News

By Anjelica Oswald

Managing Editor

After narrowing the Oscar documentary feature shortlist to five at the 87th Academy Award nominations Jan. 15, a number of notable exclusions were featured, particularly Al Hicks‘ Keep on Keepin’ On, which documents the mentorship and friendship of a jazz legend and a blind piano prodigy, and Steve James‘ Life Itself, about the life and career of famed film critic Roger Ebert. (James is no stranger to snubs and the exclusion of his 1994 film Hoop Dreams led to rule reform within the documentary category.) Both films hold 97 percent positive ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.

Some films surprised when they didn’t even land a spot on the shortlist, such as Red Army, which examines the rise and fall of the Soviet Union’s hockey team from the perspective of its coach. That film holds a 100 percent positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

In light of these best documentary feature snubs,...

Getty Images Director Yoav Potash

Filmmaker Yoav Potash has earned 21 awards, including The Hillman Prize for Broadcast Journalism, for his documentary film “Crime After Crime.” The film comes out on DVD and various streaming video platforms on April 24.

“Crime After Crime” is a documentary film on the legal battle to free Debbie Peagler from prison, beginning two decades after she was sentenced to life for murdering the man who had abused her.

Stories of individuals who have been wrongfully accused...

I’m glad to see CSI taking on new ideas for cases along with the addition of Db and Finn this season, and this week’s outing is a good example of this very thing.

I doubt I could count all the crime drama episodes that focused on “getting the innocent man out of jail.” This show has even used this same plot in a few variations.

However, "Altered Stakes" gave us the evil-twin of this plot, by saying: “What if you need to keep a convicted man in jail?”

When the episode opened with a softball game, my wife said, “she’s going to hit a homerun and the ball will land next to a body.” Because that’s what most crime dramas would have done. Thankfully, Db and his team reminded us why the show has been on the air for 12 years (and counting).

Using corrupt cop Sam Vega,...

With Sundance 2012 beginning to wind down, let’s briefly rewind back to the 2011 film festival where Yoav Patash’s “Crime After Crime” premiered to a great reception a year ago. The documentary went on to win a slew of awards at festivals around the country, before being picked up by Oprah’s Own Documentary Club and receiving its television premiere last November. The doc follows the legal appeal process of Deborah Peagler, the victim of domestic abuse who was sentenced to 25-years-to-life in 1983 for her connection to the murder of her boyfriend. Teaming up with two attorneys who believe they have incontrovertible evidence that could free her, and along the way they encounter an atmosphere of corruption and politically driven resistance against her fight for justice and freedom. We were very impressed when the doc aired on Own, calling it “a devastating portrait of the power of the human spirit,...

ro*co productions and 1492 Pictures are teaming on a deal to adapt documentary films into dramatic narrative features. The first of these will be Yoav Potash's doco "Crime After Crime" which premiered at Sundance last year.

Said doco follows two newly graduated from school attorneys as they fight an uphill battle to free Debbie Peagler, a woman who had been incarcerated in prison for twenty years - having been sentenced to life behind bars for her role in the murder of the man who abused her.

The film won fifteen awards including the Freedom of Expression Award from the National Board of Review. ro*co is at Sundance this year with four films its distributing this year including "The Atomic States of America" and "We're Not Broke".

Meanwhile HBO and producer Scott Rudin have acquired feature remake rights to Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky 's doco "Indie Game: The Movie...

I’ve expressed a strong, unwavering distaste for remaking documentaries as narrative features for some time now — but, as it is, here we are. 1492 and ro*co (ro star co? ro asterisk co?) productions have announced (via press release) that they’ll be combining forces to do just this, with their first effort being Crime After Crime.

Based on Yoav Potash‘s documentary of the same name — which premiered at Sundance last year — Crime tells the story of Debbie Peagler, a domestic violence victim who was “incarcerated for her connection to the murder of her abuser.” The story then focuses on how, two decades later, “a pair of rookie land-use attorneys cut their teeth on her case, attracting global attention to the troubled intersection of domestic violence and criminal justice.”

