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 DVD: CLIENT 9: THE RISE AND FALL OF ELIOT SPITZER

Coming to DVD next Tuesday, January 25: CLIENT 9: THE RISE AND FALL OF ELIOT SPITZER

Earlier this month, I wrote about Alex Gibney’s film here.

Buy the DVD here.

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2011 Sundance Docs in Focus: LIFE IN A DAY

The 42nd and final entry in my doc-by-doc look at the 2011 Sundance line-up has already generated a lot of attention: Kevin Macdonald’s LIFE IN A DAY, a YouTube user-generated record of July 24, 2010 around the world.

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2011 Sundance Docs in Focus: THE NINE MUSES

The second of two documentaries in this year’s New Frontier’s on-screen offerings is John Akomfrah’s THE NINE MUSES, a poetic, experimental meditation on the myth of Odysseus, homecoming, and identity.

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2011 Cinema Eye Honors Winners

Tonight’s 4th annual Cinema Eye Honors, recognizing achievements in non-fiction film, saw multiple wins for LAST TRAIN HOME and EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP, with recognition also given to THE OATH, MARWENCOL, THE SOUND OF INSECTS, THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF NICOLAI CEAUSESCU, GASLAND, and more.

For a wrap-up and a full list of winners, check out iW‘s article.

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2011 Sundance Docs in Focus: !WOMEN ART REVOLUTION

Lynn Hershman Leeson brings one of two documentaries to this year’s New Frontier on-screen offerings, !WOMEN ART REVOLUTION, a decades-in-the-making examination of the development of feminist art in the US.

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2011 Sundance Docs in Focus: CORMAN’S WORLD: EXPLOITS OF A HOLLYWOOD REBEL

Alex Stapleton has the only documentary in Park City at Midnight, CORMAN’S WORLD: EXPLOITS OF A HOLLYWOOD REBEL, a love letter to the quintessential independent filmmaker behind such classics as THE LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, HOUSE OF USHER, THE WILD ANGELS, and DEATH RACE 2000.

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2011 Sundance Docs in Focus: GRAB

This year’s Indigenous Showcase features a collection of shorts and Billy Luther’s latest documentary, GRAB, focusing on an annual Laguna Pueblo ceremony.

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On DVD: FREAKONOMICS

Coming to DVD tomorrow, January 18: FREAKONOMICS

I previously profiled the dream team omnibus documentary project upon its theatrical release here.

Buy the DVD here.

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2011 Sundance Docs in Focus: MAGIC TRIP

Best Documentary Oscar winner Alex Gibney, together with Co-Director/Editor Alison Elwood close out the Documentary Premieres section with MAGIC TRIP, a hallucinatory look at Ken Kesey’s LSD-charged 1964 crosscountry road trip.

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2011 Sundance Docs in Focus: THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD

Morgan Spurlock is in the inaugural class of Documentary Premieres filmmakers with his latest film, THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD, a self-reflexive look at product placement, branding, and advertising.

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