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: ALI & CAVETT: THE TALE OF THE TAPES

Coming to HBO tonight, Tuesday, February 11:
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.

As an iconic figure of American popular culture, Muhammad Ali’s life, career, and impact have been well-covered in fiction and nonfiction books and films over the decades. In his directorial debut, Robert S Bader, working with longtime collaborator Dick Cavett, offers an intriguing and very specific lens through which to explore “The Greatest” – his longtime friendship with the talk show host, on whose program he appeared more than a dozen times. Utilizing Cavett’s reflections and very enjoyable clips from these freewheeling appearances, as well as interviews with Ali scholars and associates, Bader seeks to chronicle the highlights from the charismatic Ali’s storied life, from Olympic victory to converting to the Nation of Islam, conscientious objection to Vietnam and being barred from boxing. When hewing closely to the Cavett relationship, the film is at its most interesting, but, unfortunately, Bader too often breaks with this central premise, resulting in a retread of very familiar terrain absent the specificity of focus – while still, as a whole, worthwhile, it ends up being less than it could have been.

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Special Screening: DESERT ONE

Coming to NYC’s Pure Nonfiction series tonight, Tuesday, February 11:
DESERT ONE

Director:
Barbara Kopple

World Premiere:
Toronto 2019

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, AFI Fest, Double Exposure, Palm Springs

About:
An up-close look at the mission to free American hostages during the 1979 Iranian revolution

The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
Two-time Oscar-winner Barbara Kopple re-examines the story of Americans taken hostage by Iranian revolutionaries in 1979. Focusing on a rescue mission, the film plays like a thriller. Kopple draws upon never-before-heard audiotapes from inside the White House, as well as new interviews with hostages, rescuers, Iranians, and even President Carter, whose 1980 election loss to Ronald Reagan was greatly influenced by this decisive chapter of history.

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On TV: LEFTOVER WOMEN

Coming to PBS’s Independent Lens tonight, Monday, February 10:
LEFTOVER WOMEN

Directors:
Shosh Shlam, Hilla Medalia

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2019

Select Festivals:
Docaviv, Göteborg, New Zealand, Atlantic, Palm Springs, Sydney, Hot Docs, Human Rights Watch London

About:
An exploration of the challenges faced by unmarried women in China.

The Chinese equivalent of “old maid,” the judgemental phrase “leftover women” refers to women over the age of 27 who have not yet married. With the gender balance off in the country due to its past one-child policy, femicide, and selective abortions of female embryos, women are strongly encouraged to marry early for the good of the country, often laying aside professional ambitions lest they be deemed selfish. Shosh Shlam and Hilla Medalia explore the familial, social, and state pressure on such women by profiling three subjects living in Beijing, ranging in age from 28-36 – attorney Qui Hau Mei, radio host Xu Min, and film professor Gai Qi. Taking an observational approach, the filmmakers follow these women as they wrestle with whether they want to get married or not, and include visits with matchmakers, attempts at online dating, government organized mass blind-dating events, and parent-led spouse shopping. In the process, the film capably demonstrates ingrained gender, class, and regional biases, and the central role parents themselves take in reinforcing these within Chinese society.

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On TV: DADDY AND THE WARLORD

Coming to WORLD Channel’s AfroPoP tonight, Monday, February 10:
DADDY AND THE WARLORD

Director:
Shamira Raphaëla

Co-Director:
Clarice Gargard

World Premiere:
Movies That Matter 2019

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Visions du Reel, Hot Docs, Nederlands

About:
A personal investigation of uncomfortable family connections to a notorious dictator.

The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
Journalist Clarice Gargard is on a mission to discover the truth about her semi-estranged yet beloved father: was he a moral, heroic man? Or did he knowingly abet a murderous dictator? Disentangling the web of stories surrounding her father’s ties to ex-Liberian president Charles Taylor, Clarice and director Shamira Raphaëla uncover increasingly sinister secrets. The result is a thought-provoking tale that poses the question: how much truth is too much?

