After a successful inaugural event last year, Thom Powers and Raphaela Neihausen’s DOC NYC returns for 2011 with additional days and an expanded line-up which includes over 50 feature-length documentaries. Running November 2-10, the festival pulls from Powers’ Toronto line-up (where he serves as documentary programmer) while also presenting a number of US and international films to make their NYC debut. Taking a section-by-section look at this year’s events, here are the titles I’m most interested in trying to see: Continue reading
Category Archives: Recommendations
DOC NYC 2011 Overview
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
In Theatres: URBANIZED
Coming to NYC’s IFC Center this Friday, October 28: URBANIZED
Gary Hustwit rounds out his design trilogy that also included HELVETICA and OBJECTIFIED with this look at city design and planning. The film made its world premiere at Toronto last month and has been traveling around the US (and even Ireland) since. Additional screenings and theatrical engagements may be found at the film’s website.
I wrote about the film out of Toronto here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On DVD: THE PEOPLE VS GEORGE LUCAS
Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, October 25: THE PEOPLE VS GEORGE LUCAS
Alexandre O Philippe premiered his look at STAR WARS fandom at SXSW last year, and made the rounds at numerous other fests since then. The doc had a limited theatrical release beginning this past May.
I wrote about the film upon its theatrical release
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On TV: DONOR UNKNOWN
Coming to PBS’ Independent Lens tomorrow, Thursday, October 20: DONOR UNKNOWN
Jerry Rothwell’s entertaining look at sperm donation and family connections made its world premiere at Sheffield last year before making appearances at other major fests including IDFA and Tribeca, where it snagged the Best Feature Award for the online component of the latter event.
In my coverage of IDFA for indieWIRE, I wrote:
Rothwell’s film was introduced as covering a lighter topic than many of the more social issue-oriented selections, but while perhaps not as ultra-serious in approach, its core is still thought-provoking. The titular figure is Jeffrey, a Venice Beach RV dweller who used to make a substantial amount of money by donating sperm to the California Cryobank. After some of his many biological offspring find one another thanks to an online registry database, leading to a New York Times cover story, he reveals his identity. The film focuses on one of his daughters, JoEllen, as she explains how she found more than a dozen half-siblings (so far), and sets out to meet Jeffrey in person for the first time. In the process, the film explores concepts of family and parenthood, and attains poignancy when Jeffrey’s kids and their mothers confront the reality behind who he is versus their idealized fantasies based on his donor questionnaire.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On DVD: PAGE ONE
Coming to DVD next Tuesday, October 18: PAGE ONE: INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES
Director Andrew Rossi premiered his in-depth study of the Gray Lady at Sundance. The film went on to screen at numerous other festivals and had a limited theatrical release this summer.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Hamptons International Film Festival 2011: Documentary Overview
For nearly twenty years, the Hamptons has served as a perfect opportunity to escape the city for a long weekend of well-selected films and well-heeled events in New York’s legendary getaway seaside communities. Taking place post-season, the festival caters more to the year-round locals than to the summer crowd, but also draws an impressive number of industry from NYC for a more casual cinema-going experience.
It’s been a few years since my schedule has allowed me to attend, but I’m hoping to make it for a couple of evenings later this week – the festival opens this Thursday and wraps on Monday. Documentaries are regularly represented in the fest’s “Films of Conflict & Resolution” strand, some of which are also part of the documentary competition. This year, the Hamptons screens thirty new feature-length docs. Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
On DVD: ARMADILLO
Coming to DVD next Tuesday, October 18: ARMADILLO
Janus Metz’s riveting portrait of Danish soldiers in Afghanistan made its debut at Cannes last year, where it won Critics Week, and kicked off an extensive festival run that included Karlovy Vary, Toronto, and London, among others. Kino Lorber gave the film a theatrical release this past spring.
I wrote about the film out of Toronto here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
In Theatres: THE SWELL SEASON
Coming to LA’s Downtown Independent today, Friday, October 7, with additional cities later this month and next: THE SWELL SEASON
A trio of directors follow the real-life story of the couple from the Academy Award-winning ONCE in this intimate doc, which premiered at Tribeca and opened Silverdocs.
I wrote about the film out of Tribeca here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
In Theatres (Again): HELL AND BACK AGAIN
Coming to theatres this Friday, October 7: HELL AND BACK AGAIN
War correspondent Danfung Dennis made his documentary feature debut at Sundance earlier this year with his portrait of a soldier back from war. After picking up two jury awards there, the film has screened extensively and had an Oscar-qualifying run this summer as part of Docuweeks.
My pre-Sundance profile of the film may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Special Screening: LA TOMA/THE SIEGE
Coming to NYC as part of Latin Media and Entertainment Week this coming Monday, October 3: LA TOMA/THE SIEGE
Angus Gibson and Miguel Salazar’s gripping account of the 1985 siege of Bogota, Colombia’s Palace of Justice made its US premiere earlier this summer as part of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival. Cinema Tropical brings the film back to NYC during LMEW for a free screening at the New York Times Building (to attend RSVP as directed at the LMEW link above).
The film relates the shocking assault on the government building that housed Colombia’s Supreme Court by a guerilla group known as M-19. For 27 hours, the guerillas hold hundreds of citizens hostage, including the Supreme Court Justices. After the military breaks the siege in a violent firefight, scores are dead, but, strangely, a dozen people vanish. Despite denials, many believe they were “disappeared” by the government for alleged collaboration with the guerillas, and 25 years later, their families lead the charge to find out what happened that day. To tell the story, Gibson and Salazar employ remarkable footage of the siege that was shot on the ground as the action unfolded, lending the doc a freshness and immediacy that is truly riveting. Unlike many other films about the disappeared, the film’s focus on a trial against the leader of the military operation, Colonel Plazas Vega, provides a welcome sense of resolution to the story. With such instances of people “vanishing” sadly all-too-common in other regimes in Central and South America, the families’ case resonates with hope for a return to justice.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations
