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.
December 18, 2018 · 12:01 PM

On DVD: FAHRENHEIT 11/9

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, December 18:
FAHRENHEIT 11/9

Director:
Michael Moore

Premiere:
Toronto 2018

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Busan, London, Tokyo, Docslisboa

About:
Provocateur Michael Moore takes the temperature of America’s polarized political landscape.

The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
“One of Moore’s best and most incisively funny films” (Rolling Stone) seeks to understand the rise of Donald Trump and the resistance against him. The filmmaker employs his trademark satire to span multiple topics including the Flint water crisis and a stinging critique of corruption among both Republicans and Democrats. He shines a light on insurgent politicians such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib along with the youthful activism stirred by Parkland students.

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December 17, 2018 · 6:15 PM

91st Oscars: Best Documentary Shortlist Announced

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced the Best Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Short Subject shortlists today. Congratulations to all the filmmakers – in particular all of the Sundance, DOC NYC, and Nantucket Film Festival alumni represented.

The official lists are below, with links to my previous coverage, where applicable. The final nominees will be announced on January 22.

Documentary Feature:

CHARM CITY

COMMUNION

CRIME + PUNISHMENT

DARK MONEY

THE DISTANT BARKING OF DOGS

FREE SOLO

HALE COUNTY THIS MORNING, THIS EVENING

MINDING THE GAP

OF FATHERS & SONS

ON HER SHOULDERS

RBG

SHIRKERS

THE SILENCE OF OTHERS

THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS

WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Documentary Short Subject:
’63 BOYCOTT
BLACK SHEEP
END GAME
LIFEBOAT
LOS COMANDOS
MY DEAD DAD’S PORNO TAPES
A NIGHT AT THE GARDEN
PERIOD. END OF SENTENCE.
WOMEN OF THE GULAG
ZION

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

December 17, 2018 · 3:02 PM

On TV: MAN ON FIRE

Coming to PBS’s Independent Lens tonight, Monday, December 17:
MAN ON FIRE

Director:
Joel Fendelman

Premiere:
Slamdance 2018

Select Festivals:
Big Sky Doc, Indie Grits, Atlanta, Newport Beach, Sidewalk, Hot Springs Doc, St Louis

About:
The self-immolation of a local pastor forces a small Texan town to reckon with its history of racism.

In 2014, Charles Moore, a minister born and raised in Grand Saline TX set himself on fire, leaving behind a letter calling for the community to repent for its long history of mistreatment of African Americans. The film presents the steps leading to this action in belabored, slo-mo re-enactments, with some context provided through interviews with family members, friends, and community members. Older members of the community seem to be in denial about any allegations of racism or of the clear self-segregation that has resulted in the town being virtually absent of black people, while some younger residents seem more conflicted, and African Americans living outside of Grand Saline share their feelings of not being welcome there. Clocking in at under an hour, Fendelman’s earnest project feels more like a padded short than a fully developed feature, with the re-enactments serving as an unfortunate ponderous crutch that prevents a deeper dive into the core issues.

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December 17, 2018 · 1:31 PM

On TV: FAIL STATE

Coming to Starz tonight, Monday, December 17:
FAIL STATE

Director:
Alexander Shebanow

Premiere:
Austin 2017

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Big Sky, SXSW EDU, Cleveland, Nashville, Brooklyn

About:
An exposé of predatory for-profit colleges.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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December 17, 2018 · 12:01 PM

On TV: BLEED OUT

Coming to HBO tonight, Monday, December 17:
BLEED OUT

Director:
Steve Burrows

Premiere:
DOC NYC 2018

About:
The filmmaker seeks justice for his mother, who suffers catastrophic complications after routine surgery.

The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
Medical error is the third leading cause of death in the US. Comedic director Steve Burrows’ mom is a victim of this sloppy medical system when a routine hip replacement surgery lands her in coma with permanent brain damage. Seeking justice, her son takes on the Goliath of corporate medicine in this legal drama meets medical mystery. The result is a cautionary tale about the future of our profit-driven healthcare system.

