Category Archives: Sundance

Coming to VOD tomorrow, Saturday, August 4: THE AMBASSADOR

Mads Brügger premiered his provocation on international corruption and Africa at IDFA last year. He brought the film to Sundance for its North American premiere. It’s gone on to screen at other notable fests including Thessaloniki Documentary, Tempo, New Directors/New Films, Planete Doc, and Karlovy Vary. It will be available on Demand via Dish, DirecTV, Comcast, Cox, Brighthouse, Charter, Time Warner, ATT, and Verizon.

I wrote about the film before Sundance here.

Coming to theatres (as part of the International Documentary Association’s Oscar-qualifying DocuWeeks) at NYC’s IFC Center this Friday, August 3 and at LA’s Laemmle NoHo 7 on Friday, August 24: LOVE FREE OR DIE

Macky Alston premiered his portrait of gay bishop Gene Robinson at Sundance earlier this year, where he picked up a special jury prize. Since then, the film has had numerous community and festival screenings, including Cleveland, Full Frame, RiverRun, Nashville, QDoc, Seattle, Outfest, and Inside Out, among others.

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

Coming to HBO next Monday, July 30: ABOUT FACE: SUPERMODELS, THEN & NOW

Timothy Greenfield-Sanders’ profile of beauty, aging, and the first supermodels made its world premiere at Sundance earlier this year. Since then, it has screened at Hot Docs, Montclair, Provincetown, and Los Angeles, among others.

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

Coming to NYC’s Quad this Friday, July 27 and to LA’s Laemmle Noho 7 next Friday, August 3: BIG BOYS GONE BANANAS!*

Fredrik Gertten’s behind-the-scenes chronicle of the controversy of his previous doc BANANAS!* made its world premiere at IDFA. It came stateside at Sundance and continued on to screen at numerous festivals including DocPoint, Tempo, Hot Docs, Planete, and Sheffield.

I wrote about the film before Sundance here.

Coming to theatres this Friday, July 27: SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN

Malik Bendjelloul’s search for an obscure ’70s rock performer with an unlikely impact on apartheid made its world premiere at Sundance this year, where it scored both a special jury prize and an audience award, and made headlines as the first sale at the festival. The doc has gone on to screen at numerous notable fests including SXSW, Tribeca, Los Angeles, and Karlovy Vary, among others.

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

Coming to theatres this Friday, July 27: AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY

Alison Klayman’s insider look at the internationally famous dissident Chinese artist made its world premiere earlier this year at Sundance, where the film picked up a special jury prize. It went on to screen at more than twenty fests since, including Berlin, True/False, Miami, Full Frame, Silverdocs, Hot Docs, and Human Rights Watch, opening the latter two.

I wrote about the doc before Sundance here.

Coming to theatres this Friday, July 20: THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES

Lauren Greenfield’s portrait of privilege facing the Recession made its premiere at this year’s Sundance, where it won the US Documentary Directing Award. Its gone on to screen at a number of other fests, including Los Angeles, RiverRun, Provincetown, and Karlovy Vary.

I wrote about the film before Sundance here.

Coming to theatres nationwide for one night only* next Wednesday, July 18: SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS

Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace’s requiem to LCD Soundsystem premiered at Sundance this year. It went on to screen as part of the inaugural Sundance London program, as well as at SXSW, Ambulante, and Hot Docs.

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

*Due to high demand, additional screenings have been added in some theatres, including additional playdates in places like NYC’s Landmark Sunshine.

Coming to theatres this Friday, July 13: THE IMPOSTER

Bart Layton’s stranger than fiction story of an improbable impersonation premiered at Sundance. Its festival circuit has included Seattle, BAMcinemafest, Edinburgh, and Miami, taking a jury prize at the latter.

I profiled the film before Sundance here.

Coming to NYC’s AMC 25 this Friday, July 13 with a national release to follow: FAMILY PORTRAIT IN BLACK & WHITE

Julia Ivanova premiered her portrait of a Ukrainian woman and her more than twenty foster children – most biracial in a racist society – at Sundance last year. The film’s festival circuit has included the Hamptons, Vancouver, Cleveland, Los Angeles, and Hot Docs, winning an award at the latter.

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