Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, June 24: EAT THAT QUESTION: FRANK ZAPPA IN HIS OWN WORDS
Thorsten Schütte’s subversive portrait of the maverick musician made its bow at Sundance this year. The film also appeared at Berlin, Montclair, New Zealand, and Asbury Park.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to NYC’s Film Forum today, Wednesday, June 22: NUTS!
Penny Lane’s unconventional chronicle of a self-made turn-of-the-century doctor debuted at Sundance this year, where it won the US Documentary Editing award. Other fest play has included Hot Docs, San Francisco, BAMcinemaFest, Rotterdam, Ashland, Durban, and the upcoming Nantucket.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
The 14th edition of AFI Docs comes a week later this year, opening tomorrow, Wednesday, June 22 and running through the end of the weekend. The Washington DC event opens with Alex Gibney’s cyber-warfare investigation, ZERO DAYS, and closes with Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s tribute to a television pioneer, NORMAN LEAR: JUST ANOTHER VERSION OF YOU, while LO AND BEHOLD, REVERIES OF THE CONNECTED WORLD screens as part of this year’s Guggenheim Symposium with director Werner Herzog.
While the majority of this year’s approximately 50 features offer DC audiences the chance to catch films that have generated attention at major fests like Sundance, IDFA, SXSW, and Tribeca, AFI Docs also offers a number of premieres. This year’s world premieres are: Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio’s DOC & DARRYL, on baseball legends Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry; Jamie Sisley and Miguel MiG Martinez’s FAREWELL FERRIS WHEEL, a look at the lives of Mexican migrant carnival workers; and Nicole Opper’s VISITOR’S DAY (pictured), about the efforts of a street kid to better his life.
Other films making at least US debuts at the festival include: Tamar Tal Anati’s SHALOM ITALIA, which follows Jewish brothers as they search for the Tuscan cave that sheltered their family during WWII; Martin Kollar’s 5 OCTOBER, a portrait of the director’s brother before a potentially life-threatening surgery; Maciej Adamek’s TWO WORLDS, about a hearing teenage daughter of deaf parents; Paula Heredia’s TOUCAN NATION, on an abused bird that became a rallying symbol for Costa Rican animal rights; and Trisha Ziff’s THE MAN WHO SAW TOO MUCH (pictured), about a veteran crime scene photographer in Mexico City.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Coming to HBO tonight, Monday, June 20: SUITED
Jason Benjamin’s look at the impact of clothing on self-esteem bowed at Sundance this year. Additional screenings have included Hot Docs, BAMcinemaFest, Human Rights Watch, Sarasota, Frameline, and QDoc.
I wrote about the doc pre-Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to PBS’s Independent Lens tonight, Monday, June 20: TRAPPED
Dawn Porter’s exploration of the bureaucratic war on abortion providers had its world premiere at Sundance earlier this year, where it picked up a special jury prize. In addition to scores of community screenings, the doc has also appeared at SXSW, Miami, Athena, Martha’s Vineyard, Ashland, and Montclair, and has also been released theatrically.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
The world’s oldest LGBT film fest, San Francisco’s Frameline, celebrates its 40th anniversary beginning tomorrow, Thursday, June 16. Approximately 70 new and retrospective features will screen through the course of its eleven-night run before it wraps on Sunday, June 26. Highlights of the more than two dozen documentaries on offer follow: Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Coming to NYC’s Rooftop Films this Friday, June 17: LIFE, ANIMATED
Roger Ross Williams’ look at the transformative power of film on a young autistic man debuted at Sundance earlier this year, where it picked up the US Documentary Directing Award. Screenings have followed at True/False, Hot Docs, Tribeca, Full Frame, Montclair, San Francisco, DocAviv, Transilvania, Sundance London, Los Angeles, Sheffield, Sydney, and the upcoming Nantucket Film Festival.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
Coming to NYC’s Rooftop Films this Thursday, June 16 and to theatres this Friday, June 17: TICKLED
David Farrier and Dylan Reeve’s investigation into a stranger-than-fiction web fetish made its debut at Sundance this year. Screenings have followed at True/False, Cleveland, Sarasota, San Francisco, Hot Docs, Montclair, Seattle, Sydney, Auckland, and the upcoming Nantucket Film Festival.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
The Edinburgh International Film Festival celebrates its 70th anniversary beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, June 15. Before it wraps on Sunday, June 26, the event will unspool more than 125 new features, including approximately 30 docs, as well as a host of retrospective offerings. The following offers a brief look at a selection of the nonfiction being presented: Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
The Brooklyn Academy of Music’s popular BAMcinemaFest kicks off tomorrow night, Wednesday, June 15. This year’s edition, the eighth, will present nearly 30 features before it wraps on Sunday, June 26, among them eight recent documentaries from Sundance and elsewhere on the circuit and one retrospective presentation. Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
what (not) to doc 