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.

2023 Sundance Don’t Miss Docs: THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SHERE HITE

Courtesy of Sundance Institute | Photo by Iris Brosch

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SHERE HITE
Shere Hite’s 1976 bestselling book, The Hite Report, liberated the female orgasm by revealing the most private experiences of thousands of anonymous survey respondents. Her findings rocked the American establishment and presaged current conversations about gender, sexuality, and bodily autonomy. So how did Shere Hite disappear?

Director/Producer:
Nicole Newnham

Producers:
Molly O’Brien, RJ Cutler, Elise Pearlstein, Kimberley Ferdinando, Trevor Smith

Festival Section:
US Documentary Competition

More Info:
Check out the Sundance website for more details, including screening info, by clicking on the film title above.

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

On TV: CHILDREN OF LAS BRISAS

Coming to PBS’s Independent Lens today, Monday, January 2:
CHILDREN OF LAS BRISAS

Director:
Marianela Maldonado

World Premiere:
Sheffield 2022

Select Festivals:
DMZ Docs, DOC NYC

About:
Nine years in the lives of young Venezuelans whose musical talent offer a chance for them to escape poverty.

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2023 Sundance Don’t Miss Docs: BAD PRESS

Courtesy of Sundance Institute

BAD PRESS
When the Muscogee Nation suddenly begins censoring its free press, a rogue reporter fights to expose her government’s corruption in a historic battle that will have ramifications for all of Indian country.

Directors:
Rebecca Landsberry-Baker, Joe Peeler

Producers:
Conrad Beilharz, Garrett F Baker, Tyler Graim

Festival Section:
US Documentary Competition

More Info:
Check out the Sundance website for more details, including screening info, by clicking on the film title above.

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

2023 Sundance Don’t Miss Docs: AUM: THE CULT AT THE END OF THE WORLD

Courtesy of Sundance Institute

AUM: THE CULT AT THE END OF THE WORLD
On the morning of March 20, 1995, a deadly nerve gas attack in the Tokyo subway sent the nation and its people into chaos. This exploration of Aum Shinrikyo, the cult responsible for the attack, involves the participation of those who lived through the horror as it unfolded.

Directors/Producers:
Ben Braun, Chiaki Yanagimoto

Producers:
Dan Braun, Josh Braun, Rick Brookwell

Festival Section:
US Documentary Competition

More Info:
Check out the Sundance website for more details, including screening info, by clicking on the film title above.

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

On VOD: SIRENS

Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Rita Baghdadi

Coming to VOD tomorrow, Tuesday, January 3:
SIRENS

Director:
Rita Baghdadi

World Premiere:
Sundance 2022

Select Festivals:
True/False, CPH:DOX, Hot Docs, Thessaloniki Doc, BFI Flare, Cleveland, Sun Valley, Florida, BAFICI, Krakow, Guadalajara, Sydney, Frameline, Outfest, BAMcinemaFest

About:
On the outskirts of Beirut, Lilas and Shery, co-founders and guitarists of the Middle East’s first all-female metal band, wrestle with friendship, sexuality, and destruction in their pursuit of becoming thrash metal rock stars.

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2023 Sundance Don’t Miss Docs

The 39th Sundance Film Festival will run January 19-29, returning to in-person screenings in Utah, with a robust selection of titles also available online. So far, we have announced 101 features, 4 indie episodic projects, and 64 new short films as part of the lineup.

In my role as a Senior Programmer for the Festival, I’m looking forward to sharing this slate with audiences next month. As I did last year, I’m devoting the next few weeks of this space to spotlighting each of our feature docs and long-form episodic nonfiction offerings with simple, individual pointers to each of these projects. Sundance Don’t Miss Docs begins this coming Monday.

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

On TV: DIONNE WARWICK: DON’T MAKE ME OVER

Coming to CNN this Sunday, January 1:
DIONNE WARWICK: DON’T MAKE ME OVER

Director:
Dave Wooley, David Heilbroner

World Premiere:
Toronto 2021

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Montclair, Santa Barbara, Annapolis

About:
In this career-spanning portrait, richly illustrated with vintage musical performances, Dionne Warwick is a marvelous raconteur sharing candid stories behind her hit songs.

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On VOD: MCCURRY: THE PURSUIT OF COLOUR

Coming to VOD this Sunday, January 1:
MCCURRY: THE PURSUIT OF COLOUR

Director:
Denis Delestrac

World Premiere:
DOC NYC 2021

Select Festivals:
Glasgow, Málaga, Docs Against Gravity

About:
Travel the world through Steve McCurry’s eyes and discover what these journeys can teach us about our place in the universe.

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Streaming: THIS PLACE RULES

Coming to HBO Max this Friday, December 30:
THIS PLACE RULES

Director:
Andrew Callaghan

World Premiere:
HBO Max (December 2022)

About:
A gonzo style investigation into the undercurrents that led to the January 6 Capitol insurrection.

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In Theatres: TURN EVERY PAGE: THE ADVENTURES OF ROBERT CARO AND ROBERT GOTTLIEB

Coming to theatres this Friday, December 30:
TURN EVERY PAGE: THE ADVENTURES OF ROBERT CARO AND ROBERT GOTTLIEB

Director:
Lizzie Gottlieb

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2022

Select Festivals:
Philadelphia, Hot Springs Doc, Hawai’i, AFI Fest, Palm Springs

About:
An exploration of the remarkable 50-year relationship between two literary legends, writer Robert Caro and his longtime editor Robert Gottlieb.

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