Author Archives: basiltsiokos

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About basiltsiokos

Basil Tsiokos is a Senior Programmer for the Sundance Film Festival, focusing on nonfiction features. He was most recently with DOC NYC for nearly a decade, where he served as Director of Programming since 2014, and with the Nantucket Film Festival as its Film Program Director. Prior to those positions, Basil was the longtime Artistic and Executive Director of NewFest. He has been affiliated with Sundance since 2005 as a Programming Associate. Basil serves on the feature nominating committees for the International Documentary Association Awards and Cinema Eye Honors. He has written about documentaries daily since 2010 on what (not) to doc. Basil holds a Masters degree from New York University and two undergraduate degrees from Stanford University.

On DVD: THE LOST LEONARDO

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, November 16:
THE LOST LEONARDO

Director:
Andreas Koefoed

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2021

Notable Festivals:
AFI Docs

About:
The inside story behind the Salvator Mundi, the most expensive painting ever sold at $450 million, claimed to be a long-lost masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci.

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Streaming: ASCENSION

Coming to Paramount+ today, Monday, November 15:
ASCENSION

Director:
Jessica Kingdon

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2021

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Docaviv, DMZ Docs, Camden, Zurich, Warsaw, Hamptons

About:
An absorbing exploration of the pursuit of the “Chinese Dream,” which prioritizes productivity and innovation above all.

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On TV & Streaming: SIMPLE AS WATER

Coming to HBO and HBO Max tomorrow, Tuesday, November 16:
SIMPLE AS WATER

Director:
Megan Mylan

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2020 (unscreened)

Select Festivals:
Montclair, AFI Fest

About:
A meditation on the elemental bonds of family told through portraits of four Syrian families in the aftermath of war.

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On TV & Streaming: A CHOICE OF WEAPONS: INSPIRED BY GORDON PARKS

Coming to HBO and HBO Max today, Monday, November 15:
A CHOICE OF WEAPONS: INSPIRED BY GORDON PARKS

Director:
John Maggio

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2021

About:
A chronicle of renaissance man Gordon Parks’ stellar career from staff photographer for LIFE magazine, through his artistic development photographing everyday Americans, through his evolution as a novelist and groundbreaking filmmaker.

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On TV: STORM LAKE

Coming to PBS’s Independent Lens today, Monday, November 15:
STORM LAKE

Director:
Jerry Risius, Beth Levison

World Premiere:
Full Frame 2021

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, AFI Docs, Provincetown, Woods Hole, Berkshire, Freep, Woodstock

About:
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Art Cullen and his family and colleagues at Iowa’s Storm Lake Times fight for the survival of their biweekly small-town newspaper and for an informed electorate and functioning democracy.

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Streaming: SABAYA

Coming to Paramount+ today, Monday, November 15:
SABAYA

Director:
Hogir Hirori

World Premiere:
Sundance 2021

Select Festivals:
Nantucket, CPH:DOX, True/False, Docaviv, Hong Kong, Moscow, Melbourne

About:
An immersion into dangerous efforts to rescue Yazidi women and girls from their horrific fate as ISIS sex slaves.

I profiled the doc before Sundance here.

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Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance

In Theatres: CUSP

Coming to theatres today, Friday, November 12:
CUSP

Director:
Parker Hill, Isabel Bethencourt

World Premiere:
Sundance 2021

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Camden, AFI Docs, Stockholm

About:
An intimate chronicle of the lives of three teenage girls in a Texas military town.

I previously wrote about the doc before Sundance here.

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Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance

In Theatres: PROCESSION

Coming to theatres today, Friday, November 12:
PROCESSION

Director:
Robert Greene

World Premiere:
Telluride 2021

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Camden, Heartland, Montclair, Philadelphia, AFI Fest

About:
Six men, each abused by Catholic priests and, decades later, still in search of peace collaborate with the director and a team of therapists to create short films confronting their pasts.

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Streaming: SET!

Coming to Discovery+ today, Friday, November 12:
SET!

Director:
Scott Gawlik

World Premiere:
Hot Docs 2021

Select Festivals:
IDFA, Melbourne, Heartland, Cork, Napa Valley, Newport Beach

About:
Seven cut-throat competitive table setting hopefuls feverishly prepare their entries for a prestigious county fair, serving up artistry, hilarity, and serious frenemy vibes on a silver platter. 

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In Theatres/Virtual Release: MOTHER, I AM SUFFOCATING. THIS IS MY LAST FILM ABOUT YOU.

Coming to theatres and to virtual cinemas today, Friday, November 12:
MOTHER, I AM SUFFOCATING. THIS IS MY LAST FILM ABOUT YOU.

Director:
Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese

World Premiere:
Berlin 2019

Select Festivals:
Sheffield, Documentary Fortnight, Docaviv, Encounters, Durban

About:
A personal essay about the filmmaker’s relationship to his home continent, Africa.

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