So, with all the acclaim and awards showered upon Crime during its various runs and debuts, you’d think the story works fine as is,...

In a press release sent out today, international distributor Ro*Co Productions and production company 1492 Pcitures have announced a partnership to adapt documentaries into dramatic features. The first project will be Yoav Potach's "Crime After Crime," a Sundance 2011 premiere. A formal announcement will be made in Park City this evening. Full press release below: January 21, 2012 -  The production arm of ro*co films international, ro*co productions, announced today in Park City that they will be partnering with 1492 Pictures (producers of such films as The Help and Harry Potter) to adapt documentary films into motion picture dramas. The first film of the new partnership is slated to be the award winning, Crime After Crime, a Yoav Potash documentary which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Crime After Crime is the compelling film that follows two attorneys, fresh out of law school, as they fight an uphill battle to free Debbie.

Filmmaker Chris Columbus' 1492 Pictures is partnering with ro*co productions to adapt documentary films into narrative dramas, the companies announced Saturday afternoon. The first film of the new partnership is slated to be an adaptation of Yoav Potash's 2011 Sudance documentary Crime After Crime, which follows two young attorneys trying to free from prison Debbie Peagler, who was sentenced to life behind bars for her role in the murder of a man who abused her. Photos: The Scene at Sundance 2012 “This extraordinary documentary has great potential as a narrative feature film," said Michael Barnathan, president of 1492 Pictures, in

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January 21, 2012 – The production arm of ro*co films international, ro*co productions, announced today in Park City that they will be partnering with 1492 Pictures (producers of such films as The Help and Harry Potter) to adapt documentary films into motion picture dramas. The first film of the new partnership is slated to be the award winning, Crime After Crime, a Yoav Potash documentary which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Crime After Crime is the compelling film that follows two attorneys, fresh out of law school, as they fight an uphill battle to free Debbie Peagler from prison 20 years after she was sentenced to life behind bars for her role in the murder of the man who abused her. Crime After Crime, which had its television debut on Own: Oprah Winfrey Network last fall, has earned 15 major awards, including the Freedom of Expression Award from the National Board of Review.

Brunson Green ‘The Help’ ensemble accepting their award at the National Board of Review.

Brunson Green, the producer of “The Help,” is Speakeasy’s roving reporter on the red carpets this week as he attends multiple awards ceremonies and events on behalf of the film. Follow his blog entries here as he photographs and writes about each night.

Several of “The Help” team members traveled to New York on Monday to accept the Best Ensemble from the National Board of Review.

After starting an hour late, last night's National Board of Review 2011 Awards Gala, which celebrates a slate of winners who were announced more than a month ago, blandly plugged along. And then, around its midway point, surprise presenter O'Donnell took to the stage wearing what looked like a shiny drape to award the documentary "Crime After Crime" with the Nbr Freedom of Expression Award. The comedienne then launched into an assault on the National Society of Film Critics for naming "Melancholia" best picture of the year over the weekend ("If I had the choice between giving birth to a flaming child on the floor of an igloo, or watching that film again, I would choose the birth of my child"); trashed Denmark and Woody Allen in one swift coup ("I’m happy to hear that Lars von Trier is not here today. He’s from Denmark. Fuck it, I don...

Gulabi (India / Norway) to be directed by Nishtha Jain has received a $25,000 grant from the Sundance Documentary Film Program. The documentary traces Sampat Pal and the fiery women of her Gulabi Gang who take up the fight against gender violence, caste oppression and widespread corruption in Bundelkhand.

Gulabi is one among the 29 feature-length documentary films that will receive the grant.

The Documentary Film Program celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2012 and since its inception has awarded grants to more than 300 documentary filmmakers in 61 countries.

