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 TV: REVOLUTION FROM AFAR

Coming to The WORLD Channel’s AfroPoP series tonight, Thursday, May 5:
REVOLUTION FROM AFAR

Director:
Bentley Brown

World Premiere:
Sudan Independent 2020

Select Festivals:
DC Black, Cinemambulante, New York African, Zanzaibar, Hip Hop, Denver

About:
Through performance and conversation, Sudanese-American poets and musicians explore third culture identity and the revolution in Sudan.

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Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases

Streaming: THE BIG CONN

Coming to Apple TV+ this Friday, May 6:
THE BIG CONN

Director:
James Lee Hernandez, Brian Lazarte

World Premiere:
SXSW 2022

About:
A docuseries revealing the unbelievable true story of the larger-than-life attorney, Eric C Conn, who stole over half a billion dollars in the largest Social Security fraud case in history.

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Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases

In Theatres & On VOD: WUHAN WUHAN

Coming to theatres and VOD this Friday, May 6:
WUHAN WUHAN

Director:
Yung Chang

World Premiere:
Hot Docs 2021

Select Festivals:
CAAMFest, DOXA, Los Angeles Asian Pacific, Sarasota, Milwaukee, Minnesota-St Paul, DocEdge, Sebastopol Doc

About:
A look at Wuhan, China, at the peak of the pandemic lockdown, revealing the emotions and resilience at the core of our shared humanity.

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Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases

On TV: DAUGHTER OF A LOST BIRD

Coming to The WORLD Channel’s America Reframed tomorrow, Thursday, May 5:
DAUGHTER OF A LOST BIRD

Director:
Brooke Pepion Swaney

World Premiere:
Hot Docs 2021

Select Festivals:
Milwaukee, Atlanta, Seattle, ImagineNative, Big Sky Doc, Human Rights Watch, Cleveland, Heartland, Woodstock, Vancouver

About:
A woman, raised by an adopted white family since she was a baby, discovers her Native identity.

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Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases

Streaming: DECADE OF FIRE

Coming to OVID.tv today, Tuesday, May 3:
DECADE OF FIRE

Directors:
Vivian Vazquez, Gretchen Hildebran

World Premiere:
DOC NYC 2018

Select Festivals:
Full Frame, Cleveland, Chicago Latino, Harlem, Maryland

About:
A Bronx native revisits the truth behind the boroughs rash of arson in the 1970s.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases

On DVD: SINCE I BEEN DOWN

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, April 3:
SINCE I BEEN DOWN

Director:
Gilda Sheppard

World Premiere:
Cleveland 2020

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Big Sky, Freep, Sebastopol Doc, Portland, Thin Line, Montreal Black

About:
Despite serving life without parole, a man works to improve others’ lives. 

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases

On TV: FLOOD IN THE DESERT

Coming to PBS’s American Experience tonight, Tuesday, February 3:
FLOOD IN THE DESERT

Director:
Rob Rapley

World Premiere:
American Experience broadcast (May 2022)

About:
The story of the 1928 St Francis Dam disaster, which cost human lives, property damage, and jeopardized plans to transform the West.

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Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases

Streaming: NAILA AND THE UPRISING

Coming to OVID.tv tomorrow, Tuesday, May 3:
NAILA AND THE UPRISING

Director:
Julia Bacha

Premiere:
DOC NYC 2017

Select Festivals:
IDFA, Dubai, Human Rights Watch, Movies That Matter, Cleveland, It’s All True, Fajr, Seattle, Durban, SF Jewish, Global Peace, St Louis

About:
The untold story of the women behind the First Intifada.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases

Special Screening: BOYCOTT

Coming to NYC’s Pure Nonfiction series tomorrow, Tuesday, May 3:
BOYCOTT

Director:
Julia Bacha

World Premiere:
DOC NYC 2021

Select Festivals:
SXSW, Hot Docs, Big Sky Doc, Human Rights Watch, DocLands, Atlanta, Milwaukee

About:
A look at the recent explosion of laws designed to penalize Americans who push boycotts against Israel.

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Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations

On TV: TRY HARDER!

Coming to PBS’s Independent Lens tonight, Monday, May 2:
TRY HARDER!

Director:
Debbie Lum

World Premiere:
Sundance 2021

Select Festivals:
Nantucket, AFI Docs, Full Frame, CAAMFest, Milwaukee, Provincetown, Los Angeles Asian Pacific, Philadelphia, Virginia

About:
The graduating class of a competitive San Francisco High School is followed through its harrowing college application process.

I previously wrote about the doc before Sundance here.

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