This week in New York: Indiepix Cinema Eye Awards & former ToolboxDC designer/studio manager Paul Weil

This week I attended the FIRST Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking, annual awards recognizing the craft of nonfiction or documentary filmmaking. The awards ceremony, packed with documentary world heavyweights, was held on March 18, 2008 at the IFC Center in New York City.

Danielle DiGiacomo, my recent partner-in-crime, and Cinema Eye Honors producer from IndiePix, invited me to attend the awards ceremony. How could i not go? Even when i arrived at the IFC Center, I hadn't yet quite realized the magnitude of what i was attending, but it quickly became obvious to me that I was witnessing history in the making. With documentaries having such a rich history and effect on our society, it's sad and mindboggling that to this point there had not been any other organized recognition for docs other than a single Oscar award for Best Documentary. How can that be?

Started by filmmaker and reknown blogger AJ Schnack ("Kurt Cobain, About A Son"), the Cinema Eye Honors filled a much needed hole in filmmaking recognition. Can you believe that before this award, there was no award for best documentary cinematography, or best production, or best director? ...only the single general Oscar for Best Doc. Pretty disgraceful of the Academy, actually....

Check out all the winners here! By the way, I haven't seen either Manda Bala (Send A Bullet) or The Monastery yet, but im definitely dying to now!

In any case, it was an honor to be a guest, be surrounded by such great energy and inspirations, and to be a witness to this historical moment. Cheers to my friends Danielle, Pamela Cohn, Jason & Jordan from IndiePix, DJ/Composer Ionic Furjanic, AJ, and everyone else involved in organizing this great event and creating A NEW INDUSTRY STANDARD!

Finally, as a side note, the next day, Danielle and I had the pleasure of relaxing in Brooklyn for an entire rainy day with former ToolboxDC designer and studio manager Paul Weil, his wife stylist Johanna Methusalemsdottir, and their 13 month old baby Lola (and our pal Vinnie Angel, who makes his legendary Tampon Cases). Lola is without a doubt the most beautiful baby I've ever seen, and makes me tear up each time i see her. We're very proud of Paul, but he is also sorely missed here in DC and at Toolbox.

-brian