Complete list:

Development

The Bill (U.S. / Philippines)

Director: Ramona Diaz

A political firestorm hits the Philippines when “The Bill,” a reproductive health bill that could legalize birth control in the world’s 12th most populous nation, pits tradition against reform and brings the culture war into the streets and churches.

Dirty Wars: The World is a Battlefield (U.S.)

Director: Richard Rowley

Reporting from the battlefields of the war on terror,...

In 2005, I set out to document the saga of Deborah Peagler, for what would eventually become my first full-length feature film, “Crime After Crime,” now playing in theaters and set for broadcast on Oprah’s Own network in November. Deborah was a victim of domestic violence sentenced to life behind bars for her role in the murder of her abuser. But Deborah was incarcerated at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, California, the largest women’s prison in the United States and one that adheres to a statewide ban prohibiting “face-to-face...

I tend to think very contextually about films I'm watching and therefore it's sometimes necessary to reference these contexts when reviewing films. For Yoav Potash's "Crime After Crime," it was only circumstantial that I viewed the legal documentary on Independence Day, and only slightly a coincidence that a lawyer friend complained on said holiday about those incarcerated who are not free but should be. Now I write this as the verdict comes in, with all the nation anxious to hear it, for an over-mediated trial involving a case that seems far less important than that of many others in this…...

In Yoav Potash’s first full-length feature documentary, “Crime After Crime,” the filmmaker went to great lengths to follow the epic legal battle to free Deborah Peagler. To gain access to the maximum-security prison in Chowchilla, California where Peagler was incarcerated, he used a two-pronged approach; first he embedded himself with Peagler’s pro-bono attorneys as her official legal videographer, and second, he made an entirely separate documentary about the rehabilitative programs ...

In Yoav Potash’s first full-length feature documentary, “Crime After Crime,” the filmmaker went to great lengths to follow the epic legal battle to free Deborah Peagler. To gain access to the maximum-security prison in Chowchilla, California where Peagler was incarcerated, he used a two-pronged approach; first he embedded himself with Peagler’s pro-bono attorneys as her official legal videographer, and second, he made an entirely separate documentary about the rehabilitative programs ...

Title: Crime After Crime Director: Yoav Potash Featuring: Deborah Peagler, Nadia Costa, Joshua Safran, others When has justice been served, and a criminal debt paid? When a victim’s family announces its forgiveness, and lobbies for the release of imprisoned? When new evidence casts a pall over a guilty plea? When an inmate is diagnosed with a terminal illness? These and other questions are at the heart of ‘Crime After Crime’, a documentary that spotlights the extraordinarily heartrending case of Deborah Peagler, a woman convicted in 1983, under a variety of extenuating circumstances, in the death of her abusive spouse, who it turns out pimped her out while she was still...

The 17th annual San Antonio Film Festival, which just wrapped on June 26, has announced their award winners. The big winner of the fest this year is Yoav Potash’s documentary Crime After Crime, which took home the Grand Prize.

Potash’s film profiles Debbie Peagler, a woman who suffered through years of horrific abuse by her boyfriend. After he was killed by a Crips gang member, she was accused of first-degree murder. At the urging of her attorney, Peagler pleaded guilty and spent 27 years behind bars. You can read more about Debbie’s case at this website.

Also this year, in addition to their usual Jury Awards, Saff has expanded their offerings of Audience Awards to promote the audiences’ voices in the fest and as an extra benefit to select films and filmmakers. The big winner of this change is Jorge A. Jiminez’s Beautiful Silence, which took home audience...

Check out the links below — and check back often — for our preview, reviews, blogs and more from the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival.

