New to VOD today, Thursday, April 6:
UNCLE HOWARD
Director:
Aaron Brookner
Premiere:
Sundance 2016
Select Festivals:
Berlin, New York, Seattle, BAFICI, Jerusalem, Warsaw, San Sebastian, Biografilm, Cleveland
About:
The filmmaker sets out to rediscover his uncle’s pioneering films.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
New to VOD this past weekend:
THE BAD KIDS
Directors:
Keith Fulton and Lou Pepe
Premiere:
Sundance 2016
Select Festivals:
True/False, Cleveland, Full Frame, Dallas, Visions du Réel, Hot Docs, DocAviv, and Atlantic
About:
A coming-of-age story set in a high school for at-risk students.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Festival:
The 20th annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
Dates:
April 6-9
About:
Approximately 50 recent and new documentary features, plus retrospective programming, make up the lineup of this Durham NC doc fest: Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Coming to theatres this Friday, April 7:
ALL THESE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
Director:
Michał Marczak
Premiere:
Sundance 2016
Select Festivals:
True/False, IDFA, CPH:DOX, San Francisco, Hot Docs, Karlovy Vary, Sarajevo, Bergen, Zurich, Singapore, Stockholm, Full Frame, Ambulante
About:
A hybrid profile of Warsaw twentysomethings living in the now.
I profiled the film before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Festival:
The 60th annual San Francisco International Film Festival
Dates:
April 5-19
About:
Approximately 150 films, including more than 30 documentaries: Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Coming to PBS’s Independent Lens this coming Monday, April 3 and to DVD on Tuesday, April 4: NEWTOWN
Director:
Kim A Snyder
Premiere:
Sundance 2016
Select Festivals:
Nantucket, SXSW, Full Frame, AFI Docs, Cleveland, Camden, Melbourne, BAMcinemaFest, Bentonville
About:
A small community reckons with the aftermath of a tragedy.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
For the past several years, I have taught an interdisciplinary undergraduate course at Pratt Institute on film festivals. Each year, the class organizes a one-night film festival as their semester-long project. The 9th annual Wallabout Film Festival will take place on Thursday, April 20, showcasing student short films from Pratt and beyond. Event details and links to advance ticketing and their Kickstarter campaign follow:
Event Details:
The Wallabout Film Festival
Thursday, April 20
The Wythe Hotel
80 Wythe Ave at N 11th St
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Doors open at 8:00pm
Program begins at 8:30pm
Party to follow
Tickets:
Advance tickets are available now, or may be purchased at the door.
Kickstarter:
My students are wrapping up a Kickstarter campaign this Friday morning to help fund Wallabout. Donate now and/or help spread the word!
Filed under Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Festival:
The 41st annual Cleveland International Film Festival
Dates:
March 29-April 9
About:
Approximately 200 features, including more than 80 documentaries:
This year the fest refocuses its long running nonfiction prize, the Nesnadny + Schwartz Documentary Competition, specifically on portraiture, featuring such projects as Kevin Burke’s exploration of film promotion, 24X36: A MOVIE ABOUT MOVIE POSTERS; and Jeff Malmberg and Chris Shellen’s look at an Italian village that holds an annual play about themselves, SPETTACOLO.
Social justice docs take the spotlight in the George Gund Memorial Standing Up Competition, including Andrew Michael Ellis’ FIGHT HATE WITH LOVE, about a former prisoner turned criminal justice reform activist; Apo W Bazidi’s RESISTANCE IS LIFE (pictured), a Kurdish youth’s perspective on refugee life; and Brad Riley’s BE RELENTLESS, following a human sex trafficking victims attempts to raise awareness.
A third nonfiction-focused competition explores Global Health, through such films as: John Gomez’s WHEN I STUTTER, a corrective to misperceptions around stuttering; Robin Berghaus’ STUMPED, which follows a man facing unexpected, catastrophic health problems through humor; Melissa Dowler’s LETTING GO OF ADELE (pictured), about a cardiac service dog; and Brian Storm’s THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US, charting a road trip between twin brothers, one of whom lives with cerebral palsy.
Documentaries figures in several remaining sections, including the Local Heroes Competition which celebrates Ohio through work like: Catherine Gund’s DISPATCHES FROM CLEVELAND, which explores pressing issues facing the city; Geoff Yaw’s A MORE CIVIL WAR (pictured), a look at the city during the 2016 Republican National Convention; Danielle Miller and Julia Thorndike’s BURN THE SHIPS, on an Akron women’s pro softball team; and Tony Shaff’s 44 PAGES, a behind-the-scenes look at Highlights magazine.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
The 39th edition of Cinéma du Réel, the documentary festival of Paris, begins tomorrow, Friday, March 24 and runs through Sunday, April 2. The event will showcase approximately 50 new and recent documentary features, along with shorts, panels, and retrospectives. Feature highlights follow: Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Coming to Independent Lens this coming Monday, March 20:
THE BAD KIDS
Directors:
Keith Fulton and Lou Pepe
Premiere:
Sundance 2016
Select Festivals:
True/False, Cleveland, Full Frame, Dallas, Visions du Réel, Hot Docs, DocAviv, and Atlantic
About:
A coming-of-age story set in a high school for at-risk students.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
