Beginning this Thursday, May 2 and running through Saturday, May 11, DocAviv: The Tel Aviv International Documentary Film Festival celebrates its 15th anniversary. More than eighty new documentary features, in addition to shorts and retrospective programming, spotlighting a diverse range of both Israeli and international work, will screen during the event, recognized as one of the key doc festivals in the region. It’s on my list of fests I’d love to attend at some point, but, sadly, this year’s not the year. What follows are some highlights of feature docs appearing there that I’d be most interested in viewing: Continue reading
Category Archives: Film
DocAviv 2013 Overview
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
On DVD: WALK AWAY RENEE
Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, April 30: WALK AWAY RENEE
Jonathan Caouette’s road trip with his mother made its world premiere at Cannes in 2011. Other stops on the fest circuit include BAMcinemaFest, Poland’s New Horizon, Moscow, and Outfest, among others.
I wrote about the film upon its VOD release here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On DVD: VITO
Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, April 30: VITO
Jeffrey Schwarz’s exploration of the life and legacy of Vito Russo debuted at the New York Film Festival in 2011. It went on to screen at numerous festivals, including Berlin, Big Sky, Dallas, Frameline, and Outfest, among others. The doc also enjoyed a limited theatrical release and was broadcast on HBO.
I previously wrote about the film here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
In Theatres (Again) & On VOD: ONE NIGHT STAND
Coming to NYC’s Quad Cinema today, Friday, April 26 and to VOD next Tuesday, April 30: ONE NIGHT STAND
Elisabeth Sperling and Trish Dalton’s chronicle of the making of four musicals over the course of just 24 hours debuted at NewFest in 2011, winning the doc audience award. It went on to screen at Austin, Denver, Miami, RiverRun, and Nashville, among others, and previously came to theatres for a one-night-only event this past January. The doc will be available on iTunes next week.
I previously wrote about the doc upon its initial release here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
In the Works: FREEDOM FIGHTERS
The director of INFORMANT profiles the efforts of once wrongly imprisoned men to exonerate other innocent men.
Having themselves experienced the nightmare of incarceration for crimes they didn’t commit, and the joy of finally being vindicated, the subjects of Jamie Meltzer’s film have banded together to help others in similar straits. Going by the film’s titular name, a group of exonerated African-American men form a detective agency, funneling their hard-fought experiences in the criminal justice system to investigate, and hopefully solve, other cases of wrongful conviction. Beyond the challenge of their first case – overturning a 75-year sentence for a $618 theft – the men have to learn how to do their new jobs and to adjust to life on the outside. Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, In the Works
In Theatres: AN OVERSIMPLIFICATION OF HER BEAUTY
Coming to NYC’s Cinema Village today, Friday, April 26: AN OVERSIMPLIFICATION OF HER BEAUTY
Terence Nance’s meditation on the relationship between a man and a woman debuted at Sundance last year. The hybrid project – neither strictly fiction nor nonfiction – went on to screen at Rotterdam, New Directors/New Films, Urbanworld, Sundance London, Cleveland, Traverse City, and New Orleans, among many others.
I previously wrote about the film here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
On DVD: TCHOUPITOULAS
Coming to DVD (in a double-disc release with ONLY THE YOUNG) next Tuesday, April 30: TCHOUPITOULAS
The Ross Brothers’ exploration of nocturnal New Orleans made its world premiere at SXSW last year. Its fest circuit included Silverdocs, BAMcinemaFest, CPH: DOX, Hot Docs, and Dallas, among others.
I included the doc in my SXSW roundup here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On DVD: ONLY THE YOUNG
Coming to DVD (in a double-disc release with TCHOUPITOULAS) next Tuesday, April 30: ONLY THE YOUNG
Elizabeth Mims and Jason Tippet’s study of friendship in adolescence debuted at True/False last year. Its festival circuit included stops at San Francisco, Hot Docs, Silverdocs, and AFI Fest, picking up awards at the latter two fests.
I included the doc in my Hot Docs roundup here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On DVD: HISTORY OF THE EAGLES
Coming to DVD next Tuesday, April 30: HISTORY OF THE EAGLES
Alison Ellwood’s premiered the first part of her chronicle of the seminal American band at Sundance earlier this year, with the second part debuting on Showtime in February. This DVD/Blu-ray release includes both parts plus EAGLES LIVE AT THE CAPITAL CENTER – MARCH 1977, featuring performances from the band’s legendary Hotel California tour.
I wrote about part one before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
In Theatres: ¡VIVAN LAS ANTIPODAS!
Coming to theatres via Cinedigm’s Docurama initiative next Tuesday, April 30: ¡VIVAN LAS ANTIPODAS!
Victor Kossakovsky’s stunning exploration of global opposites made its debut as one of the opening night films for Venice in 2011. It has had an extensive festival run, including Message to Man, DOK Leipzig, Doha Tribeca, IDFA, Docpoint, Ambulante, Documentary Fortnight, True/False, It’s All True, San Francisco, and Hot Docs, among many others. The film is part of Cinedigm’s new seven-film program bringing feature documentaries to theatres weekly in up to fifteen US markets, including NYC, LA, Pasadena, Encino, San Diego, Palm Desert, Austin, San Antonio, Phoenix, Cleveland, Columbus, Pittsburgh, Hartford, New Haven, Ithaca, Richmond, and Helena. The films are also available for additional theatrical-on-demand screenings via Tugg. In NYC, the film will screen on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
I previously wrote about the doc out of Hot Docs here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
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