Category Archives: Documentary

Coming to theatres today, Friday, June 24: FROM THIS DAY FORWARD

Sharon Shattuck’s personal reflection on her transgender father debuted at Full Frame last year. Additional screenings include DOC NYC, AFI Docs, Hot Docs, Framline, Outfest, Camden, Sarasota, Traverse City, Hot Springs Doc, Anchorage, and LGBT fests in Seattle, Austin, North Carolina, and Milwaukee, among others.

I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
On the eve of her own wedding, Sharon Shattuck seeks to understand the relationship between her parents in this revealing portrait of an unorthodox family. When she was in middle school, Shattuck’s father came out as transgender, taking the name Trisha, yet remained married to the filmmaker’s straight-identified mother, Marcia. With sensitivity and affection, the film explores Trisha’s transformation, its repercussions on her family, and the complexity and resilience of love and marriage.

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, June 24: BREAKING A MONSTER

Luke Meyer’s portrait of a teenage band’s breakout made its bow at SXSW last year. Its extensive fest circuit has also included Hot Docs, Sheffield, BAMcinemaFest, Sydney, Traverse City, Melbourne, Camden, Mill Valley, CPH:DOX, RIDM, Big Sky Doc, IndieLisboa, and Durban, among other events.

Unlocking the Truth is an aspiring heavy metal/speed punk band with a couple of key differences – first, despite the music genres’ usual demographics, the trio is African American; and second, they’re 7th graders. After they achieve acclaim via a viral video of a street performance in Times Square, Alec, Malcolm, and Jarad’s stars are on the rise. They land a $1.8 million deal with Sony, and take on a new manager, Alan Sacks, to usher them through the ins and outs of their newfound status as professional musicians. As Meyer’s largely observational film demonstrates, the reality of the record industry is not quite the fairy tale that aspiring musicians might dream of – the boys are shuttled from meeting to meeting, subjected to label demands around marketing and branding, with their frustration and confusion palpable at times. They make for a compelling contrast with Sacks, a 70-year-old entertainment industry veteran, and together provide an insightful, and troubling, look at an industry that seems to remain unable to adapt and instead continues to alienate artists.

Coming to NYC’s Made in New York Media Center as part of its Screen Forward series starting tomorrow, Friday, June 24: T-REX

Drea Cooper and Zackary Canepari’s look at a boxer’s Olympic dreams debuted at SXSW last year. It went on to screen at Hot Docs, New Orleans, San Francisco, Traverse City, Camden, Hot Springs Doc, DOK Leipzig, Cucalorus, Athena, and Atlantic, among others.

I previously wrote about the film here.

Coming to Epix tonight, Wednesday, June 22: SERENA

Ryan White’s portrait of the tennis champion debuted at Sheffield earlier this month. It will also screen at the upcoming Nantucket Film Festival this weekend.

I previously wrote about the doc for the Nantucket program, saying:
Serena Williams won her first major championship tennis title in 1999, and she hasn’t stopped winning since. Seventeen years later, she has claimed more than 20 Grand Slam titles and four Olympic gold medals. How does the international sports icon, considered by many the greatest tennis player of all time, handle the pressure? In this revealing portrait of perseverance, Ryan White follows Serena as she looks poised to complete a calendar slam by winning four Grand Slams in a single year for the first time since Steffi Graf managed that feat in 1988.

Coming to DVD and VOD today, Tuesday, June 21: ORIENTED

Jake Witzenfeld’s profile of gay Palestinians in Tel Aviv had its world premiere at Sheffield last year. Screenings have followed at Los Angeles, Cleveland, Nashville, QDoc, Seattle Jewish, Other Israel, Chicago Palestine, Seret London, and Workers Unite, among other events. It now comes to DVD as well as to VOD platforms including iTunes, Indemand, Amazon, Google Play, and Dish.

I previously wrote about the film here.