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
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
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
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
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
The San Francisco International Film Festival, the nation’s longest-running film festival, celebrates its 59th year starting tonight, Thursday, April 21. Almost 100 new feature films, among them approximately 40 documentaries, will be presented before the event wraps on Thursday, May 5 with a screening of Jesse Moss’ THE BANDIT, a love letter to Burt Reynolds’ SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT. Other nonfiction on offer follows: Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Coming to theatres tomorrow, Wednesday, April 20: HOW TO LET GO OF THE WORLD (AND LOVE ALL THE THINGS CLIMATE CAN’T CHANGE)
Josh Fox’s personal meditation on climate change had its debut at Sundance earlier this year. The doc has gone on to screen at Cleveland, Thin Line, environmental fests in San Francisco, Washington DC, Princeton, and Yale, and at the upcoming Hot Docs, among other events. The theatrical release is part of the grassroots renewable energy awareness Let Go and Love Tour that will travel to 100 US cities through the Spring.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to DVD and digital download today, Tuesday, April 19: DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD: THE STORY OF THE NATIONAL LAMPOON
Douglas Tirola’s chronicle of the influential humor magazine debuted at Sundance last year. The film also appeared at Nantucket, Tribeca, Hot Docs, Full Frame, AFI Docs, Traverse City, Edinburgh, Melbourne, Sarasota, Montclair, and Sydney, among several others.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, April 19: SEMBENE!
Samba Gadjigo and Jason Silverman’s tribute to the African cinema pioneer had its world premiere at Sundance last year. Screenings followed at Cannes, Telluride, Sydney, BFI London, Durban, Mill Valley, Zanzibar, Rio, and AFI Fest, among other events.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Switzerland’s Visions du Réel holds its 47th annual edition beginning tomorrow, Friday, April 15 through Sunday, April 23. The Nyon-based documentary event will screen nearly 100 new and recent features in addition to retrospective and shorts programming. Highlights from various sections are noted below: Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
