Category Archives: Recommendations

Venice 2018: Documentary Overview

Festival:
The 75th annual Venice Film Festival

Dates:
August 29-September 8

About:
The world’s oldest film festival reaches a landmark year, and, together with its autonomous sidebars, presents approximately 30 documentaries among more than 100 new features. Continue reading →

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On DVD: RBG

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, August 28:
RBG

Directors:
Betsy West and Julie Cohen

Premiere:
Sundance 2018

Select Festivals:
Miami, Cleveland, San Francisco, Montclair

About:
A portrait of legendary, outspoken US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

I profiled the doc before Sundance here.

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On TV: BIDDER 70

Coming to PBS’s America ReFramed tomorrow, Tuesday, August 28:
BIDDER 70

Directors:
Beth Gage and George Gage

Premiere:
Mountainfilm 2012

Select Festivals:
Cleveland, Denver, Human Rights Watch, Traverse City, United Nations, Mill Valley, Washington DC Environmental

About:
An exploration of one man’s act of civil disobedience.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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On TV: NOWHERE TO HIDE

Coming to PBS’s POV tonight, Monday, August 27:
NOWHERE TO HIDE

Director:
Zaradasht Ahmed

Premiere:
IDFA 2016

Select Festivals:
CPH:DOX, Thessaloniki Doc, One World, Göteborg, Cleveland, Sarasota, Docs Against Gravity, Sydney, Seattle, DocAviv, Human Rights Watch NYC, London, and Toronto

About:
A personal tour through daily life in Iraq.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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On TV: AMERICA TO ME

Coming to Starz
beginning this Sunday, August 26:
AMERICA TO ME

Director:
Steve James

Premiere:
Sundance 2018

Select Festivals:
Full Frame, AFI Docs, Middlebury

About:
An intimate docuseries exploring the intersection of race and educational achievement over a year in a diverse suburban Chicago-area high school.

I profiled the series pre-Sundance here.

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In Theatres: THE OSLO DIARIES

Coming to theatres today, Friday, August 24:
THE OSLO DIARIES

Directors:
Mor Loushy and Daniel Sivan

Premiere:
Sundance 2018

Select Festivals:
Hot Docs, Seattle, Jerusalem, Global Peace, Biografilm, Documentary Edge, Jewish festivals in San Francisco, Boston, Toronto, and London

About:
An unprecedented behind the scenes look at the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.

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In Theatres & On VOD: CRIME + PUNISHMENT

Coming to theatres and to Hulu tomorrow, Friday, August 24:
CRIME + PUNISHMENT

Director:
Stephen Maing

Premiere:
Sundance 2018

Select Festivals:
Nantucket, True/False, Hot Docs, AFI Docs, Doc10, Full Frame, BAMcinemaFest, Ashland, Sarasota, Thin Line, Montclair, Nashville, Seattle, Shanghai, Traverse City, Martha’s Vineyard, NY Asian American, Southern Fried, Houston Latino

About:
Whistleblowing police officers attempt to expose a corrupt NYPD.

I profiled the doc before Sundance here.

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In Theatres: MAKALA

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, August 24:
MAKALA

Director:
Emmanuel Gras

Premiere:
Cannes 2017

Select Festivals:
Karlovy Vary, Toronto, London, Busan, IDFA, CPH:DOX, True/False, Thessaloniki Doc, New Directors/New Films, Poland’s New Horizons, Palm Springs, Goteborg, Tokyo, Hamburg, Vienna

About:
A young Congolese man embarks on a Sisyphean trek to sell charcoal.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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On TV: QUIET HEROES

Coming to Logo TV tomorrow, Thursday, August 23:
QUIET HEROES

Directors:
Jenny Mackenzie, Jared Ruga, and Amanda Stoddard

Premiere:
Sundance 2018

Select Festivals:
Frameline, BFI Flare, Portland QDoc, TLVFest

About:
A tribute to the only medical professionals in Utah who would treat patients with AIDS in the early years of the epidemic.

My pre-Sundance profile may be found here.

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Special Screening: PICK OF THE LITTER

Coming to NYC’s Rooftop Films tomorrow, Thursday, August 23:
PICK OF THE LITTER

Directors:
Don Hardy and Dana Nachman

Premiere:
Slamdance 2018

Select Festivals:
Nantucket, Hot Docs, AFI Docs, Melbourne, New Zealand, Sydney, Cleveland, Seattle, San Francisco, Freep, Hawaii, Newport Beach

About:
A behind the scenes look at the training of guide dogs for the blind.

Phil, Primrose, Potomac, Patriot, and Poppet are all in the running for a vitally important, life-changing job, but they’ll have to make it through intense training first. These five adorable puppies from the same litter are candidates to become guide dogs for the blind. In this heartwarming and affectionate film, directors Dana Nachman and Don Hardy follow them from birth through training to see which dogs have what it takes to be paired with one of the 500 applicants seeking their assistance, including Janet, waiting for her fourth dog, and Ron, waiting for his first.

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