Author Archives: basiltsiokos

basiltsiokos's avatar

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.

In Theatres: THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, July 16:
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.

Leave a comment

Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases

On VOD: HANDS OF GOD

Coming to Film Movement+ this Friday, July 16:
HANDS OF GOD

Director:
Riccardo Romani

World Premiere:
Taormina 2018

About:
A profile of members of the Iraqi National Boxing Team, who endured years of war as they set out to qualify for the Olympics.

Leave a comment

Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases

On VOD: THE LONELIEST WHALE: THE SEARCH FOR 52

Coming to VOD this Friday, July 16:
THE LONELIEST WHALE: THE SEARCH FOR 52

Director:
Joshua Zeman

World Premiere:
Nantucket 2021

Select Festivals:
Boulder

About:
In this fascinating story about isolation and interconnection, the filmmaker and a team of intrepid scientists set out on a wild quest to find the 52 Hertz Whale, which has spent its entire life calling out at a frequency that is different from any other whale.

Leave a comment

Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases

In Virtual Release: BALLAD OF THE LITTLE SOLDIER

Coming to the Metrograph’s virtual cinema tomorrow, Thursday, July 15:
BALLAD OF THE LITTLE SOLDIER

Director:
Werner Herzog, Denis Reichle

World Premiere:
West German TV (November 1984)

About:
A look at Nicaragua’s Miskito people as they use child soldiers to combat their former allies, the Sandinistas, in 1984.

Leave a comment

Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases

On VOD: PRIVATE NETWORK: WHO KILLED MANUEL BUENDÍA?

Coming to Netflix tomorrow, Wednesday, July 14:
PRIVATE NETWORK: WHO KILLED MANUEL BUENDÍA?

Director:
Manuel Alcalá

World Premiere:
Netflix (July 2021)

About:
An investigation into the dangerous work and murder of renowned Mexican journalist Manuel Buendía.

Leave a comment

Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases

On DVD/VOD: THE NEW DEAL FOR ARTISTS

Coming to DVD/VOD today, Tuesday, July 13:
THE NEW DEAL FOR ARTISTS

Director:
Wieland Schulz-Keil

World Premiere:
West German TV broadcast (September 1976)

About:
A look back at the Works Progress Administration, FDR’s ambitious government-supported public arts program under the New Deal.

Leave a comment

Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases

On VOD: FIN

Coming to Discovery+ today, Tuesday, July 13:
FIN

Director:
Eli Roth

World Premiere:
Discovery+ (July 2021)

About:
Scientists, researchers, and activists sail around the globe to unveil the truth behind the death of millions of sharks, exposing the criminal enterprise that is impacting the extinction of the misunderstood creatures. 

Leave a comment

Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases

On VOD: WE INTEND TO CAUSE HAVOC

Coming to VOD today, Tuesday, July 13:
WE INTEND TO CAUSE HAVOC

Director:
Gio Arlotta

World Premiere:
Indielisboa 2019

Select Festivals:
Rotterdam, Warsaw, Doc’n Roll, One World

About:
An exploration of the history of Zambia’s most popular rock band in the 1970s, WITCH, and the fate of its vocalist, Jagari.

Leave a comment

Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases

On TV: BREAKAWAY

Coming to ESPN tomorrow, Tuesday, July 13:
BREAKAWAY

Director:
Rudy Valdez

World Premiere:
ESPN 30 for 30 (July 2021)

About:
Maya Moore, one of the best basketball players in the world, steps away from the sport for a remarkable reason: to fight for a man she believes was wrongly imprisoned. 

Leave a comment

Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases

On VOD: NAOMI OSAKA

Coming to Netflix tomorrow, Tuesday, July 13:
NAOMI OSAKA

Director:
Garrett Bradley

World Premiere:
AFI Docs 2021

About:
What does it feel like to be one of the best tennis players in the world?

Leave a comment

Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases