Category Archives: Film

2023 Sundance Don’t Miss Docs: AUM: THE CULT AT THE END OF THE WORLD

Courtesy of Sundance Institute

AUM: THE CULT AT THE END OF THE WORLD
On the morning of March 20, 1995, a deadly nerve gas attack in the Tokyo subway sent the nation and its people into chaos. This exploration of Aum Shinrikyo, the cult responsible for the attack, involves the participation of those who lived through the horror as it unfolded.

Directors/Producers:
Ben Braun, Chiaki Yanagimoto

Producers:
Dan Braun, Josh Braun, Rick Brookwell

Festival Section:
US Documentary Competition

More Info:
Check out the Sundance website for more details, including screening info, by clicking on the film title above.

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On VOD: SIRENS

Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Rita Baghdadi

Coming to VOD tomorrow, Tuesday, January 3:
SIRENS

Director:
Rita Baghdadi

World Premiere:
Sundance 2022

Select Festivals:
True/False, CPH:DOX, Hot Docs, Thessaloniki Doc, BFI Flare, Cleveland, Sun Valley, Florida, BAFICI, Krakow, Guadalajara, Sydney, Frameline, Outfest, BAMcinemaFest

About:
On the outskirts of Beirut, Lilas and Shery, co-founders and guitarists of the Middle East’s first all-female metal band, wrestle with friendship, sexuality, and destruction in their pursuit of becoming thrash metal rock stars.

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2023 Sundance Don’t Miss Docs

The 39th Sundance Film Festival will run January 19-29, returning to in-person screenings in Utah, with a robust selection of titles also available online. So far, we have announced 101 features, 4 indie episodic projects, and 64 new short films as part of the lineup.

In my role as a Senior Programmer for the Festival, I’m looking forward to sharing this slate with audiences next month. As I did last year, I’m devoting the next few weeks of this space to spotlighting each of our feature docs and long-form episodic nonfiction offerings with simple, individual pointers to each of these projects. Sundance Don’t Miss Docs begins this coming Monday.

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On TV: DIONNE WARWICK: DON’T MAKE ME OVER

Coming to CNN this Sunday, January 1:
DIONNE WARWICK: DON’T MAKE ME OVER

Director:
Dave Wooley, David Heilbroner

World Premiere:
Toronto 2021

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Montclair, Santa Barbara, Annapolis

About:
In this career-spanning portrait, richly illustrated with vintage musical performances, Dionne Warwick is a marvelous raconteur sharing candid stories behind her hit songs.

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On VOD: MCCURRY: THE PURSUIT OF COLOUR

Coming to VOD this Sunday, January 1:
MCCURRY: THE PURSUIT OF COLOUR

Director:
Denis Delestrac

World Premiere:
DOC NYC 2021

Select Festivals:
Glasgow, Málaga, Docs Against Gravity

About:
Travel the world through Steve McCurry’s eyes and discover what these journeys can teach us about our place in the universe.

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Streaming: THIS PLACE RULES

Coming to HBO Max this Friday, December 30:
THIS PLACE RULES

Director:
Andrew Callaghan

World Premiere:
HBO Max (December 2022)

About:
A gonzo style investigation into the undercurrents that led to the January 6 Capitol insurrection.

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In Theatres: TURN EVERY PAGE: THE ADVENTURES OF ROBERT CARO AND ROBERT GOTTLIEB

Coming to theatres this Friday, December 30:
TURN EVERY PAGE: THE ADVENTURES OF ROBERT CARO AND ROBERT GOTTLIEB

Director:
Lizzie Gottlieb

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2022

Select Festivals:
Philadelphia, Hot Springs Doc, Hawai’i, AFI Fest, Palm Springs

About:
An exploration of the remarkable 50-year relationship between two literary legends, writer Robert Caro and his longtime editor Robert Gottlieb.

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On VOD: BROADWAY RISING

Coming to VOD today, Tuesday, December 27:
BROADWAY RISING

Director:
Amy Rice

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2022

About:
Charting the Broadway community’s journey from the almost overnight shut down due to the pandemic to the paths essential theater workers took on their road back to the stage.

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Streaming: WILDCAT

Coming to Amazon Prime Video this Friday, December 30:
WILDCAT

Director:
Melissa Lesh, Trevor Beck Frost

World Premiere:
Telluride 2022

Select Festivals:
IDFA, Montclair, Heartland, St Louis, Hawai’i, AFI Fest

About:
A British war vet crippled by depression and PTSD attempts to find healing by raising an orphaned baby ocelot to maturity deep in the Peruvian jungle.

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On TV: GROUCHO & CAVETT

Coming to PBS’s American Masters tomorrow, Tuesday, December 27:
GROUCHO & CAVETT

Director:
Robert S Bader

World Premiere:
Hamptons 2022

About:
A portrait of the enduring friendship between television personality Dick Cavett and his mentor, iconic comedian Groucho Marx.

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