The second day of DOC NYC‘s panel series, Doc-A-Thon, focuses on post-production. All of these masterclasses take place at the IFC Center next Tuesday, November 19: Continue reading
Category Archives: Documentary
2013 DOC NYC in Focus: Doc-A-Thon Day 2 – Finish Your Doc
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
On DVD/VOD: RISING FROM ASHES
Coming to DVD/VOD today, Tuesday, November 12: RISING FROM ASHES
TC Johnstone’s chronicle of Rwandan competitive cycling had its world premiere at the Hamptons last year. It went on to screen at fests in Denver, the Bahamas, Dallas, Austin, RiverRun, and Santa Barbara, among others, and to enjoy a limited theatrical release this Summer.
I previously wrote about the doc upon its theatrical release here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
2013 DOC NYC in Focus: THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
My third DOC NYC shorts program focuses on younger protagonists – from pre-adolescents to young adults.
DOC NYC Program Description:
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT:
Wednesday, November 20 at 7:15pm
These five shorts capture the honesty and wisdom of youth. Cancer upends a dancer’s dreams in LIKE A DANCE (USA, 6 min., Jill Orschel). FOLLOW MY STEPS (USA, 16 min., Andrew Hida) details a friendship between a 13-year-old and a 21-year-old, bonded by physical disability. An undocumented young woman shares her story in I WAS BORN IN MEXICO, BUT…(USA, 12 min., Corey Ohama). Classroom and playground culture clash when a young Native American boy moves to Norway in EAGLE BOY (Norway, 27 min., Gry Elisabeth Mortensen). A group of Native children guide strangers through their remote island community in DOGS ON A BEACH (Canada, 23 min., Spencer Gilley & Andrew Hovi). (85 min. total)
Why You Should Attend:
These portraits cover everything from health issues and immigration to identity and culture differences – all from the perspectives of disarmingly astute and open young men and women.
More Info:
To purchase tickets, follow the link from the program page by clicking on the program title above.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
On Cable: THE TEAM
Coming to Al Jazeera America Presents tomorrow afternoon, Tuesday, November 12: THE TEAM
Patrick Reed’s exploration of the social impact of a soap opera in Kenya debuted at IDFA in 2010. It went on to screen at Full Frame, Hot Docs, Tallinn Black Nights, Human Rights Watch, London Doc, Kenya, and Silverdocs, among others.
I previously wrote about the doc out of Silverdocs here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
In Theatres & On VOD: MEDORA
Currently in theatres and coming to VOD tomorrow, Tuesday, November 12: MEDORA
Andrew Cohn and Davy Rothbart’s high school basketball underdog story made its debut earlier this year at SXSW. It went on to screen at Sarasota, Full Frame, Woods Hole, Sidewalk, Raindance, and Woodstock, among others. The doc opened in NYC and LA last weekend, and expands to several other cities this Friday and through the end of the year. FilmBuff makes the film available via iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Vudu, PlayStation, and XBOX.
Indiana is famed for its obsession with basketball, but in smalltown Medora, the sport, like the town, has seen better days, as demonstrated in Cohn and Rothbart’s appealing microcosmic study. Once again, the Medora Hornets are well on their way to another winless high school season. As varsity players are profiled over the course of the year, it’s clear that victory on the court represents so much more than a game for not only these charismatic young underdogs, but also for their struggling community. Like its thematic antecedent, UNDEFEATED, the doc uses high school athletics to reveal a larger story – here about the recession and its impact on smalltown communities – rather than simply being content with telling a story about winning and losing a game.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On DVD: DOIN’ IT IN THE PARK: PICK-UP BASKETBALL, NYC
Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, November 12: DOIN’ IT IN THE PARK: PICK-UP BASKETBALL, NYC
Kevin Couliau and Bobbito Garcia’s chronicle of urban hoops debuted at the San Francisco Black Film Festival. Additional stops on the fest circuit included Urbanworld, Philadelphia Awesome Festival, New Jersey, and Toronto’s Regent Park, as well as limited theatrical engagements.
