Category Archives: Film Festivals

In my role as DOC NYC‘s Director of Programming, I’ve spent the last several months putting together the just-announced lineup for our 6th edition, which runs Thursday, November 12 through Thursday, November 19 at the IFC Center, SVA Theatre, and Bow Tie Chelsea Cinemas. America’s largest documentary festival continues to expand in 2015, bringing our total number of program offerings to more than 200, including an additional screen, more shorts programs, new thematic sections, and brand-new industry and university programming. Of the 104 features included this year, 27 are world premieres, 15 are North American or US premieres, and 39 are NYC premieres.

I’m planning to profile each section here in the weeks prior to our opening, but for the time being, find out more, and purchases passes and individual tickets, at our website via the links provided. Continue reading →

DocsDF: The International Documentary Film Festival of Mexico City celebrates its 10th anniversary beginning tomorrow, Thursday, October 15. The event will showcase more than 100 films through more than 250 screenings through Saturday, October 24, with the vast majority free to the public. Continue reading →

The New Orleans Film Festival begins its 26th edition tomorrow, Wednesday, October 14, and runs through Thursday, October 22. I’m excited to be returning to the festival after several years, and am looking forward to serving on the documentary features jury. The following highlights a small fraction of this year’s nearly 40 documentary features:

Competition titles include: Shamira Raphaëla’s DEAL WITH IT, about the filmmaker’s troubled father and brother; Jack Pettibone Riccobono’s THE SEVENTH FIRE, a profile of a Native American gang leader; Jennifer Redfearn’s TOCANDO LA LUZ, which follows the experience of three blind women in Havana; Poppy Stockell’s SCRUM, a portrait of a gay Aussie rugby team; David Shapiro’s MISSING PEOPLE (pictured), about a woman obsessed by her brother’s unsolved murder and by the work of a New Orleans outsider artist; Jide Tom Akinleminu’s PORTRAIT OF A LONE FARMER, a portrait of the filmmaker’s long absent father; and Irene Gutierrez’s HOTEL NUEVA ISLA, about a man living in an abandoned Havana resort.

Other nonfiction titles include: Sara Fishko’s look back at NYC’s jazz scene of the late 1950s and ’60s, THE JAZZ LOFT ACCORDING TO W EUGENE SMITH; Gene Fredericks’ portrait of an eccentric photographer, THE PHANTASMAGORICAL CLARENCE JOHN LAUGHLIN; Ian Midgley’s look at the collaboration between innovative agricultural thinkers, REVERSING THE MISSISSIPPI; Bartek Bartos and Piotr Bartos’ look at an atist’s response to Katrina, FLOATING ON FIRE; Julie Sokolow’s ASPIE SEEKS LOVE (pictured), about a man with Asperger’s who has posted personal ads for fifteen years.

The 23rd annual Hamptons International Film Festival kicks off five days of programming tomorrow, Thursday, October 8, screening approximately 75 features before it wraps on Monday, October 12. Those escaping the bustle of NYC for a getaway in the tony East End hamlets will have more than 30 documentary features to sample, as highlighted below: Continue reading →

Beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, October 7, and running through Sunday, October 18, the BFI London Film Festival celebrates its 59th edition with 240 films. Among these are approximately 50 documentary features, with select highlights noted below:

Continue reading →