Preview

Fest Director Rebecca Yeldham LAFFs Out Loud

The independent film producer discusses the Los Angeles Film Festival’s successes, challenges and philosophy, with an eye to the future

Reviews

“Green Lantern”

Ryan Reynolds lacks the gravitas required for this role, and director Martin Campbell’s superior skills fail to save the superhero from an inane screenplay

“Hot Coffee”

Susan Saladoff’s documentary will knock you backward and change your perception of what you thought you knew

“The Salesman” (“Le Vendeur”)

The first feature from Canadian writer-director Sébastien Pilote is a thoughtful meditation on life, salesmanship and the clearance of snow

“The Future”

Miranda July confirms her distinctive voice with a sophomore film that crescendos from longing folk song to surrealist symphony

“Where Soldiers Come From” (documentary)

Quality...

Check out the links below — and check back often — for our preview, reviews, blogs and more from the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival.

Preview

Fest Director Rebecca Yeldham LAFFs Out Loud

The independent film producer discusses the Los Angeles Film Festival’s successes, challenges and philosophy, with an eye to the future

Reviews

“Green Lantern”

Ryan Reynolds lacks the gravitas required for this role, and director Martin Campbell’s superior skills fail to save the superhero from an inane screenplay

“Hot Coffee”

Susan Saladoff’s documentary will knock you backward and change your perception of what you thought you knew

“The Salesman” (“Le Vendeur”)

The first feature from Canadian writer-director Sébastien Pilote is a thoughtful meditation on life, salesmanship and the clearance of snow

“The Future”

Miranda July confirms her distinctive voice with a sophomore film that crescendos from longing folk song to surrealist symphony

“Where Soldiers Come From” (documentary)

Quality...

Holding court downtown from June 16-26, 2011, the Los Angeles Film Festival comprehensively curates the cinematic landscape across a variety of media. Produced by Film Independent, the festival has continued to grow in recent years, and now boasts many of the best independent films of the year.

With the departure of the organization’s CEO, Dawn Hudson, to run the Academy, it will be interesting to see whether the festival’s director Rebecca Yeldham will stay on board past 2011. In the meantime, they’ve announced their line-up for the 2011 festival, and it includes some much buzzed about Sundance and SxSW titles (“Project Nim,” “The Future,” “Crime After Crime,” “The Salesman,” “Terri,” “Another Earth,” “The Guard,” “Natural Selection,” “Tyrannosaur,” “Where Soldiers Come From” and “Higher Ground,” to name a few), as well as 27 world, North American and U.S. premieres.

For the official list of competition and other films, as well as...

Holding court downtown from June 16-26, 2011, the Los Angeles Film Festival comprehensively curates the cinematic landscape across a variety of media. Produced by Film Independent, the festival has continued to grow in recent years, and now boasts many of the best independent films of the year.

With the departure of the organization’s CEO, Dawn Hudson, to run the Academy, it will be interesting to see whether the festival’s director Rebecca Yeldham will stay on board past 2011. In the meantime, they’ve announced their line-up for the 2011 festival, and it includes some much buzzed about Sundance and SxSW titles (“Project Nim,” “The Future,” “Crime After Crime,” “The Salesman,” “Terri,” “Another Earth,” “The Guard,” “Natural Selection,” “Tyrannosaur,” “Where Soldiers Come From” and “Higher Ground,” to name a few), as well as 27 world, North American and U.S. premieres.

For the official list of competition and other films, as well as...

Film Independent Announces First Round Of Us & International

Film Selections For 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival,

Presented By The Los Angeles Times - 19 Films Chosen for Narrative & Documentary Competition - - International Spotlight to Focus on Cuba -

Los Angeles (May 3, 2011) . Today the Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times, announced the first round of official Us and international selections. The 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival is produced by Film Independent . the non-profit arts organization that also produces the Spirit Awards . and will screen over 200 feature films, shorts, and music videos, representing more than 30 countries. Opening and Closing Night films, Galas, Conversations, Artists in Residence, Lafca.s Films That Got Away, along with additional special guests and programming for the Festival Talks will be announced at later dates.

Returning to downtown Los Angeles, with its central hub at L.A. Live, the Festival will run from Thursday, June 16 to Sunday,...

