Kartemquin Films

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Kartemquin Films was founded in 1966 by Gordon Quinn, Jerry Temaner and Stan Karter, three University of Chicago graduates who wanted to make documentary films guided by their principle of "Cinematic Social Inquiry." Kartemquin's first film in 1966, Home For Life -- a chronicle of two elderly people entering a home for the aged, established the direction the organization would take over the next four decades. The film was reviewed favorably by Roger Ebert.

Kartemquin evolved into a film collective producing films such as The Chicago Maternity Center Story and The Taylor Chain films. They continued releasing social-issue documentaries largely for public television and the educational market into the 1990's.

It all changed with Hoop Dreams. Kartemquin took on the film idea of Steve James, Peter Gilbert and Fred Marx and worked with the three young filmmakers to create a film that went on to win every major critics prize and journalism award in 1995 and was named on over 150 “ten best” lists. The film examines the complex role basketball plays in the lives of two inner-city high school players. After garnering the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, Hoop Dreams was released theatrically by Fine Line Features and became the highest grossing documentary at that time and one of highest-rated documentaries broadcast on PBS.

Since Hoop Dreams, Kartemquin has continued producing films like Stevie and The New Americans for PBS to critical acclaim. The group is located in Chicago, Illinois and is still run by Gordon Quinn.

For more information see: http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/filmmakers/quinn.htm http://www.chicagofilm.com/features/kartemquin/default.asp