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.

Streaming: BERKELEY IN THE SIXTIES (1990)

Coming to OVID.tv tomorrow, Wednesday, November 3:
BERKELEY IN THE SIXTIES

Director:
Mark Kitchell

World Premiere:
Sundance 1990 (then known as the US Film Festival)

Notable Recognition:
The doc was nominated for the Academy Awards.

About:
A look back at the exhilaration and turmoil of the unprecedented student protests of the 1960s at the University of California that shaped a generation and changed the course of America.

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On VOD: THE ALPINIST

Coming to VOD today, Tuesday, November 2:
THE ALPINIST

Director:
Peter Mortimer, Nick Rosen

World Premiere:
SXSW 2020 (unscreened)

Select Festivals:
Telluride (unscreened)

About:
A profile of Marc-André Leclerc, a free-spirited 23-year-old climber who makes some of the boldest solo ascents in history.

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On DVD: THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES

Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, November 2:
THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES

Director:
Jörg Adolph

World Premiere:
German theatrical (January 2020)

Select Festivals:
Berlin, Bergen, Docville, Barcelona, Vancouver

About:
An immersive and eye-opening look at the scientific mechanisms behind forests.

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On VOD: MISSING IN BROOKS COUNTY

Coming to VOD tomorrow, Tuesday, November 2:
MISSING IN BROOKS COUNTY

Director:
Lisa Molomot, Jeff Bemiss

World Premiere:
Dallas Docufest 2020

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Double Exposure, United Nations Association, Hot Springs Doc, Rocky Mountain Women’s, Fargo, Salem, Sonoma, Thin Line, Cleveland, Annapolis, Ashland, Sarasota, RiverRun, Mountainfilm

About:
The deadly consequences of America’s immigration policy are revealed in a Texan border town.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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On TV: NORTH BY CURRENT

Coming to PBS’s POV today, Monday, November 1:
NORTH BY CURRENT

Director:
Angelo Madsen Minax

World Premiere:
Berlin 2021

Select Festivals:
Tribeca, Sheffield, Krakow, Melbourne, AFI Docs, Camden, Frameline, Outfest, Sidewalk, Freep, Doclisboa, Montclair

About:
In this personal essay about motherhood, grieving, and transgender masculinity, the unexplained death of his niece leads the director back to his family.

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In Theatres: SPEER GOES TO HOLLYWOOD

Coming to theatres today, Friday, October 29:
SPEER GOES TO HOLLYWOOD

Director:
Vanessa Lapa

World Premiere:
Berlin 2020

Select Festivals:
Telluride, Moscow, Jerusalem

About:
How high-ranking Nazi Albert Speer was able to rewrite his past.

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In Theatres & On VOD: KEYBOARD FANTASIES: THE BEVERLY GLENN-COPELAND STORY

Coming to theatres and VOD today, Friday, October 29:
KEYBOARD FANTASIES: THE BEVERLY GLENN-COPELAND STORY

Director:
Posy Dixon

World Premiere:
Doc’n Roll 2019

Select Festivals:
New Orleans, Frameline, Indielisboa, Melbourne Doc, Thessaloniki Doc, BFI Flare, Calgary Underground

About:
After three decades of releasing album after album in relative obscurity, a Black transgender trailblazing musician finally finds success at the age of 74.

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In Theatres: BULLETPROOF

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, October 29:
BULLETPROOF

Director:
Todd Chandler

World Premiere:
SXSW 2020 (unscreened)

Select Festivals:
Hot Docs, IDFA, Dokufest, Camden, Philadelphia, DOK Leipzig, Jihlava, Doclisboa, Maryland, Tempo Doc, Melbourne, DMZ Docs

About:
A provocative exploration of fear and American violence that interrogates what it means to be safe in school in the United States.

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In Theatres: ATTICA

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, October 29:
ATTICA

Director:
Stanley Nelson, Traci Curry

World Premiere:
Toronto 2021

Select Festivals:
Hot Springs Doc, Montclair

About:
An examination of the largest prison uprising in US history through dozens of new interviews with inmates, journalists, and other witnesses.

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On VOD: THE CAPOTE TAPES

New to VOD this week:
THE CAPOTE TAPES

Director:
Ebs Burnough

World Premiere:
Toronto 2019

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Hamptons, Rio, Provincetown, Docs Against Gravity, RiverRun

About:
Using audio recordings, animation, and new on-camera interviews with people who knew him, the film explores the impact of Truman Capote’s explosive final, unfinished novel.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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