BLOODY NOSE, EMPTY POCKETS | Courtesy of Sundance Institute
Bill Ross and Turner Ross chronicle the patrons and staff of a dive bar on its final day.
Festival Section:
US Documentary Competition
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Category Archives: Film Festivals
2020 Sundance Docs in Focus: BLOODY NOSE, EMPTY POCKETS
Bill Ross and Turner Ross chronicle the patrons and staff of a dive bar on its final day.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
2019 Top Ten
As 2019 comes to a close, I’ve compiled below my list of top titles for the year.
I’ve restricted my list exclusively to nonfiction as usual, in contrast to virtually every other best of the year list out there which generally ignores documentary filmmaking. My selections are also limited to official releases in 2019.
Below are pointers to what I’ve written about my top ten feature nonfiction of 2019 on what (not) to doc previously. These are unranked and in alphabetical order, followed by a list of additional notable film and episodic titles.
Top Ten:
AMERICAN FACTORY
APOLLO 11
THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM
FOR SAMA
HAIL SATAN?
HONEYLAND
LOS REYES
MAIDEN
MIDNIGHT FAMILY
ONE CHILD NATION
+ Ten More:
17 BLOCKS
AMÉRICA
COLLEGE BEHIND BARS
COMMUNION
FOR THE BIRDS
JAY MYSELF
THE RAFT
SEA OF SHADOWS
WALKING ON WATER
WOODSTOCK: THREE DAYS THAT DEFINED A GENERATION
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
2020 Sundance Docs in Focus: BE WATER
BE WATER | Courtesy of Sundance Institute
Bao Nguyen details the brief but impactful career of legendary actor Bruce Lee.
Festival Section:
US Documentary Competition
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Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
2020 Sundance Docs in Focus
The 36th Sundance Film Festival takes place next month, running January 23-February 2, with a lineup consisting of 130 features, 74 shorts, 12 episodics, and 28 exhibitions, performances, and VR experiences.
Once again, as I’ve done since 2011’s festival, I’ll profile each of the nearly 60 feature and long-form episodic documentaries in advance of the festival, beginning tomorrow.
Please note: These are not reviews. As a Documentary Programming Associate for Sundance, I recommend every film in the 2020 lineup. These profiles instead provide background about the teams behind this year’s docs in anticipation of the festival and the films’ later release. For a sample, check out last year’s series, which began here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
On TV: MIDNIGHT TRAVELER
Coming to PBS’s POV this coming Monday, December 30:
MIDNIGHT TRAVELER
Director:
Hassan Fazili
World Premiere:
Sundance 2019
Select Festivals:
Berlin, CPH:DOX, Hot Docs, Docaviv, DocumentaMadrid, DOXA, Sheffield, Thessaloniki, True/False, Doc Edge, RiverRun, Seattle, Montclair, Biografilm, San Francisco, Salem, Sydney
About:
The filmmaker, his wife, and their two daughters face an uncertain road to asylum when they are forced to flee Afghanistan.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Sundance 2020: Additional Feature Programming Announced
This post is a pointer to the fourth lineup announcement for the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Additional selections in the Documentary Premieres and From the Collection sections have just been announced and may be found here.
Previous lineup announcements include the US and World Cinema Documentary and Dramatic Competitions, NEXT, Documentary Premieres, Premieres, Midnight, Spotlight, and Kids sections, as well as the Indie Episodic, Special Events, and Shorts lineups, and New Frontier.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations, Sundance
On DVD: WHERE’S MY ROY COHN?
photo by Ap/REX/Shutterstock
WHERE’S MY ROY COHN?
Director:
Matt Tyrnauer
World Premiere:
Sundance 2019
Select Festivals:
Zurich, Atlantic, New Zealand
About:
An exploration of the dark influence of Machiavellian attorney Roy Cohn on today’s polarized political landscape.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
92nd Oscars: Best Documentary Shortlist Announced
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced the Best Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Short Subject shortlists today. In addition, one documentary feature is included on the International Feature Film shortlist. Congratulations to all the filmmakers – especially the Sundance, DOC NYC, and Nantucket Film Festival alumni represented.
The official lists are below, with links to my previous coverage, where applicable. The final nominees will be announced on January 13.
Documentary Feature:
ADVOCATE
AMERICAN FACTORY
THE APOLLO
APOLLO 11
AQUARELA
THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM
THE CAVE
THE EDGE OF DEMOCRACY
FOR SAMA
THE GREAT HACK
HONEYLAND
KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE
MAIDEN
MIDNIGHT FAMILY
ONE CHILD NATION
Documentary Short Subject:
After Maria
Fire in Paradise
Ghosts of Sugar Land
In the Absence
Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)
Life Overtakes Me
The Nightcrawlers
St. Louis Superman
Stay Close
Walk Run Cha-Cha
International Feature Film
North Macedonia, HONEYLAND
Czech Republic, THE PAINTED BIRD
Estonia, TRUTH AND JUSTICE
France, LES MISERABLES
Hungary, THOSE WHO REMAINED
North Macedonia, HONEYLAND
Poland, CORPUS CHRISTI
Russia, BEANPOLE
Senegal, ATLANTICS
South Korea, PARASITE
Spain, PAIN AND GLORY
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
Sundance 2020: New Frontier Announced
This post is a pointer to the third lineup announcement for the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. This year’s selections in the New Frontier section may be found here.
Already announced are the films in the US and World Cinema Documentary and Dramatic Competitions, NEXT, Documentary Premieres, Premieres, Midnight, Spotlight, and Kids sections, as well as the Indie Episodic, Special Events, and Shorts lineups.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations, Sundance
Sundance 2020: Indie Episodic, Special Events, & Shorts Announced
This post is a pointer to the second lineup announcement for the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, revealing Indie Episodic, Special Events, and Shorts programming, which may be found here.
Earlier lineup announcements include the US and World Cinema Documentary and Dramatic Competitions, NEXT, Documentary Premieres, Premieres, Midnight, Spotlight, and Kids sections.
Still to come is information on the New Frontier section.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
what (not) to doc 