparently falling into the public domain , but it was often broadcast using substandard prints . eventually , the film was brought back into the copyright fold partly via the 1939 short story on which it was based .
wired magazine compiled this list of the 10 best public domain movies worth downloading to your computer or mobile device . find them at sites like urltoken or urltoken .
“we typically prioritize the preservation of public domain titles here because we figure if we don’t , then no one is likely to , ” mr . mashon wrote .
stanley donen’s classic thriller is still praised today for its screenplay and its hitchcockian filmmaking , but an early error made it one of the most high - profile films to ever enter the public domain . the final version of the film bears the notice “mcmlxiii by universal pictures company , inc . and stanley donen films , inc . all rights reserved . ” somehow , no one working at the print lab or at universal noticed the lack of the word “copyright” or the copyright emblem , and so the film fell into the public domain immediately upon release .
we reached out to the exhibit’s founder and producer , celia c . peters , to learn more about the upcoming show and the relationship between artists , art , and the public domain .
buster keaton in the 1926 silent film “the general , ” directed by keaton and clyde bruckman .
“i remember seeing those public domain ‘39 steps’ prints . it’s not just that the film is dupey , ” he said , referring to the duplication of inferior prints without reference to an original negative . “the soundtracks were so muddy you could hardly hear them . ”
the public domain : how to find & use copyright - free writings , music , art & more by stephen fishman . berkeley , ca : nolo , 2014 .
what criteria do you use to choose stuff for the review ? as the name suggests , all our content is in the public domain , so that ' s the first criterion . we try to focus on works that are in the public domain in most countries , which isn’t as easy as it sounds since every country has different rules . generally , it means stuff created by people who passed away before the early 1940s . the second criterion is that there are no restrictions on the re - use of the digital copies of the public domain material .
openflix openflix provides a directory of movies commonly thought to be in the public domain and works their owners are willing to let be distributed . use of movies in the public domain , though , is limited by difficulty of identifying works that truly do not have any proprietary interests . through dialogue , openflix hopes to resolve some of the confusion .
festival films catalog of public domain action , comedy , horror , war , science - fiction , cartoons , serials , black heritage , 1950s tv and more .
the issue may be increasingly moot as viewers become more accustomed to high - definition quality , which restorations like those by the british film institute and the library of congress make possible . the public domain prints of the films in the “hitchcock 9” series , for instance , are a distant memory .
dvd - r prices start at $ 30 for a feature film , 4 half - hour tv shows or a cafe roxy program , with discounts for volume purchases . see our pricing page . dvds come with a statement as to why each film or films are in the public domain . a free dvd sampler disc is available on request .
the public domain ( a quintessential northeast pub invented for the locally shot film ) is where callers go to revisit time in a bottle . we enter this home away from home eight years after the disaster alongside several regulars , each still coping with unique varieties of life’s fallout .
“the public domain” is the second movie to wrap production that has received legacy - amendment public money from the minnesota arts and cultural heritage fund , through a reimbursement program administered by the minnesota film & tv board independent filmmaker project minnesota . in order to qualify for up to $ 175 , 000 , films have to be set in the state and / or have a strong minnesota focus .
film superlist : motion pictures in the u . s . public domain . created by walter e . hurst ; updated edition by d . richard baer . hollywood , calif . : hollywood film archive , 1992 - 1994 . ( three volumes to date , covering 50 , 000 films from the years 1894 - 1939 , 1940 - 49 , and 1950 - 59 . )
in order to comply with copyright laws of the 1960s , a film had to display its release year , its copyright owner , and the copyright logo ( or the word “copyright” ) somewhere on the final release cut . when the walter reade organization agreed to distribute night of the living dead , it was called night of the flesh eaters . a legal dispute with another similarly named film necessitated a title change , but when the change was made , the distributor failed to include the copyright notice on the print , so the film immediately fell into the public domain .
after 1923 , public - domain challenges arise when the copyright is not renewed . later congressional extensions of copyright complicate the matter ( and have been the subject of debate ) , but the initial period is crucial .
drag story hour brings glitz and kid lit to st . paul ' s public libraries
fishman , stephen , the public domain : how to find & use copyright - free writings , music , art & more by stephen fishman . berkeley , ca : nolo , 2006 .
madeleine carroll and robert donat in “the 39 steps , ” a 1935 film directed by alfred hitchcock .
if a tv station , film society or movie theater wants to try public domain films , they often ask which ones go over best with audiences today ? here are recommendations for 3 features in each genre . some are available as
programs
with shorts and cartoons .
in 1966 congress prepared a new copyright law that extended protection to 75 years from the date a film was released . this same extension applied to films which had not entered the public domain prior to 1966 . thus any film in copyright after 1909 and renewed automatically had its copyright period extended to 75 years . in 1992 legislation extended to films made prior to 1978 and after 1963 the automatic extension of their initial copyright . such films were automatically protected without copyright renewal . this law did not set aside the requirement under law for prompt registration for film made prior to 1978 and as such failure to register those films within the copyright registration period of 28 years automatically transferred the materials to the public domain .
march of the wooden soldiers is a particularly interesting case , because depending on who you ask , it might not actually be in the public domain . the film was originally babes in toyland , a 1934 laurel and hardy vehicle based on the victor herbert operetta of the same name . in 1950 , after some financial juggling , the original film was licensed to distributor lippert pictures for a re - release . lippert made some cuts to the original film and retitled it march of the wooden soldiers , believing that a title suggesting war would earn more box office bucks . in the process , though , lippert failed to add a copyright notice for the new title . the copyright for the original babes release was renewed , but the copyright for march never existed , leading some distributors ( and now youtubers ) to continue putting that cut of the film out as a public domain release .
there are now three versions of a star is born ( with a fourth on the way in 2018 ) , but the original is the only one in the public domain . originally produced by the legendary david o . selznick under his selznick international pictures banner , the film bounced around quite a bit in years after its release . as selznick international pictures dissolved , the rights to the film went to financier john hay whitney , who then sold them to film classics , inc . in 1943 . when its theatrical rerun potential declined , film classics put the film up for sale , and producer edward l . alperson bought it , hoping to remake it . alperson then sold the rights again in 1953 to warner bros . , which then produced a 1954 remake starring judy garland and james mason . somewhere in all that hand - changing , the film’s copyright renewal was forgotten .
a scene from “night of the living dead , ” a horror film directed by george romero from 1968 .
need more assistance determining whether or not a movie is in the public domain ? contact the sights and sounds department at ( 410 ) 396 - 4616 or e - mail us through our ask a question service .
there are books that purport to list films in the public domain , but they should be used only as a preliminary source of information . the film superlist : motion pictures in the u . s . public domain and motion picture copyrights & renewals 1950 - 1959 ( bibliographic citations below ) expand upon library of congress publications of the catalog of copyright entries by providing renewal information . however , even for films where no renewal was found , you will need to check further . be sure to read the introductory matter when using either publication .
in 2011 , film school graduate and collector ben solovey discovered an unedited work print of the film and began raising funds to restore it . he later copyrighted his restoration , which was released on blu - ray in 2015 . joe warren , son of manos writer and director harold warren , disputes that copyright and the film’s public domain status , based on a copyright notice filed on the original screenplay , which warren discovered in 2013 . the dispute still isn’t resolved , and warren recently filed to trademark the title of the film , putting a number of fan projects in jeopardy . as of february 2017 , a fundraising effort was underway to challenge warren’s trademark claim .
until the sonny bono copyright term extension act in 1998 , films could generally enjoy 75 years of copyright protection . anything that had fallen out by then , however , was understood to stay in the public domain . that alone covers a wealth of film history , including much of the work of foundational filmmakers including griffiths and keaton .
by frances hodgson burnett . the film was the first shirley temple movie to be filmed completely in technicolor . < / >
filmmaker patrick coyle ’s locally shot “the public domain” has been picked up by landmark , and will get its premiere at the lagoon on march 27 , with more cities to follow based on how well it sells here .
how to access material from the nfsa collection as well as information about screening loans , black screen and the film australia collection .
