Returning to POV for an encore broadcast on Tuesday, June 7: THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA: DANIEL ELLSBERG AND THE PENTAGON PAPERS
This broadcast commemorates the 40th anniversary of the release of the Pentagon Papers and serves as a pre-season special before POV’s 24th season debuts on June 21. I wrote about Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith’s Oscar-nominated film prior to its POV premiere last fall here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations
Coming to NY and Washington DC Landmark cinemas next Friday, June 3: THE LAST MOUNTAIN
Director Bill Haney’s environmentally focused film zeroes in on controversial coal mining practices and the activists who are working to prevent them. Following its exclusive engagements in NY and DC, the doc is expanding to select cities through the rest of the summer. For my take on the film before its world premiere at Sundance, click here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Releases, Sundance
I’ve been meaning to post on Sheffield Doc/Fest for about a week or so now, but have kept on being distracted. Sadly, I won’t be attending, so perhaps that’s added to the delay. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to go to my first Doc/Fest next year – we’ll see.
In any case, I’ve been jealous of those who have been able to partake in this festival for many years. Until this year, the event has been firmly placed in the Fall’s doc fest cluster, together with CPH:Dox and IDFA, as well as newcomer DOC NYC, making it pretty difficult for me to attend given that it’s prime Sundance screening time. With this edition, Sheffield has made the move to June, holding this year’s festival a remarkable scant seven months since the last edition. Kudos to the festival’s team, especially Festival Director Heather Croall and Programmer Hussain Currimbhoy, on putting together a comprehensive program in such a tight time frame.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Kicking off NYC’s Stranger Than Fiction’s first Summer Season with a special pre-season screening next Thursday, June 2: BOBBY FISCHER AGAINST THE WORLD
Acclaimed director Liz Garbus premiered her biography of chess wunderkind Fischer at the beginning of the year at Sundance. The film has gone on to screen at numerous festivals, with Garbus picking up an award at Newport Beach recently, and will be kicking off the HBO Documentary Films Summer Series on June 6.
See my pre-Sundance profile of the film here.
Note: Director Liz Garbus will be present for a post-screening Q&A.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
Coming to NYC’s IFC Center next Wednesday, June 1: !WOMEN ART REVOLUTION
Lynn Hershman Leeson spent decades making this look at feminist art in the US, bringing the film to Toronto for its premiere last year, and to Sundance for its US premiere in January. I wrote about the film before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases, Sundance
Coming to NYC’s Stranger Than Fiction next Tuesday, May 31: BUCK
Cindy Meehl’s portrait of a horse whisperer has been charming audiences and critics alike since its premiere at Sundance, where it picked up the Documentary Audience Award. It picked up the same prize at Full Frame a couple of months later. I wrote about the film before Sundance here.
Note: Director Cindy Meehl will be present for a post-screening Q&A at STF.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations
My latest round of curation of Hulu documentaries for iW looks at portraits of fascinating individuals – from a self-help guru to a drug-addicted prostitute to a weeping ex-televangelist.
For more information about the selections, see my iW article.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Indiewire @ Hulu Docs, Recommendations
Coming to DVD next Tuesday, May 24: A SMALL ACT
Since premiering it at last year’s Sundance, Jennifer Arnold has taken her film around the world, winning jury and audience awards while sharing the story of Hilde Back and Chris Mburu. After its successful festival, theatrical, and broadcast run, the doc will finally be available on DVD.
My thoughts on Arnold’s inspirational film can be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases, Sundance
Coming to HBO for its cable premiere next Thursday, May 26: HOW TO DIE IN OREGON
Like his previous film, CLEAR CUT: THE STORY OF PHILOMATH, OREGON, director Peter D Richardson premiered his sophomore film at Sundance, where it won the Documentary Grand Jury Prize. It has since gone on to screen at SXSW and Hot Docs, and picked up additional awards at Full Frame and Ashland Independent.
I wrote about Richardson’s powerful, emotional film in the lead up to Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases, Sundance
Coming to Brooklyn’s reRun Gastropub Theater for a week run beginning this Friday, May 20: LIFE 2.0
Jason Springarn-Koff’s debut documentary feature, an eye-opening look at Second Life, had its world premiere at Sundance last year before screening at a number of notable festivals, including SXSW, Sarasota, San Francisco, CPH:DOX, and Philadelphia, where it picked up the Best Documentary Feature award. It will be part of Oprah’s Documentary Club on OWN this August.
Plunging headlong into Second Life’s user-generated virtual online world, Springarn-Koff finds four subjects whose avatars are experiencing very different lives than they’ve been able to in the real world – a romantically involved couple who, in reality, have separate spouses and families on whom they are virtually cheating; a woman who seems to make the bulk of her real world income by selling her virtual designer clothes and homes to other Second Life users, never having to leave her home; and a Second Life addict who explored cross-gender role playing to a disturbing degree, driving a wedge in his real world relationship. By focusing on these intriguing characters rather than on the technology in and of itself, this compelling film successfully pulls off one important feat – more than speaking to the converted who already have their own avatars and virtual adventures, LIFE 2.0 engages audience members who have neither been on Second Life nor have ever had the inclination to spend any time there.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
