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 DVD: BECOMING FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Courtesy PBS

Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, December 20:
BECOMING FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Director:
Stanley Nelson

World Premiere:
PBS broadcast (October 2022)

About:
A profile of one of the most influential voices for democracy in American history, exploring how Frederick Douglass, born into slavery, played a role in securing the right to freedom for African Americans.

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In Theatres: THE SUPER 8 YEARS

Coming to theatres today, Friday, December 16:
THE SUPER 8 YEARS

Director:
David Ernaux-Briot, Annie Ernaux

World Premiere:
Cannes 2022

Select Festivals:
New York, IDFA, Busan, Zurich, São Paulo, Rome, Ji.hlava

About:
Super 8 films, shot between 1972 and 1981, reveal not only a family archive but a testimony to the pastimes, lifestyle, and aspirations of a social class in the decade after 1968.

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Streaming: IF THESE WALLS COULD SING

Coming to Disney+ today, Friday, December 16:
IF THESE WALLS COULD SING

Director:
Mary McCartney

World Premiere:
Telluride 2022

Select Festivals:
Chicago, Santa Fe

About:
A personal film of memory and discovery guiding viewers through nine decades to tell the stories of some of Abbey Road Studios’ most iconic recordings — and the people who made them happen.

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Streaming: WHAT WE LEFT UNFINISHED

Coming to OVID today, Friday, December 16:
WHAT WE LEFT UNFINISHED

Director:
Mariam Ghani

World Premiere:
Berlin 2019

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Sheffield, San Francisco, Kerala, Nashville, Rhode Island, Heartland, Hot Springs Doc, Philadelphia Asian American, St Louis, WatchDocs, San Diego Asian American, Cinema Verite, Goteborg, DocPoint Talinn, Ann Arbor

About:
A meditation on incomplete films made in Afghanistan during periods of instability between 1978-1992.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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In Theatres: NELLY & NADINE

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, December 16:
NELLY & NADINE

Director:
Magnus Gertten

World Premiere:
Berlin 2022

Select Festivals:
CPH:DOX, Hot Docs, Thessaloniki Doc, Docs Against Gravity, Outfest, NewFest, Edinburgh, Movies That Matter, Melbourne, Palm Springs

About:
Nelly and Nadine meet in Ravensbrück concentration camp and spend the rest of their lives together – decades later, Nelly’s granddaughter goes in search of clues.

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In Theatres: CHILDREN OF THE MIST

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, December 16:
CHILDREN OF THE MIST

Director:
Diem Ha Le

World Premiere:
IDFA 2021

Select Festivals:
Docaviv, New Directors/New Films, Docpoint, Thessaloniki Doc, Cinéma du Réel, Visions du Réel, Seattle, San Francisco, Taiwan Doc, DOXA, Docs Against Gravity, BelDocs, Sydney, Melbourne, Hong Kong, DMZ Docs, Astra, Bergen, Hanoi

About:
School has given 12-year-old Di a glimpse of the outside world and its progressive values, but in her insular community, in the misty mountains of North Vietnam, the tradition of child bride kidnapping is still alive.

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Streaming: US KIDS

Coming to OVID today, Thursday, December 15:
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.

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

Streaming: SEXY BABY

Coming to OVID today, Wednesday December 14:
SEXY BABY

Director:
Jill Bauer, Ronna Gradus

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2012

Select Festivals:
IDFA, Hot Docs, Traverse City, Newport Beach, Citizen Jane

About:
A look at the impact of our hypersexualized culture on girls and women.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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Streaming: BEST KEPT SECRET

still_bestkept

Coming to OVID today, Wednesday, December 14:
BEST KEPT SECRET

Director:
Samantha Buck

World Premiere:
Independent Film Festival Boston 2013

Select Festivals:
Montclair, AFI Docs

About:
A look at a driven teacher of special needs students.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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On DVD: EL GRAN MOVIMIENTO

New to DVD this week:
EL GRAN MOVIMIENTO

Director:
Kiro Russo

World Premiere:
Venice 2021

Select Festivals:
CPH:DOX, New York, Rotterdam, San Sebastián, Hamburg, Gent, Vienna, Geneva, Göteborg

About:
A supernatural hybrid of dream and reality, in which a miner in an oxygen-starved metropolis is haunted by nightmares and a shamanistic ritual is the only way out.

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