Coming to Nat Geo this Sunday, November 8:
REBUILDING PARADISE
Director:
Ron Howard
World Premiere:
Sundance 2020
Select Festivals:
Tribeca, AFI Docs
About:
A chronicle of the fate of a town caught in the November 2018 Camp Fire.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Festival:
The 11th DOC NYC
Dates:
November 11-19
About:
In this second post on this year’s DOC NYC, which will be presented online nationwide beginning next week, I’m spotlighting several festival sections, including feature competitions, the latest from nonfiction auteurs, panoramas from the US and abroad, and revealing investigative nonfiction. Note: The rundown below does not include titles from yesterday’s post. Additional sections will follow tomorrow.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
New to DVD this week:
BOTERO
Director:
Don Millar
World Premiere:
Morelia 2018
Select Festivals:
Palm Springs, Seattle, Miami, Montevideo
About:
A tribute to the popular Colombian artist.
Known for the plus-sized figures who inhabit his paintings and sculptures, Fernando Botero is one of the most recognized and popular artists living today. Don Millar’s film provides an introductory and easily watchable survey of the octogenarian’s life and career, touching on his impoverished background and family tragedies that have informed his work, including the death of his young son. For the most part, however, the portrait features Botero’s family as they praise him and the success of his work, resulting in an overall hagiographic tone to the project. This lack of true critical engagement, combined with a relentless score and tendency toward montages, makes Millar’s profile far more suited to arts television programming than the cinema.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Festival:
The 11th DOC NYC
Dates:
November 11-19
About:
This year, DOC NYC will be available online and nationwide – including US territories – allowing us to reach more nonfiction lovers than ever before. As the Director of Programming of America’s largest documentary festival, I’ll be highlighting our lineup here, over a few posts to try to cover as many titles as possible. First up, a look at the various feature premieres, appearing in different sections throughout the festival.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Festival:
The 31st New Orleans Film Festival
Dates:
November 6-22
About:
This standout regional festival moves to a hybrid format this year, presenting films either online or in an open-air context, with more than two-thirds of the lineup represented by nonfiction features.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, November 3:
RYUICHI SAKAMOTO: CODA
Director:
Stephen Nomura Schible
Premiere:
Venice 2017
Select Festivals:
IDFA, CPH:DOX, Tokyo, Tribeca, Belgrade, Singapore, Stockholm, Seattle, Dallas, Nashville, IFF Boston, Berkshire
About:
An intimate portrait of the Oscar-winning composer.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, November 3:
REPRESENT
Director:
Hillary Bachelder
World Premiere:
Cleveland 2020
Select Festivals:
Freep, Woods Hole, Maine
About:
Three female political candidates are followed in local elections in Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, November 3:
JIMMY CARTER: ROCK & ROLL PRESIDENT
Director:
Mary Wharton
World Premiere:
Tribeca 2020
Select Festivals:
Nantucket, AFI Docs, Hot Springs Doc, Vancouver, Victoria
About:
A consideration of the importance of popular music in the life and political career of the former US president.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to Revolt TV tonight, Monday, November 2:
THE BLOOD IS AT THE DOORSTEP
Director:
Erik Ljung
Premiere:
SXSW 2017
Select Festivals:
Human Rights Watch, Traverse, Indie Memphis, Maryland, Salem, Freep
About:
A family struggles in the aftermath of the police shooting of an unarmed African-American man diagnosed with schizophrenia.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to virtual cinemas today, Friday, October 30:
US KIDS
Director:
Kim A Snyder
World Premiere:
Sundance 2020
Select Festivals:
Sheffield, Doc Edge, Mountainfilm, Full Frame, Miami, Martha’s Vineyard, NewportFilm, Calgary, GlobeDocs, Bergen, Hamptons, Mill Valley
About:
The young survivors of the Parkland school shooting are followed over a transformative year and a half.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
what (not) to doc 