20 , 000 leagues under the sea the universal film manufacturing company was not known in the silent era as premier producer of motion pictures .
oddly , even though hitchcock’s early films have rights holders , that does not appear to have stopped versions from going on the internet . “the 39 steps , ” “the lodger” and others are online as supposed examples of public - domain works .
list of films in the public domain in the united states ( wikipedia ) this is an incomplete wikipedia list , which may never be able to satisfy certain standards for completion . it provides an alphabetical list , a through z .
so no royalties and no fears . public domain films may be broadcast on cable tv , on the internet , duplicated freely , sold on dvd , used for stock footage in various projects and shown to audiences everywhere !
there are hundreds of movies , cartoons and dozens of television shows that are now in the public domain , which means that they may be shown at public screenings without violating copyright laws . some of these movies are considered classics such as george romero ' s night of the living dead ( 1968 ) , charlie chaplin ' s the kid ( 1921 ) , and alfred hitchcock ' s the man who knew too much ( 1934 version ) . the copyrights to many of these movies were either not properly registered initially or were not renewed and therefore the content is now in the public domain .
please call or write me at fesfilms @ urltoken for a price quote on higher format masters for dvd authoring . public domain means no royalties and no cost beyond the initial purchase . you may then broadcast the film , sell it on dvd , put it on the internet for downloading or simply watch and enjoy it like millions of fans out there .
the public domain review collates out - of - copyright works online , providing the world with an accessible alley to explore how some of the most interesting and formative parts of our culture existed centuries before tumblr and spotify were ever dreamed . . .
copyright notice publication of materials without notice caused the materials to immediately fall into the public domain . the law required that a copyright notice consisting of the year , the word copyright or the symbol for copyright ( © ) in its place , and the name of the claiming copyright owner . the notice had to be clearly displayed and readable somewhere in the opening or closing credits of a film or television production . publication of a defective notice was the same as publication without notice and the work would fall into the public domain . examples of films released without © notices are night of the living dead , mclintock ! , carnival of souls , some 1950s tv shows and many roger corman films .
is a 1939 american drama film directed by walter lang . the screenplay by ethel hill and walter ferris is loosely based on the novel
still , bruce goldstein , the film forum programmer in charge of repertory , can recall what happened when those protections lapsed .
peters : well , i don’t want to give too much away…but i will say that public domain is a group show and that it features artists working in a mix of media : illustration , 3d art , painting , graphic art , video and even paper sculpture . there are very diverse aesthetics and very distinctive perspectives represented in the show , which is exactly what i’d hoped for . the artists have pulled from very different areas of the public domain for inspiration and , something else that i’m quite excited about : many of them chose to use public domain content in a different medium than the one their piece is in . i love that they’ve mixed it up . it’s all about imagination !
indicate that paramount paid luis kutner for the rights to the story
cicero , illinois ,
but no material from the story was used in the film .
that is not the case with the film forum retrospective , which will include the silents known as the “ hitchcock 9 ” that have been restored by the british film institute . yet other titles are not so lucky , raising the question of why these movies wind up in this predicament in the first place .
we constantly seek rare films ourselves that are not widely available and transfer from 16mm film format to video master . an example from june , 2010 , is the 1952 lloyd bridges film three steps north that will be released by alpha video in the fall .
“i know people will find this confusing , but this isn’t a film about the bridge collapse , ” coyle explains . “it’s a film about people , and the bridge just happens to be part of their life experience , whether they like it or not . ”
and as late as the 1990s , the early british films of alfred hitchcock were considered to be in the public domain . these works , ranging back from “the 39 steps” in 1935 to lesser - known titles , frequently circulated in the united states in inferior prints and subpar home video editions .
quality is guaranteed . any film found to be inferior may be exchanged for another title . some films because of their age or rarity are simply not available in perfect condition . whenever better material turns up , we upgrade our masters . there are no company logos or watermarks over the picture , and none of those scary fbi warnings that do not apply to public domain films .
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peters : the public domain is important to artists because it connects us to artists from the past and our shared drive to create ; there’s something very powerful about that . it also removes the barrier of licensing fees from the equation . depending on the nature of a project , an artist may need to access music , imagery or other creative elements from outside sources… . and that can be cost prohibitive or challenging in terms of tracking down who actually owns the rights and paying to use the content . but , in the case of public domain content , though , it belongs to all of us !
for her first scene in the twin cities - shot feature “the public domain , ” emily bridges takes a sunny august trip across the interstate 35w bridge into downtown minneapolis . she’s costumed for a summer afternoon spin in a light sleeveless blouse , driving her car with its windows rolled all the way down .
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why watch it ? this film was based on ernest hemingway’s novel by the same name . and similar to the book , which experienced censorship issues , the film had difficulty getting approved . particularly , the board had problems with hayes’s childbirth scenes , which included labor pains , vocal discomfort , and funnily enough , gas .
like many of cult movie master roger corman’s films , the little shop of horrors was made cheap and fast ( corman apparently only shot for two days ) . it was also made with only the initial theatrical release earnings in mind . since corman didn’t see the potential for the film’s market beyond that theatrical run , he apparently didn’t copyright the film . two decades and countless tv broadcasts later , it inspired the hit musical of the same name , which was in turn made into the hit 1986 film .
to acquire the worldwide distribution rights . as the production of the film cost 150 , 000 dollars , to which an equivalent amount should be added for delivery , apd consequently recouped
bridges , daughter of actor beau bridges and niece of his oscar - winning brother jeff bridges , dealt with the trials of the arctic shoot like a los angeles trouper — even though “last winter was the coldest winter we had since 1847 , ” said the film’s writer / director , patrick coyle . his third feature , “the public domain” begins a run at lagoon cinema in minneapolis on friday , march 27 . landmark theaters plans a national release based on the local ticket sales .
events like the bridge disaster send a ripple of fear through our collective consciousness . yet we all absorb and process that emotion in different ways . fear can paralyze and destroy ; it can breed anxiety , addiction , guilt , depression , and anger—but it can also motivate and inspire . local filmmaker , actor , and writer patrick coyle has attempted to capture some of the psychological complexity of this emotional ripple effect in his new film , the public domain .
why watch it ? this fast - talking screwball comedy , under the direction of howard hawks — the big sleep ( 1946 ) , bringing up baby ( 1938 ) — is actually an adaptation of the play “the front page . ” actually , it’s the second adaptation , with the first being the 1931 lewis milestone–directed the front page , which also fell into the public domain . rosalind russell wasn’t the film’s first pick for leading lady : irene dunne was originally pegged for the part , but she felt the role was too small . joan crawford , claudette colbert , and jean arthur also refused the part .
prior to 1988 , when the u . s . finally signed the berne convention implementation act , all films distributed after 1909 were required to provide a registered copyright . if properly printed , the copyright lasted for 28 years before it needed be renewed , assuring that the film would remain property of whatever studio owned it . but studios during the golden age were focused on profit , not preservation , making it easy to lose track of renewal deadlines — meaning many of those forgotten films fell into the public domain .
after the film ' s release , writer victor desny sued wilder and paramount in a $ 150 , 000 breach of contract suit . according to a july 1956
he cited the examples of the buster keaton film “the general” ( 1926 ) , “his girl friday , ” “meet john doe” and “nothing sacred , ” a 1937 screwball comedy starring carole lombard .
thousands upon thousands of films have been released in the united states since the dawn of cinema , which means it’s only natural for some to fall through the cracks , even classic ones . today , movie studios guard their products with armies of copyright lawyers intent on preserving every possible aspect for potential commercialization , but it wasn’t always so regimented , and as a result thousands of films are in the public domain . some are studio releases with unrenewed copyrights , others are independent productions with errors in the credits , and still more are the impetus behind some interesting legal proceedings . from horror icons to silent classics , here are 11 films and their public domain stories .
the uniquely non - profit feature of artists public domain is essential in determining the many resources the outfit uses to support independent cinema it is there to defend . one of its support programmes involves the direct funding in particular of directors and cinematographic projects supported by ifp , another non - profit organisation that since 1979 produces and assists independent authors in implementing their projects . what is more , apd is also the producer of its own short and long features , both dramas and documentaries . during 2010 , several film projects with budgets
tyler brodie and hunter gray that the story began in new york in 2001 . the two producers occupied positions in a profit - making film production company but wanted to develop ancillary projects , often more ambitious but much less certain as to their profitability . artists public domain was then set up with the operating principle of supporting only projects without purely profit - making ambitions ten years later , apd has held to that course and now brings together five professionals from the independent american film world . apart from the founders , who are also at the head of verisimilitude films , the management team is made up of paul mezey of journeyman pictures , of alex orlovsky , a producer with hunting lane films and of joana vicente , executive director of the independent filmmaker project ( ifp ) . as all hold a full - time job outside this set - up , none of the members is paid for the work put into artists public domain , so that all the financial resources available can be fully devoted to films in production . it is only very recently that the company hired its first member of staff .
peters : there were a couple of artists who ( like many others in the general public ) weren’t quite clear on the boundaries of copyright . i think feel it’s very important for all of us as artists to know what protection our own work has as well as making sure we don’t violate anyone else’s intellectual property rights , in particular having access to something versus having permission to use it . i . so i try to shed light on copyright and also clarify where the public domain comes into play . and of course , having the support of the copyright resource center was a great resource ! [ editor’s note : thanks ! it was our pleasure . ] in talking to people about the show , i’ve found that lots of folks have heard the term ‘public domain , ’ but they weren’t really sure what it means . that’s why i decided to include the definition on the show’s web site !
copyright renewal initially under copyright law the first registration with the library of congress was for a term of 28 years , and that term could be renewed for another 28 years for a total protected term of 56 years . failure to renew 28 years after a movie or tv show was made is the main reason that american films made before 1964 are currently in the public domain .
much of the film’s month of shooting was outdoors , said coyle , whose earlier local productions were the 2003 sundance entry “detective fiction” and 2009’s “into temptation , ” starring jeremy sisto and kristin chenoweth .
films first published outside the us prior to gatt , nafta , and other treaties , foreign films had to follow the same rules as ones originally published in the us . these treaties retroactively relaxed the requirements of copyright renewal and notice for foreign films . while many foreign films published 1923 or after used to be in the us public domain , currently almost none are . for films first published outside the us before 1923 , almost all are in the us public domain . in addition to the provisos listed above for us pre - 1923 films , there is another exception for foreign published films between 1909 and 1923 that were first published without a copyright notice ( or based on a published work without copyright notice ) . the online books page does an excellent write - up of this exception .
as the film ' s new title . modern sources note that the change was made in reaction to the picture ' s poor box office receipts . actor frank jaquet is listed eighth in the opening cast credits , but twelfth in the end credits .
why watch it ? we’re sure plane enthusiasts will get a kick out of this film , as it features authentic american airlines dc - 6 and convair 240 planes . filming commercial aircraft during their early years was costly , but mgm and american airlines struck a deal : mgm would feature genuine aircraft , and american airlines would promote the film’s upcoming release .
news item announced barbara rush as a cast member , she did not appear in the final film . as noted in production files , richard gaines replaced roy regnier in the role of
nagel .
at first glance , the public domain appears to be a deep , intimidating vortex of innumerable media . to some extent , this is true — by way of making it slightly less so , let’s talk about what , exactly , it is . a free , accessible resource for films , books , and music available to the public , the public domain’s been in existence ever since copyright laws were implemented back in the 18th century . in their early years , copyrights ( indicated by that © you’ve seen in books , music , movies , and other works ) varied from country to country . it wasn’t until the berne convention of 1886 — an international agreement governing copyright that protects literary and artistic works — that a universal copyright procedure was assembled . but not for the united states , which refused to take part in the convention for over 100 years , because it required too many significant changes to their moral rights and copyright formalities .
the national film and sound archive of australia acknowledges australia ' s aboriginal and torres strait islander peoples as the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and live and gives respect to their elders both past and present .
, a website offering advice and working support to film directors . following the very lucrative sale of one of its films , this non - profit organisation has decided to develop its services further .
all works of art eventually fall out of copyright . the laws surrounding the topic vary from country to country and case to case , but the symphonies of beethoven , brahms , and tchaikovsky , for example , are all out of copyright and in the public domain , meaning you could technically hire an orchestra , rerecord any piece of their music , and use it to soundtrack your student film . nobody ' s done it yet because it would be a very expensive , selfless thing to do , but the option ' s there for any philanthropic millionaire with a taste for three - hour existentialist ruminations on the self .
a bridge spanning a river collapses during rush hour . eight years later , the lives of four people , impacted by the tragedy and on the run from their personal demons , intersect in the public . . . see full summary »
nara has an extensive collection of films created for and produced by the u . s . government that are in the public domain , including military films , educational and documentary films ( 1915 - 1976 ) . nara also has gift materials from private sources , such as universal newsreel releases and outtakes ( 1929 - 67 ) . you can search some of their holdings using the arc online catalog .
why watch it ? jane russell , a notable hollywood bombshell , rose to fame due to the publicity of this film , which had russell sporting a shockingly low - cut shirt , lying seductively in a pile of hay . the film was completed in 1941 but wasn’t actually released widely until 1946 , because of the motion picture production association’s request that director howard hughes cut down the amount of screen time given to russell’s cleavage .
this sudden interest by the major groups of the audiovisual and cinema industry in low - budget productions somewhat surprised the members of artists public domain and complicated the way the organisation operates . it is now pondering the borderline between a commercial and a non - commercial project . moreover , for a non - profit outfit whose financial operations are based simply on reinvesting the earnings from earlier productions into subsidising the next , what is the appropriate use to be made of a substantial amount of money acquired from the sale of another earth ?
“this is an issue about rights holders policing their material on the internet , ” bryony dixon , curator of silent film at the bfi national archive , wrote in an email . “a lot of the time this is not worth the labor involved . ”
article , the court
affirmed the reversal
of the summary judgment , ruling that a writer with a story based on an idea not otherwise protected by law - i . e . one that is in the public domain - can still compel payment if he takes the proper steps to protect himself . modern sources note that in august 1956 , desny received $ 14 , 350 as part of a private settlement with wilder and paramount .
