Over the next couple of days, I’m planning on posting on the documentaries I managed to see at Toronto. In the meantime, I wrote a piece for Movieline about the use of re-enactments in various non-fiction offerings at the festival this year. Take a look at the article here.
Category Archives: Film
Toronto 2012: Re-Enactments
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, In Brief
On DVD/VOD: PATIENCE (AFTER SEBALD)
Coming to DVD and VOD next Tuesday, September 18: PATIENCE (AFTER SEBALD)
Grant Gee’s original tribute to the work and influence of WG Sebald made its world premiere at a special Sebald fest organized by Aldeburgh Music in Suffolk, UK. It went on to screen at last year’s New York Film Festival, Vancouver, Rotterdam, and San Francisco, and enjoyed a limited theatrical release.
I previously wrote about the film upon its theatrical release here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On DVD/VOD: SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP
Coming to DVD and VOD next Tuesday, September 18: SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP
Director Ice-T and co-director Andy Baybutt premiered their star-studded appreciation of hip hop creativity at Sundance. Indomina released the film this summer around the country.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Releases, Sundance
On DVD: EL VELADOR
Coming to DVD next Tuesday, September 18: EL VELADOR
Natalia Almada’s meditation on death and life, centered around an expansive Mexican cemetery, premiered at New Directors/New Films last year. Its festival circuit has included Cannes, Los Angeles, Silverdocs, FIDM, Jihlava, and IDFA, among others, while also enjoying a week run at MoMA.
I wrote about the doc out of Silverdocs here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
In Theatres: STEP UP TO THE PLATE
Coming to theatres this Friday, September 14: STEP UP TO THE PLATE
Paul Lacoste’s profile of a father son pair of French chefs made its world premiere earlier this year at Berlin. It’s gone on to screen at Seattle, San Francisco, Silverdocs, and Planete Doc Review, among others. It opens in NYC this week, expanding through the rest of the month and into October.
I included the film in my Silverdocs roundup here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
In the Works: ALL WE NEED IS ANOTHER CHANCE
The true story of a 1970s soul music group that was founded and recorded albums behind bars.
Serving time in prison in 1968, teenager Reginald Haynes decided to start a singing group as a way to try to focus on the positive during his incarceration. By 1970, his group, The Escorts, were performing for inmates, staff, and visitors, unexpectedly gaining the attention of seasoned Motown producer, George Kerr, who proposed working with the group to record the first album behind prison walls. After years of red tape, they succeeded, and The Escorts hit the charts, eventually releasing two albums before Haynes’ story took an unexpected turn. Producer Christopher Black, a lover of classic soul, gathered director Corbett Jones and producers Anna Rau and Josiah Bultema to explore the past and the present of the group, now known as The Legendary Escorts, against the backdrop of late 20th century African American history – from civil rights to soul music, institutionalized racism to penal reform. Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, In the Works
On TV: KINGS OF PASTRY
Coming to POV for an encore broadcast next Thursday, September 13: KINGS OF PASTRY
Chris Hegedus and DA Pennebaker’s look at the most important pastry competition in the world has screened extensively at festivals, including Berlin, Full Frame, Hot Docs, Dox Box, New Orleans, Philadelphia, RIDM, Big Sky, and Los Angeles, among others. It also enjoyed an extensive theatrical release.
I previously wrote about the film here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations
In Theatres: BEAUTY IS EMBARRASSING
Coming to theatres this Friday, September 7: BEAUTY IS EMBARRASSING
Neil Berkeley’s portrait of artist Wayne White premiered at SXSW earlier this year. It’s gone on to screen at Full Frame, Cleveland, Hot Docs, Boston, Nashville, and Silverdocs, among others.
I included the film in my Silverdocs roundup here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
In Theatres: DETROPIA
Coming to NYC’s IFC Center this Friday, September 7: DETROPIA
Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s meditation on Detroit premiered in January at Sundance, picking up an award for best documentary editing. Its festival circuit has been extensive, screening at True/False, Cleveland, Boston, Hot Docs, DocAviv, Silverdocs, Nantucket, and Traverse City, among others. Ewing and Rachel’s DIY release expands from NYC next week and through November, with additional bookings found here.
I wrote about the film before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Indiewire @ Hulu Docs: Back to School Edition
Hulu’s Documentaries page has recently been redesigned, presenting eye-catching sliding trays of films organized by themes. My latest curated selections for Indiewire offer up films focused on youth and education, in recognition that it’s back to school time. Watch these now for free!
For more information about the selections, see my Indiewire article.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Indiewire @ Hulu Docs
what (not) to doc 