New to OVID.tv this week:
A FIERCE GREEN FIRE
Director:
Mark Kitchell
World Premiere:
Sundance 2012
Select Festivals:
Sheffield, Palm Springs, Wild & Scenic, Margaret Mead, Washington DC’s Environmental, San Francisco Green, Boulder
About:
A look back at pivotal episodes in environmental activism.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to DVD/VOD today, Tuesday, December 14:
MAKING SWEET TEA
Director:
John L Jackson Jr, Nora Gross
World Premiere:
Chicago Reeling 2019
Select Festivals:
BlackStar, NewFest, Out on Film, San Diego Black, Kansas City
About:
Southern-born, Black gay researcher and performer E Patrick Johnson comes to terms with his past.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to The WORLD Channel’s America ReFramed today, Tuesday, December 14:
BROOKLYN INSHALLAH
Director:
Ahmed Mansour
World Premiere:
Telluride Mountainfilm 2019
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Chicago Palestine, Toronto Palestine
About:
A Palestinian American Lutheran pastor campaigns for political office in NYC.
The film previously screened at DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
Khader El-Yateem is a Palestinian American, a practicing Lutheran pastor and, he hopes, the first Arab American on the New York City Council. Having grown up amidst conflict before emigrating to the US, Father K works to alleviate the mounting fears of the diverse but marginalized Arab-American community of Bay Ridge following the 2016 presidential election. With the support of political activist Linda Sarsour, he mounts the campaign of a lifetime, taking viewers into the heart of identity politics.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to HBO and HBO Max today, Monday, December 13:
STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET
Director:
Marilyn Agrelo
World Premiere:
Sundance 2021
Select Festivals:
Hot Docs, Seattle, San Francisco
About:
A look back at the origins of the pioneering children’s television powerhouse.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to Showtime tomorrow, Saturday, December 11:
THE REAL CHARLIE CHAPLIN
Director:
James Spinney, Peter Middleton
World Premiere:
Telluride 2021
Select Festivals:
BFI London, Camden, Zurich, Hamptons, AFI Fest
About:
The definitive story of cinema’s most iconic figure, from an impoverished childhood in London through a spectacular rise to fame, and onto the Hollywood limelight and a self-imposed exile.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to theatres today, Friday, December 10:
BEIJING SPRING
Director:
Andy Cohen, Gaylen Ross
World Premiere:
FIFDH 2021 (International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights)
Select Festivals:
Leeds, St Louis, Montreal FIFA, Heartland
About:
An exploration of a brief period of greater freedom of expression in China following Mao’s death, between 1978-1980.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
New to DVD this week:
LOVE IT WAS NOT
Director:
Maya Sarfaty
World Premiere:
Docaviv 2020
Select Festivals:
IDFA, Hot Docs
About:
The unbelievable and tragic love story of Helena, a young Jewish prisoner in Auschwitz, and Austrian SS officer Franz Wunsch.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
The lineup has been announced for the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, taking place in-person in Utah and through seven Satellite Screens across the US, as well as online, January 20-30.
Today’s announcement reveals 80 feature films in the US and World Cinema Documentary and Dramatic Competitions, NEXT, Premieres, Midnight, Spotlight, Kids, Special Screenings, and From the Collection sections, as well as 15 projects in New Frontier and 6 projects in the Indie Episodic Program, and may be found here. Shorts will be announced tomorrow, Friday, December 10.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations, Sundance
New to DVD this week:
FILM ABOUT A FATHER WHO
Director:
Lynne Sachs
World Premiere:
Slamdance 2020
Select Festivals:
Doc Fortnight, Sheffield, Docaviv, Doclisboa, RIDM, Indie Memphis, Sarasota
About:
The filmmaker attempts to make sense of her wayward father.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to Showtime today, Wednesday, December 8:
DIRTY TRICKS
Director:
Daniel Sivan
World Premiere:
Hot Docs 2021
About:
When the best player in the elite competitive level of the card game bridge—a million-dollar cut-throat business—is accused of cheating, the ensuing scandal confounds experts, criminal science, celebrities, and basic belief in this hilarious true-crime thriller.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
what (not) to doc 