“most commonly , a film’s copyright might not be renewed after its initial 28 years of protection had expired , ” michael mashon , head of the moving image section at the library of congress , wrote in an email .
all titles in the public domain catalog ( above ) are also available on top - quality , economical dvd - r format as well as mpeg2 video files for internet streaming . many tv stations use dvd - r for their broadcasts . we supply cafe roxy programs on dvd - r because most movie theaters and other venues have dvd projection or large screen tvs in place .
they show up in discount dvd bins , or more often today online , sometimes looking a little worse for the wear . a general pall of darkness might cloud the image ; the dialogue might be a bit tinnier than you remembered . often the quality is not too shabby , though in the case of the web , it can be a surprise that they’re online at all . they’re films that have fallen out of copyright for one reason or another and must weather the wilds of the public domain .
why watch it ? welles was known for his unpopular talent of overspending and overscheduling his movies . for welles , the stranger was supposed to challenge that reputation by making this film on schedule and within its budget . upon completion , welles would be given a four - picture contract with international pictures , but they thought the film would be futile and backed out . the stranger was his first and only real box - office success .
the majority of the digital copies featured are in the public domain or under an open license all over the world , however , some works may not be so in all jurisdictions . on each collections post we’ve done our best to indicate which rights we think apply , so please do check and look into more detail where necessary , before reusing . all articles published under a creative commons attribution - sharealike 3 . 0 license . strong freedom in the zone .


the hunting ground is a documentary film about the incidence of sexual assault on college campuses in the united states and what its creators say is a failure of college administrations to deal with it adequately .

written and directed by kirby dick and produced by amy ziering , it premiered at the 2015 sundance film festival .

the film was released on february 27 , 2015 , an edited version aired on cnn on november 22 , 2015 , and was released on dvd the week of december 1 , 2015 .

lady gaga recorded an original song , " til it happens to you , " for the film .

the documentary focuses on annie e. clark and andrea pino , two former university of north carolina at chapel hill students who filed a title ix complaint against unc in response to their rapes while enrolled .

the use of title ix in campus sexual assault cases became a model for universities across the country .

critics of the film , including writer emily yoffe and a number of harvard law school professors , have questioned the hunting ground 's accuracy and objectivity .

among the issues raised by critics are the film 's portrayal of one man as a rapist , while not disclosing that the university and the police had found him not responsible for the alleged sexual assault , and for use of controversial statistics .

the filmmakers have actively defended their work , responding to most criticisms .

the hunting ground

the edits fall in line with the narrative of
the hunting ground .
( photo courtesy of screen shot of
the hunting ground
official trailer )
the hunting ground , a campus rape documentary that fails to provide a full picture .
a scene from the hunting ground documentary , that airs on abc2 on wednesday night .
jameis winston , the 2013 heisman trophy winner , figures into the documentary “the hunting ground . ”
the
hunting ground
features an fsu student who accused quarterback jameis winston of rape .
a crew member associated with “the hunting ground” has been making changes to the film’s wikipedia page .
the makers of
the hunting ground
tell us how this haunting collaboration came to pass .
the hunting ground
airs on cnn november 19 at 9 p . m . et .
erica kinsman tells her story in a video released by makers of
the hunting ground .
the hunting ground : a closer look at the influential documentary reveals the filmmakers put advocacy ahead of accuracy .
the hunting ground full ' m . o . v . i . e ' 2015
hd
kamilah willingham appears with lady gaga at a screening of
the hunting ground
in january 2016 .
' the hunting ground ' crew member alters wikipedia pages to conform to film a crew member associated with “the hunting ground” has been making changes to the film’s wikipedia page . check out this story on urltoken urltoken
“the hunting ground” is rated pg - 13 ( parents strongly cautioned ) . stories about violent sexual assault .
but the atmosphere of alarm that pervades the hunting ground does not serve accusers , the accused , or their classmates .
there is a great deal of humor and irony in “the hunting ground . ” what purpose does it serve ?
“the hunting ground” premiered last week at the sundance film festival . radius - twc will release the film later this year .
an image from “the hunting ground . ” professors at harvard law say the film misrepresents the case of a student there .
florida state is featured in kirby dick’s documentary “the hunting ground , ” about rape on college campuses across the united states .
fsu president john thrasher asked people not to watch the hunting ground . this is what he was afraid you would see .
already , 150 colleges and universities have scheduled screenings of
the hunting ground .
hundreds more have inquired about the film .
in an emailed statement , “the hunting ground” director kirby dick and producer amy ziering also denounced the website from winston’s legal team .
willingham , featured in the campus rape documentary
the hunting ground ,
said she ' s
coming back swinging .
as the hunting ground shows , these legislative mechanisms have been invaluable in allowing students and survivors to hold their universities to account .
puck ' s political hunting - ground - - how he has made game of the politicians / j . keppler ' 85 .
the hunting ground
director kirby dick , left , and star amy ziering pose for a portrait . ( ap photo )
nineteen harvard law school professors have signed a statement criticizing the documentary “the hunting ground” for its portrayal of a sexual - assault case .
winston ' s legal team believes the hunting ground only focuses on one side of the story and is
replete with errors .
subscribing to the more - is - more school of documentary : a scene in “the hunting ground , ” directed by kirby dick .
alva is the assistant editor and technical supervisor for chain camera pictures , the production company associated with
the hunting ground
director kirby dick .
' the hunting ground : ' acclaimed documentary about campus rape draws critics too the hunting ground , shortlisted for next year ' s oscars , has inspired a backlash — not only for its perspective but for the factual foundation on which it is based and its reporting methods .
the hunting ground
features former florida state university student erica kinsman , who accused then - fsu quarterback jameis winston of rape .
“everything in the hunting ground is accurate and supported by documentation , ” director kirby dick and producer amy ziering said in a statement .
winston ' s attorney , john boudet , fired off a letter to cnn this week urging the news network to not show the hunting ground .
much has been said about the hunting ground documentary , airing on the abc tonight . but just how relevant is it to australian uni students ?
from its first moments , the new documentary
the hunting ground
instills a sense of dread that is very , very tough to shake .
kirby dick ' s film ,
the hunting ground ,
documents sexual assault on college campuses and features former fsu student erica kinsman .
it seems that edward patrick alva , cinematographer on the campus rape film “ the hunting ground , ” may have neglected to read that particular page .
hunting ground
crewmember alva had made multiple edits to the wikipedia pages of subjects from his film . ( ap photo / sunday alamba )
an earlier version of a capsule summary for this article on the apple watch misstated the name of a documentary about sexual assault on campus . as the article correctly notes , it is “the hunting ground , ” not “the hunting grounds . ”
stuart taylor : and she made that allegation to the police , but then when the toxicology , and she made that allegation on
the hunting ground .
on tuesday , the academy of motion pictures arts and sciences listed “the hunting ground” as one of 15 films shortlisted for nomination in the documentary feature award category .
