Festival:
The 4th annual Art of the Real
Dates:
April 20-May 2
About:
The Film Society of Lincoln Center’s showcase of nonfiction and hybrid presents just over 20 new works: Continue reading
Art of the Real 2017 Overview
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
On DVD: JOHN LEWIS: GET IN THE WAY
New to DVD this week:
JOHN LEWIS: GET IN THE WAY
Director:
Kathleen Dowdey
Premiere:
DGA, Los Angeles (October 2015)
Select Festivals:
St Louis, Woodstock, Nashville International Black Festival, International Family Film Festival, numerous university and museum screenings
About:
A portrait of the civil rights pioneer and Georgia congressman.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Tribeca 2017: Documentary Overview
Festival:
The 16th annual Tribeca Film Festival
Dates:
April 19-30
About:
Slimmed down slightly since last year’s edition, the NYC event includes just over 50 recent and new documentary features: Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
On DVD: BEFORE THE FLOOD
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, April 18:
BEFORE THE FLOOD
Director:
Fisher Stevens
Premiere:
Toronto 2016
Select Festivals:
BFI London, Hamptons
About:
Leonardo DiCaprio reflects on his environmental activism.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
On DVD: DON’T BLINK – ROBERT FRANK
Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, April 18: DON’T BLINK – ROBERT FRANK
Director:
Laura Israel
Premiere:
New York Film Festival 2015
Select Festivals:
IDFA, Palm Springs, Berlin, Portland, Hong Kong, Full Frame, IndieLisboa, Munich Dokfest, Provincetown, Jerusalem, Melbourne, London
About:
An impressionistic portrait of the pioneering documentary photographer and filmmaker.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
On VOD: THE BABUSHKAS OF CHERNOBYL
Coming to VOD tomorrow, Tuesday, April 18:
THE BABUSHKAS OF CHERNOBYL
Director:
Holly Morris
Premiere:
Los Angeles 2015
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Sidewalk, Woodstock, Sun Valley, One World, DC’s Environmental, Florida, San Francisco Green, DOXA, Documenta Madrid
About:
A profile of elderly women who subsist on their beloved but toxic land in Chernobyl’s radioactive exclusion zone.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On DVD: RUBY RIDGE
Coming to DVD this upcoming Tuesday, April 18:
RUBY RIDGE
Director:
Barak Goodman
Premiere:
American Experience (February 2017)
About:
The story of a tragic standoff between US marshals and a separatist family.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On TV: SEED: THE UNTOLD STORY
Coming to PBS’s Independent Lens this coming Monday, April 17:
SEED: THE UNTOLD STORY
Directors:
Taggart Siegel and Jon Betz
Premiere:
Washington DC’s Environmental Film Festival 2016
Select Festivals:
Nashville, Rhode Island, Princeton Environmental, Sheffield, Florida, DOXA, Woods Hole
About:
An overview of efforts to preserve seed diversity.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
In Theatres: CHASING TRANE: THE JOHN COLTRANE DOCUMENTARY
Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, April 14:
CHASING TRANE: THE JOHN COLTRANE DOCUMENTARY
Director:
John Scheinfeld
Premiere:
Telluride 2016
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Toronto, IDFA, Pan African
About:
An exploration of the life and music of the legendary jazz musician.
Though he only lived to 40 years of age, John Coltrane left an indelible mark in music, recognized as one of the most innovative and impactful jazz performers and composers of the 20th Century. Scheinfeld’s film pays tribute to his talent and vision, offering a biographical portrait brimming with music and atmosphere, and featuring the insights of a score of Coltrane fans, from his contemporaries to a new generation of musician, as well as admirers like Cornel West and Bill Clinton. While detailing the jazzman’s numerous achievements, Scheinfeld doesn’t shy away from the darker side of his biography, including Coltrane’s struggles with alcohol and heroin addiction, yet the focus always remains reverentially on its impact on his evocative, pioneering music.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
In Theatres: FINDING OSCAR
Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, April 14:
FINDING OSCAR
Director:
Ryan Suffern
Premiere:
Telluride 2016
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Boulder, Mill Valley, Sedona, Sun Valley, United Nations Association, Austin
About:
Investigators seek justice for the victims of a state-sponsored Guatemalan massacre.
I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
During Guatemala’s 36-year-long civil war, an estimated 200,000 civilians were killed or disappeared. Among these were the 200 residents of the rural village of Dos Erres, who were massacred by an elite government commando unit in 1982. Two young boys survived to be raised, unwittingly, by the very soldiers who slaughtered their families. Suffern’s film follows the quest to finally find justice for the people of Dos Erres.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
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