Category Archives: Film Festivals

Exploring the theme “Formula” for its 17th edition, the Brooklyn Film Festival kicks off tomorrow, Friday, May 30, and runs through Sunday, June 8. More than 100 films will screen, including the nine documentary features noted below:

International nonfiction is represented by several titles: Nantenaina Lova’s THE MALAGASY WAY, a look at sustainable living in Madagascar; Audrey Gallet’s BOY SALOUM, an exploration of Senegal’s Y’en A Marre social movement; Mladen Kovacevic’s UNPLUGGED, exploring the lost musical art of Serbian leaf-playing; Nima Sarvestani’s NO BURQAS BEHIND BARS, about female Afghan prisoners and methods of social control; and Esy Casey’s JEEPNEY (pictured), which explores the Philippines via its iconic public transport vehicles repurposed from abandoned US military jeeps.

The remaining doc features explore American subjects: Allan Luebke’s GLENA, a portrait of the struggles of a working mom-turned-cage fighter; David Beilinson, Michael Galinsky, and Suki Hawley’s WHO TOOK JOHNNY, about a still-unsolved missing child case; Tony Shaff’s HOTLINE, a consideration of the interpersonal role hotlines continue to play in the digital age; and Catherine Gund’s BORN TO FLY (pictured), a profile of the acclaimed choreographer Elizabeth Streb and the Streb Extreme Action Company.

The 13th edition of Ecuador’s Encuentros del Otro Cine, better known as EDOC, begins tomorrow, Thursday May 22 in Quito, where it runs through Sunday, June 1, with screenings also held in Guayaquil between May 24 and June 3. Focused on championing free speech and building up national nonfiction, the event annually promotes cross-cultural awareness, showcasing not only Ecuadorian and Latin American documentary, but works from all over the world in the approximately 120-strong line-up. Non-competitive, the event features thematic programming and retrospectives, with some highlights indicated below. Continue reading →

One of the highlights of American regional film festivals, the Seattle International Film Festival turns 40 tomorrow. Running Thursday, May 15 through Sunday, June 8, and presenting a lineup that includes nearly 200 features, the festival lays claim to being the largest and most attended film events in the US. Among its offerings are 60 documentary features, including several in its Gala section: FINDING FELA, which made its debut at Sundance, and DIOR AND I and KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON, both recent well-received Tribeca premieres. The festival balances a smart curation of other recent festival favorites with an impressive number of new titles. The following focuses primarily on the latter: Continue reading →

The grande dame of film festivals, Cannes, kicks off its 67th edition tomorrow, Wednesday, May 14, while its official side events, the independently organized Directors’ Fortnight and International Critics’ Week, begin Thursday. Altogether, more than 100 features screen, but the non-fiction offerings remain frustratingly slim – this year, thirteen vs 2013’s twelve – once again confirming the Croisette’s view of documentary as an afterthought at best. The following presents a rundown of each film: Continue reading →