[caption id="attachment_23415" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars[/caption]
DOC NYC announced the full lineup of over 250 films and events for its eighth edition, running November 9 to 16 at the IFC Center in Greenwich Village and Chelsea’s SVA Theatre and Cinepolis Chelsea.
Special Events include Closing Night Film, the NYC premiere of
Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars, directed by Lili Fini Zanuck, with the acclaimed musician in attendance; Centerpiece Film, the world premiere of Far From the Tree, director Rachel Dretzin’s adaptation of Andrew Solomon’s bestselling book; and the NYC premiere of
Wormwood, an ambitious new project from Errol Morris exploring the 1953 death of a CIA agent. The NYC premiere Greg Barker’s
The Final Year, accompanied by members of the Obama administration, will open the festival.
World premieres at the festival include A Murder in Mansfield, by Barbara Kopple (Miss Sharon Jones!), which explores the impact of a 1989 murder on a family;
Maynard, by Sam Pollard (Two Trains Runnin’), about Atlanta’s first black mayor, Maynard Jackson; Naila and the Uprising, by Julia Bacha (Budrus), about the hidden role women played in the First Intifada, a project that won last year’s DOC NYC Pitch Perfect competition; Father’s Kingdom, by Larry Feinberg, exploring the legacy of Father Divine, who attracted over a million followers and claimed to be God; The Iconoclast, by King Adz, about notorious art forger Michel van Rijn; and The Godfathers of Hardcore, by Ian McFarland, on the long-lived NYC hardcore punk band Agnostic Front.
Among this year’s U.S. premieres are
David Bowie: The Last Five Years, by Francis Whately, an intimate look at the creative final years of the music icon; Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco, by James Crump, a portrait of the most influential fashion illustrator of 1970s New York and Paris;
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood, by Matt Tyrnauer, about the man who was the secret sexual procurer to the stars;
The Stranger, by past DOC NYC award winner Nicole N. Horanyi, about a woman who discovers the man of her dreams has secrets; Armed with Faith, by Geeta Gandbhir and Asad Faruqi, which follows the heroic Pakistani Bomb Disposal Unit; Soufra, by Thomas Morgan, and executive produced by Susan Sarandon, about a woman who starts her own successful catering company in a Lebanese refugee camp; EuroTrump, by Stephen Robert Morse and Nicholas Hampson, on the Dutch Donald Trump, Geert Wilders; and The Beatles, Hippies and Hells Angels: Inside the Crazy World of Apple, by Ben Lewis, a look back at the wild early days of Apple Corps.
“Documentary storytellers help us make sense of the tumultuous times we’re living in with artistry, humor and inspiring characters,” said Director of Programming Basil Tsiokos. “This year’s DOC NYC line-up gives audiences fresh insight into high profile figures and shines a light on lesser-known individuals who leave a big impression.” Tsiokos led the program selection in collaboration with Artistic Director Thom Powers and Executive Director Raphaela Neihausen.
The festival is curated in 18 sections that include two new strands: New World Order, with 6 films about global issues in the news, including Sky & Ground, which follows an extended family of refugees as they escape Syria; and
Spiral, about the alarming rise of anti-Semitism in Europe. Centerstage, an 8-title section focused on performing and performers, presents the world premieres of The Problem with Apu, in which a South Asian-American comedian explores the impact of the character from The Simpsons; and Repeat Attenders, about musical theater superfans.
In the festival’s two feature competition sections, 8 films appear under the Viewfinders section for distinct directorial visions. They include the world premiere of Mole Man, about an autistic man who has built a 50-room structure in his backyard; and the U.S. premieres of
The Judge, about the first female Shari’a judge in the Middle East, and
Silas, about a Liberian environmental activist.
In the Metropolis competition section, 7 films are dedicated to stories set in New York City. They include the world premieres of The Iron Triangle, about the resistance to the urban renewal of Queens’ Willets Point;
Vigilante: The Incredible True Story of Curtis Sliwa and the Guardian Angels, an unfiltered look at the founder of the controversial group; and Miracle on 42nd Street, about an apartment complex providing housing to performing artists, including past residents Alicia Keys, Terrence Howard and Angela Lansbury.
Other returning sections include high-profile Special Events; national and global takes inAmerican Perspectives and International Perspectives; and thematic sections Fight the Power (on activism), Sonic Cinema (on music), True Crime (on crime), Science Nonfiction (on science and technology), Modern Family (on unconventional families),Wild Life (on animals), Art & Design (on artists), and Behind the Scenes (on filmmaking). Short-form content (85 films in total) is represented by the festival’s Shorts Competition and DOC NYC U (showcasing student work).
The following is a breakdown of programming by section:
OPENING NIGHT
THE FINAL YEAR
Dir: Greg Barker (NYC PREMIERE)
Greg Barker gives an unprecedented look at the shaping of US foreign policy by following key members of outgoing US President Barack Obama’s administration.
CLOSING NIGHT
ERIC CLAPTON: LIFE IN 12 BARS
Dir: Lili Fini Zanuck (NYC PREMIERE)
An intimate, revealing musical odyssey on the life and career of guitar virtuoso Eric Clapton, told by those who have known him best.
CENTERPIECE
FAR FROM THE TREE
Dir: Rachel Dretzin (WORLD PREMIERE)
An adaptation of Andrew Solomon’s bestselling book examining how parents face their children’s extreme differences, challenging ideas of “normalcy.”
SPECIAL EVENT
WORMWOOD
Dir: Errol Morris (NYC PREMIERE)
DOC NYC’s Visionaries Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Errol Morris (The Fog of War) investigates the 1953 death of a CIA agent in this innovative new project.
VIEWFINDERS COMPETITION
THE JUDGE
Dir: Erika Cohn (US PREMIERE)
A vérité legal drama about the first woman appointed to a Shari’a court in the Middle East, providing rare insights into both Islamic law and gendered justice.
LOVE, CECIL
Dir: Lisa Immordino Vreeland (NYC PREMIERE)
An affectionate portrait of Cecil Beaton, a multi-talented photographer, writer and painter who also designed sets and costumes for films like My Fair Lady.
LOVE MEANS ZERO
Dir: Jason Kohn (NYC PREMIERE)
Infamous and influential tennis coach Nick Bollettieri has trained champions that include Andre Agassi and Boris Becker, but greatness comes at a personal price.