‘the hunting ground , ’ kirby dick’s new documentary on sexual violence at u . s . universities , shines a light on institutional problems and brave survivors
watch the trailer for the hunting ground , a feature documentary chronicling the personal stories of students who have been sexually assaulted on american university campuses . courtesy : madman films
“ the hunting ground , ” sexual assault , and the failure of civil society reviews the documentary from a libertarian perspective and in its context as an advocacy film .
they recommend reading investigative reporter emily yoffe’s slate breakdown of the hunting ground from june . ( yoffe , by the way , just jumped ship for the atlantic . )
but in reality , it’s far from clear that the hunting ground ’s accused rapists are even actually guilty—let alone serial sociopaths who stalk and incapacitate their victims .
in
the hunting ground ,
willingham says her attacker is
a guy who’s a sexual predator , who assaulted two girls in one night .
the filmmakers of
the hunting ground
have been called out for inaccuracies , distortions and false statistics , and for disregarding journalistic integrity in order to push propaganda .
the next day , the producers guild of america nominated the hunting ground for best documentary film . on tuesday it landed on the official shortlist for next year ' s academy awards .
the whole thing made me fearful for my daughter and ashamed . the hunting ground underscores all that and brings to light the faces wronged and those looking to make it stop .
when the hunting ground documentary was first screened at australian university campuses , the most common reaction was one of shock , followed by immediate denial and trademark nimby - ism .
the hunting ground is playing in a few theaters around the country . there is no word yet on when
till it happens to you
will be officially released .
the following is the transcript for the full panel discussion taped for the cnn program
sexual assault on campus ,
which aired after
the hunting ground
on sunday , november 22 .
tallahassee , fla . - - cnn is set to air “the hunting ground
this week - - a controversial documentary that focuses on sexual assault on college campuses .
the four young women , whose campus sexual assaults were detailed in the documentary ' the hunting ground , ' said the song will help other victims feel less
isolated or alone .
the professors claim that the filmmakers named the perpetrator of willingham’s assault . the hunting ground did not ever name the perpetrator . winston was first named by journalists , and then in the statement by the professors .
kirby dick ’s “ the hunting ground , ” a buzzed - about documentary about the epidemic of sexual assault on college campuses , premiered at the sundance film festival on friday afternoon .
amy herdy , a producer of the hunting ground , has shambolically tried to present the veneer of a balanced documentary whilst privately admitting she never intended to give an impartial account .
when and where your frustration and anger boil over while watching
the hunting ground
is an individual experience , one that will be different for everyone who sees it .
the most talked about song at the sundance film festival is one that very few people have heard : lady gaga ' s
til it happens to you
from the hunting ground .
schools , rather than addressing the problem , have in many , many cases covered this up ,
says kirby dick , director of the hunting ground . the film collaborative hide caption
the hunting ground explores its disturbing subject so thoroughly that the documentary feels more like a horror film - a slasher movie where the psyches of its young , smart victims are in tatters .
watching
the hunting ground
is not going to end violence , but education and awareness are necessary steps . this film and this issue isn ' t about one survivor , and the schools in
the hunting ground
are not the only schools with a problem . schools that are publicly
called out
only represent a microcosm of the situation at hand .
kinsman shared her side of the story in the hunting ground - a documentary which focuses its lens on sexual assaults on campus - and what it calls
institutional cover ups .
as criticism mounts against ' the hunting ground , ' set to air nov . 22 , director kirby dick tells thr :
we ' ve really touched a nerve .
everything in the hunting ground is accurate and thoroughly vetted . we fully stand behind kamilah willingham and all the cases we feature in the film . the facts of the cases in the film can be found here .
on mar . 24 , alva edited the wikipedia page for andrea pino , one of the main accusers in
the hunting ground
to remove the word
alleged
before a description of the film .
in the hunting ground , in the absence of other named perpetrators , the quarterback is the representative rapist . research in the us and my own research in the uk has found that interracial sexual assault is disproportionately represented in news media . though it is beyond the scope of the hunting ground , a companion film which builds a collective analysis of perpetrators – thus challenging myths around race – would be invaluable .
it wasn ' t until september 18 , six months after creating his user profile , that alva acknowledged he had been editing wikipedia pages related to ' the hunting ground . '
one reproach that’s been made against “the hunting ground” is that you hardly talk to perpetrators of sexual assaults . in fact , you only show one . did you try approaching some ?
a crew member from
the hunting ground ,
a one - sided film about campus sexual assault , has been editing wikipedia articles to make facts conform with the inaccurate representations in the film .
an official selection for the 2015 sundance and sydney film festivals , the hunting ground takes audiences to the heart of a shocking epidemic of violence and institutional cover - ups across college campuses in america .
welcome to all of you . stuart , i want to start with you . you are a critic of
the hunting ground .
what ' s your biggest issue with it ?
ashe schow , in criticizing our conflict of interest , doesn’t acknowledge her own conflict of interest : she is an alumna of florida state university , an object of the hunting ground’s criticism .
last week 19 harvard law school professors released an inaccurate and misleading statement to the press criticizing the hunting ground for its portrayal of the sexual assault of harvard law school student kamilah willingham and her friend .
the documentary the hunting ground provides “a seriously false picture both of the general sexual assault phenomenon at universities” and of a case involving harvard university students , 19 harvard law professors said in a statement wednesday .
in the near term , severe public shaming will arrive via mr . dick’s film , which mentions dozens of schools by name and focuses on six . “the hunting ground” will be released in theaters on march 20 by radius - twc , a division of the weinstein company , which is known for stirring controversy to support film releases . “the hunting ground” poster resembles an ad for a horror movie .
winston and his accusers also threatened legal action against cnn for airing
the hunting ground
on sunday , claiming the documentary “manipulates , misstates or simply omits facts to present a false narrative . ”
the hunting ground is a film that features claims made about former florida state qb jameis winston , who was never charged with a crime and was cleared of wrongdoing in an fsu disciplinary hearing .
brandsynopsis : an official selection for the 2015 sundance and sydney film festivals , the hunting ground takes audiences to the heart of a shocking epidemic of violence and institutional cover - ups across college campuses in america .
willingham ' s story has been picked apart in the year since
the hunting ground
was released . she said harvard mishandled her report and ultimately allowed the student she had accused to return to classes .
the hunting ground qualifies as activist filmmaking . more power to it . you can read all the statistics you want , but there ' s no substitute for bearing witness - especially in such overwhelming numbers .
the hunting ground
aired on cnn on sunday , november 22 , at 8 p . m . et . the film was immediately followed by a special hosted by cnn ' s alisyn camerota .
the hunting ground
is a documentary that discusses rape on college campuses . a portion of the film is focused on erica kinsman and her accusation that former florida state quarterback jameis winston raped her .
the hunting ground
is not about fairness . it is about politics and ideology . for those consumed by either , the editing of truth and the destruction of innocents may seem a small price to pay .
audio of a new track by lady gaga surfaced online on feb . 27 . she serves a heavy dose of heartbreaking reality on
till it happens to you
from the hunting ground soundtrack .
the power of the hunting ground lies in the first - person testimonies . women’s testimony has long been central to feminist theory and activism against male violence . feminist theory was built from the ground up , starting with women’s experiences and thinking about what they had in common in order to build an understanding of shared oppression .
nearly all of alva ' s wikipedia edits have related to
the hunting ground ,
either through edits to the film ' s main wikipedia page or through edits to the pages of some of the people featured in the film .
ms . kinsman came forward publicly in a documentary , “the hunting ground , ” about sexual assault on college campuses . in a statement monday , the filmmakers called the settlement “historic” and “a win for survivors everywhere . ”
the hunting ground
artfully lays out a blistering indictment of college administrators , who seem more concerned about maintaining good public relations—and more to the point , good donor relations—than they are about seeking justice for victims .
q : last week , slate published an article that attacked the hunting ground , saying it was a film that perpetuated the moral panic around sexual assault and the stereotype of women as helpless victims . how do you respond ?
mtv news has officially set up shop at the festival , so we took the opportunity to chat with
the hunting ground
director kirby dick and producer amy ziering to get the scoop on how this emotional collaboration came to pass .
the hunting ground posits that campus sexual assault is not only endemic—statistics cited in the film say that one in five women are sexually assaulted while in college—but that universities take pains to cover up instances on their own campuses .
