Category Archives: Sundance

2018 Sundance Docs in Focus: KUSAMA – INFINITY

Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Harrie Verstappen

KUSAMA – INFINITY
Heather Lenz presents a thoughtful look at the life and art of the celebrated queen of polka dots.

Festival Section:
US Documentary Competition
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2018 Sundance Docs in Focus: KAILASH

Courtesy of Sundance Institute

KAILASH
Derek Doneen profiles one man’s tireless mission to end child slavery.

Festival Section:
US Documentary Competition
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2018 Sundance Docs in Focus: INVENTING TOMORROW

Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by IQ 190 Productions

INVENTING TOMORROW
Laura Nix profiles several international students pursuing answers to environmental issues in their science fair projects.

Festival Section:
US Documentary Competition

Special Program:
The New Climate
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2018 Sundance Docs in Focus: HALE COUNTY THIS MORNING, THIS EVENING

Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by IDIOM Film/RaMell Ross

HALE COUNTY THIS MORNING, THIS EVENING
RaMell Ross rewrites familiar representational tropes of race, region, and class in this impressionistic portrait of two young African American men in the American South.

Festival Section:
US Documentary Competition
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2018 Sundance Docs in Focus: HAL

Courtesy of Sundance Institute

HAL
Amy Scott celebrates maverick director Hal Ashby.

Festival Section:
US Documentary Competition
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2018 Sundance Docs in Focus: THE DEVIL WE KNOW

Courtesy of Sundance Institute

THE DEVIL WE KNOW
Stephanie Soechtig and co-director Jeremy Seifert uncover a corporation’s widespread use of dangerous chemicals, despite their known impact on human health.

Festival Section:
US Documentary Competition

Special Program:
The New Climate
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2018 Sundance Docs in Focus: DARK MONEY

Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Eric Phillips-Horst

DARK MONEY
Kimberly Reed reveals the dangerous impact of Citizens United on Montana’s politics.

Festival Section:
US Documentary Competition
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2018 Sundance Docs in Focus: CRIME + PUNISHMENT

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CRIME + PUNISHMENT
Stephen Maing chronicles the efforts of whistleblowing police officers to expose a corrupt NYPD.

Festival Section:
US Documentary Competition
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2018 Sundance Docs in Focus: BISBEE ’17

Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Jarred Alterman/4th Row Films

BISBEE ’17
Robert Greene confronts a dark episode in a small border town’s history, 100 years later.

Festival Section:
US Documentary Competition
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2018 Sundance Docs in Focus

The 34th Sundance Film Festival takes place next month, running January 18-28, with a lineup consisting of 121 features, 69 shorts, and 24 installations, performances, AI, and VR experiences.

For the past seven years, I’ve profiled the feature documentary programming in advance of the festival, offering background about the exciting new crop of films. My 2018 lineup focus begins tomorrow with the US Documentary Competition and will continue film-by-film, section-by-section, until I’ve covered the more than 50 nonfiction titles this year, wrapping up just before the festival starts.

Please note that I am not reviewing these films – as a Documentary Programming Associate for Sundance, they are all recommended. These profiles simply include select background about the filmmakers, noting past Sundance projects where applicable, and why readers should seek out the docs, either during the festival or later in the year at other upcoming festivals and/or in release. For a sample, check out last year’s series, which began here.

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