Coming to theatres and VOD today, Friday, June 3:
WE ARE THE THOUSAND
Director:
Anita Rivaroli
World Premiere:
SXSW 2020 (unscreened)
Select Festivals:
IDFA, Hot Docs, Melbourne, Docs Against Gravity, Thessaloniki Doc
About:
An uplifting, inspiring, and emotional music documentary about a seemingly impossible plan to record a song by the Foo Fighters with a thousand musicians.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to PBS’s American Masters tomorrow, Friday, June 3:
JOE PAPP IN FIVE ACTS
Director:
Tracie Holder, Karen Thorsen
World Premiere:
Tribeca 2012
Select Festivals:
AFI Docs, Rio, Brisbane, Ashland, San Francisco Jewish, Havana
About:
A portrait of the founder of The Public Theater, who believed in the democratization of theatre for all, spearheading free performances of Shakespeare in the Park and producing groundbreaking plays in his legendary NYC venue.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to NYC’s Rooftop Films this Friday, June 3:
THE JANES
Director:
Tia Lessin, Emma Pildes
World Premiere:
Sundance 2022
Select Festivals:
San Francisco, Cleveland, Athena, Minneapolis-St Paul
About:
The story of “Jane,” a group of women in Chicago who built an underground service for women seeking safe, affordable, and illegal abortions before Roe v Wade.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations
New to DVD this week:
THE RELUCTANT RADICAL
Director:
Lindsey Grayzel
World Premiere:
Big Sky Doc 2018
Select Festivals:
Guth Gafa, Salem, Ashland, Princeton Environmental, Thin Line, Planet in Focus, Wild & Scenic
About:
An activist combats climate change by facing off against the fossil fuel industry, ultimately breaking the law to make a stand for future generations.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to Starz tomorrow, Wednesday, June 1:
WORKHORSE QUEEN
Director:
Angela Washko
World Premiere:
Slamdance 2021
Select Festivals:
Calgary Underground, San Francisco Doc, DocEdge, Florida, Milwaukee, LGBT fests in Austin, Tel Aviv, Vancouver
About:
After being cast on RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE, 47-year old suburban telemarketer Ed Popil leaves his job to pursue a full-time entertainment industry career as his drag queen alter ego, 1960s era housewife Mrs Kasha Davis.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to DVD and VOD tomorrow, Tuesday, May 31:
THE WOBBLIES
Director:
Stewart Bird, Deborah Shaffer
World Premiere:
New York Film Festival 1979
About:
The story of radical labor union the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), better known as the Wobblies, which championed the formation of “one big union” for all unskilled laborers, regardless of their race and gender.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to CNN tonight, Monday, May 30:
JULIA
Director:
Julie Cohen, Betsy West
World Premiere:
Telluride 2021
Select Festivals:
Toronto, DOC NYC, Hamptons, Chicago, AFI Fest, Mill Valley, Philadelphia, Woodstock, Heartland
Notable Recognition:
The doc was shortlisted for the Academy Awards.
About:
A portrait of the trailblazing, exuberant chef who filled TV screens for decades.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to Disney+ today, Friday, May 27:
WE FEED PEOPLE
Director:
Ron Howard
World Premiere:
SXSW 2022
About:
The story of renowned chef José Andrés and his nonprofit World Central Kitchen’s evolution over a 12 year period.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to theatres today, Friday, May 27:
FANNY: THE RIGHT TO ROCK
Director:
Bobbi Jo Hart
World Premiere:
Hot Docs 2021
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, DOXA, Inside Out, Frameline, Outfest, Los Angeles Asian Pacific, Santa Barbara, Athena, Cleveland, In-Edit, Hawaii, Doc’n Roll, Woodstock, Florida
About:
Ferocious female rockers Fanny, who shattered glass ceilings in the ’70s, collecting fans like David Bowie before being buried in retro record bins, reunite fifty years later with a new record deal and a chance to rewrite history.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to DVD tomorrow, Friday, May 27:
ROMANTIC ROAD
Director:
Oliver McGarvey
World Premiere:
Edmonton 2017
Select Festivals:
DocPoint Tallinn, DocPoint Helsinki
About:
A long-married British couple take a six-month trip, driving their old 1936 Rolls Royce through rural India.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
what (not) to doc 