Category Archives: Overviews

The Film Society of Lincoln Center presents its annual Film Comment Selects series starting tonight, Friday, February 17. The 17th edition, which runs through Thursday, February 23, presents an eclectic mix of new and retrospective work, including four documentary or hybrid features:

More recent work includes Terrence Malick’s VOYAGE OF TIME (pictured), presented in a shorter, music-focused, ultra-widescreen IMAX version; Wang Bing’s BITTER MONEY, a portrait of migrant Chinese garment workers; and Michał Marczak’s hybrid ALL THESE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, following Polish twentysomethings in their nocturnal adventures. The series also presents a screening of Louis Malle’s 1985 GOD’S COUNTRY, in which the filmmaker visits a farming community in the midst of economic crisis.

The 14th Big Sky Documentary Film Festival begins tomorrow, Friday, February 17, and runs through Sunday, February 26. Nerly 60 new and recent feature documentaries will screen, in addition to an extensive selection of retrospective programming celebrating the work of Daniel Junge and EyeSteelFilm. Films are presented in more than a dozen thematic strands, some of which noted below. Continue reading →

Tomorrow, Thursday, February 16, kicks off the 16th edition of Documentary Fortnight, MoMA’s annual showcase of nonfiction, with Rahul Jain’s Sundance award-winner MACHINES, an observational portrait of Indian factory workers. More than a dozen other recent features will screen before the event wraps on Sunday, February 26, in addition to retrospective work and shorts.

Among the world premieres are Lynne Sachs’ TIP OF MY TONGUE, which gathers a group of friends to reflect on the past fifty years; Lee Breuer’s THE BOOK OF CLARENCE, on one of the founders of the music group The Blind Boys of Alabama; Abigail Child’s ACTS & INTERMISSIONS, an experimental portrait of Emma Goldman; and Sam Wainwright Douglas’s THROUGH THE REPELLENT FENCE: A LAND ART FILM (pictured), about an art installation on the US/Mexico border.

Manuel Abramovich’s SOLAR, about the complicated story behind a messianic Argentine bestseller; and Paul Kaiser, Marc Downie, Ken Jacobs, and Flo Jacobs’ ULYSSES IN THE SUBWAY (pictured), which transforms the sounds of a NYC subway ride into a 3D rendering, both make their North American debuts. NYC premieres include Shahrbanoo Sadat’s hybrid WOLF AND SHEEP, on an Afghan shepherd community; and Jiu-liang Wang’s Sundance alum PLASTIC CHINA, a look at lives intersecting in a Chinese recycling factory.

The Berlinale kicks off its 67th edition tomorrow, Thursday, February 9. Approximately 230 new features, as well as numerous shorts and retrospective works will unspool before the festival closes on Sunday, February 19, including nearly 80 doc features, with a selection of highlights noted below: Continue reading →

Earlier today, SXSW supplemented their main features announcement from last week with a number of additional film selections, including the reveal of their Shorts and VR programming. Following is the list of newly announced nonfiction features per section:

Documentary Spotlight:
MISSION CONTROL: THE UNSUNG HEROES OF APOLLO
Director: David Fairhead
At the heart of the Apollo program was the special team in Mission Control who put a man on the moon and helped create the future.

Festival Favorites:
DAVID LYNCH – THE ART LIFE
Director: Jon Nguyen
A film that deeply explores the experiences that shaped one of cinema’s most distinctive voices: David Lynch.

TROPHY
Director: Shaul Schwarz, Co-Director: Christina Clusiau
Endangered African species like elephants, rhinos, and lions march closer to extinction each year. TROPHY investigates the powerhouse businesses of big game hunting, breeding, and wildlife conservation.

THROUGH THE REPELLENT FENCE: A LAND ART FILM
Director: Sam Wainwright Douglas
Some fences don’t divide.

SXSW has just announced their feature film line-up, following a sneak peek announcement of a handful of titles earlier this month. 125 features will screen in total, which will include some future announcements of additional titles. Following is the list of documentary features so far, broken down by section: Continue reading →

The 23rd edition of the Slamdance Film Festival runs this Friday, January 20 through next Thursday, January 26. The event offers just over two dozen features to compete with its higher-profile neighbor, Sundance, among them the below ten doc features:

Making their world premiere are: Cullen Hoback’s WHAT LIES UPSTREAM, following the filmmaker’s investigation into drinking water contamination; Stephen Richardson’s BOGALUSA CHARM, a portrait of a Louisiana charm school; Patricia Josefine Marchart’s THE CHILDREN SEND THEIR REGARDS (pictured), about now adult victims of clergy sexual abuse; Scott Drucker and Yu Gu’s WHO IS ARTHUR CHU?, a profile of a JEOPARDY winner-turned-cultural critic; Michael Rubenstone’s ON THE SLY: IN SEARCH OF THE FAMILY STONE, about the filmmaker’s ill-fated quest to track down the reclusive musician; and Stefan Avalos’ STRAD STYLE, which follows a man’s attempt to reproduce a Stradivari violin.

Charles Fairbanks and Saul Kak’s look at indigenous Oaxacan lives, THE MODERN JUNGLE (pictured), makes its North American premiere at the festival. US premieres include Matteo Borgardt’s YOU NEVER HAD IT: AN EVENING WITH BUKOWSKI, which repurposes a lost interview into a new portrait of the writer; and Pete Gleeson’s HOTEL COOLGARDIE, which follows the latest in a string of new young female bartenders in an Australian mining town. Finally, the festival also screens DOC NYC alum SUPERGIRL, Jesse Auritt’s portrait of an Orthodox Jewish teenage powerlifting champion.

The 25th annual New York Jewish Film Festival opens tonight, Wednesday, January 11, and runs through Tuesday, January 24. The event, co-presented by Film Society of Lincoln Center and The Jewish Museum, has a smaller lineup than in the past, presenting just over 20 new and retrospective features, including 11 new works of nonfiction.

Among these offerings are the world premieres of SHALOM RABIN (pictured), Amos Gitai’s essay film of the months prior to the controversial Israeli leader’s assassination; and ANGEL WAGENSTEIN: ART IS A WEAPON, Andrea Simon’s portrait of the Cannes award-winning Bulgarian Jewish director and author.

US premieres include Gabrielle Zilkha’s DOING JEWISH: A STORY FROM GHANA (pictured), which follows the filmmaker as she connects with African Jews; and Giovanni Troilo’s WILLIAM KENTRIDGE: TRIUMPHS AND LAMENTS, a behind-the-scenes look at the Jewish South African artist as he undertakes a massive project in Rome.

Finally, New York City premieres appearing at the fest are Danae Elon’s THE PATRIARCH’S ROOM (pictured), about Jerusalem’s Greek Orthodox Church leader, living under house arrest; and Oren Rosenfeld’s HUMMUS! THE MOVIE, which profiles three diverse Israelis and the food that connects them.