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On TV: AMINA

Coming to WORLD Channel’s AfroPoP tonight, Monday, February 10:
AMINA

Director:
Kivilcim Akay

World Premiere:
Atlanta 2019

Select Festivals:
Istanbul, Antalya Golden Orange

About:
A woman navigates life as an African immigrant in Turkey.

Seeking better financial opportunities, Amina moved to Turkey several years ago, leaving her daughter with relatives in Senegal. She finds work modeling dresses for customers at a textile company, but aspires to do more before being able to permanently return to her country and family. Filmmaker Kivilcim Akay profiles Amina as she struggles with feelings of marginalization and incidental racism in a foreign culture, but the result is a bit too choppy, with a late turn involving a photoshoot to embrace diversity not feeling properly set up.

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On DVD: 16 BARS

Coming to DVD today, Friday, February 7:
16 BARS

Director:
Samuel Bathrick

Premiere:
DocLands 2018

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Miami, Big Sky Doc, Salem, Virginia, Milwaukee

About:
An acclaimed musician leads a transformative program in a Virginia jail.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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On DVD: SERENDIPITY

New to DVD this week:
SERENDIPITY

Director:
Prune Nourry

World Premiere:
Berlin 2019

Select Festivals:
Tribeca, Doc Fortnight, Mill Valley

About:
A personal reflection of the filmmaker/artist’s work after a breast cancer diagnosis.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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SXSW 2020: Additional Features Announced

SXSW has announced the remainder of its feature film line-up today, for a total of 135 projects. Following is the list of documentary features just revealed, broken down by section:

Festival Favorites:

I’M GONNA MAKE YOU LOVE ME

BE WATER
Director: Bao Nguyen
A layered and intimate portrait of Bruce Lee, an underdog who was able to transcend racism, colonialism, and xenophobia to become one of the most influential cultural figures of our time.

BOYS STATE
Directors: Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss
A political coming-of-age story examining the health of American democracy through an unusual experiment in which a thousand 17-year-old boys from across Texas join together to build a representative government from the ground up.

CODED BIAS
Director: Shalini Kantayya
MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini makes a startling discovery that most facial recognition does not accurately see dark-skinned faces, spurring her transformation from scientist to tireless advocate to push for first-ever legislation.

FEELS GOOD MAN
Director: Arthur Jones
When indie comic character Pepe the Frog becomes an unwitting icon of hate, his creator fights to bring Pepe back from the darkness.

I’M GONNA MAKE YOU LOVE ME
Director: Karen Bernstein
Fellini meets Motown in this story of one man’s search for self-acceptance, a journey that includes tabloid celebrity, Tupperware parties, and two coming outs – first as a straight woman, then as the gay man he was meant to be.

MUCHO MUCHO AMOR
Directors: Cristina Costantini, Kareem Tabsch
The iconic, gender non-conforming astrologer Walter Mercado mesmerized Latino viewers with his extravagance and positivity for decades. Then, one day, he vanished from the public eye.

THE REASON I JUMP
Director: Jerry Rothwell
Based on the book by Naoki Higashida, this immersive film explores the experiences of nonspeaking autistic people around the world.

A THOUSAND CUTS
Director: Ramona S Diaz
A film about the role of journalism and disinformation’s accelerating effect in the erosion of democracy under the authoritarian regime of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, as told through the story of embattled journalist Maria Ressa.

US KIDS
Director: Kim A Snyder
Determined to turn unfathomable tragedy into action, the teenage survivors of Parkland FL catalyze a powerful, unprecedented youth movement that spreads with lightning speed across the country, as a generation of youth take back democracy.

Special Events:

HAVE A GOOD TRIP: ADVENTURES IN PSYCHEDELICS

HAVE A GOOD TRIP: ADVENTURES IN PSYCHEDELICS
Director/Screenwriter: Donick Cary
The epic story of psychedelics as revealed through the surprising and often hilarious drug trips of celebrity storytellers.

Episodic Pilot Competition:

HOMECOMING: THE JOURNEY OF CARDBOARD

BANANAS
Director: Rachel Anderson, Screenwriters: Rachel Anderson, Mary Duong
A curious and playful look at growing up between two cultures in Queensland – the Sunshine State – with particular focus on food and family, presented by two Australian-born Asian friends who are awkward, honest, and warm in equal parts.

