AFTERSHOCK
Following the preventable deaths of their partners due to childbirth complications, two bereaved fathers galvanize activists, birth-workers, and physicians to reckon with one of the most pressing American crises of our time – the US maternal health crisis.
Directors/Producers:
Paula Eiselt, Tonya Lewis Lee
Festival Section:
US Documentary Competition
More Info:
Check out the Sundance website for more details by clicking on the film title above.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, January 4:
A.RTIFICIAL I.MMORTALITY
Director:
Ann Shin
World Premiere:
Hot Docs 2021
Select Festivals:
Busan, Warsaw, San Diego Asian, DocEdge, Imagine Science, Calgary
About:
If computers could let you live forever, would you?
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
The 38th Sundance Film Festival will run January 20-30 — in-person in Utah, online, and via seven satellite screens across the US — with an announced lineup of 82 features, 6 episodics, 15 New Frontier projects, 59 new short films, and 40 retrospective short films.
As a Senior Programmer for the Festival, I’m excited for audiences to experience this fantastic slate in a few short weeks. For the purposes of this space, I especially don’t want any of the feature docs and long-form episodic nonfiction to be overlooked. So, starting this coming Monday, I’ll be posting simple, individual pointers to each of these projects in the lead up to the festival, in a feature I’m calling Sundance Don’t Miss Docs.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
New to DVD this week:
CLERK
Director:
Malcolm Ingram
World Premiere:
SXSW 2021
Select Festivals:
Philadelphia
About:
The life and career of filmmaker Kevin Smith.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
New to DVD this week:
FOR AHKEEM
Directors:
Jeremy S Levine and Landon Van Soest
Premiere:
Berlin 2017
Select Festivals:
Nantucket, Hot Docs, Tribeca, Sheffield, AFI Docs, Florida, Montclair, Documentary Edge, DOK.fest Munich, DMZ Docs, Message to Man, Milwaukee, Antenna
About:
An African-American teenage girl strives to graduate from high school.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, December 28:
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.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to PBS’s POV today, Monday, December 27:
UNAPOLOGETIC
Director:
Ashley O’Shay
World Premiere:
BlackStar 2020
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, New Orleans, Black Harvest, St Louis, Cucalorus, Big Sky Doc, Athena, Cleveland, Human Rights Watch, Outfest Fusion
About:
Two fierce abolitionist leaders offer a deep look into the movement for Black Lives.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to VOD today, Friday, December 24:
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.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to HBO Max today, Thursday, December 23:
BEANIE MANIA
Director:
Yemisi Brookes
World Premiere:
HBO Max (December 2021)
About:
An exploration of the popularity of Beanie Babies, the stuffed toys created by Ty Warner that inspired a collecting craze in the late 1990s.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to Discovery+ tomorrow, Thursday, December 23:
DEAD MAN’S SWITCH: A CRYPTO MYSTERY
Director:
Sheona McDonald
World Premiere:
Hot Docs 2021
Select Festivals:
DOXA, Melbourne Doc, Calgary, Rocky Mountain Women’s
About:
A riveting cryptocurrency thriller unraveling the story of a Canadian blockchain wizard who mysteriously died on his honeymoon in India and the fate of his investors’ $200 million.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
what (not) to doc 