The 21st edition of Slamdance runs this Friday, January 23 through Thursday, January 29. Taking place concurrently with Sundance, it’s usually a challenge for the scrappy event to rally audiences and industry interest, but there are often a couple of small, hidden gems that emerge from the programming. I won’t have time to attend any screenings at the Treasure Mountain Inn given my Sundance duties, but with just ten feature documentaries in Slamdance’s slim line-up, here are a few nonfiction works that might end up popping:
Ryan Wise’s I AM THOR (pictured) profiles not the Marvel comic book and movie Norse god, but Jon Mikl Thor, a 1970s rocker looking for his comeback. Another nostalgia-focused project, Jeremy Royce’s 20 YEARS OF MADNESS, reunites the team behind 1990s cult TV program 30 MINUTES OF MADNESS for a final episode.
Perhaps in line to benefit from more recent events, Colin Offland’s DENNIS RODMAN’S BIG BANG IN PYONGYANG (pictured) focuses on the outsized sports personality’s relationship to North Korea’s Kim Jong-un. Also exploring the intersection of celebrity and geopolitical events is Ben Patterson’s SWEET MICKY FOR PRESIDENT, which sees the Fugees’ Pras Michel become involved in the Haitian presidential campaign. Finally, heading into more serious terrain, Morgan Schmidt-Feng’s ON HER OWN details a woman’s struggles to hold on to her family farm against economic instability.
what (not) to doc 
Reblogged this on Words to Document and commented:
If Sundance is just a little too mainstream for you, try Slamdance instead.