HOMECOMING: THE JOURNEY OF CARDBOARD
Directors: Yuko Shiomaki, Anna Thorson Mayer
Fuyuki Shimazu is an artist and cardboard lover who travels around the world to pick up cardboard he likes.

RACIST TREES
Directors: Sara Newens, Mina T Son
Racial tensions are reignited as a historically Black neighborhood in Palm Springs continues the decades-long fight for the removal of a wall of trees that many believe were originally planted as a totem of segregation.

Documentary Spotlight:

GOOD OL GIRL

AFTER TRUTH: DISINFORMATION AND THE COST OF FAKE NEWS
Director: Andrew Rossi
Capturing the human toll of false news and conspiracies with unprecedented access to figures in the Pizzagate, Seth Rich, Jade Helm, and Alabama special election cases.

GOOD OL GIRL
Director: Sarah Brennan Kolb
A doc western following three modern day cowgirls as they hustle for land, cattle, and respect across Texas.

A MOST BEAUTIFUL THING
Director/Screenwriter: Mary Mazzio
A chronicle of the first African American high school rowing team in this country, made up of young men in rival gangs from the West Side of Chicago, all literally coming together to row in the same boat.

THE PUSHBACK
Director: Kevin Ford
Two women of color run for public office and fight against decades of institutional racism, redefining what it means to be a Texan.

THE SCHEME
Director: Pat Kondelis
The true story of basketball insider Christian Dawkins, who hustled the FBI in a scandal that threatened to take down the NCAA.

Episodic Premieres:

WE’RE HERE

WE’RE HERE
Director: Peter LoGreco
From creators Stephen Warren and Johnnie Ingram, this six-part unscripted series recruits small-town residents across America to participate in a one-night-only drag show. Renowned drag queens Bob the Drag Queen, Eureka O’Hara and Shangela Laquifa Wadley will inspire and teach their own “drag daughters” to step outside their comfort zone for a night of no-holds-barred, full-on drag.

24 Beats Per Second:

SISTERS WITH TRANSISTORS

DARK CITY BENEATH THE BEAT
Director: TT The Artist
A musical documentary reimagining the narrative of Baltimore, a city rising above social and economic turmoil to develop a vibrant and close-knit community for the arts through its homegrown sound, Baltimore club music.

JOSE FELICIANO: BEHIND THIS GUITAR
Directors/Screenwriters: Frank Licari, Helen Murphy
An official biography of the eight-time Grammy winner and international music icon.

LAUREL CANYON: A PLACE IN TIME
Director: Alison Ellwood
Pulling back the curtain on a mythical world, this film provides an up-close look at the lives of the musicians who inhabited it. It paints an intimate portrait of the artists who created a music revolution that would change popular culture.

SISTERS WITH TRANSISTORS
Director: Lisa Rovner
The remarkable untold story of electronic music’s female pioneers, composers who embraced machines and their liberating technologies to utterly transform how we produce and listen to music today.

Global:

THE MYSTERY OF THE PINK FLAMINGO

THE MYSTERY OF THE PINK FLAMINGO
Director: Javier Polo, Screenwriters: Javier Polo, Sixto Xavier García
A square sound engineer employs unusual research efforts to reveal the secrets behind the quintessential icon of kitsch, the Pink Flamingo. His bizarre adventure will unexpectedly turn into a creative journey to self-discovery.

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Documentary Fortnight 2020 Overview

Festival:
The 19th Documentary Fortnight

Dates:
February 5-19

About:
This year’s edition of MoMA’s annual nonfiction showcase presents more than 30 new and recent features, hybrids, shorts, VR, and performances. Continue reading

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On DVD: THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MY MOTHER

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, February 4:
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MY MOTHER

Director:
Beniamino Barrese

World Premiere:
Sundance 2019

Select Festivals:
CPH:DOX, Hot Docs, Cartagena, DokuFest, Docs Against Gravity, Transilvania, Shanghai, Munich, Biografilm, MakeDox, Taipei, Frameline

About:
The filmmaker films his mother as she plans to leave the modern world behind.

My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.

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