Category Archives: Film Festivals

In Theatres: THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MY MOTHER

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, December 6:
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MY MOTHER

Director:
Beniamino Barrese

World Premiere:
Sundance 2019

Select Festivals:
CPH:DOX, Hot Docs, Cartagena, DokuFest, Docs Against Gravity, Transilvania, Shanghai, Munich, Biografilm, MakeDox, Taipei, Frameline

About:
The filmmaker films his mother as she plans to leave the modern world behind.

My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.

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Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance

In Theatres: MIDNIGHT FAMILY

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, December 6:
MIDNIGHT FAMILY

Director:
Luke Lorentzen

World Premiere:
Sundance 2019

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Nantucket, Hot Docs, AFI Docs, New Directors/New Films, Sheffield DocFest, CPH:DOX, Hong Kong, Cartagena, Ambulante, Guadalajara, Docville, Full Frame, San Francisco, Freep, Doc10, Sydney, Krakow

About:
A Mexico City family struggles to make a living as ragtag private paramedics, facing cut-throat competition to respond to patients in need of urgent help.

I profiled the doc before Sundance here.

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Sundance 2020: Feature Lineup Announced

The initial lineup has been announced for the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, taking place January 23-February 2). Today’ announcement includes the US and World Cinema Documentary and Dramatic Competitions, NEXT, Documentary Premieres, Premieres, Midnight, Spotlight, and Kids, and may be found here.

Pointers for other sections – Shorts, Indie Episodic, Special Events, and New Frontier – will follow as they are announced in the coming weeks.

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On DVD/VOD: RAISE HELL: THE LIFE & TIMES OF MOLLY IVINS

photo by Robert Bedell

Coming to DVD and VOD tomorrow, Tuesday, December 3:
RAISE HELL: THE LIFE & TIMES OF MOLLY IVINS

Director:
Janice Engel

World Premiere:
Sundance 2019

Select Festivals:
SXSW, San Francisco, AFI Docs, Seattle, Full Frame, Minneapolis-St Paul, 51 Fest

About:
An appreciation of the late liberal Texas journalist and personality.

I profiled the doc before Sundance here.

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Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance

On DVD: N SCOTT MOMADAY: WORDS FROM A BEAR

New to DVD this week:
N SCOTT MOMADAY: WORDS FROM A BEAR

Director:
Jeffrey Palmer

World Premiere:
Sundance 2019

Select Festivals:
Hot Docs, Traverse City, deadCENTER, Milwaukee, ImagineNATIVE, Seattle

About:
On the work and influence of Pulitzer Prize-winning Native American author, N Scott Momaday.

I profiled the doc before Sundance here.

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On VOD: THE INVENTOR: OUT FOR BLOOD IN SILICON VALLEY

photo by Drew Kelly

New to digital download via HBO this week:
THE INVENTOR: OUT FOR BLOOD IN SILICON VALLEY

Director:
Alex Gibney

Premiere:
Sundance 2019

Select Festivals:
SXSW

About:
An investigation into the high-profile rise and fall of discredited health tech company Theranos.

I profiled the doc before Sundance here.

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Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance

In Theatres: SHOOTING THE MAFIA

Coming to theatres today, Friday, November 22:
SHOOTING THE MAFIA

Director:
Kim Longinotto

World Premiere:
Sundance 2019

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Berlin, CPH:DOX, Docs Against Gravity, Biografilm, London, Vilnius, Zurich

About:
A portrait of an acclaimed Sicilian photographer and her lifetime bravely bearing witness to the Mafia’s crimes.

I profiled the doc before Sundance here.

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Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance

IDFA 2019 Overview, Part Two

Festival:
The 32nd IDFA

Dates:
November 20-December 1

About:
Yesterday’s post on the largest documentary festival in the world covered its competitive sections, while today’s looks at non-competitive programming. Continue reading

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On VOD: A FILM UNFINISHED

New to OVID.tv this week:
A FILM UNFINISHED

Director:
Yael Hersonski

World Premiere:
Sundance 2010

Select Festivals:
Berlin, Full Frame, Hot Docs, Jerusalem, Silverdocs, EDOC, Beldocs, Rio, Taiwan, Melbourne, Milwaukee, Tallgrass, San Francisco Jewish

About:
A searing exposé of the hot yoga entrepreneur Bikram Choudhury, accused by multiple women of sexual assault.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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IDFA 2019 Overview, Part One

Festival:
The 32nd IDFA

Dates:
November 20-December 1

About:
This is the first of two posts on the lineup of the world’s biggest documentary film festival, which presents approximately 170 new and recent features, in addition to many more retrospective offerings. Today’s post covers the competition sections, while tomorrow’s will spotlight non-competitive strands. Continue reading

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