the first few weeks i made some of my best friends , but two of us were sexually assaulted before classes even started .
those are the words of a sexual assault victim featured in
the hunting ground .
amid a growing controversy involving questions of accuracy and fairness , the makers of the hunting ground , a documentary indictment of campus sexual assaults , are defending the film , which is set to air on cnn on nov . 22 .
further hampering
the hunting ground ' s
portrayal of the winston case is the fact that even the education department , in its investigation into harvard ' s alleged mishandling of sexual assault accusations , failed to vindicate willingham ' s claims .
a crew member associated with “the hunting ground” — a documentary focusing on rape on college campuses — has been making changes to the film’s wikipedia page and other pages with connections to the film , according to a report from the washington examiner .
still , halley praised the site and argued that viewers of the “the hunting ground” can now review allegations against winston and compare them to court documents . halley said she also placed the case documents in the harvard law school library for others to view .
whether on university campuses or in the media , we can all do better in making our culture less conducive to rape and rape myths . the hunting ground offers an important opportunity to open up these conversations on campuses around the world .
former harvard law school student kamilah willingham , whose report of being sexually assaulted by a fellow student was challenged after she was featured in the campus rape documentary ,
the hunting ground ,
is fighting back for the first time .
the documentary the hunting ground , a searing look at the failure of american universities to grapple successfully with campus rape , has been embraced by cnn and shortlisted for next year ' s oscars , while helping to sharpen the focus of college administrators .
the hunting ground is a clear piece of survivors ' advocacy . dick ' s purpose is not to be fair to both sides . but is that such a problem when no one has been fair to his subjects ?
we believe the same is true with “the hunting ground . ” five months ago , we approached cnn’s general counsel along with the executive vice president for news standards and practices to express our concerns about the factual , statistical and ethical defects in the film .
two days before cnn is set to debut the hunting ground , an attorney for former florida state university and current tampa bay buccaneers quarterback jameis winston is warning the cable news network that its documentary about college campus rapes is defamatory .
his law studies were significantly sidetracked and he is still being attacked via the cinematic potshots of the hunting ground after being exonerated . like paul nungesser , no amount of legal and other vindication will seemingly spare winston from this fate .
cnn has said that its airing of “the hunting ground” will be accompanied by “extensive associated coverage” that will give “full and fair treatment” to the subject of sexual assault on college campuses . typically , the network would air a film twice on the day of its premiere . but “the hunting ground” is airing only once on sunday , partly because the associated discussion stretches the presentation to three hours , and partly because terror attacks and alerts around the world have given live news programming an especially high priority .
wikipedia employs
talk pages
to allow editors to discuss changes to articles . alva used the winston talk page to suggest the edit of
upheld
without disclosing his conflict of interest as a member of
the hunting ground .
legal counsel for a harvard law school student who was accused—but never found guilty in court—of sexually assaulting a fellow student and her friend have launched a website to publicly contest the portrayal of his case in the documentary film “the hunting ground . ”
you will not see or hear any of this in “the hunting ground . ” and that is why i – and i believe the presidents of other universities portrayed in the film – have decided not to participate . it’s about the journalism , not the subject .
we also take seriously the need for journalists to observe basic ethics and standards .
the hunting ground
fails to meet those standards and , as a result , fails to present balanced and responsible coverage of this very important issue .
yet the hunting ground chillingly reveals the extent to which , in a market economy where brand is everything and higher education funding is overly dependent on an old boy network of successful alumni , rape allegations are an exercise in reputation management .
“the hunting ground , ” a documentary that scrutinizes how sexual assault is handled on college campuses and heavily features harvard , misrepresents statistics on instances of reported sexual assault at harvard , calling the rigor of the film’s fact - checking process into question .
the hunting ground bills itself as a documentary about the campus sexual assault crisis in america . but as more of the film ' s premises are debunked , it looks less like a documentary and more like a film in search of a problem .
nineteen harvard law professors have written a letter condemning
the hunting ground ,
a film purporting to be a documentary about campus sexual assault . the film has been getting some oscar buzz , and cnn is preparing to air the program next week .
wales renewed interest in the policies follows a washington examiner report that a crewmember of
the hunting ground ,
a one - sided film about campus sexual assault , had been editing wikipedia pages to promote the film and conform facts to its narrative .
cnn is scheduled to air the documentary the hunting ground on sunday ( nov . 22 ) at 8 p . m . et . but a lawyer for tampa bay buccaneers quarterback jameis winston is threatening to file legal action if the film runs on the network .
we believe the same is true with
the hunting ground .
five months ago , we approached cnn ' s general counsel along with the executive vice president for news standards and practices to express our concerns about the factual , statistical and ethical defects in the film .
florida state president john thrasher is also condemning the hunting ground . thrasher was invited by cnn to be on a panel to discuss the documentary , but declined because he believes the film
contains major distortions and glaring omissions to support its simplistic narrative .
a group of harvard law school professors have started a publicity campaign to challenge the depiction of the school’s sexual assault grievance process in
the hunting ground ,
a documentary film about campus sexual assault that cnn is scheduled to air on nov . 19 .
you will not see or hear any of this in
the hunting ground .
and that is why i - and i believe the presidents of other universities portrayed in the film - have decided not to participate . it ' s about the journalism , not the subject .
brandon winston was hardly a perfect gentleman on the night of jan . 15 , 2011 . but aside from kamilah willingham’s assertions in the hunting ground , there is no evidence to suggest he is dangerous or a predator . nor do willingham’s claims of institutional indifference hold up ; harvard twice delayed winston’s education while its own and later middlesex county’s adjudication processes unfolded . neither found evidence to substantiate willingham’s claims in the hunting ground , and winston has since received the punishment the legal system deemed appropriate for his actions .
the documentary expresses its anti - rape message with heart , honesty and a harrowing sense of realism , urging audiences to prevent their university from turning into a hunting ground . powerful lessons abound for not just students , but all who watch the film .
as kinsman and winston duel with each other in court — she ' s suing him for sexual battery , he ' s brought counterclaims for tarnishing his image — the hunting ground has lurked in the background after premiering at the sundance film festival earlier this year .
los angeles — in the face of threatened legal action from the football star jameis winston , cnn did not back away from broadcasting “the hunting ground , ” a documentary about sexual assault on college campuses that has stirred controversy since its january debut at the sundance film festival .
the documentary the hunting ground
contains major distortions and glaring omissions ,
john thrasher , florida state university ' s president , said in a statement monday , comparing the film to rolling stone ' s botched attempt at reporting on sexual assault at the university of virginia .
the hunting ground features the first interview with the student who accused winston of rape . that student - - who had attempted to remain anonymous during the initial investigation but was later outed by florida state fans and winston ' s lawyer - - is now suing florida state .
the gender violence program screened the critically - acclaimed documentary the hunting ground on sexual assault on u . s . campuses and its impact on the victims and their families . this was followed by a discussion led by lecturer of law and director of the gender violence program diane rosenfeld .
in his letter on the fsu website , thrasher compared the hunting ground to rolling stone ’s university of virginia fraternity rape story .
if this sounds familiar , there’s good reason ,
he wrote , adding that it ' s been less than seven months since rolling stone retracted its story amid
revelations that it took a victim’s story at face value without getting the other side or checking the details with other sources , including the accused .
he further added :
we believe the same is true with the hunting ground .
the makers of the hunting ground , of course , are not interested in anything resembling the truth . indeed , an email from investigative producer amy herdy made public confirmed recently this beyond any doubt . in the email , herdy told kinsman’s lawyer that the makers of the hunting ground , “do not operate the same way as journalists—this is a film project that is very much in the corner of advocacy for victims , so there would be no insensitive questions or the need to get the perpetrator’s side . ” in a separate email , herdy discusses tactics for “ambushing” jameis winston .
