Category Archives: Recommendations

In Theatres & On VOD: DEAR MR BRODY

Coming to theatres and VOD tomorrow, Friday, March 4:
DEAR MR BRODY

Director:
Keith Maitland

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2020 (unscreened)

Select Festivals:
Nantucket, Telluride, SXSW, San Francisco Doc, Provincetown, Miami

About:
In 1970, eccentric hippie millionaire Michael Brody, Jr decided to give $25 million away to anyone who needed it, sparking a media frenzy and thousands of letters from strangers all requesting his help.

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On TV: FOR THE LOVE OF RUTLAND

Coming to The World Channel’s America Reframed tomorrow, Thursday, March 3:
FOR THE LOVE OF RUTLAND

Director:
Jennifer Maytorena Taylor

World Premiere:
Hot Docs 2020

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Atlanta, St Louis, Cucalorus

About:
Once prosperous but now reeling from the opioid epidemic, the town of Rutland, Vermont, becomes the center of an ideological debate on refugee resettlement.

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On VOD: FLEE

Coming to VOD today, Tuesday, February 1:
FLEE

Director:
Jonas Poher Rasmussen

World Premiere:
Sundance 2021

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Telluride, Toronto, New York, Karlovy Vary, Visions du Reel, ZagrebDox, Camden, Docs Against Gravity, Jerusalem, Melbourne, Göteborg, Hong Kong, Helsinki, Nordisk Panorama, Zurich, Busan, Reykjavik, El Gouna

Notable Recognition:
The doc has been nominated for three Academy Awards.

About:
The affecting story of a former refugee who must confront the traumas of his past to move forward with his life.

I previously wrote about the doc before Sundance here.

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On TV: LADY BUDS

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.

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On DVD: PRESIDENT

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.

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On DVD: ATTICA

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.

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On TV: SUMMER OF SOUL (…OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)

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.

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Streaming: BELLY OF THE BEAST

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.

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Streaming & In Theatres: DOWNFALL: THE CASE AGAINST BOEING

Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Netflix

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.

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On DVD: RONNIE’S

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.

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