Category Archives: Recommendations

Coming to theatres this Friday, July 22: THE SEVENTH FIRE

Jack Pettibone Riccobono’s intimate exploration of Native American gang life made its bow at Berlin last year. Additional screenings have included New Orleans, Palm Springs, Documenta Madrid, Mar del Plata, Stockholm, Minneapolis-St Paul, Big Sky, Hawaii, Iran’s Cinema Vérité, and East End.

Riccobono’s artfully filmed portrait is set on the White Earth Reservation in Pine Point MN, and focuses on two men: Rob Brown, a longtime gang leader facing his fifth stint in prison, and Kevin, a teenager who’s on the same path in their impoverished, dead-end community. Urging the boy not to accept that drugs and criminality are inevitable, Brown also faces the consequences of his own actions, including being separated from his young daughter. Offering a candid, and often bleak, look at the continuing cycles of poverty, neglect, and abuse present in Native communities, the film nevertheless does offer room for hope as its young protagonists try to find a path forward.

Coming to VOD today, Tuesday, July 19: BACK ON BOARD: GREG LOUGANIS

Cheryl Furjanic’s profile of the Olympic diver debuted at AFI Docs in 2014. Screening berths followed at DOC NYC, New Orleans, Hamptons, Palm Springs, Big Sky, Cleveland, Hot Springs Doc, Frameline, Outfest, and several fests on the LGBT circuit. The doc is now available on VOD via iTunes and Amazon.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to VOD tomorrow, Tuesday, July 19: MISSION CONGO

Lara Zizic and David Turner’s investigation into a charity’s alleged fraudulent activity debuted at Toronto in 2013. The film went on to screen at DOC NYC, IDFA, Sarasota, and Florida. It now comes to VOD via FilmBuff.

I previously included the doc in my Toronto coverage here.

Coming to DVD next Tuesday, July 19: SKY LINE

Miguel Drake-McLaughlin and Jonny Leahan’s exploration of the practical implementation of a sci-fi concept had its world premiere at DOC NYC last year. It has also screened at the Princeton and Washington DC Environmental fests and was released on VOD by FilmBuff last year.

I previously wrote about the doc upon its VOD release here.

Coming to VOD today, Friday, July 15: HUSTLERS CONVENTION

Mike Todd’s exploration of hip-hop’s roots debuted at Sheffield last year. The film came stateside to screen at DOC NYC, Harlem, and the San Francisco Black fests before its broadcast debut this past February. It now comes to VOD via iTunes.

I previously wrote about the film here.

Coming to theatres and to VOD this Friday, July 15: LUCHA MEXICO

Alex Hammond and Ian Markiewicz’s look at wrestling across the border debuted at Guanajuato last year. It came stateside at DOC NYC, and has also screened at DOXA and Hola Mexico.

I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
In Mexico, the war between good and evil has been waged each week for decades, thrilling generations of fans with the spectacle of Lucha Libre. Real-life superheroes and villains, these masked wrestlers work tirelessly to entertain their legions of fans. Gaining unprecedented access to the largest Lucha federations, Alex Hammond and Ian Markiewicz offer an entertaining, no-holds-barred look at some of the sport’s top performers, from the “1000% Guapo” Shocker, the little person mascot KeMonito, the Luchador heir Blue Demon Jr, hardcore wrestler El Hijo Del Perro Aguayo, and American bodybuilder Jon “Strongman” Andersen.