MOLE MAN
Dir: Guy Fiorita (WORLD PREMIERE)
An autistic man is faced with the possibility of losing the only home he has ever known—and the remarkable 50-room structure he’s built in the backyard.
NAILA AND THE UPRISING
Dir: Julia Bacha (WORLD PREMIERE)
Filmmaker Julia Bacha (Budrus) reveals the hidden history of the key role women played in the Palestinian uprising known as the First Intifada.
SILAS
Dirs: Anjali Nayar, Hawa Essuman (US PREMIERE)
A rousing profile of Liberian activist Silas Siakor, a tireless crusader against illegal logging and a symbol of resistance for a new generation.
THE STRANGER
Dir: Nicole N. Horanyi (INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE)
Amanda, a 25-year-old single mother, meets the man of her dreams on Facebook… but she soon discovers that the charming, worldly Casper has secrets.
THIS IS CONGO
Dir: Daniel McCabe (NYC PREMIERE)
Filmmaker Daniel McCabe examines multiple sides of the fractious war in the Democratic Republic of Congo in this stunningly shot film.
METROPOLIS COMPETITION
ANTONIO LOPEZ 1970: SEX FASHION & DISCO
Dir: James Crump (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
A portrait of the most influential fashion illustrator of 1970s New York and Paris, known for discovering talents such as Pat Cleveland and Grace Jones.
CRADLE OF CHAMPIONS
Dir: Bartle Bull (NYC PREMIERE)
Three amateur boxers compete for glory and life-changing opportunities in New York City’s legendary Golden Gloves tournament.
THE IRON TRIANGLE
Dirs: Prudence Katze, William Lehman (WORLD PREMIERE)
Workers and owners of auto repair shops in Queens’ Willets Point face off against gentrification and urban renewal for the future of their livelihoods and community.
MIRACLE ON 42ND STREET
Dir: Alice Elliott (WORLD PREMIERE)
The surprising history of Manhattan Plaza and its embrace of the performing arts, featuring famed former residents including Alicia Keys, Terrence Howard and Angela Lansbury.
Screening with Lucy Walker’s Oh, What A Beautiful City (A City Symphony). A celebration of summertime in NYC.
OH, RICK!
Dirs: Dustin Sussman, Aaron Rosenbloom (WORLD PREMIERE)
A profile of comedian Rick Crom, long-running emcee at Greenwich Village’s Comedy Cellar, featuring Ray Romano, Colin Quinn, Sarah Silverman and Wanda Sykes.
STILL WATERS
Dir: Peter Gordon (WORLD PREMIERE)
In Bushwick, where rapid gentrification is pushing out Latino families, a unique alternative after-school program serves as a haven for the community.
VIGILANTE: THE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY OF CURTIS SLIWA AND THE GUARDIAN ANGELS
Dir: David Wexler (WORLD PREMIERE)
An unfiltered look back at 1970s and ’80s NYC through the eyes of Curtis Sliwa, founder of the controversial crime prevention patrol the Guardian Angels.
AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES
12TH AND CLAIRMOUNT
Dir: Brian Kaufman (NYC PREMIERE)
Hundreds of hours of home movies, archival footage, illustrations and new oral histories offer multiple perspectives of the 1967 Detroit uprising.
32 PILLS: MY SISTER’S SUICIDE
Dir: Hope Litoff (NYC PREMIERE)
Years after the suicide of her sister Ruth, a talented but troubled artist, director Hope Litoff tries to make sense of her loss.
FAIL STATE
Dir: Alex Shebanow (NYC PREMIERE)
Executive produced by Dan Rather, Fail State explores the dark side of higher education in America, focusing on the rise of for-profit colleges.
FATHER’S KINGDOM
Dir: Lenny Feinberg (WORLD PREMIERE )
In the first half of the 20th century, Father Divine, an African-American spiritual leader, gained over a million followers by claiming to be God.
THE GROWING SEASON
Dir: Evan Briggs (WORLD PREMIERE)
An intimate, bittersweet portrait of growing up and growing old, set in a nursing home that also houses a preschool program.
MAYNARD
Dir: Sam Pollard (WORLD PREMIERE)
Director Sam Pollard constructs a portrait of charismatic trailblazer Maynard Jackson, who became Atlanta’s first black mayor in 1973.
METH STORM
Dirs: Brent Renaud, Craig Renaud (NYC PREMIERE )
DEA agents face the Sisyphean task of curbing the influx of Mexican ice, a more potent form of meth, into poor, rural communities in Arkansas.
SHOT IN THE DARK
Dir: Dustin Nakao Haider (NYC PREMIERE)
Orr Academy’s high school basketball team is a refuge from the brutal realities of the streets of Chicago’s West Side.
INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES
ARMED WITH FAITH
Dirs: Geeta Gandbhir, Asad Faruqi (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
A suspenseful portrait of the men of the Pakistani Bomb Disposal Unit, who risk their own lives every day to combat homegrown and international terrorism.
ASK THE SEXPERT
Dir: Vaishali Sinha (NYC PREMIERE)
A lighthearted look at India’s Dan Savage, Dr. Mahinder Watsa, a 93-year-old retired gynecologist. Is he a hero of progress or an enemy of traditional values?
A BETTER MAN
Dirs: Attiya Khan, Lawrence Jackman (US PREMIERE)
Twenty years after their break-up, filmmaker Attiya Khan confronts her ex-boyfriend to take responsibility for their abusive relationship.
CUBA AND THE CAMERAMAN
Dir: Jon Alpert (NYC PREMIERE)
For more than 40 years, acclaimed filmmaker Jon Alpert has enjoyed privileged access to Cuba, chronicling its changes from Havana to the countryside.
ISLAND SOLDIER
Dir: Nathan Fitch (NYC PREMIERE)
Residents of the remote islands of Micronesia question whether the benefits of US protection are worth the human costs of fighting its wars.
LOVESICK
Dirs: Ann S. Kim, Priya Giri Desai (WORLD PREMIERE)
In India, where marriage is a must but AIDS carries a stigma, Dr. Suniti Solomon serves as matchmaker for her HIV-positive patients.
