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.

In Virtual Release: UPHEAVAL: THE JOURNEY OF MENACHEM BEGIN

Coming to virtual cinema today, Wednesday, June 9:
Upheaval: The Journey of Menachem Begin

Director:
Jonathan Gruber

World Premiere:
Heartland 2020

Select Festivals:
Jewish fests in Las Vegas, Miami, Atlanta, Denver, and Pittsburgh

About:
A portrait of the Nobel Prize-winning former Israeli Prime Minister.

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On DVD: ALI & CAVETT: THE TALE OF THE TAPES

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, June 8:
ALI & CAVETT: THE TALE OF THE TAPES

Director:
Robert S Bader

World Premiere:
SXSW 2018

Select Festivals:
Traverse City, Milwaukee, Black Harvest

About:
Tracing the development of Muhammad Ali through his appearances on THE DICK CAVETT SHOW.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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Tribeca 2021: Documentary Overview

Festival:
The 20th Tribeca Festival

Dates:
June 9-20

About:
Approximately 100 features and episodic content – about half of that nonfiction – screens in a hybrid format in this anniversary year for the curiously renamed NYC event, which has dropped “film” from its title.

Continue reading

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On DVD: THE LAND OF AZABA

Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, June 8:
THE LAND OF AZABA

Director:
Greta Schiller

World Premiere:
Valladolid 2020

About:
A portrait of ecological restoration, set in Western Spain’s Campanarios de Azaba Nature Reserve.

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On DVD: AMERICAN OZ

Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, June 8:
AMERICAN OZ

Director:
Randall MacLowry, Tracy Heather Strain

World Premiere:
American Experience (April 2021)

About:
A portrait of L Frank Baum, best known for his popular series of children’s books that began with THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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On TV: BALLERINA BOYS

Coming to PBS’s American Masters tonight, Friday, June 4:
BALLERINA BOYS

Director:
Chana Gazit, Martie Barylick

World Premiere:
American Masters PBS broadcast (June 2021)

About:
A portrait of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, also known as the Trocks, an all-male company that for 45 years has offered audiences their passion for ballet classics mixed with exuberant comedy, poking fun at their strictly gendered art form.

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On VOD: BREAKING BOUNDARIES: THE SCIENCE OF OUR PLANET

Coming to Netflix today, Friday June 4:
BREAKING BOUNDARIES: THE SCIENCE OF OUR PLANET

Director:
Jon Clay

World Premiere:
Netflix (June 2021)

About:
David Attenborough and scientist Johan Rockström examine Earth’s biodiversity collapse and how this crisis can still be averted.

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In Theatres: THE ANCIENT WOODS

Coming to theatres today, Friday, June 4:
THE ANCIENT WOODS

Director:
Mindaugas Survila

World Premiere:
IDFA 2017

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Sydney, Vilnius, DocPoint, CPH:DOX, Docs Against Gravity, BelDocs, Docaviv, MakeDox, New Zealand, Camden, Bergen, DocsBarcelona, Washington DC Environmental

About:
A wordless immersion into the biodiversity of the Baltic forests.

The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
Through immersive cinematography and exquisite sound design, one of Europe’s last remaining old-growth forests comes alive in a poetic documentary about the quotidian rituals, survival, and non-anthropocentric harmony of the varied inhabitants of a Lithuanian woodland. Biologist-turned-filmmaker Mindaugas Survila spent a decade making this extraordinary project, patiently infusing its panoply of nonhuman characters with drama, humor, and transcendence.

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Special Screening & In Theatres: ALL LIGHT, EVERYWHERE

Coming to Rooftop Films tonight, Thursday, June 3 and to theatres tomorrow, Friday, June 4:
ALL LIGHT, EVERYWHERE

Director:
Theo Anthony

World Premiere:
Sundance 2021

Select Festivals:
CPH:DOX, Hot Docs, Jeonju, True/False, New Directors/New Films

About:
An interrogation of the idea of objectivity through the shared histories of cameras, weapons, policing, and justice.

I profiled the doc before Sundance here.

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

On VOD: CHANGING THE GAME

New to Hulu this week:
CHANGING THE GAME

Director:
Michael Barnett

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2019

Select Festivals:
Palm Springs, Mountainfilm, Watch Docs, Sidewalk, Virginia, Nashville, Flyway, Guth Gafa, Salem, Frameline, Outfest, BFI Flare

About:
A profile of several trans high school athletes.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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