BOYS STATE | Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Thorsten Thielow
Festival Section:
US Documentary Competition
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Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
BLOODY NOSE, EMPTY POCKETS | Courtesy of Sundance Institute
Festival Section:
US Documentary Competition
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Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
As 2019 comes to a close, I’ve compiled below my list of top titles for the year.
I’ve restricted my list exclusively to nonfiction as usual, in contrast to virtually every other best of the year list out there which generally ignores documentary filmmaking. My selections are also limited to official releases in 2019.
Below are pointers to what I’ve written about my top ten feature nonfiction of 2019 on what (not) to doc previously. These are unranked and in alphabetical order, followed by a list of additional notable film and episodic titles.
Top Ten:
AMERICAN FACTORY
APOLLO 11
THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM
FOR SAMA
HAIL SATAN?
HONEYLAND
LOS REYES
MAIDEN
MIDNIGHT FAMILY
ONE CHILD NATION
+ Ten More:
17 BLOCKS
AMÉRICA
COLLEGE BEHIND BARS
COMMUNION
FOR THE BIRDS
JAY MYSELF
THE RAFT
SEA OF SHADOWS
WALKING ON WATER
WOODSTOCK: THREE DAYS THAT DEFINED A GENERATION
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
BE WATER | Courtesy of Sundance Institute
Festival Section:
US Documentary Competition
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Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
The 36th Sundance Film Festival takes place next month, running January 23-February 2, with a lineup consisting of 130 features, 74 shorts, 12 episodics, and 28 exhibitions, performances, and VR experiences.
Once again, as I’ve done since 2011’s festival, I’ll profile each of the nearly 60 feature and long-form episodic documentaries in advance of the festival, beginning tomorrow.
Please note: These are not reviews. As a Documentary Programming Associate for Sundance, I recommend every film in the 2020 lineup. These profiles instead provide background about the teams behind this year’s docs in anticipation of the festival and the films’ later release. For a sample, check out last year’s series, which began here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
Coming to PBS’s POV this coming Monday, December 30:
MIDNIGHT TRAVELER
Director:
Hassan Fazili
World Premiere:
Sundance 2019
Select Festivals:
Berlin, CPH:DOX, Hot Docs, Docaviv, DocumentaMadrid, DOXA, Sheffield, Thessaloniki, True/False, Doc Edge, RiverRun, Seattle, Montclair, Biografilm, San Francisco, Salem, Sydney
About:
The filmmaker, his wife, and their two daughters face an uncertain road to asylum when they are forced to flee Afghanistan.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to theatres this Wednesday, December 25:
WHAT SHE SAID: THE ART OF PAULINE KAEL
Director:
Rob Garver
World Premiere:
Telluride 2018
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Berlin, Edinburgh, Karlovy Vary, Thessaloniki Doc, Miami, Cleveland, Montclair, Seattle, Docs Against Gravity, Transilvania, New Zealand, Vancouver, Mumbai, Rio, Docaviv
About:
A portrait of controversial and influential film critic Pauline Kael.
The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
Pauline Kael is among the most famous and divisive film critics of all time. Her praise helped uplift the careers of Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and others, while her putdowns left lasting wounds. She was a pioneering woman in a male chauvinistic world. This nuanced portrait captures her complexity while revisiting late-twentieth-century cinema through her lens, using ample film clips, never-before-seen archival, wide-ranging interviews, and her writings voiced by Sarah Jessica Parker.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
New to DVD this week:
ON THE PRESIDENT’S ORDERS
Directors:
James Jones and Olivier Sarbil
World Premiere:
CPH:DOX 2019
Select Festivals:
Hot Docs, Sheffield, Melbourne, Human Rights Watch, Bergen, Raindance, Zurich, DokuFest,
About:
An inside look at Filipino president Duterte’s corrupt war on drugs.
I previously wrote about the doc hereS.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
New to DVD this week:
THE SERENGETI RULES
Director:
Nicholas Brown
Premiere:
Tribeca 2018
Select Festivals:
CPH:DOX, Hamptons, Jackson Hole, Bergen, Maui, Vancouver, Global Peace,
About:
Scientists explore the impact of keystone species on ecosystems.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
New to VOD this week:
TO KID OR NOT TO KID
Director:
Maxine Trump
World Premiere:
DOC NYC 2018
Select Festivals:
Cleveland, BechdelFest, Woods Hole
About:
A personal look at women’s decision not to have kids.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
what (not) to doc 