Category Archives: Film Festivals

The 11th edition of Croatia’s premier nonfiction event, ZagrebDox, begins this Sunday, February 22, and continues through Sunday, March 1. The festival annually showcases nearly one hundred new and retrospective feature documentaries, in addition to shorts, masterclasses, panels, and a pitching forum. Its programming lineup includes a healthy mix of international work that has already debuted on the festival circuit, and has been covered here previously, as well new regional work, which makes up the bulk of the following overview:

Of the fest’s two competitions, Regional and International, there are more new titles that catch my eye in the former, including: Goran Stanković’s meditation on the lives of Serbian miners, IN THE DARK; Damir Ibrahimović and Eldar Emrić’s hybrid psychological profile of a Russian mafioso, RUSSIAN (pictured); Hrvoje Mabić’s look at a lesbian couple’s attempts to deal with past trauma, SICK; and Eva Kraljević’s portrait of her sister with Down’s syndrome, I LIKE THAT SUPER MOST THE BEST.

The non-competitive Official Programme consists of nine thematic sections, including Biography Dox, which features films like Marcus Vetter and Karin Steinberger’s THE FORECASTER, on a prescient American economic analyst, and Lorenzo Cioffi and Alessandro De Toni’s RUSTAM CASANOVA – LIFE OF AN ARTIST, about a chameleon-like opera singer; Controversial Dox, featuring work like Aleksandar Nikolić’s THE SERBIAN LAWYER, which focuses on an attorney struggling to defend former enemies, and Karim B Haroun’s MYSTIC MASS, detailing a massive Shia Muslim ritual; Happy Dox, such as Oscar Pérez’s THE FINAL STRETCH, about a small Spanish village facing crisis; Teen Dox, which includes August Baugstø Hanssen’s profile of a borderline personality disorder sufferer, IDA’S DIARY, Alexandra Likhacheva’s look at modern Russia through the eyes of two disaffected young people, LONG.BLACK.CLOUD IS COMING DOWN, and Linda Hakeboom’s portrait of a Dutch rockstar poised for international celebrity, WHO THE FUCK IS JETT REBEL (pictured); as well as strands on global music, current affairs, documentary auteurs’ latest work, and factual programming.

ZagrebDox’s Special Programme this year consists of two focus areas, the Middle East, which features such work as Firouzeh Khosrovani’s FEST OF DUTY
(pictured), a look at a traditional Muslim ceremony for girls, and Søren Steen Jespersen and Nasib Farah’s WARRIORS FROM THE NORTH, on the radicalization of young Somali men; and Thriller Dox, which includes Andreas Koefoed’s THE ARMS DROP, about a 1995 weapons deal that went wrong, and Pekka Lehto’s EMERGENCY CALL – A MURDER MYSTERY, on an unsolved 2006 crime in small Finnish town.

MoMA’s annual showcase of nonfiction, Documentary Fortnight, opens its 14th edition tomorrow, Friday, February 13, with Stanley Nelson’s THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION, a chronicle of the controversial Black Power organization; and runs through Friday, February 27, which features closing night film HOT TYPE: 150 YEARS OF THE NATION, Barbara Kopple’s exploration of the long-running liberal weekly magazine. In addition to these titles, nineteen additional new feature documentaries will screen, as well as seven shorts, special lectures, an installation, and a retrospective selection of director Shirley Clarke’s work.

Several of this year’s selections put an emphasis on durational cinema, including: Kevin Jerome Everson’s eight-hour immersion into a working shift at a factory, PARK LANES; Wang Bing’s long shot exploration of the modest dwelling of a Chinese migrant family, FATHER AND SONS; and Peter Bo Rappmund’s time-lapse study of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, TOPOPHILIA (pictured).

Other works also focus on capturing a distinct sense of place, including Irene Gutiérrez Torres’ HOTEL NUEVA ISLA (pictured), a stunning portrait of a crumbling luxury hotel in Havana; Phil Collins’ TOMORROW IS ALWAYS TOO LONG, which constructs a multimedia version of Glasgow; and Nathalie Nambot and Maki Berchache’s BURN THE SEA, an essay film exploring the experiences of Tunisian immigrants to France.

Tonight sees the launch of the 12th edition of the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Montana’s premier film festival, which will run through Monday, February 16. The event hosts several competitive and non-competitive program strands, including a focus on local nonfiction filmmaking, sidebars on interactive docs, music, nature, sports and adventure, true crime, the American West, indigenous cinema, and a commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as retrospective series on the work of Sam Green and John Cohen. A representative selection is noted below:

Among the ten titles included in the fest’s main competition, the Big Sky Feature Competition, are: Frode Fimland’s SIBLINGS ARE FOREVER (pictured), a portrait of an elderly pair of Norwegian farmers; Nima Shayeghi’s BOYS WITH BROKEN EARS, about the wrestling dreams of young Iranian men; Andrea Meller’s NOW EN ESPAÑOL, which revisits the popularity of Spanish-dubbed television programming for American Latino/a audiences; and Patty Dillon’s THERE WILL BE NO STAY, which explores the work of prison executioners.

Nine works are eligible for the Big Sky Award Competition, including William J Saunders’ BILLY MIZE AND THE BAKERSFIELD SOUND, about the influential country musician; and Nick Brandestini’s CHILDREN OF THE ARCTIC, which focuses on the experiences of several Native Alaskan teens. The Made in Montana section highlights locally-produced work, including Cindy Stillwell and Tom Watson’s BARD IN THE BACKCOUNTRY, following a Montana Shakespeare troupe; and Andy Smetanka’s AND WE WERE YOUNG (pictured), a handcrafted stop-motion chronicle of WWI.

Included in the fest’s music-focused Sights & Sounds section are eleven feature documentaries, among them: Claire Dix’s profile of North Dublin street musicians, BROKEN SONG (pictured); Kay D Ray’s tribute to female jazz musicians, LADY BE GOOD: INSTRUMENTAL WOMEN IN JAZZ; and Francesco Merini and Helmut Failoni’s look at an Italian orchestra uniting young talents with experienced veterans, THE ORCHESTRA.

Finally, a sampling of Big Sky’s other thematic programming includes Stranger Than Fiction, presenting unusual but true stories and subjects, such as Sam Carroll’s BEDEVIL (pictured), which follows a High Priestess’ efforts to run for city council; True Crime, which includes Gorman Bechard’s A DOG NAMED GUCCI, about a man’s efforts to protect animals from inhumane treatment; and the aforementioned 25th anniversary celebration of the ADA, which features Abigail Fuller and Sarah Ivy’s DO YOU DREAM IN COLOR?, an exploration of the lives of four blind teenagers.