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 TV: LANDFALL

Coming to PBS’s POV tonight, Monday, July 12:
LANDFALL

Director:
Cecilia Aldarondo

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2020 (unscreened)

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, New Orleans, BlackStar, IDFA, Florida, Boston Latino, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Philadelphia Latino, Guanajuato, Camden

About:
A poetic look at Puerto Rico as the island faces new challenges in the aftermath of Hurricane María.

The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
An intimate and lyrical portrait of trauma, resilience, and resistance in Puerto Rico at a time when economic, political, and ecological forces post-Hurricane María have created a breeding ground for new predatory colonial practices. Told through the experiences of a close-knit community of hopeful and politicized people and through the encounters with cryptocurrency traders, luxury real estate developers, and newcomers flooding the island, Cecilia Aldarondo’s film raises vital questions about identity, survival, and recolonization.

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On VOD: THE LIBRARY THAT DOLLY BUILT

Coming to VOD today, Friday, July 9:
THE LIBRARY THAT DOLLY BUILT

Director:
Nick Geidner

World Premiere:
Facebook Live (December 2020)

About:
A behind-the-scenes look at Dolly Parton’s literacy-focused non-profit, Imagination Library.

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On VOD: ON THE STARTING LINE

Coming to MUBI this Sunday, July 11:
ON THE STARTING LINE

Director:
Aldemar Matias

World Premiere:
Berlin 2019

Select Festivals:
Rio, Uruguay, It’s All True, Montevideo

About:
A young Cuban athlete and her mother struggle with an uncertain future.

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In Theatres: THE WITCHES OF THE ORIENT

Coming to Film Forum today, Friday, July 9:
THE WITCHES OF THE ORIENT

Director:
Julien Faraut

World Premiere:
Rotterdam 2021

Select Festivals:
Documentary Fortnight, Jeonju, Midnight Sun

About:
United by their jobs in a textile factory, a Japanese women’s volleyball team chases absolute perfection—and finds international superstardom—representing postwar Japan on the 1964 Olympic stage.

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In Theatres: THE LONELIEST WHALE: THE SEARCH FOR 52

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, July 9:
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.

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Special Screening: TAMING THE GARDEN

Coming to Rooftop Films tomorrow, Friday, July 9:
TAMING THE GARDEN

Director:
Salomé Jashi

World Premiere:
Sundance 2021

Select Festivals:
Berlin, CPH:DOX, New Directors/New Films, Shanghai, Cinéma du Réel

About:
An artful look at the unusual disruption caused by the removal and transport of several massive trees from small Georgian villages.

I profiled the doc before Sundance here.

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In Theatres: THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

Coming to theatres today, Wednesday, July 7:
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

Director:
Judd Ehrlich

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2021

About:
A deep dive into American gun culture and the increasing force of political influence played by the NRA to challenge gun control legislation.

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On VOD: OVER THE LIMIT

Coming to VOD via Film Movement+ this Friday, July 9:
OVER THE LIMIT

Director:
Marta Prus

Premiere:
IDFA 2017

Select Festivals:
Hot Docs, Moscow Doc, Visions du Reél, DOK.fest Munich, DocsBarcelona, Zagreb Dox, Krakow, Docpoint, Göteborg, Thessaloniki Doc, One World, Ambulante

About:
A brutally candid look at a rhythmic gymnast’s Olympic training.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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In Virtual Release: THE METAMORPHOSIS OF BIRDS

Coming to virtual cinemas via Projectr Movie Club tomorrow, Thursday, July 8:
THE METAMORPHOSIS OF BIRDS

Director:
Catarina Vasconcelos

World Premiere:
Berlin 2020

Select Festivals:
True/False, Cartegena, Vilnius, Thessaloniki Doc, Jeonju, DokuFest, Beijing, Melbourne, Indielisboa, Beldocs, San Sebastian, Vancouver, Camden, Vienna, Jihlava, RIDM, Sheffield DocFest, IDFA, New Directors/New Films, DocPoint

About:
A highly unorthodox, impressionistic, and emotionally rich generational saga which finds the Portuguese filmmaker sifting through the memories and dreams of her ancestors.

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On DVD: PICTURE A SCIENTIST

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, July 6:
PICTURE A SCIENTIST

Director:
Sharon Shattuck, Ian Cheney

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2020 (unscreened)

Select Festivals:
Athena, InScience, Science on Screen

About:
An exploration of systemic discrimination and bias against women and especially women of color in STEM fields.

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