Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, July 31: LAST DAYS HERE
Don Argott and Demian Fenton’s portrait of a musician who’s seen better times made its world premiere at SXSW last year. After a festival circuit that also included awards at the Independent Film Festival Boston and IDFA, the film was released theatrically and on DVD this Winter.
I included the doc in my SXSW coverage here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Now screening at NYC’s Anthology Film Archive through this Thursday, August 2: ABENDLAND
Nikolaus Geyrhalter’s lyrical look at Europe by night premiered at last year’s Diagonale in Austria. It’s gone on to screen at Visions du Reel, Hot Docs, MoMA’s Documentary Fortnight, and True/False, among others.
I previously wrote about the film here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
One of the producers of THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS joins the director of the synchronized swimming doc SYNC OR SWIM to tell the story of the champion Olympic diver.
Producer Will Sweeney and director Cheryl Furjanic explore the life and legend of Greg Louganis, considered by many the greatest diver of all time. A four-time Olympian – though he, like the rest of the US team, was unable to compete in 1980 due to the US boycott – Louganis quickly moved from a child prodigy to become a household name and an inspiration to many athletes. One of the indelible moments of the 1988 Olympic Games came when he recovered from a concussion in a preliminary round to go on to win the gold medal. However, in 1994, when he revealed he was gay and HIV positive, he faced a backlash that resulted in the disappearance of most of his lucrative endorsements, and he largely fell out of the public eye. Furjanic and Sweeney’s film explores the Olympian’s eventful and complex past while following him in the present as he returns to the diving board to mentor the 2012 US Olympic diving team. Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, In the Works
Coming to HBO next Monday, July 30: ABOUT FACE: SUPERMODELS, THEN & NOW
Timothy Greenfield-Sanders’ profile of beauty, aging, and the first supermodels made its world premiere at Sundance earlier this year. Since then, it has screened at Hot Docs, Montclair, Provincetown, and Los Angeles, among others.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to NYC’s Quad this Friday, July 27 and to LA’s Laemmle Noho 7 next Friday, August 3: BIG BOYS GONE BANANAS!*
Fredrik Gertten’s behind-the-scenes chronicle of the controversy of his previous doc BANANAS!* made its world premiere at IDFA. It came stateside at Sundance and continued on to screen at numerous festivals including DocPoint, Tempo, Hot Docs, Planete, and Sheffield.
I wrote about the film before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to NYC’s Rooftop Films this Saturday, July 28: GRANDMA LO-FI: THE BASEMENT TAPES OF SIGRIDUR NIELSDOTTIR
Kristín Björk Kristjánsdóttir’s lovingly quirky portrait of a senior music maker had its world premiere at CPH:DOX, where it won an award. Festival screenings have followed at Rotterdam, MoMA’s Documentary Fortnight, SXSW, Sheffield, Dokufest Kosovo, and New Horizons, among others.
I included the film in my SXSW coverage here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations
Coming to theatres this Friday, July 27: SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN
Malik Bendjelloul’s search for an obscure ’70s rock performer with an unlikely impact on apartheid made its world premiere at Sundance this year, where it scored both a special jury prize and an audience award, and made headlines as the first sale at the festival. The doc has gone on to screen at numerous notable fests including SXSW, Tribeca, Los Angeles, and Karlovy Vary, among others.
My pre-Sundance profile of the film may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Beginning this Friday July 27 and running through the end of the month, NewFest: The New York LGBT Film Festival returns for its 24th edition. It’s a bit of a different year for the event which I ran from 1996-2008 – a significantly leaner affair, with fewer days and significantly fewer films than usual, but, notably, the first in partnership with the just wrapped Outfest in Los Angeles. Earlier this year, the two orgs announced a strategic partnership that promises to revitalize the East Coast LGBT fest – expect bigger changes for next year’s big 25th anniversary.
This year’s event is more of a curated showcase, presenting just 19 feature length films and two programs of shorts, and providing continuity between NewFest-past and NewFest-future. Last year, the fest left its traditional early June berth for the end of July, and picked up the Film Society of Lincoln Center as a venue for its gala screenings. This year, the relationship with the Film Society expands, with the venerable spot hosting all but one of the screenings.
With a more limited line-up, there’s only room for five doc features. These include Sundance alums ABOUT FACE: SUPERMODELS THEN AND NOW (pictured), Timothy Greenfield-Sanders’ interviews about beauty and aging; and special jury winner LOVE FREE OR DIE, Macky Alston’s portrait of gay bishop Gene Robinson.
The remaining docs include Kieran Turner’s JOBRIATH AD, about the influential gay glam rock performer who never managed to achieve stardom; Michiel van Erp’s I AM A WOMAN NOW (pictured), a smart portrait of five older transwomen, and the winner of an award at Outfest; and Andrea Esteban’s BORN NAKED (MLB), a multi-city profile of young lesbian and trans artists and organizers in Europe.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews
Coming to DVD and VOD tomorrow, Tuesday, July 24: JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI
David Gelb’s portrait of an octogenarian sushi masterchef made its world premiere at Tribeca last year. Its festival circuit has included Berlin, Jerusalem, AFI Fest, and Silverdocs, among others, and the doc has had a successful theatrical release since the spring.
I wrote about the film out of Tribeca here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to theatres this Friday, July 27: AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY
Alison Klayman’s insider look at the internationally famous dissident Chinese artist made its world premiere earlier this year at Sundance, where the film picked up a special jury prize. It went on to screen at more than twenty fests since, including Berlin, True/False, Miami, Full Frame, Silverdocs, Hot Docs, and Human Rights Watch, opening the latter two.
I wrote about the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