THE PINK HOUSE
Dir: Sascha Ettinger Epstein (INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE)
In a remote Australian gold-mining town, a genteel 70-year-old madam struggles to keep the oldest working brothel afloat in this entertaining portrait.
Screening with Sam Ketay’s A Wonderful Place. Octogenarian Norma shares stories while giving a tour of her property atop her John Deere tractor.
SOUFRA
Dir: Thomas Morgan (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
Working with a diverse group of Middle Eastern women, Mariam Shaar attempts to expand her catering company, based in a refugee camp near Beirut.
NEW WORLD ORDER
EUROTRUMP
Dirs: Stephen Robert Morse, Nicholas Hampson (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
An in-depth exploration of Geert Wilders, the “Dutch Donald Trump,” as the controversial politician seems poised to become the Prime Minister of the Netherlands.
INSHA’ALLAH DEMOCRACY
Dir: Mohammed Ali Naqvi (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
Following Pakistan’s former dictator, General Pervez Musharraf, as he runs for president, the filmmaker questions if democracy is truly possible in Pakistan.
PLAYING GOD
Dir: Karin Jurschick (US PREMIERE)
A candid, complex portrait of compensation assessor Ken Feinberg, a man tasked with putting a dollar value on human lives in the wake of tragedies like 9/11 and Sandy Hook.
RECRUITING FOR JIHAD
Dirs: Adil Khan Farooq, Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen (NYC PREMIERE)
Over several years, a journalist follows a charismatic, outspoken Norwegian missionary as he recruits young converts to Islam, and to fight for ISIS in Syria.
SKY & GROUND
Dirs: Talya Tibbon, Joshua Bennett (WORLD PREMIERE)
A compelling, ground-level immersion into the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time, accompanying a large, extended family by foot from Syria to asylum in Germany.
SPIRAL
Dir: Laura Fairrie (US PREMIERE)
An urgent, alarming look at the rise of anti-Semitism, Holocaust denial and physical and verbal assaults against Jews throughout Europe, particularly in France.
CENTERSTAGE
BEHIND THE CURTAIN: TODRICK HALL
Dir: Katherine Fairfax Wright (NYC PREMIERE)
American Idol contestant and RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Todrick Hall races to complete an autobiographical musical and take the live show on the road to his devoted fans.
GETTING NAKED: A BURLESQUE STORY
Dir: James Lester (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
Uncovering New York City’s neo-burlesque subculture, this entertaining film offers a lingering look at several sexy denizens of the nightlife scene.
THE PROBLEM WITH APU
Dir: Michael Melamedoff (WORLD PREMIERE)
South Asian-American comedian Hari Kondabolu confronts his long-standing “nemesis,” Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, better known as the Kwik-E-Mart owner on The Simpsons.
REBELS ON POINTE
Dir: Bobbi Jo Hart (NYC PREMIERE)
A globetrotting profile of NYC’s beloved Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, an all-male dance troupe that fuses camp humor with classical ballet performed in drag.
REPEAT ATTENDERS
Dir: Mark Dooley (WORLD PREMIERE)
An entertaining portrait of musical theatre superfans, for whom shows like Les Miz,Starlight Express and Cats are an obsession, a refuge and a place where they belong.
Screening with Ben Kitnick’s Catskills. An 86-year-old dancer remembers the heyday of the upstate resort community.
SAMMY DAVIS, JR.: I’VE GOTTA BE ME
Dir: Sam Pollard (NYC PREMIERE)
A star-studded roster of interviewees (including Jerry Lewis, Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal) pay tribute to the legendary, multi-talented song-and-dance man.
SIGHTED EYES/FEELING HEART
Dir: Tracy Heather Strain (NYC PREMIERE)
A moving account of the life of black playwright, communist, feminist, lesbian and outspoken trailblazer Lorraine Hansberry (A Raisin in the Sun).
STANDING UP
Dir: Jonathan Miller (WORLD PREMIERE)
An Egyptian lawyer, a couch-surfing custodian and an Orthodox Jew walk into a comedy club… and end up starring in a film about three unlikely aspiring stand-up comics.
TRUE CRIME
COLD BLOODED: THE CLUTTER FAMILY KILLINGS
Dir: Joe Berlinger (SNEAK PREVIEW)
Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Joe Berlinger reexamines the infamous 1959 murder of a Kansas family that Truman Capote explored in his landmark nonfiction novel In Cold Blood. (USA, 86 min.)
THE ICONOCLAST
Dir: King Adz (WORLD PREMIERE)
A portrait of a Dutch art connoisseur and descendant of Rembrandt – in truth, a con man who made millions trafficking in forged and stolen art and antiquities.
A MURDER IN MANSFIELD
Dir: Barbara Kopple (WORLD PREMIERE)
Oscar®-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple explores the legacy of the 1989 murder of Noreen Boyle in Mansfield, Ohio and its impact on her family.
WHAT HAUNTS US
Dir: Paige Goldberg Tolmach (NYC PREMIERE)
An investigation into a rash of suicides among the men in the filmmaker’s high school graduating class reveals a disturbing cover-up centered around a popular coach.
Screening with Elivia Shaw and Paloma Martinez’s The Shift. Spend an overnight shift with the emergency dispatchers for the city of San Francisco.
WHITE BOY
Dir: Shawn Rech (NYC PREMIERE)
The story of “White Boy Rick,” a legend of Detroit’s drug world in the 1980s, still imprisoned for a juvenile offense for the past 30 years.
SCIENCE NONFICTION
THE EXPERIMENTAL CITY
Dir: Chad Freidrichs (NYC PREMIERE)
A fascinating chronicle of an almost successful attempt to build the city of the future by a visionary scientist and futurist comic strip writer in the 1960s.
HAPPENING: A CLEAN ENERGY REVOLUTION
Dir: James Redford (NYC PREMIERE)
Seeking hope for a sustainable
tomorrow, filmmaker James Redford crosses the country to chronicle the clean energy revolution already taking place.
HOT GREASE
Dirs: Sam Wainwright Douglas, Paul Lovelace, Jessica Wolfson (WORLD PREMIERE)
A fascinating look at biodiesel, a growing industry with the potential to undercut the dominance of Big Oil—and it all starts with recycled cooking oil.
THE NEW FIRE
Dir: David Schumacher (NYC PREMIERE)
Innovative young nuclear engineers attempt to develop next-generation reactors to provide clean and safe solutions to the world’s future energy needs.
