The Hudson Valley’s Woodstock Film Festival kicks off its 16th edition tonight, Wednesday, September 30. Before the fest wraps this Sunday, October 4, it will present just over 50 features – among them, two dozen documentaries.
Included in this number are a few world premieres: Justin Schein and David Mehlman’s LEFT ON PURPOSE, in which a biography about an activist threatens to become about his suicide; Jon Bowermaster’s AFTER THE SPILL, an examination of the impact of the Deepwater Horizon spill on Louisiana; and Ben Selkow’s BURIED ABOVE GROUND, a profile of three individuals facing PTSD.
Other nonfiction offerings include: Sam Pressman’s FITZCARRALDO inspired RECONQUEST OF THE USELESS; Ron Nyswaner’s portrait of a character actor, SHE’S THE BEST THING IN IT; Leon Gast’s look at aspiration through athletics, SPORTING DREAMS; Hillevi Loven’s coming of age portrait of a religious young FTM in the deep south, DEEP RUN; Noa Roth’s personal exploration of divorce on an ultra-orthodox Jewish clan, FAMILY MATTERS; and Holly Morris and Anne Bogart’s portrait of a community of elderly women living in a notoriously contaminated area, THE BABUSHKAS OF CHERNOBYL (pictured).
what (not) to doc 