North America’s largest documentary event, Hot Docs, returns this Thursday, April 23, and runs through Sunday, May 3. Toronto’s festival will unspool 210 documentaries during its 22nd edition, among them more than 160 new and recent nonfiction features. I’ve been attending the festival since 2009, and always look forward to checking out the latest work that Charlotte Cook and her programming team have curated. What follows is a section-by-section spotlight of the films I’m hoping to screen when I arrive for the second half of the fest: Continue reading
Category Archives: Recommendations
Hot Docs 2015 Overview
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
On TV: HANNA RANCH
Coming to PBS’s America ReFramed tomorrow, Tuesday, April 21: HANNA RANCH
Mitch Dickman’s meditation on the life and death of an eco-rancher bowed at Denver in 2013. Other appearances included the Durango and Crested Butte fests, as well as a number of educational and community screenings.
I previously wrote about the doc upon its theatrical release here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On TV: THE GREAT INVISIBLE
Coming to PBS’s Independent Lens today, Monday, April 20: THE GREAT INVISIBLE
Margaret Brown’s look at the human impact of the Deepwater Horizon disaster debuted at SXSW last year, winning the documentary grand jury prize. It went on to DOC NYC, New Orleans, Hot Docs, London, Camden, Abu Dhabi, Zurich, Full Frame, and Philadelphia, among others.
I previously wrote about the doc
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Visions du Réel 2015 Overview
The long-running Swiss nonfiction event, Visions du Réel, begins tomorrow, Friday, April 17, and concludes next Saturday, April 25. More than 100 features will screen during the 46th event, which takes place annually in Nyon, with highlights noted below: Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
In Theatres: SALAD DAYS: A DECADE OF PUNK IN WASHINGTON, DC (1980-1990)
Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, April 17: SALAD DAYS: A DECADE OF PUNK IN WASHINGTON, DC (1980-1990)
Scott Crawford’s look back at a legendary decade of music had its world premiere at DOC NYC last year. It has also screened at Sound Unseen, Big Sky, and at engagements around the country.
I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
As a teenager in the 1980s, Scott Crawford began a fanzine documenting the explosion of a distinctive brand of hardcore punk music in Washington, DC, exemplified by bands like Minor Threat, Bad Brains, and Fugazi. Drawing from his own immersion in that world, and featuring a who’s who of musicians, label owners, photographers and writers, his new documentary explores the development and evolution of the DC punk scene, and how it shaped independent music and popular culture in the decade that followed.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Special Screening: VESSEL
Coming to NYC’s Maysles Cinema as part of the DocWatchers series tomorrow, Thursday, April 16: VESSEL
Diana Whitten’s look at a unique solution to reproductive rights restrictions had its world premiere at SXSW last year, where it picked up two awards. It went on to screen at Nantucket, DOC NYC, Hot Docs, Sheffield, Jerusalem, Sarasota, and IFF Boston, among other events.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations
On DVD: MAIDAN
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, April 14: MAIDAN
Sergei Loznitsa’s meditation on resistance in Ukraine debuted at Cannes last year. Its fest circuit has included Toronto, London, Karlovy Vary, Vancouver, DOK Leipzig, Zurich, Sarajevo, and IDFA, among others.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On DVD: ANTARCTICA: A YEAR ON ICE
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, April 14: ANTARCTICA: A YEAR ON ICE
Anthony Powell’s exploration of life at the South Pole debuted at New Zealand International Film Festival in 2013. Fest berths have included Calgary, Anchorage, Cleveland, and Thin Line, among others.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On VOD: MISERY LOVES COMEDY
Coming to VOD today, Tuesday, April 14: MISERY LOVES COMEDY
Kevin Pollak’s survey of the work behind stand-up comedy debuted at Sundance this year. It will also screen at Tribeca next week. The doc comes to iTunes now, followed by a limited theatrical engagement later this month.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Tribeca 2015: Documentary Overview
Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 15 sees the opening of the 14th Tribeca Film Festival, which this year will present over fifty feature documentaries before it closes on Sunday, April 26. The event’s nonfiction programming has consistently proven to be noteworthy, and organizers have recognized that in recent years, presenting documentaries as the event’s opening selection, such as this year’s LIVE FROM NEW YORK!, Bao Nguyen’s look at the history and enduring popularity of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. What follows are some highlights of this year’s nonfiction slate: Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