By John Esther

(April 2011)

As some film festivals diminish in size or structure during these woeful economic times, the San Francisco International Film Festival (Sfiff), the longest-running film festival in the Americas, launched its 54th version April 21 with a screening of writer-director Mike Mills’ “Beginners,” starring Mélanie Laurent, Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer and Goran Visnjic.

The next day, Sfiff was in full force, screening films from around the world in several different venues in San Francisco and beyond, and will continue until May 5.

Some of the European highlights in the festival are writer-director Athina Rachel Tsangari’s delightfully quirky film “Attenberg,” about a 23-year-old Greek woman, Marina (Ariane Labed), coming to terms with sex, death and decay in its various forms, and Régis Sauder’s “Children of teh Princess of Cleves,” a rather fascinating documentary about a group of working-class French teenagers who find value in themselves, literature and art...

By John Esther

(April 2011)

As some film festivals diminish in size or structure during these woeful economic times, the San Francisco International Film Festival (Sfiff), the longest-running film festival in the Americas, launched its 54th version April 21 with a screening of writer-director Mike Mills’ “Beginners,” starring Mélanie Laurent, Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer and Goran Visnjic.

The next day, Sfiff was in full force, screening films from around the world in several different venues in San Francisco and beyond, and will continue until May 5.

Some of the European highlights in the festival are writer-director Athina Rachel Tsangari’s delightfully quirky film “Attenberg,” about a 23-year-old Greek woman, Marina (Ariane Labed), coming to terms with sex, death and decay in its various forms, and Régis Sauder’s “Children of teh Princess of Cleves,” a rather fascinating documentary about a group of working-class French teenagers who find value in themselves, literature and art...

The Independent Film Festival of Boston (IFFBoston) kicks off this Wednesday, and has a number of impressive films in its line-up. The festival will take place at the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square, the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square, the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, and the Stuart Street Playhouse in downtown Boston. The festival, complete with over 110 film screenings, filmmaker Q&A sessions, panel discussions, visiting filmmakers, parties and events will showcase the best in current American and International cinema.

The opening night film of the festival is Being Elmo directed by Constance Marks will open the 9th annual festival on April 27th at the Somerville Theatre. This marks the first time the festival will open with a documentary. The film follows Kevin Clash, from humble upbringings as he follows his dream to become a puppeteer and one day work with his idol, Jim Henson, to the present day...

The annal Toronto Jewish Film Festival in Toronto kicks off May 7 with 118 films from 21 countries, including 1 world premiere, 1 international premiere, 3 North American premieres, 34 Canadian Premieres, 7 free programmes and 1 World Class Film Festival. The festival runs until the 15 of May and will also feature a tribute to “Three Lennys” – Bernstein, Cohen and Bruce – with special guests Alexander Bernstein and Kitty Bruce; and with Offerings From Eytan Fox, Lou Reed, Claude Lanzmann, Dani Levy, Tony Palmer. Also the festival will screen China’s First Animated Film To Deal With The Holocaust.

Here is the official press release:

One of the largest festivals of its kind in the world, Tjff returns May 7 and runs through May 15, with films from 21 countries that reflect aspects of Jewish identity and diversity with universal themes. This year’s Tjff features 118 films from Argentina, Austria, Brazil, China, Cuba, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Mexico, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia,...

The Independent Film Festival of Boston [1] recently released their full line-up and it's a doozy. Sundance favorites such as The Future [2] and Submarine [3] will be there, along with awesome documentaries like Being Elmo [4] (With Elmo In Attendance!!!) and Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times [5]. I'm looking forward to films I wasn't able to catch at Sundance and SXSW, such as the legal documentary Hot Coffee, the heartbreaking How to Die in Oregon, and the new fascinating Conan O'Brien film. Takashi Miike's 13 Assassins [6] also looks like it will rock the house. The full line-up is below. The festival is April 27th through May 4th, and it's one of my favorite movie events of the year. If you live anywhere in New England, I invite you to come and check it out. You can follow IFFBoston on Facebook for updates [7] or buy your passes now [8]! Narrative Features 13 Assassins...

So Sundance is over. Weary buyers are returning home, harried critics are catching up on email and much-needed rest and the sleepy ski resort has finally been freed from the hordes until next year. But there are still a few more loose ends to tie up, including a few more acquisitions that were made as the festival headed to a close. --Oprah Winfrey's Own network snagged the documentary "Crime After Crime" in a six-figure deal. Directed by Yoav Potash, the film "is about Deborah Peagler, an abused woman who struck back at the boyfriend who beat her. She was sentenced…...

Own plans Oscar-qualifying theatrical prior to broadcast debut for ‘Crime After Crime’ As Staff and volunteers continued to breakdown the 2011 edition of the Sundance Film Festival, Oprah Winfrey’s recently launched cable network Own purchased director Yoav Potash’s documentary Crime After Crime. According to Deadline, Own acquired Crime After Crime for a reported six figures with plans for an Oscar-qualifying theatrical run prior to its broadcast premiere on Own. Own also gained DVD distribution rights for Crime After Crime via its recently announced Oprah’s Documentary Club...

Own plans Oscar-qualifying theatrical prior to broadcast debut for ‘Crime After Crime’ As Staff and volunteers continued to breakdown the 2011 edition of the Sundance Film Festival, Oprah Winfrey’s recently launched cable network Own purchased director Yoav Potash’s documentary Crime After Crime. According to Deadline, Own acquired Crime After Crime for a reported six figures with plans for an Oscar-qualifying theatrical run prior to its broadcast premiere on Own. Own also gained DVD distribution rights for Crime After Crime via its recently announced Oprah’s Documentary Club...

Own plans Oscar-qualifying theatrical prior to broadcast debut for ‘Crime After Crime’ As Staff and volunteers continued to breakdown the 2011 edition of the Sundance Film Festival, Oprah Winfrey’s recently launched cable network Own purchased director Yoav Potash’s documentary Crime After Crime. According to Deadline, Own acquired Crime After Crime for a reported six figures with plans for an Oscar-qualifying theatrical run prior to its broadcast premiere on Own. Own also gained DVD distribution rights for Crime After Crime via its recently announced Oprah’s Documentary Club...

Even though Sundance is over, the acquisition deals flying from films that screened at the fest are still taking place according to Risky Biz Blog.

Oprah Winfrey's cable channel Own has picked up rights to Yoav Potash's competition documentary "Crime After Crime", while HBO is closing a deal to pick up Susan Saladoff's documentary "Hot Coffee". Both films explore the American justice system.

Oscilloscope Laboratories has scored the English-language rights to Evan Glodell’s "Bellflower" and the indie distributor is planning a limited release this Summer.

Finally, Pretty Pictures has acquired all French rights to Andrew Rossi's documentary "Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times" and will release it in the Fall.

Oprah Winfrey Network has added another member to its Documentary Film Club with Yoav Potash's "Crime After Crime," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Documentary Competition. Here's the trailer: The full release follows. ____________________________________ Los Angeles, CA – Own: Oprah Winfrey Network is acquiring Yoav Potash’s inspiring documentary “Crime After Crime,” it was announced today by Lisa Erspamer, chief creative officer, Own. The acquisition comes on ...

Oprah Winfrey’s Own network has made a few moves in the acquisition department so far this year. The former queen of daytime TV, now cable TV network owner, was at the Sundance Film Festival this year, in search of titles to pick up – mostly documentaries, like Crime After Crime, which Own has acquired North American rights to, in a deal said to be in the mid-6-figures, which Deadline says the new network will release in theaters first, so that it qualifies for Oscar consideration (I’m guessing for 2011/2012), before it airs on Own.

I profiled the film earlier this month, prior to its Sundance debut, where it premiered in competition in the Us Documentary section.

