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 Theatres & Streaming: THE VOLCANO: RESCUE FROM WHAKAARI

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Wednesday, December 14 and to Netflix this Friday, December 16:
THE VOLCANO: RESCUE FROM WHAKAARI

Director:
Rory Kennedy

World Premiere:
Hamptons 2022

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Montclair, AFI Fest

About:
A riveting retelling of the survivors and rescuers from the 2019 New Zealand White Island volcano disaster.

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Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases

On TV: JEANETTE LEE VS

Coming to ESPN’s 30 for 30 tonight, Tuesday, December 13:
JEANETTE LEE VS

Director:
Ursula Liang

World Premiere:
DOC NYC 2022

About:
Asian American trailblazer Jeanette Lee, aka Black Widow, ruled pool halls in the 1990s and early 2000s; now she reflects on her historic legacy in the face of a recent cancer diagnosis.

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On DVD: RIOTSVILLE, USA

Courtesy of Sundance Institute

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, December 13:
RIOTSVILLE, USA

Director:
Sierra Pettengill

World Premiere:
Sundance 2022

Select Festivals:
New Directors/New Films, True/False, CPH:DOX, Seattle, Freep, San Francisco, Traverse City

About:
Footage shot by the media and government of a fictional town built by the US military explores the militarization of the police and the reaction of a nation to the uprisings of the late 1960s, creating a counter-narrative to a critical moment in American history.

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

On DVD: THE VELVET UNDERGROUND

Coming to DVD via the Criterion Collection today, Tuesday, December 13:
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND

Director:
Todd Haynes

World Premiere:
Cannes 2021

Select Festivals:
New York Film Festival, Telluride, San Sebastian, Zurich, BFI London, Chicago

About:
An exploration of how The Velvet Underground became a cultural touchstone representing a range of contradictions.

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Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases

On TV & Streaming: PELOSI IN THE HOUSE

Coming to HBO and HBO Max tomorrow, Tuesday, December 13:
PELOSI IN THE HOUSE

Director:
Alexandra Pelosi

World Premiere:
HBO/HBO Max (December 2022)

About:
A candid, behind-the-scenes chronicle of the life of her mother and Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, through her career milestones leading up to the inauguration of President Joseph Biden in January 2021.

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On TV: THE ADVENTURES OF SAUL BELLOW

Coming to PBS’s American Masters tonight, Monday, December 12:
THE ADVENTURES OF SAUL BELLOW

Director:
Asaf Galay

World Premiere:
Hot Docs 2021

Select Festivals:
Louisville, Hamptons DocFest, Jewish fests in San Francisco, Toronto, Austin, Philadelphia, UK, Miami

About:
An exploration of Nobel Prize winner Saul Bellow’s impact on American literature and how he navigated through issues of his time, including race, gender, and the Jewish immigrant experience.

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On TV: LET THE LITTLE LIGHT SHINE

Coming to PBS’s POV tonight, Monday, December 12:
LET THE LITTLE LIGHT SHINE

Director:
Kevin Shaw

World Premiere:
True/False 2022

Select Festivals:
Black Star, Full Frame, Doc 10, Minneapolis-St Paul, Doclands, Freep, Milwaukee, Ashland

About:
A high-achieving elementary school near downtown Chicago is a lifeline for Black children – until gentrification threatens its closure.

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In Theatres: HIDDEN LETTERS

Coming to theatres today, Friday, December 9:
HIDDEN LETTERS

Director:
Violet Du Feng

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2022

Select Festivals:
BFI London, Hot Springs Doc, Adelaide, Bergen, Heartland, DocEdge

About:
In modern-day China, two women strive to preserve Nushu, an ancient secret language that bonded generations of Chinese women together through centuries of oppression.

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In Theatres: THE TREASURE OF HIS YOUTH: THE PHOTOGRAPHS OF PAOLO DI PAOLO

Coming to theatres today, Friday, December 9:
THE TREASURE OF HIS YOUTH: THE PHOTOGRAPHS OF PAOLO DI PAOLO

Director:
Bruce Weber

World Premiere:
Rome 2021

Select Festivals:
CPH:DOX

About:
A stylish and elegant film about the beauty and grandeur of post-war Italy, and about the photographer who portrayed it.

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Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases

In Theatres: BUNKER

Coming to theatres today, Friday, December 9:
BUNKER

Director:
Jenny Perlin

World Premiere:
Indie Memphis 2021

About:
A look at the lonely lives of American men who have decided to live in decommissioned military bunkers and nuclear missile silos,

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Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases