September 15, 2022 · 3:02 PM

Streaming: MIJA

Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Isabel Castro

Coming to Disney+ tomorrow, Friday, September 16:
MIJA

Director:
Isabel Castro

World Premiere:
Sundance 2022

Select Festivals:
True/False, CPH:DOX, Hot Docs, Los Angeles Latino, Miami, Cleveland, RiverRun, Maryland, San Francisco

About:
When Doris, a young, ambitious music manager whose undocumented family depends on her ability to launch pop stars, loses her biggest client, she hustles to discover new talent and finds Jacks, another daughter of immigrants for whom “making it” isn’t just a dream: it’s a necessity.

Leave a comment

Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance

September 15, 2022 · 2:12 PM

In Theatres & On VOD: RIOTSVILLE, USA

Courtesy of Sundance Institute

Coming to theatres and VOD tomorrow, Friday, September 16:
RIOTSVILLE, USA

Director:
Sierra Pettengill

World Premiere:
Sundance 2022

Select Festivals:
New Directors/New Films, True/False, CPH:DOX, Seattle, Freep, San Francisco, Traverse City

About:
Footage shot by the media and government of a fictional town built by the US military explores the militarization of the police and the reaction of a nation to the uprisings of the late 1960s, creating a counter-narrative to a critical moment in American history.

Leave a comment

Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance

September 15, 2022 · 1:31 PM

On TV: SCATTERING CJ

Coming to The WORLD Channel tomorrow, Friday, September 16:
SCATTERING CJ

Director:
Andrea Kalin

World Premiere:
Camden 2019

Select Festivals:
Rocky Mountain Women’s, Annapolis, Salem, ReelAbilities, DocUtah,

About:
A look at how a mother’s attempts to deal with the suicide of her son became a viral phenomenon.

Leave a comment

Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases

September 15, 2022 · 12:46 PM

Streaming: SEARCHING EVA

Coming to OVID tomorrow, Friday, September 16:
SEARCHING EVA

Director:
Pia Hellenthal

World Premiere:
Berlin 2019

Select Festivals:
CPH:DOX, IDFA, Hot Docs, Jeonju, Docs Against Gravity, Biografilm, AFI Fest,

About:
A portrait of a sex worker, model, and writer who explores sexual autonomy online.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Leave a comment

Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases

September 15, 2022 · 12:01 PM

In Theatres: MOONAGE DAYDREAM

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, September 16:
MOONAGE DAYDREAM

Director:
Brett Morgen

World Premiere:
Cannes 2022

Select Festivals:
Toronto, Karlovy Vary, Deauville, Jerusalem

About:
An artful and life-affirming journey through David Bowie’s creative life, grappling with spirituality, transience, isolation, creativity, and time to reveal the celebrated icon in his own voice.

Leave a comment

Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases

September 14, 2022 · 3:02 PM

Streaming: WE INTEND TO CAUSE HAVOC

Coming to OVID tomorrow, Thursday, September 15:
WE INTEND TO CAUSE HAVOC

Director:
Gio Arlotta

World Premiere:
Indielisboa 2019

Select Festivals:
Rotterdam, Warsaw, Doc’n Roll, One World

About:
An exploration of the history of Zambia’s most popular rock band in the 1970s, WITCH, and the fate of its vocalist, Jagari.

Leave a comment

Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases

September 14, 2022 · 2:12 PM

Streaming: SEX AND BROADCASTING: A FILM ABOUT WFMU

sex

Coming to Ovid tomorrow, Thursday, September 15:
SEX AND BROADCASTING: A FILM ABOUT WFMU

Director:
Tim K Smith

World Premiere:
DOC NYC 2014

Select Festivals:
Rotterdam, Salem, Montclair

About:
A portrait of a maverick radio station.

I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
New Jersey’s WFMU has occupied a unique position as an independent, commercial-free, listener-supported radio station since its inception in the late 1950s. At its heart is the dedicated station manager Ken Freedman, committed to an unstructured, free-form broadcasting model which has won WFMU acclaim as the best – and perhaps weirdest – radio station in the tristate area, if not the country. Facing a budget crisis, can Ken rally both his volunteer staff and his listeners to keep the station afloat?

Leave a comment

Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases

September 14, 2022 · 1:31 PM

On DVD: BLOOM UP: A SWINGER COUPLE STORY

New to DVD this week:
BLOOM UP: A SWINGER COUPLE STORY

Director:
Mauro Russo Rouge

World Premiere:
Hot Docs 2021

Select Festivals:
Biografilm, Mallorca

About:
An average middle-aged Italian couple by day, Hermes and Betta live out their unbridled sexual fantasies as swingers by night.

Leave a comment

Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases

September 14, 2022 · 12:46 PM

In Theatres: TERRA FEMME

Coming to NYC’s Anthology Film Archives tomorrow, Thursday, September 15:
TERRA FEMME

Director:
Courtney Stephens

World Premiere:
MoMA Doc Fortnight 2021

Select Festivals:
IDFA, Hot Docs, RIDM, DokuFest, Camden, Open City Docs, Sydney Underground, Indielisboa, Docaviv

About:
Archival material and home movies from the 1920s to the 1940s reveal the emancipatory power women found in newly available personal cameras, and the association this self-expression had with gender roles, the rise of a leisured, white middle class, and imperialism. 

Leave a comment

Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases

September 14, 2022 · 12:01 PM

Streaming: HELL OF A CRUISE

Coming to Peacock today, Wednesday, September 14:
HELL OF A CRUISE

Director:
Nick Quested

World Premiere:
Peacock (September 2022)

About:
An exploration of the spread of COVID aboard a luxury Diamond Princess cruise ship in January 2020, and why, one week later, cruise ships were still sent out to sea.

Leave a comment

Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases