DocsDF: The International Documentary Film Festival of Mexico City celebrates its 10th anniversary beginning tomorrow, Thursday, October 15. The event will showcase more than 100 films through more than 250 screenings through Saturday, October 24, with the vast majority free to the public. Continue reading
Category Archives: Film
DocsDF 2015 Overview
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
On DVD: DRUG LORD: THE LEGEND OF SHORTY
New to DVD this week: DRUG LORD: THE LEGEND OF SHORTY
Angus Macqueen and Guillermo Galdos’ search for an infamous drug cartel head made its debut at SXSW last year. It went on to screen at Biografilm and Guanajuato, and had a limited theatrical release as well as a VOD release late last year.
I previously wrote about the film here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
On VOD: NO CONTROL
Coming to VOD today, Tuesday, October 13: NO CONTROL
Jessica Solce’s topical look at gun control debuted at DOC NYC last year. It has also screened at the Denver Film Society. The doc now comes to VOD, including iTunes, via The Orchard.
I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
A provocative exploration of the contentious issue of gun control, Jessica Solce’s film profiles two men at opposite ends of the debate: The outspoken Cody Wilson, a radical libertarian anarchist who made headlines by designing “the Liberator,” the first open-source 3D-printable gun; and artist Greg Bokor, who develops an interactive installation consisting of an immense pencil drawing of an AR-15 assault rifle, incomplete until it’s erased by spectators with erasers handstamped with the names of shooting victims.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On VOD: DEMON ON WHEELS
Coming to VOD today, Tuesday, October 13: DEMON ON WHEELS
Christina Eliopoulos’ chronicle of a man’s mission to restore his 1968 Mustang debuted this past June at the popular Carlisle Ford Nationals auto show. It now comes to iTunes.
I previously wrote about the doc while it was in production here. Eliopoulos’ end result captures Mike Ondish’s rakish charm well, while also re-positioning his obsession with recapturing his wild youth into an unexpected love triangle between his life partner, Martha; his car, the Demon; and himself. While gearheads and Mustang fanatics will have much to enjoy here, Martha serves as a welcome human balance, emerging as a sympathetic point of identification for viewers who may not share Ondish’s single-minded auto mania.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On DVD: CAFFEINATED
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, October 13: CAFFEINATED
Hanh Nguyen and Vishal Solanki’s love letter to coffee culture made its premiere at Santa Barbara earlier this year. After a limited theatrical run and VOD release, it now comes to DVD.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
New Orleans 2015: Documentary Overview
The New Orleans Film Festival begins its 26th edition tomorrow, Wednesday, October 14, and runs through Thursday, October 22. I’m excited to be returning to the festival after several years, and am looking forward to serving on the documentary features jury. The following highlights a small fraction of this year’s nearly 40 documentary features:
Competition titles include: Shamira Raphaëla’s DEAL WITH IT, about the filmmaker’s troubled father and brother; Jack Pettibone Riccobono’s THE SEVENTH FIRE, a profile of a Native American gang leader; Jennifer Redfearn’s TOCANDO LA LUZ, which follows the experience of three blind women in Havana; Poppy Stockell’s SCRUM, a portrait of a gay Aussie rugby team; David Shapiro’s MISSING PEOPLE (pictured), about a woman obsessed by her brother’s unsolved murder and by the work of a New Orleans outsider artist; Jide Tom Akinleminu’s PORTRAIT OF A LONE FARMER, a portrait of the filmmaker’s long absent father; and Irene Gutierrez’s HOTEL NUEVA ISLA, about a man living in an abandoned Havana resort.
Other nonfiction titles include: Sara Fishko’s look back at NYC’s jazz scene of the late 1950s and ’60s, THE JAZZ LOFT ACCORDING TO W EUGENE SMITH; Gene Fredericks’ portrait of an eccentric photographer, THE PHANTASMAGORICAL CLARENCE JOHN LAUGHLIN; Ian Midgley’s look at the collaboration between innovative agricultural thinkers, REVERSING THE MISSISSIPPI; Bartek Bartos and Piotr Bartos’ look at an atist’s response to Katrina, FLOATING ON FIRE; Julie Sokolow’s ASPIE SEEKS LOVE (pictured), about a man with Asperger’s who has posted personal ads for fifteen years.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
On DVD: BALLET BOYS
Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, October 13: BALLET BOYS
Kenneth Elvebakk’s look at three teenage dancers premiered at Thessaloniki Doc last year. Other fest screenings included Krakow, Edinburgh, Bergen, Reykjavik, Cucalorus, Palm Springs, IDFA, and Goteborg.
I previously wrote about the film upon its VOD release here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
On DVD: ABOVE AND BEYOND
Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, October 13: ABOVE AND BEYOND
Roberta Grossman’s unexpected history of the Israeli Air Force had its world premiere at Jerusalem last year. It went on to screen at DOC NYC, Palm Springs, Heartland, and Jewish fests in San Francisco, Toronto, Boston, Nashville, Hong Kong, and Vancouver.
I previously wrote about the film here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On DVD: CALL ME LUCKY
Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, October 13: CALL ME LUCKY
Bobcat Goldthwait’s profile of comedian turned activist Barry Crimmins had its world premiere at Sundance this year. Other screenings have included IFF Boston, Boulder, Montclair, Milwaukee, and Cleveland.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Special Screening & In Theatres & On VOD: THE RUSSIAN WOODPECKER
Coming to NYC’s Stranger Than Fiction series tomorrow, Tuesday, October 13 and to theatres and VOD this Friday, October 16: THE RUSSIAN WOODPECKER
Chad Gracia’s hidden history of an infamous Soviet-era disaster made its bow at Sundance this year, where it won a grand jury prize. It went to screen at Nantucket, BAMcinemaFest, AFI Docs, Milwaukee, Zurich, and Sydney, among others.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
what (not) to doc 