Category Archives: Film

Coming to PBS’s Global Voices series on the World Channel this Sunay, June 1: MISS NIKKI AND THE TIGER GIRLS

Juliet Lamont’s look at the development of an all-girl music group under a military regime had its world premiere at IDFA in 2012. It went on to screen at Margaret Mead, One World, Sydney, Melbourne, and Planete+ Doc, among other fests.

I previously wrote about the doc out of IDFA here.

Coming to DVD and VOD this coming Tuesday, June 3: TINY: A STORY ABOUT LIVING SMALL

Merete Mueller and Christopher Smith’s personal look at compact living debuted at SXSW last year. IOther stops on the fest circuit included DOC NYC, Hot Docs, IFF Boston, Mountainfilm, Tallgrass, and Hot Springs, among others.

I previously wrote about the film out of Hot Docs here.

Coming to theatres this Friday, May 30: BEFORE YOU KNOW IT

PJ Raval’s affecting portrait of gays growing older debuted at SXSW last year. Its fest circuit has included IFF Boston, San Francisco, Edinburgh, Lone Star, Cucalorus, Cleveland, Florida, and several LGBT fests, including Inside Out, Outfest, Image Out, Reeling, Image + Nation, and Polari.

Noting the particular challenges often faced by LGBT seniors – which can include isolation, a return to the closet within homophobic nursing home facilities, and lack of access to relevant social and health services – Raval set out to share the stories of three elders. Dennis came out only after he became a widower, but not to his family, feeling comfortable expressing his true self only in the controlled environments of an LGBT retirement home or on a gay cruise; Ty is an advocate for LGBT seniors, and faces a big decision when New York State legalizes gay marriage; and Robert, the owner of a gay bar, faces health problems that exacerbate his financial and legal struggles to keep his business open. Sometimes bittersweet, their experiences speak to a certain generation of gay men who grew up in a far less open and accepting society, but also to a more universal reckoning with age, health, mortality, and regret – factors that we all too often try to ignore or avoid.

Coming to NYC’s Film Forum this Wednesday, May 28: THE LIFE AND CRIMES OF DORIS PAYNE

Matthew Pond and Kirk Marcolina’s portrait of a charismatic jewel thief had its world premiere at Hot Docs last year. It went on to screen at IDFA, Woodstock, Tallgrass, Antenna, Hot Springs, Cleveland, Docaviv, and the ArcLight Hollywood Doc fests, among others.

I previously wrote about the film out of Hot Docs here.