I previously wrote about the doc upon its theatrical release here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
2013 DOC NYC in Focus: Doc-A-Thon Day 1 – Shoot Your Doc
While I wasn’t responsible for programming Doc-A-Thon, DOC NYC‘s panel series, this year, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Each day is focused on a different part of the filmmaking process, and includes four masterclasses or special discussions with leading documentary filmmakers and industry representatives, all taking place between 10:30am-5:00pm at the IFC Center, beginning next Monday, November 18.
Monday’s Day 1 begins with the essentials of production: Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
On Cable: ANIMISM: PEOPLE WHO LOVE OBJECTS
Coming to Logo’s WHAT!? doc series tonight, Monday, November 11: ANIMISM: PEOPLE WHO LOVE OBJECTS
Bill Spahic’s exploration of people who develop feelings for objects made its world premiere on Canadian television in September. The Logo airing marks its US debut.
Spahic’s subjects identify as Objectum-Sexuals, an unfortunately clunky-sounding term that has helped to unite a small subculture of individuals who manifest strong emotional and romantic attraction to inanimate objects. Like Angela Tucker’s (A)SEXUAL, which deals with people who express no sexual desire at all, this doc in some part serves the purpose of trying to validate this still relatively obscure population to the mainstream. Unlike the earlier film, what Spahic’s lacks is a strong central figure, so what results is basically a meandering survey that never gets particularly deep, following five figures: a woman who repairs and marries a carnival ride, a man who has sex with his car, a woman in a long distance relationship with the Statue of Liberty, a priest excommunicated for loving his soundboard, and a woman who married the Eiffel Tower, but finds herself falling for the Berlin Wall. While genuinely curious, the doc profiles too many characters for its limited running time, and skirts close to the exploitative edge in that the viewer is never given much of a chance to understand these people as anything but OS. Still, it’s clearly a sympathetic portrait that successfully engages the audience to learn about something that they otherwise might not encounter.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
2013 DOC NYC in Focus: MAN & BEAST
The second DOC NYC shorts program I curated this year explores the bonds that exist between people and their pets, livestock, or zoo animals.
DOC NYC Program Description:
MAN & BEAST:
Saturday, November 16 at 1:45pm
People and their animals. A Bedouin sheepherder contemplates moving his family to the city in FACES (Jordan, 16 min., Said Najmi). HERD IN ICELAND (USA, 28 min., Lindsay Blatt & Paul Taggart) chronicles the annual roundup of the country’s purebred horses, after a summer roaming free. OF COWS AND MEN (USA, 4 min., Emily Fraser) follows a dairy farmer during difficult economic times. Man and bird unite in the deserts of Pakistan in DISARMING FALCONS (USA, 15 min., Wendy Johnson & Annie Nocenti). PAST THEIR PRIME (USA, 23 min., Becca Friedman) explores the lives of geriatric zoo animals. (86 min. total)
Why You Should Attend:
Who doesn’t love animals? Beyond cats and dogs, these films offer insight into the rapport we share with the wild kingdom, from birds of prey to aging rhinos and apes.
More Info:
To purchase tickets, follow the link from the program page by clicking on the program title above.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
2013 DOC NYC in Focus: PEOPLE & PLACES
Like last year, I’ve once again curated six collections of short films for DOC NYC in my role as Senior Programmer. This first program looks at interactions between individuals and their habitats, from stories of underground living to the efforts of city dwellers to work with nature.
DOC NYC Program Description:
PEOPLE & PLACES:
Saturday, November 16 at 11:30am
Unexpected environments. A BEAUTIFUL WASTE (USA, 6 min., Jon Kasbe) explores NYC’s vibrant sewer system, while men reflect on their time living in the tunnels under LOST VEGAS (USA, 24 min., Steve Birnbaum). WHITE BLAZE (USA, 22 min., Brian Bolster) profiles a trail angel who helps Appalachian Trail hikers. An artist becomes walking artwork to add color to grey NYC in ON BLOOMING ART (USA, 6 min., Cathryne Czubek). NEW YORK TIMES (USA, 12 min., Dana O’Keefe) is a city symphony in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Urban farming takes to the rooftop in BROOKLYN FARMER (USA, 27 min., Michael Tyburski).
Why You Should Attend:
There’s an element of surprise and discovery to these films, sometimes disarming, other times more understated. Together, they present a focus on spaces and how we respond to them and in them.
More Info:
To purchase tickets, follow the link from the program page by clicking on the program title above.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
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