Festival:
The 33rd IDFA
Dates:
November 18-December 6
About:
Yesterday’s post covered the Dutch event’s competitive sections, while today’s looks at non-competitive programming strands.
Festival:
The 33rd IDFA
Dates:
November 18-December 6
About:
Yesterday’s post covered the Dutch event’s competitive sections, while today’s looks at non-competitive programming strands.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, November 17:
AGGIE
Director:
Catherine Gund
World Premiere:
Sundance 2020
Select Festivals:
Nantucket, MoMA Documentary Fortnight, Cleveland, San Francisco, Ashland, Salem
About:
The filmmaker profiles her mother, the influential art collector, philanthropist, and social justice advocate, Agnes Gund.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Festival:
The 33rd IDFA
Dates:
November 18-December 6
About:
Approximately 150 new and recent documentary features, plus a wide range of shorts and interactive projects, make up the online lineup of the world’s largest nonfiction event. Today’s post covers a selection of films within the competition sections, while tomorrow’s will spotlight non-competitive strands.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Festival:
The 23rd RIDM
Dates:
November 12-December 2
About:
Montreal’s well-regarded nonfiction event takes a creative approach to presenting its online lineup, highlighting a different collection of thematic sections in each of its three weeks, including a total of approx 50 feature docs – a sampling noted below.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Festival:
The 11th DOC NYC
Dates:
November 11-19
About:
This final post about this year’s edition of America’s largest documentary festival – beginning tomorrow and available online nationwide – provides a rundown of our shorts programs, as selected by our Shorts Programmer Opal H Bennett and her team.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Coming to virtual cinemas tomorrow, Wednesday, November 11:
CODED BIAS
Director:
Shalini Kantayya
World Premiere:
Sundance 2020
Select Festivals:
Human Rights Watch, Hot Docs, Full Frame, SXSW, San Francisco, Hamptons, Provincetown, New Zealand, Melbourne, DokuFest, BlackStar, Docaviv, Warsaw, Mill Valley, Denver
About:
An exploration of the disturbing gender and racial bias prevalent in artificial intelligence and machine learning.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Festival:
The 11th DOC NYC
Dates:
November 11-19
About:
This fourth post about America’s largest documentary festival – beginning Wednesday and available online across the US – covers our Short List and Winner’s Circle sections, which put the spotlight on notable films that we think will receive awards season attention. Tomorrow wraps up this overview with a look at our various short film programs.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Festival:
The 11th DOC NYC
Dates:
November 11-19
About:
This rundown on the various thematic sections of this year’s DOC NYC, which will be presented online nationwide beginning next week, continues in this third post on the festival, and includes films on activism, sports, film and television, the arts, music, and unforgettable profiles. Note: The lists below do not include titles from the first post. Our spotlight on the Winner’s Circle and Short List sections – our predictions for this year’s awards season contenders – will follow next week.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations

Coming to Nat Geo this Sunday, November 8:
REBUILDING PARADISE
Director:
Ron Howard
World Premiere:
Sundance 2020
Select Festivals:
Tribeca, AFI Docs
About:
A chronicle of the fate of a town caught in the November 2018 Camp Fire.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Festival:
The 11th DOC NYC
Dates:
November 11-19
About:
In this second post on this year’s DOC NYC, which will be presented online nationwide beginning next week, I’m spotlighting several festival sections, including feature competitions, the latest from nonfiction auteurs, panoramas from the US and abroad, and revealing investigative nonfiction. Note: The rundown below does not include titles from yesterday’s post. Additional sections will follow tomorrow.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations