For some reason, I’ve taken to naming my link round-ups with whatever is going on in my life. Sometimes it means something but today it doesn’t. Just thought I’d share Here’s what is cool from my inbox:

- The Holy Modal Rounders: Bound to Lose is now available on DVD. If you haven’t seen it, do. It’s about a band of quirky musicians who seem to have learned a lot about life in their decades of playing together.

- This week on P.O.V., a very important film by a wonderful filmmaker, Roger Weisberg’s Critical Condition. “Critical Condition puts a human face on the nation’s growing health care crisis by capturing the harrowing struggles of four critically ill Americans who discover that being uninsured can cost them their jobs, health, home, savings, and even their lives.”

- Byron Hurt, the maker of the wonderful Beyond Beats and Rhymes, is working on a new project about black masculinity. In anticipation of the release of his new short called Barack & Curtis, a comparison of two well-known black men (Curtis is Curtis Jackson aka 50 Cent, and I presume you know who Barack is?), Hurt has been posting clips of material that didn’t make it into the short as a lead-up. Good sh*t!

- I like weird stuff like this: “V2 Cinema presents the short documentary feature BACK TO ROOM 666 (aka DE VOLTA AO QUARTO 666), starring director Wim Wenders, on www.v2cinema.com. Directed by Gustavo Spolidoro, the movie updates the scenary of Wenders’ Room 666 (1982), now with the German filmmaker as the interviewee. The video is the third of five shorts from online series Boundaries of Thought: THINK TANK(AKA Fronteiras do Pensamento: ENSAIOS VISUAIS).”

- My friends Robert and Almudena (pictured above) won an Emmy! Big hugs and congrats to you both on such a fine job. It is well-deserved. If you haven’t seen Made in L.A., now is the time.

I was stunned to see a message from International Documentary Association Executive Director Sandra Ruch that as of today she has resigned her position. Ruch has been at the helm of the organization since I first dipped my toes in the documentary pool that I have since fallen into completely. She has helped the organization remain relevant and vital during hard times for documentary and for nonprofit film organizations, so I’m more than bummed to hear that she is moving on. Board president diane estelle Vicari will serve as interim ED. Maybe we’ll get lucky and she’ll take on the post.

Despite my woe, I’m sending my very best wishes to Sandra as she explores new ventures. She is leaving the IDA on a high note, and it will be exciting to see what she comes up with next in her career. (Pictured: me with Sandra and diane estelle at Hot Docs 2007. Photo by Joel Heller.)

When I managed the Spotlight on Documentaries program at the then-IFP Market-now-Independent Film Week, I had the pleasure of inviting PJ Raval and Jay Hodges with their project Trinidad. Jay and PJ were wonderful guests and really seemed to take advantage of what the Market had to offer. I’m excited to announce that they will be world premiering their film at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June!

Bryan Poyser and I, from the Austin Film Society, will be there to cheer them and the other Austin filmmakers on (more on that later) but before LA comes raising that last bit of cash! They are holding a special sneak preview here in Austin and I’d like to encourage folks in the area to attend. Not in Austin? No prob. Join us in LA!