If you’re based in the NYC area or planning on being in town next week for the 50th anniversary New York Film Festival, I’m taking part in a panel for the launch of the Film Festival Academy on Thursday, September 27 from 3:15-4:45pm. I’m one of the panelists for “Programming for Niche Audiences,” looking at what’s involved in targeted, niche- or genre-focused programming. For more information and the entire program for the two-day FFA, follow the link above.
Category Archives: Film Festivals
Special Panel: Film Festival Academy
Filed under Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations
In Theatres: HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE
Coming to theatres this Friday, September 21: HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE
David France’s affecting look back at a community fighting for their lives made its world premiere at Sundance earlier this year. It’s gone on to screen at True/False, Silverdocs, New Directors/New Films, San Francisco, and Outfest, among others.
I profiled the film before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Toronto 2012: Docs in Brief, Part Two
Last week’s post on Toronto docs covered my thoughts on THE ACT OF KILLING, CAMP 14, THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE, FIRST COMES LOVE, FREE ANGELA & ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS, THE GIRL FROM THE SOUTH, THE LAST WHITE KNIGHT, ROMAN POLANSKI: ODD MAN OUT, and SHEPARD & DARK. This round-up wraps up my Toronto coverage with a look at nine more titles. Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, In Brief, Recommendations
Sundance Submissions Reminder
Filmmakers: The late submission deadline for US and international feature-length documentaries and narratives Sundance is next Monday, September 24. Note that this is not the postmark deadline; you must registered your application through Withoutabox and your film must arrive at the Sundance offices by next Monday.
The 2013 fest will take place January 17-27.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Submission Deadlines
Toronto 2012: Docs in Brief, Part One
Though the Toronto International Film Festival won’t wrap up until Sunday, I’m already back in NYC – and fairly exhausted from the five nights spent at one of the largest film events in the world. Still, it’s time to share my thoughts on the documentaries I managed to see – not quite half of the nearly fifty on offer. Sadly, scheduling didn’t permit me to see a number of titles that I was eagerly anticipating, such as Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel’s LEVIATHAN, Seán Ó Cualáin’s MEN AT LUNCH, Dror Moreh’s THE GATEKEEPERS, and Sarah Polley’s STORIES WE TELL, but I’m sure I’ll have opportunities to catch up with these in the coming months.
Yesterday, Movieline published my article looking at various uses of re-enactments in a number of TIFF docs, including ones I also include below. Here at w(n)td, this post, and one on Monday, offer more general reactions, covering both the films in that article and others viewed during TIFF. Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, In Brief, Recommendations
Toronto 2012: Re-Enactments
Over the next couple of days, I’m planning on posting on the documentaries I managed to see at Toronto. In the meantime, I wrote a piece for Movieline about the use of re-enactments in various non-fiction offerings at the festival this year. Take a look at the article here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, In Brief
On DVD/VOD: SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP
Coming to DVD and VOD next Tuesday, September 18: SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP
Director Ice-T and co-director Andy Baybutt premiered their star-studded appreciation of hip hop creativity at Sundance. Indomina released the film this summer around the country.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Releases, Sundance
In Theatres: DETROPIA
Coming to NYC’s IFC Center this Friday, September 7: DETROPIA
Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s meditation on Detroit premiered in January at Sundance, picking up an award for best documentary editing. Its festival circuit has been extensive, screening at True/False, Cleveland, Boston, Hot Docs, DocAviv, Silverdocs, Nantucket, and Traverse City, among others. Ewing and Rachel’s DIY release expands from NYC next week and through November, with additional bookings found here.
I wrote about the film before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Toronto 2012: Documentary Overview
In one week, the 37th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival begins, drawing hundreds of thousands of attendees to what is, for many, the true start of awards season. Annually screening close to 300 features, the majority world or international premieres, TIFF provides attendees with an advance look at some of the most eagerly-anticipated titles of the Fall.
I’ll be at the festival for its first half, hoping to see some of the buzzed about fiction offerings, but TIFF’s bounty of non-fiction programming will no doubt dominate my schedule. There are significantly more feature-length docs in the program this year – last year saw just under 40, while this year’s count is closer to 50, not including a few hybrids and retro screenings. Of these, more than half are part of the fest’s dedicated non-fiction section, TIFF Docs (formerly Real to Reel), programmed by Thom Powers, with the remainder represented across a variety of other fest sections. Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews
Venice 2012: Documentary Overview
Yesterday marked the start of the 69th edition of the Venice International Film Festival, notable as the oldest film festival in the world. Running through September 8, the festival comes right before Toronto, and many titles appear in both events. Unlike TIFF, Venice is competitive, with eighteen titles in the main competition, and additional prizes awarded to films screening in the Orizzonti section.
Notably contained for a major international cinema event, the festival’s lineup includes just over 100 new features – 69 in the official selection, and an additional 39 presented in the autonomous sections selected by independent film associations. Retrospectives and shorts fill out the schedule, but it’s a far cry from the nearly 300 films presented in Toronto. Venice isn’t really known for its non-fiction programming, which is comprised of less than 30 new doc features. None appear in the official competition, special screenings, or the autonomous International Critics’ Week. The majority are included in the out of competition section, the retrospective Venice Classics, and in the autonomous Venice Days – and, frankly, most seem strictly of local interest. Still, I’d love to go to Venice at some point, and if I were there now, there are some docs I’d want to check out: Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews
