Category Archives: Film Festivals

DOC NYC, NYC’s documentary festival, begins tonight, while its panel series, Doc-A-Thon, begins tomorrow with four panels exploring how filmmakers can “Get the Money.” Doc-A-Thon continues on Monday (“Shoot Your Doc”) and through the close of the festival on Thursday, November 15. Today’s post focuses on the Masterclasses presented at the IFC Center on Doc-A-Thon’s third day, Tuesday, November 13, under the theme “Finish Your Doc.” These sessions are for those filmmakers who can see the light at the end of the filmmaking tunnel. Don’t walk into post-production blind – learn from Day 3’s post gurus. Continue reading →

This year’s DOC NYC launches tomorrow! As the shorts programmer for the festival, I’m sharing my thoughts on our six thematic shorts collections. This third program explores the universal bonds between family members.

DOC NYC Program Description:

FAMILY TIES:
Monday, November 12 at 7:00pm
The complex relationship between parents and their children is at the heart of this program. THE CAREGIVER (10 min, John Paul Su) profiles a woman who tends to sick children at work and at home. NOBODY’S OFF THE HOOK (28 min, Remy Weber) traces a difficult history of dysfunction and ambivalent reconciliation between a father and his children. CAPTIVE RADIO (23 min, Lauren Rosenfeld) gives hope to Colombian hostages by broadcasting messages from their families. THE CHILDREN NEXT DOOR (36 min, Doug Block) examines the deep psychological scars inflicted on children by a horrific case of domestic violence.

Why You Should Attend:
Everyone can relate to the fundamental connection between mothers and fathers and their kids, even if the situations these films’ subjects are in are at times extreme. Of particular note here: Lauren Rosenfeld is in the running for an IDA Award for her film, while Doug Block is known for his personal films 51 BIRCH STREET and THE KIDS GROW UP.

More Info:
To purchase tickets, follow the link from the program page by clicking on the program title above.

DOC NYC‘s expanded panel series, Doc-A-Thon, begins this Friday! A previous post profiled the sessions on offer for Doc-A-Thon’s first day; today’s post looks at the Masterclasses which will be presented at the IFC Center on the second day. As noted before, Doc-A-Thon has a daily filmmaking theme that forms the backbone of the day’s four panels. The theme for Day 2, Monday, November 12, is “Shoot Your Doc.” Whether you’ve started filming, or are itching to get that production started, Day 2’s experts can offer invaluable information to inspire your doc, and hopefully help you make it better. Continue reading →

The countdown to DOC NYC continues with a look at the second of six thematic shorts collections that I programmed for the festival. Fittingly the city know internationally for its theatre, dance, and other arts serves as a host to a program that celebrates performers, their struggles, and their triumphs.

DOC NYC Program Description:

GREAT PERFORMANCES:
Saturday, November 10 at 11:00am
These shorts shine a spotlight on dance, music, and performance art. STILL MOVING: PILOBOLUS AT FORTY (38 min, Jeffrey Ruoff) reveals the surprising past and still vibrant present of the legendary Connecticut-based modern dance troupe. ROBOT MAN (15 min, Mark Scalese) offers a day in the life of a familiar street performer. A BROADWAY LULLABY (40 min, Barbara Rick) brings together Broadway luminaries like Vanessa Williams, Audra McDonald, Donna Murphy, Stephen Schwartz, and Raul Esparza to create a benefit CD to combat breast cancer.

Why You Should Attend:
After the week New Yorkers have just had, not to mention our neighbors in New Jersey and elsewhere in Sandy’s path, audiences can definitely benefit from the uplift that these shorts provide. Artists practicing their passion, for either the love of the art itself, or to help others, will serve as either an escape, or an inspiration.

More Info:
To purchase tickets, follow the link from the program page by clicking on the program title above.

As the shorts programmer for DOC NYC, I’ve organized six collections of shorts that will screen at the IFC Center. Organized thematically, each program includes three or more films demonstrating the ability of the short form to explore a versatile range of unforgettable characters and pressing topics. The first of these looks at places and the people who find unity there together.

DOC NYC Program Description:

COMMON GROUND:
Friday, November 9 at 2:15pm
These five shorts explore the power of community and common bonds. INDIAN SUMMER (17 min, Mridu Chandra) finds young Indian Americans at a Hindu summer camp. AN AMERICAN MOSQUE (19 min, David Washburn) shows the resilience of rural Californian Muslims when faced with a hate crime. SPOILS: EXTRAORDINARY HARVEST (21 min, Alex Mallis) profiles diverse New Yorkers who are united by a common nocturnal activity. WOLF MOUNTAIN (7 min, Sam Price-Waldman, Brendan Nahmias, Dan Duran) explores the spiritual link between a woman and the wolves she cares for. GREENLAND YEAR ZERO (25 min, Anders Graver, Niels Bjørn) reveals the lives of teenagers in a small Greenland town poised for great change.

Why You Should Attend:
Unfortunately, there are few opportunities for short films to find public exhibition outlets in the US – outside of film festivals. Fests provide the chance for audiences to experience this work communally – and given this program’s theme, that’s especially appropriate, as filmmakers reveal community through religion, culture, and subculture.

More Info:
To purchase tickets, follow the link from the program page by clicking on the program title above, or consider purchasing a DOC NYC Insider Pass, which grants access to all weekday films, panels, and events beginning before 5pm.

Over the next couple of weeks, I’m planning on posting about the programming I’ve been responsible for at DOC NYC, which begins next week. To start things off, this post looks at the first day of this year’s newly-named and expanded panel series, Doc-A-Thon, which offers audiences access to some of non-fiction’s leading filmmakers and industry players for in-depth discussions and masterclasses at the IFC Center between 10:30am-5:00pm on weekdays during the festival, which runs through Thursday, November 15.

Each day of Doc-A-Thon has a structuring theme that informs the content of its corresponding four panels, and roughly follows the steps of documentary filmmaking. Appropriately enough, Day 1, Friday, November 9, leads off with “Get the Money.” Recognizing that filmmaking can be quite costly, Day 1’s panels explore the opportunities for documentary funding in four key areas. Continue reading →