WILD LIFE
DONKEYOTE
Dir: Chico Pereira (NYC PREMIERE)
A 73-year-old Spanish man dreams of walking the Trail of Tears with his donkey and his dog—but getting to America from Spain presents a challenge.
EATING ANIMALS
Dir: Christopher Quinn (NYC PREMIERE)
Based on the book by Jonathan Safran Foer and produced and narrated by Natalie Portman, this unflinching exposé looks at the devastating costs of our dietary choices.
RODENTS OF UNUSUAL SIZE
Dirs: Quinn Costello, Chris Metzler, Jeff Springer (WORLD PREMIERE)
This quirky film follows bounty hunters and other colorful Gulf residents as they try to defend Louisiana from the invasive giant swamp rat known as the nutria.
Screening with Olivier Bernier’s A Garbage Story. Over 30 years in the garbage business, Nick has become a bonafide trash connoisseur.
SAMANTHA’S AMAZING ACROCATS
Dir: Jacob Feiring (NYC PREMIERE)
A woman pins her dreams of stardom on a traveling cat circus, but how long can she hold on as debt mounts and success seems elusive?
Screening with Jeff Reichert and Farihah Zaman’s Nobody Loves Me. High in the Andes, a frog with an unusual appearance is threatened with extinction.
ART & DESIGN
44 PAGES
Dir: Tony Shaff (NYC PREMIERE)
A heartwarming, behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the landmark 70th anniversary issue of beloved children’s magazine, Highlights.
BIG TIME
Dir: Kaspar Astrup Schröder (NYC PREMIERE)
A portrait of superstar Danish architect Bjarke Ingels as he takes on his largest project yet, relocating to New York City to create the new 2 World Trade Center.
FIVE SEASONS: THE GARDENS OF PIET OUDOLF
Dir: Thomas Piper (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
A portrait of visionary landscape designer Piet Oudolf, known for public works like the High Line that redefine our conception of gardens as works of art.
LARGER THAN LIFE
Dir: Tiffany Bartok (NYC PREMIERE)
An intimate look at the life and death of Kevyn Aucoin, who moved from small town Louisiana to become a legendary makeup artist to supermodels and celebrities.
MADDMAN: THE STEVE MADDEN STORY
Dir: Ben Patterson (NYC PREMIERE)
The rags-to-riches story of designer footwear mogul Steve Madden, who nearly lost everything because of his connections to notorious “Wolf of Wall Street,” Jordan Belfort.
MORE ART UPSTAIRS
Dir: Jody Hassett Sanchez (NYC PREMIERE)
Who gets to decide what is good art? A competition touting the biggest cash prize in the art world finds cultural elitism butting up against Midwest populism.
MR. FISH: CARTOONING FROM THE DEEP END
Dir: Pablo Bryant (NYC PREMIERE)
Finding it increasingly challenging to publish his subversive art, will controversial political cartoonist Mr. Fish be forced to sell out in order to sell his art?
MODERN FAMILY
6 WEEKS TO MOTHER’S DAY
Dir: Marvin Blunte (WORLD PREMIERE)
In a remote jungle in Thailand, a unique democratic school provides orphans with education and empowerment under the watchful eyes of the woman they call Mother Aew.
AMAZONA
Dir: Clare Weiskopf (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
The director tries to make sense of the elder woman’s decision to leave her children behind to live in the jungle after a family tragedy.
ELISH’S NOTEBOOKS
Dir: Golan Rise (INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE)
Discovering a secret cache of journals written for them by their late mother, Elisheva’s children confront their complex feelings for their emotionally distant parent.
HARMONY
Dir: Lidia Sheinin (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
Battle lines are drawn when an elderly Russian woman finds her comfortable apartment invaded by her family.
Screening with Laura Checkoway’s Edith+Eddie. The love story of America’s oldest interracial newlyweds is threatened by a family feud.
LIFE TO COME
Dir: Claudio Capanna (US PREMIERE)
Surrounded by the sounds of machines and doctors in white coats, severely premature twins Eden and Léandro fight for their survival.
LOTS OF KIDS, A MONKEY AND A CASTLE
Dir: Gustavo Salmerón (NYC PREMIERE)
Spanish actor-turned-director Gustavo Salmerón captures his eccentric, extraordinary mother, who had three dreams: having lots of kids, a monkey and a castle.
PLOT 35
Dir: Eric Caravaca (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
French actor-turned-director Eric Caravaca unearths personal family history in search of his sister Charlotte, who died as a toddler before he was born.
Screening with Matt Sukkar’s Durango. Adolescent brothers cope with loss over a summer in bucolic Colorado.
THANK YOU FOR COMING
Dir: Sara Lamm (NYC PREMIERE)
After learning she was conceived via a sperm donor, Sara becomes a genealogical detective, navigating ancestry databases and DNA tests for clues to his identity.
BEHIND THE SCENES
BLUE VELVET REVISITED
Dir: Peter Braatz (NYC PREMIERE)
Three decades after documenting the filming of David Lynch’s Blue Velvet, the director crafts an unconventional yet accessible meditation on the cult classic film.
JIM & ANDY: THE GREAT BEYOND…
Dir: Chris Smith (NYC PREMIERE)
Offbeat documentarian Chris Smith (American Movie) reveals just how fully Jim Carrey took on the persona of idiosyncratic comedian Andy Kaufman on the set of Man on the Moon.
KING COHEN
Dir: Steve Mitchell (NYC PREMIERE)
A look at the heyday of guerrilla filmmaking through a celebration of the work of maverick filmmaker Larry Cohen, known as “the John Cassavetes of exploitation.”
SAVING BRINTON
Dirs: Andrew Sherburne, Tommy Haines (NYC PREMIERE)
An eccentric collector is on a mission to restore and preserve a cache of early films and cinema memorabilia, the legacy of a pioneering but forgotten Iowa showman.
SCOTTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD
Dir: Matt Tyrnauer (US PREMIERE)
A deliciously scandalous portrait of unsung Hollywood legend Scotty Bowers, whose bestselling memoir chronicled his decades spent as sexual procurer to the stars.
FIGHT THE POWER
ATOMIC HOMEFRONT
Dir: Rebecca Cammisa (NYC PREMIERE)
A citizens’ movement confronts government bureaucracy to uncover the atomic secrets of St. Louis, Missouri in order to keep their families safe.
