Tonight, Thursday, May 19 sees the kick-off of the three-week-long Seattle International Film Festival. The 42nd edition of the popular event will wrap on Sunday, June 12 after presenting scores of new and retrospective films, including approximately 75 feature documentaries. In addition to several competitive and thematic strands, organizers have grouped the lineup according to eight “Moods,” several of which are covered below: Continue reading
Category Archives: Film Festivals
Seattle 2016: Documentary Overview
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
In Theatres: PERVERT PARK
Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, May 20: PERVERT PARK
Frida Barkfors and Lasse Barkfors’ intimate profile of an outsider enclave debuted at CPH:DOX in 2014. It went on to screen at Sundance, where it won a special jury award, as well as at BAMcinemaFest, Hot Docs, Dokufest, New Zealand, Sarasota, San Francisco Doc Fest, and Minneapolis, among other events.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
EDOC 2016 Overview
Ecuador’s largest nonfiction event, EDOC – Encuentros del Otro Cine – celebrates its 15th edition starting today, Wednesday, May 18, with screenings through Sunday, May 29 in Quito, and through Thursday, June 2 in Guayaquil. This year’s lineup includes over 100 features and shorts, organized thematically, with some highlights noted below: Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Special Screening & In Theatres: WEINER
Coming to NYC’s Rooftop Films tomorrow, Wednesday, May 18 and to theatres this Friday, May 20: WEINER
Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg’s surprisingly candid look at a once-disgraced politician’s ill-fated comeback attempt had its world premiere at Sundance this year, where it won the US Documentary Grand Jury Prize. Additional fest berths have included True/False, New Directors/NewFilms, Hot Docs, Full Frame, Sarasota, RiverRun, Nashville, IFF Boston, San Francisco, Montclair, and Sydney.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Cannes 2016: Documentary Overview
The 69th edition of the Cannes Film Festival kicks off tonight, Wednesday, May 11. As is typical for the event, nonfiction is given shortshrift here, relegated to sidebars in the official fest selection, and were it not for one higher-profile selection, barely registering in the independent events, Directors’ Fortnight and International Critics’ Week: Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Special Screening: THE LOVERS AND THE DESPOT
Coming to NYC’s Stranger Than Fiction tomorrow, Tuesday, May 10: THE LOVERS AND THE DESPOT
Robert Cannan and Ross Adam’s recounting of a dictator’s bizarre bid to bolster his nation’s film industry debuted at Sundance earlier this year. It went on to screen at Berlin, Cleveland, RiverRun, IFF Boston, Sarasota, and the upcoming Seattle, DocAviv, and Docs Against Gravity, among other events.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
In Theatres: DARK HORSE
Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, May 6: DARK HORSE
Louise Osmond’s chronicle of a village’s horse racing dreams made its debut at Sundance last year, where it won an audience award. The film also screened at Toronto, Sheffield, Istanbul, Vancouver, Montclair, DocAviv, and Hong Kong, among other events.
I previously profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
DOK.fest Munich 2016 Overview
Tomorrow, Thursday, May 5 sees the launch of DOK.fest Munich. The 31st edition of the event runs through Sunday, May 15, and screens more than 100 nonfiction features. Selections from the various competitions and other sections are noted below: Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Hot Docs 2016 Overview
Tomorrow, Thursday, April 28 sees the kick off of North America’s biggest nonfiction event, Toronto’s Hot Docs. Running through Sunday, May 8, this year’s 23rd edition will present approximately 150 new and recent feature documentaries, as well as retrospective programming, shorts, special talks, and the concurrent industry-focused Hot Docs Forum. Notably, this year is the first event under new Director of Programming Shane Smith, a well-liked veteran programmer whose past experience includes Toronto, Sundance, Inside Out, and the Worldwide Short film fests. I’m looking forward to heading north this weekend and checking out several of his selections, including the overview below: Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Special Screening: TREMBLING BEFORE G-D
Coming to NYC’s Stranger Than Fiction tomorrow, Tuesday, April 26: TREMBLING BEFORE G-D
Sandi DuBowski’s landmark look at the lives of lesbian and gay ultra-orthodox Jews had its world premiere at Sundance in 2001. It screened the festival circuit extensively, including Berlin, Karlovy Vary, Chicago, Busan, Krakow, and LGBT festivals pretty much everywhere. STF presents the film upon its 15th anniversary, and includes a Q&A with DuBowski and several subjects from the film.
Filming over five years, DuBowski profiles the deep-seated conflict between sexuality and religion by focusing on the struggles faced by Hasidic and Orthodox Jews to reconcile queerness within the strict tenets of their faith. Offering an unprecedented look at a subculture veiled in secrecy – so much so, that some interview subjects here are presented in silhouette only – this insightful film proved fascinating in its consideration of how some have been able to balance seemingly incongruous elements of their lives. DuBowski tirelessly travelled with the film for several years, engaging in post-screening Q&As and panels, attempting to begin and keep a dialogue going about the issues it raised. Far from preaching to the converted, the doc is able to bridge a divide between LGBT and non-LGBT audiences, powerfully showing the deep-seated internal conflict that DuBowski’s protagonists face, and the need for re-examination and acceptance.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
what (not) to doc 