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December 14, 2018 · 3:02 PM

On VOD: DRUG$: THE PRICE WE PAY

Coming to VOD tomorrow, Saturday, December 15:
DRUG$: THE PRICE WE PAY

Director:
Jonathan Marshall Thompson

Premiere:
NYC theatrical (December 2018)

About:
An exploration of the power and influence of Big Pharma in fixing drug prices.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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December 14, 2018 · 1:31 PM

In Theatres: THAT WAY MADNESS LIES…

Coming to theatres today, Friday, December 14:
THAT WAY MADNESS LIES…

Director:
Sandra Luckow

Premiere:
Northwest Film Center (May 2017)

Select Festivals:
Hot Springs Women’s, Richmond

About:
The filmmaker is drawn into the financial, emotional, and legal mess of her brother’s mental health issues.

Over several years, filmmaker Sandra Luckow increasingly has to step up to deal with the cascading consequences of her 40something brother Duanne’s untreated mental health problems. Though always something of a misfit, particularly in any matters relating to women, Duanne was a capable small-business owner and talented classic car restorer, owned a home, and had a few close male friends. In a short time span, he lost everything, was pitted against his sister, and was committed involuntarily to the Oregon State Hospital. Before things went totally south, Sandra begins filming him, hoping this would help her make sense of his condition and help him admit his problems, as his own interest in filmmaking as a teen inspired Sandra to work in the medium. Over time, however, he moves from being a willing participant to an adversary, as the scope of his sickness is revealed and his resistance to being classified as mentally ill grows, despite engaging in increasingly damaging behaviors that threaten not only himself but his parents’ financial security. While the story has a number of disturbing and unexpected twists and turns that make it compellingly watchable at times, as well as revealing about the sorry state of our society’s willingness to properly contend with mental health issues, Luckow’s filmmaking approach unfortunately drags the project down. Given that she is a key part of the story, it’s unavoidable that Luckow have an onscreen presence, but she overdoes it by half, excessively and superfluously narrating and filming herself, resulting in an uncinematic documentary.

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December 14, 2018 · 12:01 PM

In Theatres: LOTS OF KIDS, A MONKEY AND A CASTLE

Coming to theatres today, Friday, December 14:
LOTS OF KIDS, A MONKEY AND A CASTLE

Director:
Gustavo Salmerón

Premiere:
Karlovy Vary 2017

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Toronto, IDFA, London, Sydney, Melbourne, Hamptons, Camden, San Sebastian, San Francisco, Docaviv, Encounters

About:
A film about the director’s eccentric mother as she reacts to the loss of one of her dreams.

The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
Spanish actor Gustavo Salmerón makes his directorial debut with a winsome, freewheeling family portrait. As a newlywed, his mother Julita made three wishes: she wanted lots of kids, a monkey, and a castle. She got them all with the help of a windfall inheritance. After an economic downturn, Julita is forced to sell the castle and unpack all its mysteries. Salmerón has created a boisterous, hilarious, and profoundly affectionate film.

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December 13, 2018 · 1:31 PM

On TV: INTO THE OKAVANGO

Coming to National Geographic Wild tomorrow, Friday, December 14:
INTO THE OKAVANGO

Director:
Neil Gelinas

Premiere:
Tribeca 2018

Select Festivals:
Sheffield, Mountainfilm, Warsaw, Virginia, Los Cabos, Tahoe

About:
An expedition through Botswana’s biodiverse Okavango Delta.

One of the last few areas of pristine wetland wilderness, the Okavango Delta is home to a diverse range of animal species. Concerned that the freshwater rivers that sustain the habitat are under threat, South African conservation biologist Steve Boyes gathers a team to explore the Cuito River over a 121 days. As shown in Gelinas beautifully lensed chronicle of their voyage, not all goes to plan, with obstacles of all types emerging, from a dried up river to an angry hippopotamus. Still, along the way, the group makes discoveries both promising and worrying, lending an urgent note to this well-made project.

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December 13, 2018 · 12:01 PM

In Theatres & On VOD: THE INSUFFERABLE GROO

Coming to select theatres and to VOD tomorrow, Friday, December 14:
THE INSUFFERABLE GROO

Director:
Scott Christopherson

Premiere:
Sheffield 2018

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Sydney Underground, Calgary Underground

About:
A behind-the-scenes look at the life and work of a low-budget auteur.

I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
Stephen Groo is a self-proclaimed auteur, narrowing in on his 200th film in 20 years. His oeuvre of outlandishly awful genre films has managed to attract admirers like NAPOLEON DYNAMITE’s Jared Hess and Jack Black, but the Utah-based director has never made a dime off of his work, leaving his wife to provide for their family of four small boys. As Groo attempts to make his latest opus, his narcissism threatens to prove his undoing in this entertaining look at low-budget guerrilla filmmaking.

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