BALTIMORE RISING
Dir: Sonja Sohn
Actress Sonja Sohn (HBO’s The Wire) returns to Baltimore in her directorial debut to chronicle the city in the wake of Freddie Gray’s death.
MANKILLER
Dir: Valerie Red-Horse Mohl (NYC PREMIERE)
Wilma Mankiller rose from poverty to become the first female chief of the Cherokee nation, battling rampant sexism, political rivals and health challenges.
NOTHING WITHOUT US
Dir: Harriet Hirshorn (NYC PREMIERE)
Female activists, scientists and scholars in the US and Africa demonstrates the vital role that women have played—and continue to play—in the global fight against HIV/AIDS.
THE OTHER SIDE OF EVERYTHING
Dir: Mila Turajlic (NYC PREMIERE)
A locked door in her family’s Belgrade home provides the gateway to understanding the filmmaker’s remarkable mother and Serbia’s tumultuous political inheritance.
QUEERCORE: HOW TO PUNK A REVOLUTION
Dir: Yony Leyser (NYC PREMIERE)
Misfits in both the mainstream gay and homophobic punk scenes, Bruce LaBruce and GB Jones invented a radical underground subculture that spread around the world.
UNFRACTURED
Dir: Chanda Chevannes (INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE)
Shot over the last year of the historic grassroots fight against fracking in New York state, a raw, intimate look at biologist and activist Sandra Steingraber.
ZERO WEEKS
Dir: Ky Dickens (NYC PREMIERE)
In most countries, workers have paid leave and job security to care for a newborn or family emergency—but not in the US, costing us all a heavy price.
SONIC CINEMA
THE BEATLES, HIPPIES AND HELLS ANGELS: INSIDE THE CRAZY WORLD OF APPLE
Dir: Ben Lewis (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
An entertaining look behind the scenes at Apple Corps, which The Beatles hoped would allow them to spread their countercultural message throughout the world.
BILL FRISELL: A PORTRAIT
Dir: Emma Franz (NYC PREMIERE)
A warm profile of Bill Frisell, a widely inventive guitarist who crosses musical boundaries, featuring Bonnie Raitt, Hal Willner, Paul Simon, Nels Cline, and more.
DAVID BOWIE: THE LAST FIVE YEARS
Dir: Francis Whately (US PREMIERE)
An intimate look at the remarkably creative final years of David Bowie, through the production of his final two albums, and the stage musical, Lazarus.
THE GODFATHERS OF HARDCORE
Dir: Ian McFarland (WORLD PREMIERE)
For over 35 years and still going strong, Agnostic Front’s Vinnie Stigma and Roger Miret have been synonymous with the New York punk scene.
HELLO HELLO HELLO : LEE RANALDO : ELECTRIC TRIM
Dir: Fred Riedel (NYC PREMIERE)
Legendary Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo embarks on the recording of a new experimental concept album with a little help from some friends.
ITZHAK
Dir: Alison Chernick (NYC PREMIERE)
Widely considered the greatest living violinist, Itzhak Perlman takes us on a journey through his music and life.
STREETLIGHT HARMONIES
Dir: Brent Wilson (WORLD PREMIERE)
A who’s who of musicians trace the evolution of doo wop in the 1950s, from street corners to radio stations all across America.
SHORTS
Shorts:
Body Language
On the limits and potential of the human body, exploring dance, tattoos, pro wrestling, meditation and light sensitivity.
Shorts:
City Lights
The ups and downs of city living, featuring artists, improv, hard work, boxing and table tennis.
Shorts:
Dream Weavers
About fulfilling dreams and reimagining the world, featuring Cuban cigar factory workers, men seeking wives, a mail-order bride and more.
Shorts:
The Future is Feminine
Everyday women and girls who inspire, including a housekeeper turned real estate entrepreneur, children’s rights advocate, unlikely athletes and special birthday girl.
Shorts:
Justice For All
True crime and the criminal justice system, exploring death row, surveillance, juvenile offenders, police corruption, war criminals and capital punishment.
Shorts:
Mother Earth
Protecting the planet, from Standing Rock and anti-fracking activism, to saving orangutans and sea turtles.
Shorts:
The New Normal
America, before and after 11/8/16, exploring the Trump campaign, a divided electorate, immigration anxiety, fake news and disturbing parallels to past regimes.
Shorts:
Recorded Memory
The past looms large in these affecting stories about confronting family relationships, reckoning with career decisions, remembering trauma and more.
Shorts:
Strange But True
Quirky real life stories exploring insomnia, dreams, fetishes, first love, conspiracy theories and psychic abilities.
Shorts:
Surviving the System
Finding oneself in and out of the criminal justice system, in stories about a police traffic stop that escalates into violence and a restaurant offering former prisoners a second chance.
DOC NYC U
DOC NYC U:
THE NEW SCHOOL SHOWCASE
Selections from The New School’s Documentary Media Studies program, featuring a tap dancer, migratory birds, New York life, selfies and a yodeling punk singer destined for greatness.
DOC NYC U:
NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY SHOWCASE
NYFA selections profile a Hiroshima orphan, a Central Park mainstay, a wolf rescuer, a persecuted journalist and a lost city.
DOC NYC U:
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SHOWCASE
NYU’s NewsDoc offerings explore a controversial Tibetan boarding school program in China and the growing popularity of taxi driving as a career for women in India.
DOC NYC U:
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SHOWCASE
Work from Columbia Journalism School’s Documentary Project profiles deportation fears under Trump, a drug crisis in the Muslim community and adult illiteracy.
DOC NYC U:
SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS SHOWCASE
SVA’s SocDoc program presents profiles of artists, musicians, designers, a vintage barbershop, broken hearts and Native American activism.
SHORT LIST
ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL
Dir: Steve James
Steve James (Hoop Dreams) profiles a small, family-run Chinatown bank—the only financial institution indicted following the 2008 financial crisis. Courtesy of PBS Distribution.
THE B-SIDE: ELSA DORFMAN’S PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY
Dir: Errol Morris
DOC NYC’s Visionaries Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Errol Morris (The Fog of War) profiles legendary large-format photographer Elsa Dorfman. Courtesy of NEON/Netflix.
