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
Category Archives: Film Festivals
Cinéma du Reél 2017 Overview
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
On TV: THE BAD KIDS
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
On VOD: NOTES ON BLINDNESS
New to VOD via Netflix this week:
NOTES ON BLINDNESS
Directors:
Peter Middleton and James Spinney
Premiere:
Sundance 2016
Select Festivals:
Karlovy Vary, Sheffield, Tribeca, Cleveland, Sydney, Melbourne, New Zealand, Jerusalem, San Francisco
About:
An immersive recreation of a man’s experience of losing his sight.
My pre-Sundance profile of the film may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
CPH:DOX 2017 Overview
CPH:DOX, the popular, eclectic Danish documentary festival, returns tomorrow, Thursday, March 16 for its 14th edition, having skipped its 2016 event as it shifted its dates from November to its new berth in March. More than 170 documentary features will screen at this year’s event, which will wrap on Sunday, March 26, including the highlights below: Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
New Directors/New Films 2017: Documentary Overview
New Directors/New Films, a program jointly curated by the Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center, returns for its 46th edition starting tomorrow, Wednesday, March 15. Running through Sunday, March 26, the event showcases the work of first and second time directors. Of the 30 feature and mid-length film line-up, however, there are only three documentaries and two hybrids:
Two make their NYC premiere after impressive debuts at Sundance: Yance Ford’s STRONG ISLAND (pictured), on the filmmaker’s search for answers into his brother’s murder, winner of a special jury award at Sundance; and Jonathan Olshefski’s QUEST, which follows an African-American family over a decade of change.
Also screening at ND/NF are Yuri Ancarani’s look at the lives of ultra-rich Qatari amateur falconers, THE CHALLENGE (pictured), a special jury prize winner at Locarno last year; Kaori Kinoshita and Alain Della Negra’s hybrid exploration of a New Age church’s retreat, HAPPINESS UNIVERSITY; and Alessandro Comodin’s hybrid inspired by Italian folklore, HAPPY TIMES WILL COME SOON.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
On TV: WATER & POWER: A CALIFORNIA HEIST
Coming to the National Geographic Channel globally tomorrow, Tuesday, March 14:
WATER & POWER: A CALIFORNIA HEIST
Director:
Marina Zenovich
Premiere:
Sundance 2017
Select Festivals:
Washington DC Environmental
About:
An investigation into the long-standing battle that’s being waged for control of the most precious of natural resources.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
In Theatres & On TV: CRIES FROM SYRIA
Coming to theatres today, Friday, March 10 and to HBO this coming Monday, March 13:
CRIES FROM SYRIA
Director:
Evgeny Afineevsky
Premiere:
Sundance 2017
About:
An overarching account of the impact of Syria’s civil war on its people.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
SXSW 2017: Documentary Overview
This Friday, March 10 sees the opening of this year’s edition of SXSW, Austin TX’s popular film/interactive/music event. The film festival component, which runs through Saturday, March 18, offers approx 125 features, including new and retrospective work. Among these are more than 50 documentary features, appearing in the event’s various sections, with highlights noted below: Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
On DVD: OKLAHOMA CITY
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, March 7:
OKLAHOMA CITY
Director:
Barak Goodman
Premiere:
Sundance 2017
About:
A look back at the events which led to the 1995 terrorist bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
On VOD: WE ARE X
Coming to VOD today, Tuesday, March 7:
WE ARE X
Director:
Stephen Kijak
Premiere:
Sundance 2016
Select Festivals:
SXSW, Vancouver, Seattle, BFI London, Shanghai, Guanajuato, IDFA
About:
A profile of Japanese super band X Japan and its charismatic frontman, Yoshiki X.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
