Already available on Snag Films and some outlets, and coming to additional VOD platforms this Sunday, April 15: ALL ME: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF WINFRED REMBERT
Vivian Ducat’s folk artist portrait premiered at the Hamptons International Film Festival last Fall. Additional screenings included Hot Springs, Chicago, and Salem, with awards from the latter two.
I previous wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to DVD and VOD today, Tuesday, April 10: INTO THE ABYSS
Werner Herzog premiered his death row study at Telluride and Toronto. After additional festival appearances, the film opened theatrically at the end of Fall.
I included the doc in my Toronto roundup here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to to theatres in Los Angeles and to VOD tomorrow, Friday, April 6, and to NYC theatres next Friday, April 13: COMIC-CON: EPISODE IV: A FAN’S HOPE
Morgan Spurlock’s affectionate behind-the-scenes look at the massive San Diego summer spectacle made its world premiere at Toronto last Fall. Since then, it’s played at select festivals gearing up to its release.
I included the doc in my Toronto coverage here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to theatres this Friday, April 6: SURVIVING PROGRESS
Mathieu Roy and Harold Crooks premiered their study of the pitfalls of progress at Toronto before heading to Vancouver, Montreal, IDFA, and Dubai before the end of the year. Since then, it’s screened at a number of additional festivals in addition to theatrical runs in Canada. First Run Features brings the film to the US for a theatrical run beginning at Cinema Village and the Film Society’s Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center in NYC this weekend and expanding on April 20.
Adapted from Ronald Wright’s A SHORT HISTORY OF PROGRESS, a treatise on how too-accelerated progress in technology, population, and consumption, may very well lead to the destruction of our civilization, Roy and Crooks gather the author and a number of other notable thinkers to explore the “progress traps” we’ve created for ourselves. While the interview subjects offer compelling food for thought, the filmmakers smartly eschew a strictly talking heads approach by incorporating stunning visuals from all over the globe. Moving from the ancient, defunct civilizations focused on in Wright’s book, the documentary hones in on the present and the underside of today’s interconnected world, where financial or environmental crises recognize no national or geographic border. Despite tackling a huge issue from often disparate, wide-ranging perspectives (though essentially linked by the commonsensical dictum that we should consume less), the film remains grounded and relatable, offering concrete examples of the problems we’re collectively facing, as well as a variety of solutions.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to DVD next Tuesday, April 10: MISS REPRESENTATION
Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s corrective to media’s objectification of women made its premiere at Sundance last year. It played at additional fests, including hometown San Francisco, and has hosted extensive community and educational screenings throughout the US and internationally. It made its broadcast premiere as part of Oprah’s Documentary Club.
I wrote about the film before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Releases, Sundance
Coming to DVD next Tuesday, April 3 and to PBS’ Independent Lens next Thursday. April 5 and Monday, April 9: BEING ELMO: A PUPPETEER’S JOURNEY
Constance Marks has been wowing audiences and juries with her portrait of Kevin Clash since the film’s premiere at Sundance last year. The film picked up a Special Jury Prize in Park City, and followed with awards from Traverse City and Nantucket, as well as audience acclaim at Hot Docs and Seattle, among others. It had a limited theatrical release last Fall.
I wrote about the film before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, March 30: BULLY
Lee Hirsch premiered his doc on young bullying victims (under the original title THE BULLY PROJECT) at Tribeca last year. It was picked up for distribution by The Weinstein Company, and has had a healthy festival life, screening at notable events like Hot Docs, the Hamptons, Silverdocs, and the Los Angeles Film Festival. The film gained a publicity boost when the backwards-thinking, out-of-touch MPAA gave it an R rating, effectively cutting off the younger viewers who would most benefit from it. Despite an appeal by the Weinsteins and a petition, the MPAA has not backed down from their rating, citing language concerns. As a result, the Weinsteins announced earlier this week that the film will be released unrated.
I included the film in my Tribeca coverage here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Released on DVD/VOD earlier this month: A SECOND KNOCK AT THE DOOR
Christopher Grimes’ investigation of friendly fire deaths made its premiere on the festival circuit last Fall, screening at a handful of events and picking up awards at East Lansing, Sycamore, and Vegas Cine Fest. It has received a DVD/VOD release through Cinema Libre.
Grimes’ debut documentary explores the affecting stories of a number of families of US military accidentally slain by their fellow or allied combatants. The film effectively traces the recent history and changing perception of so-called “friendly fire,” including alterations to military notification policies intended to be more sympathetic to survivors. However, as illustrated through the stories of Sgt Lee Todacheene, PFC Jesse Buryj, and PFC David Sharrett II, among countless others, some cases of friendly fire remain either deliberately or unintentionally unreported and undisciplined, resulting in confusion, anger, and extended grief for the families. While the film demonstrates some roughness and a tendency to talking heads, there are also very effective, and disturbing, sequences from actual footage of friendly fire that bring the point very much home. Together with the heartfelt and passionate testimony of the profiled family members, this makes the film a valuable addition to the library of films exploring the US military.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to NYC’s Cinema Village this Friday, March 30 and LA’s Laemmle’s Music Hall on April 13: SCENES OF A CRIME
Blue Hadaegh and Grover Babcock premiered their gripping examination of questionable police interrogation practices at Full Frame last year. It picked up the Grand Jury Award at both Full Frame and Doc NYC, as well as the 2011 IFP Gotham Award for Best Film Not Playing At A Theatre Near You.
I wrote about the film out of Silverdocs here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to VOD via iTunes by Sunday, April 1: PARIS IS BURNING
Jennie Livingston’s classic doc examining Black and Latino drag ball culture made its debut in 1990 in Toronto, and won awards at both Sundance and Berlin the next year, as well as a distribution deal with Miramax.
I previously wrote about the film here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