CHASING CORAL
Dir: Jeff Orlowski
Following his acclaimed film Chasing Ice, director Jeff Orlowski sets out to chronicle the environmental devastation happening to the world’s coral reefs. Courtesy of Netflix.
CITY OF GHOSTS
Dir: Matthew Heineman
Anonymous Syrian citizen journalists risk their lives to stand up against ISIS and report the truth about the Syrian conflict. Courtesy of Amazon Studios/A&E IndieFilms/IFC Films.
DINA
Dirs: Antonio Santini, Dan Sickles
An unforgettable couple, both on the autism spectrum, navigate the complexities of sex and romance in this Sundance Grand Jury Prize winning film. Courtesy of The Orchard.
FACES PLACES
Dirs: Agnès Varda, JR
French New Wave legend Agnès Varda and acclaimed photographer JR travel the French countryside, celebrating ordinary people through extraordinary photo murals. Courtesy of Cohen Media Group.
THE FINAL YEAR
Dir: Greg Barker (NYC PREMIERE)
Greg Barker gives an unprecedented look at the shaping of US foreign policy by following key members of outgoing US President Barack Obama’s administration. Courtesy of Motto Pictures/Passion Pictures.
THE FORCE
Dir: Peter Nicks
An immersion into the beleaguered Oakland Police Department as it attempts to reform its scandal-ridden image. Courtesy of Kino Lorber/PBS Independent Lens.
ICARUS
Dir: Bryan Fogel
An unexpected exposé of a complex doping operation at the heart of Russia’s Olympics program. Courtesy of Netflix.
JANE
Dir: Brett Morgen
Brett Morgen (On the Ropes) reconstitutes 50-year-old National Geographic footage into a poetic look at primatologist Jane Goodall. Courtesy of National Geographic Documentary Films.
KEDI
Dir: Ceyda Torun
This infectious portrait captures Istanbul through the eyes of its colorful street cats.Courtesy of Oscilloscope Laboratories/YouTube Red.
ONE OF US
Dirs: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady
This year’s Visionaries Tribute honorees Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Jesus Camp) penetrate the insular world of New York’s Hasidic community. Courtesy of Netflix.
RISK
Dir: Laura Poitras
Oscar-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras (Citizenfour) creates a complex portrait of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and his team. Courtesy of NEON/Showtime Documentary Films.
STEP
Dir: Amanda Lipitz
The inaugural class of the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women strives for success both academically and through its fierce step dancing team. Courtesy of Fox Searchlight.
STRONG ISLAND
Dir: Yance Ford
Yance Ford explores the long-lasting impact on his African-American family of his brother’s murder, killed by a white man who was never punished for his crime. Courtesy of Netflix.
Read more
Actor Sir Patrick Stewart will be the recipient of the Gregory Peck Award for Excellence in Cinema at the 2017 San Diego International Film Festival (SDiFF). The awards will be presented October 5th at The VARIETY Night of the Stars Tribute.
“Patrick Stewart has captivated audiences for years with spectacular performances, from Star Trek to his career defining performance in Logan earlier this year, as well as his Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated performance as Captain Ahab in Moby Dick, a role which Mr. Peck made famous more than 40 years earlier. We couldn’t be more excited to honor him this year with the Gregory Peck Award,” said Tonya Mantooth, Executive and Artistic Director of the San Diego International Film Festival.
Created in honor of famed actor and San Diego area native Gregory Peck, with the support of his family, this award is given to an individual whose work has made a profound impact on the art of cinema. Launched in 2014, the first recipient of the award was Alan Arkin, with Annette Bening receiving the award last year.
The festival, now in its 16th year, will run from October 4th through October 8th in San Diego, California, and feature a lineup of 117 films total, 10 Narrative Spotlight Competition films, 18 Narrative Competition films, 12 Documentary Competition films, 5 Documentary Spotlight Competition films, and 72 Short films.
Nolan Gerard Funk in Hello Again[/caption]
Reeling, the second-oldest LGBTQ film festival in the world, celebrates its 35th anniversary edition from September 21 to 28 at Landmark Theatres’ Century Centre Cinema in Chicago. The 2017 Reeling will present 30 feature films and 10 programs of shorts, coming from 22 countries.
The festival kicks off Thursday, September 21 at Music Box Theatre with the Chicago premiere of Northwestern alum Tom Gustafson’s HELLO AGAIN. The sex-fueled all-star screen adaptation of the 1994 Off-Broadway musical stars Cheyenne Jackson, Audra McDonald, Martha Plimpton, Tyler Blackburn and Rumer Willis. Reeling 2017 closes Thursday, September 28 with SATURDAY CHURCH, the coming-of-age story of a young Black teen exploring gender expression and finding acceptance in the Harlem Ball scene, which stars Golden Globe- and Emmy-nominated actor and Goodman Theatre playwright Regina Taylor.
From Trudie Styler’s hotly anticipated directorial debut, the outrageous dramedy FREAK SHOW, about the fictional high school “transvisionary” Billy Bloom, starring Alex Lawther ( The Imitation Game ), Bette Midler and Laverne Cox; and writer-director Vincent Gagliostro’s intergenerational gay romantic drama AFTER LOUIE, starring Alan Cumming in a career-defining performance; to the crackling energy and entertaining story of the rise of YouTube musical superstar Todrick Hall in the documentary BEHIND THE CURTAIN; to the inspiring story of the long road to acceptance for Brooke Guinan, New York’s first out transgender firefighter in WOMAN ON FIRE; to Looking actor Russell Tovey’s stunning performance in THE PASS, the story of two football players whose reactions to the homoerotic tension between them as young men shape their divergent futures; the 35th edition of Reeling Film Festival has something to satisfy every film taste!
Reeling launches its eight-day festival with the Opening Night Gala presentation of the sensual musical HELLO AGAIN, Northwestern alumni Tom Gustafson’s ( Were the World Mine, Mariachi Gringo ) red hot film adaptation of Michael John LaChiusa’s acclaimed 1994 Off-Broadway musical. The film follows ten lovestruck souls who pair off in an erotic daisy chain of sex and song, looking for meaning beyond their steamy hookups. Jack ( Tyler Blackburn, Pretty Little Liars ) sexes up Robert ( Cheyenne Jackson, American Horror Story ) who pleasures Sally ( six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald ) who revels in her tryst with Ruth ( Martha Plimpton, The Real O’Neals ). Along for the sexy hijinks are T.R. Knight ( Grey’s Anatomy ), Rumer Willis ( Empire, Dancing with the Stars ), Jenna Ushkowitz ( Glee ), Sam Underwood ( Fear the Walking Dead ), vocalist Al Calderon and Nolan Gerard Funk ( Glee and former Calvin Klein model ). The musical numbers — everything from pop to operetta to Broadway to swing to searing torch ballads — are as fluid as the sexual proclivities of the characters. Prepare to indulge your senses with this visually stylish, ultra-sensual musical extravaganza.
[caption id="attachment_23942" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Saturday Church[/caption]
Reeling closes on Thursday, September 28 with an advance screening of SATURDAY CHURCH. This audacious hybrid — part drama, part comedy, part musical — is pulled off with aplomb by debuting writer-director Damon Cardasis and his young cast of newcomers. After the recent death of his father, Ulysses ( Luka Kain ) has begun experimenting with his sexuality and gender expression; his nights are full of stolen nylons and high heels. But Aunt Rose — played by acclaimed actor, playwright and Chicago resident Regina Taylor — is having none of this, so Ulysses flees the Bronx, finding himself enthralled by a new group of colorful, streetwise friends who introduce him to the Ball community. This thrilling, genre-busting film, soulful and heartfelt, has received raves on the film festival circuit and is a superlative and tender, coming-of-age story.
Reeling will present the premieres of two locally made features: Chicago based writer-director Wendell Etherly’s MARKET VALUE is a compelling child custody courtroom drama focused on a lesbian couple fighting to keep their adopted son; and On the Down Low writer-director Tadeo Garcia returns to Reeling with EN ALGUN LUGAR, a gay romantic drama set against the backdrop of the controversial U.S. immigration system.
Other festival highlights include the World Premiere of writer-director Rob Williams’ ( Role/Play, Shared Rooms, Make the Yuletide Gay ) ninth feature film, HAPPINESS ADJACENT, a bisexual love triangle set aboard a cruise ship; the critically acclaimed Sundance hit, I DREAM IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE, Mexican director Ernest Contreras’ drama about two elderly men who are the last living people able to speak a dying language but who refuse to talk to each other; SEBASTIAN, writer-director-actor James Fanizza’s romantic drama about a fling between two men living in different countries who unexpectedly fall in love; the eccentric Scottish film SEAT IN SHADOW, director Henry Coombes’ film about an aging free-spirited artist who plays therapist for the young gay grandson of a friend; APRICOT GROVES, Pouria Heidary Oureh’s beautifully realized story about an Iranian Armenian transman living in the U.S. who visits Armenia to ask his girlfriend’s father for her hand in marriage; THE RING THING, about a lesbian couple facing the pressures of getting married now that it’s legal, directed by William Sullivan, whose That’s Not Us screened at Reeling 2015; and EASTSIDERS SEASON 3: GO WEST, all new episodes from the Emmy-nominated gay web series that went viral on YouTube and was later picked up by Netflix.
Young love is explored in UK director Daniel Grasskamp’s CAT SKIN, in which a shy photography student captures the attention of a popular girl whose boyfriend refuses to leave the picture; David Berry’s SOMETHING LIKE SUMMER, a film adaptation of a popular novel series focusing on a young gay couple that includes Glee-like musical numbers; and Jakob M. Erwa’s CENTER OF MY WORLD, a gay coming of age romance from Germany.
Thrills, excitement, mayhem and various kinds of trouble can be found in two British and two Australian films. In the British crime thriller B&B, two men who successfully sued a small inn for gay discrimination return to gloat and find their triumph is short-lived, and in PALACE OF FUN, a rich young British woman’s calculating gay brother plays sinister games with her love interest. The Australian BOYS IN THE TREES is an eerie surrealist coming of age drama that takes place on Halloween night; and in BAD GIRL, a rebellious teenager is single-white-femaled by a doe-eyed beauty whom her parents are convinced is a good role model for her.
Comic relief is offered by SENSITIVITY TRAINING, in which an abrasive microbiologist finds herself attracted to the woman hired by her company to be her sensitivity coach; DATING MY MOTHER, about an aimless recent college graduate who moves back in with his widowed mom and finds that they are both trying to find Mr. Right; and PROM KING, 2010, which chronicles the failed attempts of an awkward 20-year-old college freshman in New York to find the man of his dreams.
The lives of women of color are explored in two web series: 195 LEWIS, set in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn; and the locally produced, Emmy nominated BROWN GIRLS, set in Chicago. The latter series was funded in part by Chicago Filmmakers’ Chicago Digital Media Production Fund, and creators Samantha Bailey and Fatimah Asghar were recently signed to a development deal to adapt the series for HBO.
Documentaries, as always, are an important part of the Reeling lineup. Documentaries include CHAVELA, an affectionate portrait of the legendary lesbian Costa Rican Ranchera singer who counted Pedro Almodóvar among her friends and Frida Kahlo among her lovers; THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON, Oscar nominated David France’s follow-up to How to Survive a Plague which focuses on the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of the trans activist as well as her close friendship with Sylvia Rivera; BONES OF CONTENTION, an historical documentary focusing on the repression of gays and lesbians under the Franco regime during the Spanish Civil War which weaves in the life of murdered queer poet Federico Garcia Lorca; and AGAINST THE LAW, a docudrama about the punitive life for gay men in conservative England in the 1950s.
Behind the Curtain: Todrick Hall[/caption]
The 2017 Damn These Heels Film Festival taking place July 14 to 16, 2017 in Utah at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, revealed the first round of films selected for the festival. The festival features independent, documentary, and foreign films from around the world that explore LGBTQ issues, ideas, and art.
The Festival will open with Behind the Curtain: Todrick Hall by director Katherine Fairfax Wright. The film follows Todrick Hall as he launches his most ambitious project yet: the full-scale original musical, Straight Outta Oz.
Patrick Hubley, Director of Programming for the Utah Film Center said, “Through Damn These Heels screenings and events we hope to continue to foster the spirit of inclusion, unity, and tenacity in the Utah community. These films from all over the world show that now more than ever we need to celebrate our shared humanity no matter our race or sexual orientation. These stories need to be told and we cannot wait to kick off our 14th year with such a thought-provoking program.”
The first round of films selected to screen in the 2017 Damn These Heels Festival are:
Behind the Curtain: Todrick Hall / USA (Director: Katherine Fairfax Wright)
Todrick Hall launches his most ambitious project yet: the full-scale original musical, Straight Outta Oz. From a small town in Texas to big-time show business, comes an inspiring documentary of grit, perseverance and the redemptive power of art. We watch him struggle to write songs about growing up gay and black in small-town Texas, his difficult relationship with his mom, and the harsh realities of trying to make it in show business. With limited time and budget the odds are against him, but Todrick’s passion and his team of talented performers overcome all obstacles to bring this story to the world. Utah Premiere
Official Selection: 2017 SXSW Film Festival, 2017 Outfest
*Opening Night Film
**Director Katherine Fairfax Wright will attend the festival for a guided discussion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d7geWHf1x8
Free Cece / USA (Director: Jacqueline Gares) – CeCe McDonald survived a brutal attack, only to be incarcerated for defending her life. After an international movement to free her, CeCe emerged as a leader to interrogate the prison industrial complex and inspire women to fight back when attacked. Utah Premiere
Cast: CeCe McDonald, Laverne Cox
Audience Award Winner: Feature Documentary – 2016 Blackstar Film Festival
I Dream In Another Language / Mexico/Netherlands (Director: Ernesto Contreras) – A young linguist travels to the jungle of Mexico to research a language on the verge of disappearing. Once there, he discoverers its last two speakers clashed 50 years ago, and have refused to speak to each other since. Attempting to reunite them, the researcher discovers a secret past—and a forbidden gay love story.
Cast: Fernando Álvarez Rebeil, Eligio Meléndez, Manuel Poncelis, Fátima Molina, Juan Pablo De Santiago, Hoze Meléndez
Winner: Audience Award World Cinema (Dramatic) – 2017 Sundance Film Festival
Political Animals / USA (Director: John Markowitz, Tracy Wares) – A rousing documentary charting the unstoppable force of four lesbian legislators in California who’ve been fighting for LGBT rights and recognition for decades. Utah Premiere
Cast: Carole Migden, Sheila Kuehl, Jackie Goldberg, Christine Kehoe
Winner: Audience Award – 2016 Los Angeles Film Festival, Provincetown International Film Festival and 8 other awards.
Pushing Dead / USA (Director: Tom E. Brown) – When a struggling writer, HIV-positive for 20+ years, accidentally deposits a $100 birthday check, he is dropped from his health plan for earning too much. In this new era of sort-of universal care, can he take on a helpless bureaucracy or come up with $3000 a month to buy his meds on his own? Utah Premiere
Cast: James Roday, Robin Weigert, Danny Glover, Khandi Alexander, Tom Riley
Winner: Audience Award – Frameline 40; 2016 Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival; 2017 Ashland Independent Film Festival; 2016 Fresno Reel Pride Film Festival
Signature Move / USA (Director: Jennifer Reeder ) – A hilarious and heartfelt look at modern families and the complexities of love in its many forms. Utah Premiere
Cast: Fawzia Mirza, Shabana Azmi, Sari Sanchez, Audrey Francis, Charin Alvarez
Official Selection: 2017 SXSW Film Festival
The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin / USA (Director: Jennifer M. Kroot) – Celebrates one of the world’s most beloved storytellers, following his evolution from a conservative son of the Old South into a gay rights pioneer whose novels inspired millions to reclaim their lives.
Utah Premiere
Audience Award Winner: Documentary Spotlight – 2017 SXSW Film Festival; Jury Award: Best Documentary – 2017 OUTSHINE Film Festival
The Young Karl Marx (Le jeune Karl Marx)[/caption]
The 43rd Seattle International Film Festival taking place May 18 to June 11, 2017, today unveiled a lineup of 400 films representing 80 countries.
Opening night kicks off Friday, May 18 with The Big Sick, starring and written by Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley) along with his wife Emily V. Gordon. Closing this year’s Festival is the North American premiere of The Young Karl Marx, directed by Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro). The story follows 26-year-old Karl Marx (August Diehl) and his wife Jenny in exile in Europe, where they meet a man who provides them with the final piece needed for the foundation of Marxist theory.
At the annual Centerpiece Gala, SIFF will travel to 1990s Manhattan in the slice-of-life comedy, Landline. Director Gillian Robespierre brings back actress-comedienne Jenny Slate following their SIFF 2014 run of Obvious Child.
The World premiere of Theresa Rebeck’s Trouble will screen at Seattle’s historic SIFF Cinema Egyptian as SIFF honors the film’s executive producer and star, Anjelica Huston, with the Career Achievement in Acting Award. In addition to the award presentation and screening, the acclaimed actress is also slated for an on-stage interview at the Wednesday, June 7 event.
Also scheduled is An Afternoon with Sam Elliott, where the festival will pay tribute to the all-American actor. Along with his iconic voice, Elliott makes his way to SIFF on Saturday, May 27th for the Seattle premiere of his newest film The Hero following an onstage discussion that afternoon.
Receiving raving reviews following its’ world premiere at SXSW is Seattle native S.J. Chiro’s first full-length feature, Lane 1974. Drawing off of Chiro’s own childhood experiences as well as those described in Clane Hayward’s memoir “The Hypocrisy of Disco”, SIFF is thrilled to present this 1970s coming-of-age narrative.
One of several interactive events features Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked The World, a documentary by Catherine Bainbridge celebrating the achievements and contributions of Native Americans in modern American music. Along with the screening of the film, guests will also enjoy Indigenous Centered Perspectives, an exhibit showcasing works by four indigenous artists at the Paramount Theater. The Friday, May 26 event is hosted by SIFF in collaboration with Amazon Video Direct, STG, and Longhouse Media.
“This year’s robust line-up includes a wide variety of programs ranging from heartfelt features from comedy favorites to thought-provoking documentaries, as well as once in a lifetime conversations with Hollywood legends,” says Interim Artistic Director Beth Barrett. “We are thrilled to jump into our 43rd edition and introduce spectacular programming from across the world to over 150,000 film enthusiasts in Seattle over the course of 25 days.”