. . . in the moment ( hey , there ' s nothing that says documentarians have to abide by lawful definitions of
innocent until proven guilty
, i guess ) there is an undeniable power to the hunting ground that is hard to ignore .
florida state university president john thrasher has declined an invitation from cnn to talk about the hunting game documentary . ( getty images )
our film the hunting ground and the new york times have already detailed the extent of fsu ' s derailment of jameis winston ' s rape case , but a recently released , explosive deposition shows how top - level administrators were actively involved in this cover - up .
nineteen members of the harvard law school faculty , heavily tilted to the left , including feminist and black professors , wrote their own press release today assailing the campus sexual - assault documentary the hunting ground as “propaganda” that continues to smear an innocent student , their own brandon winston .
produced by amy ziering , the hunting ground joins other kramer awards recipients including an inconvenient truth , hotel rwanda , fruitvale station and last year’s the normal heart . the honor will be presented january 23 at the 27th annual producers guild awards at the hyatt regency century plaza in los angeles .
the question is whether it ' s rape . and the reason i wrote about it is not so much i want to vindicate this kid . he ' s got lawyers . it ' s the way the media covered it .
the new york times
first , and then
the hunting ground .
there is very serious evidence casting grave doubt on her credibility , especially on the drug testing that the original version of
the hunting ground
as well as
the new york times
systematically concealed that evidence because it didn ' t fit their narrative .
a powerful documentary about rape is touring uk universities . the hunting ground focuses on rape and sexual assault on us campuses and gives voice to victims and survivors . it asks difficult questions about how women have been failed by image - conscious college authorities .
as a country with a deep respect for the rule of law , we cannot allow ourselves to become a hunting ground for foreign governments to exact revenge on those it considers its political opponents . on that there should be no prevarication and no price .
the hunting ground , a 2015 documentary about sexual assault on college campuses exposed conflicts of interest , malfeasance and cover - ups . to learn about a complex topic—especially if powerful institutions have a major stake in it—we rely on experts . people who devote …
kamilah willingham , the african - american answer to emma sulkowicz . with her claims against brandon winston discredited after both harvard and law enforcement investigations , the hunting ground continues to falsely portray her as a “survivor” . she’s now creating a career as a professional sjw .
another question needs to be answered . if , in fact , neo is using
the hunting ground
as a fund raiser , did neo finance its development in any manner ? is there a connection between director kirby dick and neo ? the source of funding is difficult to uncover . indeed , even how much the ' documentary ' cost to make is something of a mystery . mojo lists the budget for
the hunting ground
as
n / a .
other sources claim it was $ 1 . 8 million .
florida state university ' s president has denounced the hunting ground . a group of 19 harvard law professors wrote that it
provides a seriously false picture both of the general sexual assault phenomenon at universities and of our student
accused in a case depicted in the film .
happily ,
the hunting ground
has not been well - received and its circulation has been limited . unhappily , cnn has been heavily promoting a showing of the documentary . it is irresponsible to the point of unethical for a
news
channel to do so .
“the disturbing irony is that harvard law is doing exactly what the hunting ground shows universities have done for the past 50 years : discrediting survivors to protect their own reputations and funding , all at the expense of their students’ safety and well - being , ” ziering and dick wrote .
the hunting ground and its crew have taken great care to respect wikipedia’s principles and values . as documentary filmmakers , prior to our colleague’s engagement , we agreed that the goal was to improve wikipedia according to its own standards , not to boost the film . we sought the advice of
a related concern : critics allege that the filmmakers did not seek to contact all of the men accused of attacks by the movie in a timely way . dick and ziering acknowledge they did not do so in all cases by the time t he hunting ground was first shown publicly .
i ' m not attending ,
fsu president john thrasher said . thrasher is on record as calling the hunting ground
distorted
and
one sided
and says its makers did not initially disclose kinsman would be going public in the 90 minute documentary .
we respectfully but emphatically disagree with your criticisms of our film the hunting ground . instead of making unwarranted and unsubstantiated attacks on the film , we urge you to take a leadership role in addressing the problem of sexual assault that exists on your campus and far too many others .
mr . winston’s threat of legal action came a week after 19 harvard professors attacked “the hunting ground , ” saying it distorted the university’s handling of a sexual assault claim . the accusation eventually resulted in a conviction for misdemeanor nonsexual assault against a student , brandon winston , who was not named in the film , but was named in the professors’ letter . late last week , brandon winston’s defense team and supporters unveiled an elaborate website that explains their view of his actions and takes “the hunting ground” to task for what it calls “critical omissions and distortions . ”
we respectfully but emphatically disagree with your criticisms of our film the hunting ground . instead of making unwarranted and unsubstantiated attacks on the film , we urge you to take a leadership role in addressing the problem of sexual assault that exists on your campus and far too many others .
the hunting ground was released in the year 2015 , some songs of the official soundtrack are till it happens to you by lady gaga , til it happens to you by lady gaga , stay gold by first aid kit , anything could happen by ellie goulding . listen the soundtrack online !
meanwhile , criticism has been lobbed at “the hunting ground” for months . shortly after its theatrical release , the harvard crimson faulted the filmmakers’ calculation of the college’s sexual assault statistics , and , in june , emily yoffe published a blistering takedown in slate of the documentary’s presentation of ms . willingham’s case .
the student in the film , nicole c . hirschhorn ’16 , was a sophomore at harvard when she acted out the scene for campus comedy group on harvard time . after viewing that segment of the film , she confirmed that the clip in “the hunting ground” is from the prank video . she called the video “definitely fake . ”
after the world premiere of
the hunting ground
at sundance , senator gillibrand , a new york democrat , told me she was confident there would be strong bipartisan support for her legislation—the campus accountability and safety act—and that 20 co - sponsors were already seeking to make it happen .
the veracity of one of this year’s most talked about documentaries , “the hunting ground , ” has been attacked by 19 harvard law school professors , who say the film’s portrayal of rape on college campus is distorted , specifically when it comes to their school’s handling of one particular case .
this is not the first time the filmmakers have had to defend the hunting ground against critics . earlier this year , they posted a detailed fact page on the film ' s website after slate published an article questioning some of the documentary ' s claims . the harvard professors referenced that article in their statement wednesday .
critics of the hit documentary the hunting ground - which illuminates in damning detail the prevalence of sexual violence at american universities - are ramping up their attacks just in time for the hunting ground ' s prime time debut on cnn this sunday , november 22 . and if they aren ' t careful , their aspersions might dovetail with the massive audience cnn commands to result in a spectacular backfire : for the film ' s central premise is that whistle blowers on campus sexual violence are demonized and delegitimized by the very same universities who are going on the offensive in advance of sunday ' s screening .
