Category Archives: Film

Coming to NYC’s IFC Center today, Wednesday, September 25: SHEPARD & DARK

Treva Wurmfeld’s portrait of male friendship debuted at Toronto last year. Its festival circuit also included Cannes, DOC NYC, San Francisco, Woodstock, Cleveland, Sarasota, Big Sky, Florida, and Ashland, among others. The film expands to other cities beginning next week.

I included the doc in my Toronto coverage here.

Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, September 24: CALL ME KUCHU

Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall’s revealing look homophobia in Uganda had its world premiere in Berlin last year. Its fest circuit has included berths at Hot Docs, Silverdocs, Frameline, Sheffield, Los Angeles, Reykjavik, Side by Side, CPH:DOX, and New Orleans, among others, and it enjoyed a limited theatrical release this Summer.

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

Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, September 24: DEAR MOM, LOVE CHER

P David Ebersole’s intimate portrait of Georgia Holt made its debut on Lifetime and Australia’s Bio Channel this past May for Mother’s Day. It now comes to VOD worldwide.

For Holt’s 85th birthday, her daughter Cher filmed a video celebrating her mother’s life. Inspired by this, the superstar turned to Ebersole and partner Todd Hughes to expand its scope and develop it into a standalone doc for Lifetime. The remarkably vibrant Holt, flanked by her daughters, Cher and Georganne LaPiere, candidly reveals stories both sobering and humorous, from her penniless origins as the daughter of a 13-year-old mother in rural Arkansas to her spotty track record of seven marriages. While Cher understandably takes some of the spotlight, the film explores the three women’s public careers – Holt and Georganne both had bit parts on several TV shows – and culminates in the story of Holt’s would-be singing career. More than thirty years ago, basking in the unlikely interest of being a vivacious sixtysomething celebrity mom with a young lover, Holt appeared on TV talk shows and seemed poised to have her own big break as a singer, finally realizing an old dream that started when she was a child earning pennies for her father by singing during the Great Depression. Though she recorded a country album with Elvis’ former band, her refusal of the record label’s unfair deal meant it went unreleased. Discovering tapes from those recording sessions, remastering them, and joining her on one track, Cher helped Holt release the album this year. Ebersole’s charming doc captures this, as well as the genuine affection Holt’s family has for her.

Coming to PBS’s POV tonight, Monday, September 23: BEST KEPT SECRET

Samantha Buck’s portrait of a teacher of special needs students debuted at the Independent Film Festival Boston earlier this year. It went on to screen at Montclair and AFI Docs before a limited theatrical release earlier this month.

I included the doc in my AFI Docs coverage here.