Category Archives: Releases

Special Screening: PLAYING WITH SHARKS

Coming to Rooftop Films this Sunday, June 27:
PLAYING WITH SHARKS

Director:
Sally Aitken

World Premiere:
Sundance 2021

Select Festivals:
Nantucket, Hot Docs, Doc Edge, Boulder, Washington DC Environmental, EarthX, Provincetown, Martha’s Vineyard, DocLands, Mountainfilm

About:
A tribute to a pioneering shark conservationist and underwater cinematographer.

I profiled the doc before Sundance here.

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In Theatres & On VOD: KENNY SCHARF: WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE

Coming to theatres and VOD today, Friday, June 25:
KENNY SCHARF: WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE

Director:
Malia Scharf, Max Basch

World Premiere:
SXSW 2020 (unscreened)

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Revelation, Provincetown, Montclair, Atlantic

About:
A portrait of artist Kenny Scharf, whose work fuses popular culture and fine art.

The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
Along with friends Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kenny Scharf grew from a graffiti artist into a major force in the 1980s NYC art scene. Obsessed with garbage, cartoons, and plastic, this playful Peter Pan’s roller coaster career flourished despite the decimation of the AIDS crisis and the fickle tastes of the art world. From street art to museums, Scharf continues to create colorful, complex work that puts him at the forefront of where popular culture meets fine art.  

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On VOD: WOLFGANG

Coming to Disney+ tomorrow, Friday, June 25:
WOLFGANG

Director:
David Gelb

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2021

About:
A mouthwatering portrait of one of the first celebrity chefs and a pioneer in the world of California cuisine, Wolfgang Puck.

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In Theatres: LOURDES

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, June 25:
LOURDES

Director:
Alban Teurlai, Thierry Demaiziere

World Premiere:
Hot Docs 2019

Select Festivals:
Docville, Hof

About:
A portrait of the French pilgrimage site.

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On VOD: WHO ARE YOU, CHARLIE BROWN?

Coming to Apple TV+ tomorrow, Friday, June 25:
WHO ARE YOU, CHARLIE BROWN?

Director:
Michael Bonfiglio

World Premiere:
Apple TV+ (June 2021)

About:
Friends, family, cartoonists, and notable fans of the iconic PEANUTS celebrate honor creator Charles Schulz and celebrate the global popularity and long-lasting significance of the comic strip.

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

Coming to theatres in NYC and LA tomorrow, Friday, June 25:
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

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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In Virtual Release: CHASING CHILDHOOD

Coming to virtual cinemas tomorrow, Friday, June 25:
CHASING CHILDHOOD

Director:
Margaret Munzer Loeb, Eden Wurmfeld

World Premiere:
DOC NYC 2020

Select Festivals:
Portland, San Francisco Doc, Cleveland, Harlem, Annapolis, Sarasota

About:
Reformed helicopter parents and education professionals reveal the benefits of allowing kids to have freedom to play unencumbered by schedules and structure.

The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
Overprotected and overdirected, American children are wilting under the weight of well-meaning parents. In the pursuit of keeping them safe and creating an impressive resumé of extracurricular activities to wow admissions boards, over-parenting smothers children across socioeconomic classes. This thoughtful film follows education professionals and reformed helicopter parents who seek and offer solutions for developing more confident, independent young people while restoring some joy and freedom to childhood. 

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In Theatres & On VOD: FATHOM

Coming to select theatres and to Apple TV+ this Friday, June 25:
FATHOM

Director:
Drew Xanthopoulos

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2021

About:
An immersive and sensorial immersion into the work of researchers attempting to finally decode the communication of humpback whales.

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In Theatres/Virtual Release: AGAINST THE CURRENT

Coming to theatres this Friday, June 25:
AGAINST THE CURRENT

Director:
Oskar Pall Sveinsson

World Premiere:
Reykjavik 2020

About:
Transgender adventurer Veiga Grétarsdóttir attempts to kayak the 1,300 mile circumference of Iceland, counter-clockwise and against the current, an achievement that has been compared to climbing K2. 

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On DVD: MIRACLE FISHING: KIDNAPPED ABROAD

Coming to DVD tomorrow, Thursday, June 24:
MIRACLE FISHING: KIDNAPPED ABROAD

Director:
Miles Hargrove

Co-Director:
Christopher Birge

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2020 (unscreened)

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Nantucket, AFI Docs, Sidewalk, Dallas, Brisbane, Trinidad & Tobago

About:
A kidnapped man’s family and friends are forced to negotiate for his release.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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