Category Archives: Film Festivals

Coming to VOD today, Tuesday, June 4:
THE BRINK

Director:
Alison Klayman

Premiere:
Sundance 2019

Select Festivals:
CPH:DOX, Cleveland, Docville

About:
Steve Bannon, post-White House.

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

Coming to Hulu tomorrow, Saturday, June 1:
ASK DR RUTH

Director:
Ryan White

Premiere:
Sundance 2019

Select Festivals:
Hot Docs, Tribeca, San Francisco, Full Frame, Miami, IFF Boston, Miami Jewish

About:
A profile of the world-famous sex therapist and Holocaust survivor, Dr Ruth Westheimer.

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

Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, May 28:
GENESIS 2.0

Director:
Christian Frei

Co-Director:
Maxim Arbugaev

Premiere:
Sundance 2018

Select Festivals:
Locarno, IDFA, Zurich, Docs Against Gravity, Sarasota

About:
Siberian hunters and international scientists attempt to resurrect the woolly mammoth.

I profiled the doc before Sundance here.

Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, May 28:
BISBEE ’17

Director:
Robert Greene

Premiere:
Sundance 2018

Select Festivals:
Nantucket, True/False, CPH:DOX, Visions du Reel, Hot Docs, AFI Docs, BAMcinemaFest, Sydney, Jeonju, Minneapolis/St Paul, Cleveland

About:
An old town on the Arizona-Mexico border collectively confronts the darkest episode in its history.

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

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, May 24:
HALSTON

Director:
Frédéric Tcheng

Premiere:
Sundance 2019

Select Festivals:
CPH:DOX, Tribeca, Seattle, Montclair, Sarasota

About:
An exploration of the life and legacy of America’s first celebrity designer.

My pre-Sundance doc profile may be found here.

Coming to OVID this Sunday, May 19:
ROUGH AUNTIES

Director:
Kim Longinotto

Premiere:
IDFA 2008

Select Festivals:
Sundance, Hot Docs, Thessaloniki Doc, Full Frame, BAFICI, One World, Krakow, Vienna, Big Sky Doc, Durban, Salem

About:
A group of women are on a mission to help the abused and neglected children of South Africa.

I previously wrote about the doc for the Sundance program, saying:
Jackie, Mildred, Eureka, Sdudla, and Thuli are the women behind Bobbi Bear, a nonprofit organization based in Durban, South Africa, that counsels sexually abused children and works to bring their abusers to justice. Born out of a recognition of cultural stigmas that discourage reporting abuse and inadequate methods of communicating with young victims, Bobbi Bear developed a method of letting children use teddy bears to explain their abuse. Since 1992, the multiracial staff has become the fearless and powerful voice for those victims who would otherwise continue to live in fear, powerless against their oppressors and ignored by the legal system. Director Kim Longinotto adeptly and intimately follows Bobbi Bear staff in difficult direct sessions with children and consultations with family members, and on raids with authorities to arrest the perpetrators of these heinous acts. Facing tragedy daily as part of their advocacy work and, heartbreakingly for some, in their personal lives, the women draw strength from each other and find hope despite the suffering around them. Equally as compassionate to the young victims as they are steadfast in their pursuit of justice, these five exceptional women have found themselves transformed by their mission into “rough aunties,” crossing barriers of race, culture, and socioeconomic status to become formidable agents of change in their community.