Category Archives: Recommendations

Coming to OVID tomorrow, Tuesday, September 20:
THE SEER AND THE UNSEEN

Director:
Sara Dosa

World Premiere:
San Francisco 2019

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Hot Docs, New Horizons, Reykjavík, Melbourne, Camden, RIDM, Leeds, Palm Springs, Available Light, Big Sky Doc, Seattle, Ashland, Thessaloniki Doc

About:
An eccentric Icelandic environmentalist is on a mission to protect the natural habitat of elves from development.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to Ovid tomorrow, Thursday, September 15:
SEX AND BROADCASTING: A FILM ABOUT WFMU

Director:
Tim K Smith

World Premiere:
DOC NYC 2014

Select Festivals:
Rotterdam, Salem, Montclair

About:
A portrait of a maverick radio station.

I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
New Jersey’s WFMU has occupied a unique position as an independent, commercial-free, listener-supported radio station since its inception in the late 1950s. At its heart is the dedicated station manager Ken Freedman, committed to an unstructured, free-form broadcasting model which has won WFMU acclaim as the best – and perhaps weirdest – radio station in the tristate area, if not the country. Facing a budget crisis, can Ken rally both his volunteer staff and his listeners to keep the station afloat?

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, September 13:
WE ARE THE THOUSAND

Director:
Anita Rivaroli

World Premiere:
SXSW 2020 (unscreened)

Select Festivals:
IDFA, Hot Docs, Melbourne, Docs Against Gravity, Thessaloniki Doc

About:
An uplifting, inspiring, and emotional music documentary about a seemingly impossible plan to record a song by the Foo Fighters with a thousand musicians.

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, September 13:
HOLD YOUR FIRE

Director:
Stefan Forbes

World Premiere:
Toronto 2021

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Palm Springs

About:
Captives, cops, and robbers in New York City’s longest hostage siege reflect in this suspenseful and enlightening take on an event long misunderstood.

New to the Criterion Channel this week:
SEARCHING FOR MR RUGOFF

Director:
Ira Deutchman

World Premiere:
DOC NYC 2019

Select Festivals:
Palm Springs, Cleveland, Wisconsin, Galway, Mill Valley

About:
A look back at the outsized personality behind legendary art house distributor Cinema 5.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to OVID tomorrow, Tuesday, September 13:
UNFINISHED SPACES

Director:
Alysa Nahmias, Benjamin Murray

World Premiere:
Los Angeles Film Festival 2011

Select Festivals:
Camden, Denver, Havana, Palm Springs, Cinequest, Miami, Sebastopol Doc, Full Frame, Buenos Aires, New Orleans filmOrama

About:
An exploration of Cuba’s National Art Schools never-completed utopian architectural project.

I previously wrote about the film here.