“the reason i participated in the law professors’ press release is not that a student came forward and complained about sexual assault , nor that she complained in the criminal process , ” halley said . “it is that ‘the hunting ground’ has profoundly misled the public about the ensuing processes which came out decisively against those claims . ”
chiding cnn for deciding to screen the hunting ground , fsu president john thrasher excoriated the film for its “major distortions and glaring omissions . ” its producers have fallen into the same trap as rolling stone ’s editors did with their discredited story about gang rape at the university of virginia , wrote thrasher .
in short , the hunting ground relies on false statistics and twisted accusations in order to convince its audience of a preferred narrative that rape is around every corner of college campuses . this wouldn ' t be necessary if the problem was as real and as rampant as they claim .
annie e . clark is the executive director of end rape on campus and is featured in the documentary ,
the hunting ground ,
which airs on sunday , november 22 , 2015 , at 8 p . m . est on cnn . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author .
what is the subtle profit ? it arises at the end of the ' documentary . ' after heart - breaking and rapid - fire accounts of rape on campus , which offer no mitigating perspective , viewers are exhorted to
take action !
the
take action
button on the left - hand side of
the hunting ground
website takes a visitor to a page that reads ,
donate . the hunting ground is proud to partner with neo philanthropy to ensure that your tax - deductible donation supports student - led campaigns , public education , policy reform , and prevention approaches .
many of the professors challenging the documentary’s portrayal of harvard are vocal critics of the university’s own approach to handling sexual harassment and the government’s interpretation of title ix . last october , 28 professors—17 of whom signed the letter about “the hunting ground”— blasted harvard’s central sexual assault policy in an open letter in the boston globe , calling it biased against the accused .
documentarian kirby dick ’s 2012 oscar - nominated “the invisible war” was a searing look at the epidemic of sexual assault in the military . “ the hunting ground ” serves as something of a companion piece , insofar as it also explores the institutional dysfunction that leads judicial powers to turn a blind eye on victims of abuse .
now , a new u . s . documentary about sexual assault on campus , the hunting ground , features interviews with dozens of women who were attacked on u . s . campuses and who say that the only thing worse than the assault itself is how the university mishandled their cases after they reported them .
we want to make you aware that
the hunting ground ,
a film about campus sexual assaults that debuted in los angeles and new york city thursday , is seriously lacking in credibility and presents a one - sided view of florida state ' s actions in the jameis winston case .
“i think it’s a terrible idea for him to go on campus educating about rape and rape culture , ” said kamilah willingham , an activist who appeared in “the hunting ground , ” the campus rape documentary . “he still doesn’t get it . he’s trying to have it both ways . ”
cnn officials believe their broadcast version of the film takes into account the concerns of the film’s critics . an earlier cut of the hunting ground — the work of director kirby dick and producer amy ziering — has been shown on college campuses across the country and has been endorsed by the obama white house as part of its national initiative to combat the problem .
“ the hunting ground truly embodies the spirit , courage and intention of the award’s namesake , ” producers guild awards co - chairs michael de luca and jennifer todd said in a statement . “this powerful documentary gives a voice to the victims of student sexual assault – a national problem too long clouded in secrecy and shielded from public attention . the visceral reaction this film evokes has mobilized audiences worldwide to take action , and has served as a focal point in campus discussions and in revising institutional policies . the producers guild is honored to recognize the hunting ground and its contribution towards greater awareness of this national problem . ”
the hunting ground
does not provide the most basic safeguards of accuracy . there is no presentation of the men ' s stories . there is no indication of men who have been falsely accused , no mention of the many lawsuits brought against universities and false accusers . the film is rife with misrepresentations or outright lies .
since its debut early this year , the hunting ground has been cited as an inspiration for action by the white house and by new york gov . andrew cuomo . the film has also inspired a backlash — not only for its perspective but for the factual foundation on which it is based and its reporting methods .
the possibility of
the hunting ground
being a fund - raiser for social justice causes unrelated to rape is disturbing . the ' documentary ' is emotionally jarring . the new york times article notes ,
at the premiere here on friday , audience members repeatedly gasped as student after student spoke on camera about being sexually assaulted .
it leaves viewers in the sort of angry turmoil that not only drives legislation but also opens wallets . if the donations are going to a transformative grantmaker with priorities other than preventing rape on campus , then
the hunting ground
appears to exploit that issue and to do so for profit .
kirby dick’s “the hunting ground , ” a buzzed - about documentary about the epidemic of sexual assault on college campuses , premiered at the sundance film festival on friday afternoon . “i want to thank to the hundreds of survivors who interacted with us , ” dick told the packed crowd at the marc theatre before the screening . appearing with four of the [ … ]
in bringing together so many accounts , the hunting ground gives a voice to survivors while ensuring that no individual has to carry the burden of representing the group . that the accounts from women of different ethnic backgrounds , attending a variety of colleges , spanning the length and breadth of the us , echo one another , lends a collective weight .
willingham had pro bono legal representation during the law school’s administrative hearing . her lawyer , colby bruno of the victim rights law center , says in the hunting ground of the harvard process : “the message is clear : it’s ‘don’t proceed through these disciplinary hearings . ’ no matter what you do , you’re not going to win . ”
but are they succeeding ? if anything , the battle between sjws and elder academics demonstrates that the former group is probably already winning . cnn’s shameless showing of the hunting ground this week , all while claiming to be a news network , only adds fuel to an assertion that the insane are running the asylum of american college campuses .
true , but these are young people who’ve been indoctrinated , and are competing with each other to be the most radical . there feet aren’t even touching the ground
till it happens to you
is featured in the film the hunting ground , which is a documentary about rape and sexual assault on college campuses . the track was penned by legendary songwriter diane warren and reportedly produced by gaga herself . audio leaked out thanks to fans who were recording it while watching the movie .
even some critics of the hunting ground acknowledge that university procedures for handling accusations of rape and sexual assault have long handled victims ' concerns inadequately . those policies started changing in earnest in 2011 under reforms promoted by the obama administration and a series of reviews conducted by the u . s . department of education .
but since the film , directed by kirby dick and produced by amy ziering , came out last year , clark and pino have expanded their work to continue combating campus sexual assault . the hunting ground is not just their story , but their work may keep stories like theirs from happening again in the future .
“we’re not afraid , ” jeff zucker , president of cnn worldwide , said after the panel , when asked about a potentially forceful response from higher education officials to “the hunting ground . ” “they’re on the wrong side . ” cnn has not revealed an air date except to say that it will run the film by the end of the year .
colleges and universities have a real responsibility to keep their students safe . obviously being sexually assaulted is completely a safety issue ,
hunting ground director kirby dick told npr .
if approximately 1 in 5 women are being sexually assaulted , the schools are really failing in this area .
janet e . halley , one of the law school professors challenging “the hunting ground” and a signatory of the 2014 globe letter , said the group will launch a website and upload documents about winston’s case to further challenge the documentary . halley argued that the decision to name winston constituted “an attack” and that she and the other professors felt compelled to come to his defense .
directed by kirby dirk and produced by amy ziering , hunting ground spotlights kinsman coming forward to speak publicly for the first time about what winston allegedly did to her , as well as the ensuing investigations . at sundance , the film was warmly received , but it ' s since been attacked as unfair in some circles .
the hunting ground
presents the stories of numerous young women who have reported being raped on campus by other students , only to be dismissed , ignored , cajoled , or threatened by university officials , police , and prosecutors who seek to quash allegations of sexual assault on campus for a variety of reasons .
let me admit to another reason for my lack of objectivity . i’m about to embark on a series of college trips with my daughter , a high - school junior , and have found myself jotting rape school next to several of the candidates . the hunting ground is an essential component of a college education .
“i fully support the hunting ground film , which is all about ending the silencing of survivors , ” she said . “i am bound by the principles of confidentiality under which the hearing was conducted , so i cannot say anything about the substance of the case . i can however say that the signatories of the press release represent only a minority of the [ harvard law school ] faculty . ”