The third Sundance 2014 US Documentary Competition title of today: Todd Miller’s DINOSAUR 13, about the strange aftermath of a singular paleontological find.
Category Archives: Recommendations
2014 Sundance Docs in Focus: DINOSAUR 13
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
2014 Sundance Docs in Focus: CESAR’S LAST FAST
Continuing my doc-by-doc look at Sundance 2014 docs: Richard Ray Perez and Lorena Parlee’s US Documentary Competition entry, CESAR’S LAST FAST, about the life and death of influential labor organizer Cesar Chavez.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
2014 Sundance Docs in Focus: THE CASE AGAINST 8
The first of today’s Sundance 2014 docs: From the US Documentary Competition, Ben Cotner and Ryan White’s THE CASE AGAINST 8, which follows the fight for marriage equality all the way to the Supreme Court.
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2014 Sundance Docs in Focus: CAPTIVATED: THE TRIALS OF PAMELA SMART
Wrapping up today’s profiles of Sundance 2014 docs: Jeremiah Zagar’s US Documentary Competition entry, CAPTIVATED: THE TRIALS OF PAMELA SMART, a closer look at America’s first televised court trial, a harbinger of sensationalized reality TV.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
2014 Sundance Docs in Focus: ALL THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS
Continuing my look at the 2014 US Documentary Competition: ALL THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS, John Harkrider’s personal doc hybrid which seeks to reconcile an estranged friendship.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
2014 Sundance Docs in Focus: ALIVE INSIDE: A STORY OF MUSIC & MEMORY
This post begins my annual film-by-film look at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival, kicking off with the 2014 US Documentary Competition. Up first alphabetically: ALIVE INSIDE: A STORY OF MUSIC & MEMORY, Michael Rossato-Bennett’s exploration of the power of music to awaken sufferers of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
On TV: HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE
Coming to PBS’s Independent Lens this coming Monday, December 30: HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE
David France’s look back at the power of grassroots activism at the start of the AIDS epidemic debuted at Sundance last year. It went on to screen at True/False, Silverdocs, New Directors/New Films, San Francisco, and Outfest, among many others, in addition to a theatrical release. It picked up several awards, including a Gotham, and was an Oscar nominee for Best Documentary Feature.
My profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
2014 Sundance Docs in Focus
Next month marks the 30th anniversary Sundance Film Festival. As I’ve done since 2011, I’m planning to profile each of the nearly fifty feature-length documentaries in the lineup, beginning with the US Documentary Competition this Wednesday, and continuing section-by-section before wrapping up in advance of the festival kick off on Thursday, January 16.
As a Documentary Programming Associate for Sundance, I will note that these profiles are not reviews – each simply features select background on the film and its filmmakers, noting past Sundance projects where applicable, and reasons why readers should add these films to their watch-lists. I hope those who are Park City-bound will see these, and as many other films at Sundance as possible, or catch them at other upcoming festivals, in theatres, TV/cable, or on DVD/VOD. For a sample, check out last year’s, which began here.
I’ve also prepared a Twitter list of 2014 Sundance filmmakers and films, allowing readers a chance to experience the festival through their eyes.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations, Sundance
2013 Top Ten Docs
Indiewire has posted the top ten lists of various film industry respondents, including mine. You can see the full list here and my picks here.
As has been usual for me for this Iw list for several years now, I restricted myself to non-fiction (I’ve yet to watch most of the big end-of-the-year narrative likely award-contenders) and to only those films that had official releases in 2013. Festival favorites like MANAKAMANA and 12 O’CLOCK BOYS, etc, will have to wait until next year’s list.
Here are pointers to what I’ve written about my top ten docs of 2013 on what (not) to doc in the past. They are unranked, and in alphabetical order:
+ Five More:
20 FEET FROM STARDOM
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations
On TV: MARVIN HAMLISCH
Coming to PBS’s American Masters this Friday, December 27: MARVIN HAMLISCH: WHAT HE DID FOR LOVE
Dori Berinstein’s exploration of the life and work of the popular composer had its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival this Fall. It went on to screen at DOC NYC and the Hamptons, before a limited theatrical engagement at the beginning of the month.
I previously wrote about the doc upon its theatrical release here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
