rob's blog

Depending on who you ask, poker is an art, a sport or simply a pastime of the damned. Regardless of how it is played or what the prevailing cultural opinions may be, poker is a uniquely American game of chance and skill.

All In: The Poker Movie presents the state of the game and the dramatic impact of online gaming with a documentary style that seamlessly incorporates history and player personalities to make this a truly great film about the game. If you have any interest in poker, this is a must-see film.

Beyond simply telling the story, the filmmakers capture the spirit of the game and its players by using extensive but very well cut interviews with poker legends. All In features celebrity players like Ira Glass and Matt Damon, but also offers insights from many of the games best players, including Chris Moneymaker, Phil Hellmuth, Annie Duke and many, many more.

So this weekend, pop open a cold one, put your feet up and watch All In. No need to wait for the DVD to arrive. Just go to the All In web site to stream it now, or watch it right here:
 

2012 DOCUMENTARY AWARD WINNERS
  

Invisible Circus: No Dress Rehearsal has won the first annual Dynamite Dynamo Doc Awards! Director Naomi Smyth will receive $500 USD, an associate membership in the International Documentary Association which includes a subscription to Documentary magazine, as well as a professional membership in the Shooting People filmmakers organization. To be sure she always remembers this moment of greatness, Naomi will also receive an engraved trophy and a very sharp Dynamo baseball hat.

Invisible Circus will inspire the artist and surprise the skeptical pragmatist. It is truly a must-see: http://www.invisiblecircusfilm.com/

The 2nd Place award goes to Race to World First, a documentary by John Keating and Zachary Henderson, who win IDA and Shooting People memberships.

Race to World First follows the fierce global competition among dozens of online gamers as they reach for the title of World First in the immersive World of Warcraft role-playing game. More than a film for online gamers, Race to World First tells a story of comradery and competition in a world apart. Largely seen as bands of misfits by others, the teams in this film are all aware of their own social status as both outsiders and champions. Through personal interviews and team meetings, the documentary shares the personal highs and lows behind actual game play. The personal greatness and faults uncovered during the film ultimately lead to the highly public success or failure on a grand virtual stage before their peers. 

Race to World First will be appreciated by anyone who has ever gone to battle — real or virtual — with a team of passionate allies, and by anyone who has ever felt like an outsider in a world of cool kids. Watch it now: http://www.racetoworldfirst.com/

The 3rd Place award goes to Grass Roots: The Prairie Farm Story, a heartland story that offers a way back to sustainable agriculture. Filmmaker Carter Johnson will receive a professional membership to Shooting People and Dynamo hats for the crew. Focused on a small group of farmers who seek to restore prairie farming with common sense solutions, Grass Roots is a unique look at the rich potential and unusual challenges that come with going against the grain in the face of industrial farming.

By telling this story without a political or environmental agenda, Johnson succeeds with a film that informs and appeals directly to every American who cares about the future of food and farms. See it now here: http://www.thegrassrootsfilm.com/

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Dynamo Media sponsors the Dynamite Dynamo Doc Awards to encourage excellence in documentary filmmaking and introduce film lovers to high quality films available online. Winners of the 2012 Dynamite Dynamo Doc Awards are all excellent examples of films currently delivered online with the Dynamo Player service.>

Press inquiries should be directed to info@dynamoplayer.com

 

Dynamo is awarding three fabulous prizes to the best documentaries released online each year. All you need to do is upload a documentary (can be short or feature length, no serials), set a rental price for your viewers, post it on your film's web site and then tell the world on Twitter and Facebook with the #dynamodoc hashtag.

• $500 for the best Dynamo documentary of the year.
• One year IDA associate membership.
• One year Shooting People pro membership. 
• Some very sexy filmmaker swag.

2nd Place Winner:

• One year IDA associate membership.
• One year Shooting People pro membership. 
• Some very sexy filmmaker swag.

• One year Shooting People pro membership. 
• Some very sexy filmmaker swag.

SUBMISSIONS:
All documentaries distributed with Dynamo Player are eligible. To distribute your film online, go to: http://dynamoplayer.com and click Sign Up at the top.
To ensure that Dynamo staff consider your documentary, tweet us at @dynamovideo or post a note on the Dynamo Facebook page with the hashtag #dynamodoc and a link to the film on your website or Facebook page.

GOOD LUCK!