Coming to Starz tomorrow, Tuesday, March 1:
LADY BUDS
Director:
Chris J Russo
World Premiere:
Hot Docs 2021
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Outfest, Mill Valley, Seattle Queer, Denver, Docs Mx
About:
From a Latinx LGBTQ activist to a Black Catholic school principal, six small businesswomen hit California’s newly legal cannabis trade, but struggle as aggressive regulations upend the market.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
New to DVD this week:
PRESIDENT
Director:
Camilla Nielsson
World Premiere:
Sundance 2021
Select Festivals:
CPH:DOX, AFI Docs, Docaviv, Thessaloniki Doc, Dokufest, Encounters, DMZ Docs, Melbourne, Docville, Zurich, Montclair, Philadelphia
Notable Recognition:
The doc was shortlisted for the Academy Awards.
About:
The leader of Zimbabwe’s opposition party seeks a free and fair election.
I previously wrote about the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, February 22:
ATTICA
Director:
Stanley Nelson, Traci Curry
World Premiere:
Toronto 2021
Select Festivals:
Hot Springs Doc, Montclair
Notable Recognition:
The doc has been nominated for the Academy Awards.
About:
An examination of the largest prison uprising in US history through dozens of new interviews with inmates, journalists, and other witnesses.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to TV via ABC this Sunday, February 20:
SUMMER OF SOUL (…OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)
Director:
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson
World Premiere:
Sundance 2021
Select Festivals:
Nantucket, Hot Docs, True/False, AFI Docs, Provincetown, DocLands, Minneapolis/St Paul, San Francisco Doc
Notable Recognition:
The doc has been nominated for the Academy Awards.
About:
A joyous and thoughtful revisitation of a long overlooked part of Black music history.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
New to streaming this week:
BELLY OF THE BEAST
Director:
Erika Cohn
World Premiere:
Human Rights Watch NYC 2020
Select Festivals:
Mill Valley, Heartland, Double Exposure, Cucalorus, Rocky Mountain Women’s
About:
A woman sterilized without her consent while in prison teams with a dedicated attorney to stop the process.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to Netflix and to select theatres tomorrow, Friday, February 18:
DOWNFALL: THE CASE AGAINST BOEING
Director:
Rory Kennedy
World Premiere:
Sundance 2022
About:
An investigation of the two Boeing 737 MAX crashes that killed 346 people, exploring both the root causes and the human cost, serves at once as a chilling portrait of a crumbling corporate culture and a fierce indictment of Wall Street’s corrupting influence.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
New to DVD this week:
RONNIE’S
Director:
Oliver Murray
World Premiere:
UK theatrical release (October 2020)
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, RiverRun
About:
The story of the legendary London night club and the musician for whom it was named.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to VOD this Friday, February 18:
PRESIDENT
Director:
Camilla Nielsson
World Premiere:
Sundance 2021
Select Festivals:
CPH:DOX, AFI Docs, Docaviv, Thessaloniki Doc, Dokufest, Encounters, DMZ Docs, Melbourne, Docville, Zurich, Montclair, Philadelphia
Notable Recognition:
The doc has been shortlisted for the Academy Awards.
About:
The leader of Zimbabwe’s opposition party seeks a free and fair election.
I previously wrote about the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to Netflix over three weeks, beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, February 16:
JEEN-YUHS: A KANYE TRILOGY
Director:
Clarence “Coodie” Simmons, Chike Ozah
World Premiere:
Sundance 2022
About:
Kanye West in three acts. The story beyond the iconic music, and an intimate and empathetic chronicle featuring never-before-seen footage from 21 years in the life of a captivating figure.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to theatres and to VOD today, Friday, February 11:
RONNIE’S
Director:
Oliver Murray
World Premiere:
UK theatrical release (October 2020)
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, RiverRun
About:
The story of the legendary London night club and the musician for whom it was named.
The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
A chronicle of the life of saxophonist Ronnie Scott, from poor, Jewish kid growing up in 1940s East End, London to the owner of the legendary night club, Ronnie’s. Glorious clips from performances by jazz greats spanning decades—Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Jimi Hendrix, Nina Simone, Van Morrison, Chet Baker, and more—bring to life this story of a charming, talented man who secretly wrestled with his own inner demons.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
what (not) to doc 