This post is a pointer to the fourth lineup announcement for the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. This year’s selections in the Premieres, Documentary Premieres, Spotlight, Sundance Kids, and Special Events sections may be found here.
The Shorts lineup will be revealed in a future announcement.
Previous pointers include the US and World Cinema Documentary and Dramatic Competitions, plus NEXT, here; the Midnight lineup here; and the films, installations, and events of New Frontier here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, December 8: EMPTYING THE SKIES
Douglas and Roger Kass’ look at efforts to stop the poaching of songbirds premiered at Sheffield in 2013. Its fest circuit also included DOC NYC, Hamptons, Big Sky, Wild & Scenic, Washington DC’s Environmental, Atlantic, and the San Francisco Green fests, among others.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to VOD tomorrow, Tuesday, December 8: BRAVE MISS WORLD
Cecilia Peck’s portrait of a beauty queen turned victims’ advocate premiered as a sneak preview at NYC’s Athena fest in 2013. Screenings followed at DOC NYC, AFI Docs, Sarasota, Dallas, Chicago, San Diego, Mumbai, Denver, Woodstock, SF Jewish, and Cleveland, among others. FilmBuff now releases the doc across various VOD platforms.
I previously included the film in my AFI Docs coverage here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to NYC’s JCC CineMatters series tomorrow, Tuesday, December 8: TREE MAN
Jon Reiner and Brad Rothschild’s portrait of a Christmas tree salesman had its world premiere at Montreal World this Fall. It has gone on to screen at DOC NYC and St Lawrence.
I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
For five weeks each year, François leaves his wife and small children in Quebec to live in a van on the streets of New York City. Like hundreds of other seasonal workers, he’s a tree man, selling Christmas trees on the Upper West Side, sacrificing time with his loved ones to provide an essential element of the holiday spirit for others. But, as revealed in Jon Reiner and Brad Rothschild’s affectionate portrait, François’ time away from home is not without the warmth of a family of sorts.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations
Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, December 8: ALTHEA
Rex Miller’s tribute to the tennis trailblazer debuted at DOC NYC last year. It went on to Full Frame, AFI Docs, Palm Beach, Athena, and the American Black Film Festival, among other events, and was broadcast on American Masters this past Fall.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to theatres today, Friday, December 4: ORION: THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING
Jeanie Finlay’s stranger-than-fiction story of a would-be resurrected pop star made its bow at Tribeca this Spring. Its festival circuit also included Hot Docs, Nashville, Bentonville, Doxa, Sheffield, Martha’s Vineyard, DOCS DF, Tallgrass, Indie Memphis, and Barcelona’s In-Edit, among others. In addition to a limited theatrical release, Sundance Selects releases the doc on VOD via cable platforms as well as iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, YouTube, Sony Playstation, Xbox, and Sundance Now.
Small town Alabama boy Jimmy Ellis had aspirations for a singing career but despite his good looks and soulful voice, he couldn’t get a break – not until Elvis Presley died in 1977, that is. Inspired by a recently-published novel which played on the premise that an acclaimed musician faked his own death, Shelby Singleton, the president of Sun Records, Presley’s former label, recruited Elvis’ lookalike and soundalike Ellis to become “Orion.” Decked out in Elvis-like outfits and sporting a mask, Orion aimed to capitalize on fan theories that Elvis was still alive. Contractually obligated to wear the mask and to remain elusive about his true identity, the fame-hungry Ellis began what proved to be a frustrating career living in the shadow of a dead man. Finlay assembles the strange, and sometimes poignant, story with a generous use of archival performances and interviews, demonstrating the paradoxical cost of giving up one’s identity in the elusive pursuit of fame.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
This post is a pointer to the third lineup announcement for the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. This year’s selections in the New Frontier section may be found here.
The remaining non-competition feature sections will be revealed in further announcements.
If you missed yesterday’s announcement, the US and World Cinema Documentary and Dramatic Competitions, plus NEXT, click here; while the Midnight lineup may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations, Sundance
Coming to theatres and to VOD tomorrow, Friday, December 4: ALMOST THERE
Dan Rybicky and Aaron Wickenden’s surprising profile of an outsider artist had its world premiere at DOC NYC last year. Other screenings have included Nantucket, True/False, Big Sky, Cleveland, Sebastopol Doc, Sarasota, Minneapolis-St Paul, Sheffield, EBS Doc, Camden, andCork, among others. In addition to its theatrical release, it also comes to VOD via Fandor, iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, GooglePlay, Sony Playstation, X-Box, YouTube, and other platforms.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
New to VOD this week: TOP SPIN
Sara Newens and Mina T Son’s look at ping pong champions had its world premiere at DOC NYC last year. It went on to screen at Big Sky, Salem, CAAMFest, Am Doc, TIFF Kids, Nashville, IFF Boston, LA Asian Pacific, Montclair, and SF Docfest, among others. The doc became available on iTunes earlier this week.
I previously wrote about the film here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
As the 2016 Sundance Film Festival lineup is revealed, I’ll be including pointers here. The US and World Cinema Dramatic and Documentary Competitions, plus the NEXT section, were announced today here.
The previously announced Midnight section may be found here. Pointers for other sections will follow as they are announced over the next week.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations, Sundance
