reported by Sam Kirkman, CyberScreenwriter.com

Producer and film editor Joel Heller's new blog "Docs That Inspire" officially launches this week with focused online coverage of 2007 Sundance Film Festival documentary selections--featuring audio podcast interviews with filmmakers, as well as blog and video reports from Park City during the festival. The website is www.docsthatinspire.com.

Pre-Festival Coverage
Starting today, "Countdown to Sundance 2007" podcasts are being released every day leading up to the start of the festival, featuring 15-minute audio interviews with the filmmakers of the 2007 official Sundance documentary selections. The website currently features interviews with Rory Kennedy--director of "Ghosts of Abu Ghraib," Daniel B. Gold and Judith Helfand--directors of "Everything's Cool," Daniel Karslake--director of "For The Bible Tells Me So," Marco Williams--the director of "Banished," Eva Mulvad--director of "Enemies of Happiness," and David Courier--Sundance Film Programmer who oversees the documentary sections.

The Sundance podcasts are available at www.docsthatinspire.com and as a free download from the Apple Itunes store.

A new podcast will be released every day for the next 8 days including: Jessica Yu--director of "Protagonist," Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman, directors of "Nanking," and Sean Fine and Andrea Fine, directors of "War Dance." Special guest interviews include Geralyn Dreyfous, the producer of the 2006 Academy Award winning "Born Into Brothels," which previously won the audience award at Sundance, and Diana Barrett, President of The Fledgling Fund.

Coverage from the Sundance Film Festival January 18-28

Heller will be at the Sundance Film Festival from January 18-28, blogging from Park City, Utah and releasing short video reports from the documentary panel talks and post-screening discussions with the filmmakers.

Heller says, "We are in a documentary renaissance right now and Sundance is the most influential festival for documentaries in United States. Docsthatinspire.com provides a focused online experience of Sundance for people who are passionate about documentary film. I'm excited to see a new wave of films emerging that don't just have something to say, but entertain in truly innovative ways incorporating animation, humor and borrowing from the narrative fiction tradition. This is not your grandfather's documentary."