Category Archives: Film Festivals

Brooklyn’s Northside Festival returns for its fifth year beginning tomorrow, Thursday, June 13 and running through Thursday, June 20. Showcasing music since its inception, it expanded to include film in its second year, and ideas in its third – now referred to as NExT (entrepreneurship x technology) – becoming a local, smaller SXSW in the process. The film program doesn’t begin until Monday, but runs through the end of the fest, and presents about two dozen features, with nearly half being docs, as well as a number of shorts. Continue reading →

The 19th edition of the Los Angeles Film Festival begins this Thursday, June 13 and runs through Sunday, June 23. Film Independent’s annual event serves as a platform for both higher-profile Summer fare and the best of new and recent independent productions. Its features lineup includes more than two dozen documentaries, presented in a standalone competition as well as throughout the remaining sections of the festival, including the Galas, which sees the world premiere of Doug Pray’s LEVITATED MASS: THE STORY OF MICHAEL HEIZER’S MONOLITHIC SCULPTURE, about the transportation and reactions to the LACMA exhibition. While it remains a festival that I’ve never attended, I always take note of the docs making their debut here. The following offers some highlights by programming section: Continue reading →

For 24 years, the Human Rights Watch Film Festival has presented a selection of films that explore various human rights issues around the world. Taking place in several cities between January and March each year, including Washington DC, Toronto, London, San Francisco, and Zurich, as well as a traveling event, the festival’s signature event has been its annual June NYC series at the Film Society of Lincoln Center. This year’s event opens this Thursday, June 13 and runs through Sunday, June 23, showcasing more than 20 films – all but two documentaries – that highlight key themes, including Journalism, explored in the opening night film, WHICH WAY IS THE FRONT LINE FROM HERE? Other themes include: Continue reading →

Sheffield Doc/Fest celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, opening next Wednesday, June 12, and running through Sunday, June 16. While I’ve never been able to make it out to the event, I’ve always looked forward to seeing their lineup and have been envious of the stories I’ve heard from attendees of the well-loved fest. As usual, I’ll highlight a number of this year’s offerings below, going by programming strand, and focusing more on newer titles than on those that I’ve already covered at other fests. Continue reading →

Encounters: South African International Documentary Festival kicks off its 15th anniversary edition tonight, Thursday, June 6. The festival runs through Sunday, June 16, with screenings in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Nearly thirty feature docs will screen, starting with local opening night film, Riaan Hendricks’ THE DEVIL’S LAIR, fresh off its Hot Docs debut last month. Continue reading →