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.
January 15, 2013 · 9:45 AM

On VOD: THE ATOMIC STATES OF AMERICA

atomic statesComing to VOD today, Tuesday, January 15: THE ATOMIC STATES OF AMERICA

Don Argott and Sheena M Joyce premiered their look at America’s nuclear power industry at Sundance a year ago. Since then the film has gone on to festival play at Dallas, the Hamptons, Seattle, Ashland, Montclair, and Heartland, among others. Today it becomes available on iTunes, Netflix Streaming, Sundance NOW, Hulu, Vudu, Sony Playstation, XBOX, Snag Films, Amazon Instant, and Google/YouTube.

My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.

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January 14, 2013 · 3:02 PM

2013 Sundance Docs in Focus: WHICH WAY IS THE FRONT LINE FROM HERE?

which way is the front line from hereThe penultimate film in this year’s Documentary Premieres wraps up today’s Sundance profiles: Sebastian Junger’s WHICH WAY IS THE FRONT LINE FROM HERE? THE LIFE AND TIME OF TIM HETHERINGTON

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January 14, 2013 · 2:30 PM

In Theatres: OUR SCHOOL

our_school_ovidiu_marginean-2-webComing to Brooklyn’s reRun Theater this Friday, January 18: OUR SCHOOL

Mona Nicoara and Miruna Coca-Cozma’s look at the attempts to integrate Roma into Romanian schools made its world premiere at Tribeca in 2011. Since then, it has screened extensively, including Visions du Reel, Thessaloniki Doc, United Nations Association, One World, Transylvania, and Silverdocs, picking up the grand jury prize at the latter.

I included the doc in my Tribeca coverage here.

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January 14, 2013 · 1:31 PM

2013 Sundance Docs in Focus: WHEN I WALK

when i walkContinuing my film-by-film look at this year’s Documentary Premieres: Jason DaSilva’s WHEN I WALK, the filmmaker’s candid self-portrait of learning to live with multiple sclerosis.

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January 14, 2013 · 12:01 PM

2013 Sundance Docs in Focus: WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS

we steal secretsAcademy Award-winning director and Sundance alum Alex Gibney’s newest film continues my profiles of this year’s Documentary Premieres section: WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS

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January 14, 2013 · 10:30 AM

On VOD: WE’RE NOT BROKE

Coming to Hulu for free tomorrow, Tuesday, January 15: WE’RE NOT BROKE

Karin Hayes and Victoria Bruce’s incendiary exposé of corporate tax loopholes made its premiere a year ago at Sundance. Its festival circuit included Dallas, the Independent Film Festival Boston, DocAviv, and Montclair, among others. In recognition of the national dialogue around the fiscal cliff, the filmmakers have opted to release the doc for free on Hulu in conjunction with Sundance’s Artist Services program.

My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.

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January 11, 2013 · 4:28 PM

In the Works: ENDLESS BLOCKS OF TIME

An exploration of aging, death, and dying through the lens of self-selecting, specialized retirement communities.

endless blocksCurious about the phenomenon of retirement in America, and noting the erosion of a sense of traditional familial responsibility for caring our elders, filmmaker Davey Field examines the resultant development of manufactured senior communities organized around specific interests tied to various ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, vocational, or identity-based factors. Often organized collectively, the residents take an active role in constructing their own chosen substitute families, and, importantly, setting the terms for the way their later years, and eventual deaths, play out. Continue reading →

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January 11, 2013 · 3:47 PM

Special Screening: FIRST COUSIN ONCE REMOVED

first cousinComing to NYC’s Stranger Than Fiction series at the IFC Center next Tuesday, January 15: FIRST COUSIN ONCE REMOVED

Alan Berliner’s poignant portrait of his mentor’s struggle with Alzheimer’s premiered this past Fall at the New York Film Festival. It went on to screen at IDFA, where it picked up the fests top award.

I wrote about the doc out of the New York Film Festival here.

Note: Tuesday’s screening will feature a Q&A with Berliner.

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January 11, 2013 · 3:02 PM

2013 Sundance Docs in Focus: SOUND CITY

sound cityThis week’s Documentary Premieres profiles wrap up with the second of two odes to music recording studios: Dave Grohl’s SOUND CITY

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January 11, 2013 · 1:31 PM

2013 Sundance Docs in Focus: RUNNING FROM CRAZY

running from crazyKicking off the second half of this year’s Documentary Premieres: Barbara Kopple’s RUNNING FROM CRAZY, a portrait of a famed family and its struggle with mental illness.

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