Coming to NYC’s IFC Center next Friday, June 17: BUCK
Having taken the festival circuit by storm since its world premiere at Sundance in January, where it took home the US Documentary Audience Award, Cindy Meehl’s profile of Buck Brannaman, the inspiration for the Horse Whisperer, comes to NYC for its theatrical run.
For my pre-Sundance take on the film, click here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Releases, Sundance
Making its NYC premiere at the National Museum of the American Indian on Thursday, June 16 and Saturday, June 18: GRAB
Billy Luther premiered his doc at this year’s Sundance. It offers a striking, impressionistic look at a unique Native American celebration involving the throwing of food and other items from rooftops.
I wrote about the film before its Sundance premiere here.
Luther’s previous film, MISS NAVAJO, which also screened at Sundance and documents a Native American beauty and culture pageant, is also part of the Museum’s programming.
Note: Admission is free, but reservations are recommended – see Facebook page for details. A Q&A will follow the screening. Also, free GRAB bags will be distributed to select attendees at both screenings.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
Opening NYC’s documentary series Stranger Than Fiction’s first Summer Season next Tuesday, June 7: SENNA
Asif Kapadia’s portrait of Formula One world champion race car driver Ayrton Senna wowed audiences and critics alike at its debut this year at Sundance, claiming the World Cinema Audience Award.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Note: A Q&A is scheduled following the screening.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Sundance
Coming to NY and Washington DC Landmark cinemas next Friday, June 3: THE LAST MOUNTAIN
Director Bill Haney’s environmentally focused film zeroes in on controversial coal mining practices and the activists who are working to prevent them. Following its exclusive engagements in NY and DC, the doc is expanding to select cities through the rest of the summer. For my take on the film before its world premiere at Sundance, click here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Releases, Sundance
Kicking off NYC’s Stranger Than Fiction’s first Summer Season with a special pre-season screening next Thursday, June 2: BOBBY FISCHER AGAINST THE WORLD
Acclaimed director Liz Garbus premiered her biography of chess wunderkind Fischer at the beginning of the year at Sundance. The film has gone on to screen at numerous festivals, with Garbus picking up an award at Newport Beach recently, and will be kicking off the HBO Documentary Films Summer Series on June 6.
See my pre-Sundance profile of the film here.
Note: Director Liz Garbus will be present for a post-screening Q&A.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
Coming to NYC’s IFC Center next Wednesday, June 1: !WOMEN ART REVOLUTION
Lynn Hershman Leeson spent decades making this look at feminist art in the US, bringing the film to Toronto for its premiere last year, and to Sundance for its US premiere in January. I wrote about the film before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases, Sundance
Coming to DVD next Tuesday, May 24: A SMALL ACT
Since premiering it at last year’s Sundance, Jennifer Arnold has taken her film around the world, winning jury and audience awards while sharing the story of Hilde Back and Chris Mburu. After its successful festival, theatrical, and broadcast run, the doc will finally be available on DVD.
My thoughts on Arnold’s inspirational film can be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases, Sundance
Coming to HBO for its cable premiere next Thursday, May 26: HOW TO DIE IN OREGON
Like his previous film, CLEAR CUT: THE STORY OF PHILOMATH, OREGON, director Peter D Richardson premiered his sophomore film at Sundance, where it won the Documentary Grand Jury Prize. It has since gone on to screen at SXSW and Hot Docs, and picked up additional awards at Full Frame and Ashland Independent.
I wrote about Richardson’s powerful, emotional film in the lead up to Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases, Sundance
Opening in theatres around the US for a special one night only theatrical event this Thursday, March 31: TO CATCH A DOLLAR: MUHAMMAD YUNUS BANKS ON AMERICA
Gayle Ferraro’s documentary had its world premiere at Sundance last year, bringing the story of Nobel Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus and his microloaning Grameen Bank to US audiences. Now, a little more than a year later, Yunus, Ferraro and her team are partnering with Screenvision in an attempt to reach a much wider audience with a special event in theatres in nearly all 50 states.
The compelling TO CATCH A DOLLAR tells the story of Yunus’ development of Grameen Bank, which focused on helping the working poor in Bangladesh by making microloans to poor women. Over the past 30 years, Grameen has changed the lives of millions of borrowers in the developing world. Ferraro’s film focuses on Grameen’s attempt to enter into the first world, beginning in Queens, NY. Ferraro follows Yunus, his staff in Queens, and his new borrowers, showing the real impact that Yunus’ plan can have on what seems like insurmountable poverty.
This special event will include a simulcast panel moderated by CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo with Dr Yunus, Suze Orman, and Kiva.org’s Premal Shah, plus celebrity endorsements from Hugh Jackman, Matt Damon, Russell Simmons, and others.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Releases, Sundance
Earlier this year, director Pamela Yates brought her sixth documentary to Sundance in the new Documentary Premieres section: GRANITO revisits the story of her award-winning 1982 film, WHEN THE MOUNTAINS TREMBLE, which unexpectedly becomes a key piece of evidence of the genocide perpetrated against the Mayan people by the Guatemalan government. I profiled GRANITO in advance of Sundance here.
Filed under Film, Film Festivals, In the Works, Sundance
what (not) to doc 