A brief recap… Directed by Yoav Potash, the film centers on Debbie Peagler, a survivor of brutal domestic violence, who was incarcerated for her connection to the murder of her abuser – a boyfriend...

Exclusive: Oprah Winfrey's upstart cable network Own continued its aggressive buying at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival by acquiring North American rights to Crime After Crime, the Yoav Potash-directed documentary. I'm told the deal was six figures, and that Own will afford the film a qualifying Oscar run before it airs on Oprah's new network. Own chief creative officer Lisa Erspamer made the deal with Submarine's Josh Braun and David Koh. The doc is about Deborah Peagler, an abused woman who struck back at the boyfriend who beat her. She was sentenced to 25 years to life for his murder. Some 20 years into her sentence, California passed a law permitting domestic violence survivors to have their case reopened. A pair of real estate lawyers took on Peagler's case, and what seemed an easy effort turned into a politically-driven nightmare to free her. The film debuted January 23 at the Temple Theatre,...

Lawyers are terrible people, some of the most loathsome, scummy shit-eaters on the planet. Except the good ones. There are those that care, that care enough to devote countless under-appreciated and and sorely under-compensated hours to impoverished clients in need, who care more about justice than a paycheck, who are willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. I have dinner with one of those lawyers every night, and dinner conversations sometimes go like this, "How was your day, Dustin?" "It was good, I pissed off some people, stirred a hornet's nest on the site, and wrote about 'Cougar Town.' How was your day?" "Oh, fine. I helped get a woman out of a violent situation, I prevented an unemployed man from being evicted and kicked out on the street, and I listened and validated half a dozen men and women who have never had anyone take their problems seriously before.

[Premiere Screening: Sunday, Jan. 23, 9:00 pm -- Temple Theatre]

Making Crime After Crime was full of surprises — which in a way is not so surprising because at least on the surface the film is a legal thriller, a genre that is built on suspense, intrigue and discovery. These aspects of the genre were made all the more unpredictable because the film is a vérité documentary: I was tracking the battle to free Deborah Peagler from prison as her case unfolded so no one knew exactly how it would turn out. Sure enough, clues, twists and turns emerged that Debbie, her lawyers and I could not have foreseen. These developments in turn led to the biggest surprise for me as a filmmaker — the film took much longer than expected to make. Rather than spending a year with the case as I had initially planned, I ended up following this story for five and a half years until it finally resolved.

Premiering in competition at this month’s Sundance Film Festival, in the Us Documentary section is Crime After Crime, directed by Yoav Potash, and centers on Debbie Peagler, a survivor of brutal domestic violence, who was incarcerated for her connection to the murder of her abuser – a boyfriend who beat her and forced her into prostitution. His name was Oliver Wilson, and they met in the late 1970′s, when she was just 15 years old.

Fearing for her life, Debbie did Wilson’s bidding for years. She tried to escape, but each time was forced back with violence and death threats. Wilson even sexually assaulted her then six-year-old daughter.

Desperate, Debbie eventually turned to two male acquaintances who then murdered Wilson.

In 1983 Debbie and the two men were prosecuted; she was charged with first-degree murder. During the trial, her public defender reportedly didn’t even bother to present any evidence of...

The Women in Film Foundation’s Film Finishing Fund, which is celebrating its 25th year of awarding grants to female filmmakers and films about women, has chosen three narrative features as grant recipients for the first time. The winners, which were chosen from a record 140-plus applicants, include Karin Chien’s “Circumstance,” Susan Youssef’s “Habibi Rasak Kharban” (photo) and Frances Lausell’s “America.” In addition, grants went to three feature documentaries: Lisa Gossel’s “My So-Called Enemy,” Yoav Potash’s “Crime After Crime” and Nisha Ligon’s “Twiga Stars: Tanzania’s Soccer Sisters.” The narrative short “Whakatiki,” by Melissa Dodds,...